It was pitch black outside; sky overcast with charcoal colored clouds as it threatened to release a down-pour of the centuries. Everything was completely silence, almost as though building the suspense and waiting with baited breath for the first raindrop. Yet it seemed to hesitate, leaving the grounds dusty and dry.

There were hushed figures moving about the main corridors of the castle, one dressed in an expensive gown and the other, smaller one in what looked to be the tattered remains of a peasant girl's clothes. The mother was busy forcing tears back from her eyes as she led her child, the prince, who's life had been threatened to the point of having to send him away, towards the doors. "Gua'd," she muttered hoarsly, getting one of the armored peronel's attention. "Go 'n fetch 'im.. Si' Niccals.." Queen Racheal trailed off, her ring-clad fingers diggingin into her son's shoulders.

"M-mum? Why do ah 'a-ave ta leave?" Prince Stuart, as the blunette was called, whimpered up to his mother. He wasn't informed of the near-death experiences he was completely innocent of and was instead told he was being sent on a little 'vacation' with a friend of his mothers.

"Hush.. mothe' 'as he' wreasons.." Raheal replied, stroking his hair. "Now, while yewr on this vacation, you' name is 'Elizabeth', y'hea'? 'n yewr a li'l peasant gi'l fwom tha village.." Her voice was full of pain, which had tears glimmering in the confused princes' eyes.

"O-okay.."

The guard's heavy metalic footsteps echoed as he made his way through the empty expansive halls towards the knight's quarters. The Queen had taken a liking to the youth and had gone so far as to give him his own rather nicely furnished room and a slave or two. He paused at the door, standing at attention as he knocked on the old wood.

"Si' Niccals, he' majesty hath summoned thee." His voice was brisk and serious as he stepped back a bit from the door and waited.

Sir Niccals, Murdoc to those who knew him personally, opened the door and stepped out, his heavy metal armor clinking noisily. "I shall go hencefo'th," he said, taking off down the hall at a sprint.

Arriving at the front door, the knight stopped and stood at attention. "Ma'am?" he asked, awaiting orders from the Queen.

Murdoc saw a girl next to the Queen, but his training disallowed him to ask who it was.

Stuart, or Elizabeth as he'd been newly renamed, had her head lowered in a near-shameful manner and her hands clasped behind her back. She had tears in her eyes that were brimming and almost begging to be released, but she knew her mother was having trouble enough doing this.

"Si' Niccals," the Queen started in a regal, commanding voice. "I 'ave a very impo'tant mission fo' you. It will keep you away from 'ome fo' an unknown perios of time but I have no one else I could trust with such a task."

Elizabeth sniffled, getting a look from her mother that looked almost belittling. She shrunk back, head bowed further as a tear edged ever-closer to falling.

Even though he felt bad for the girl, Murdoc still had his civil duties to do. "Yes, You' Majesty. I accept this task. May I ask what it is, You' Majesty?" he asked, never dropping his head from attention.

"You see this peasan' gi'l?" She motioned towards Elizabeth, not givng Murdoc time to reply as she continued, "I am intrusting you to take he' fa' out into the country 'n find a safe fa'm ta stay in. Do not question why, fo' I will take it as a show of the utmost disrespect. You will be leaving tonight, as soon as you a'e ready."

Elizabeth wiped at her eyes; glancing down at her glimmering hands. The tears reflected the flickering light coming from a few lanturns the guards standing near them were holding and, for reasons that were hidden deep inside of her, Elizabeth felt a pure sort of fear climbing up her throat as they glinted in the fire-light.

Murdoc nodded. "Yes, You' Majesty." He took Elizabeth by the hand and led her to the carriage. "I trust tha' yew'e ready, m'lady?" he asked, showing respect to even the most unfortunate of souls.

The girl remained silent, face tilted towards the ground and her shoulders trembling. She slipped her thin hand from his grip and clambered into the back of the carriage; a small hiccup escaping her lips as her tears finally started to trail down her snow-white cheeks.

Almost simultaneously the clouds seemed to find their hesitations drowned and opened like a floodgate. Rain poured down in large, fast drops as it thuroughly soaked everything within a few moments. Elizabeth was already safely inside the carriage, cyring siletnly as she tried to puzzle together what had so suddenly made her mother force a new identity upon her and cast her out with someone she didn't know to go somewhere far away..

Murdoc nodded, knowing that he wasn't supposed to get mad at women or civilians. He got into the front seat and ordered the driver to go.

Meanwhile, out in the country, a small slave worked in the barn. She was in the process of brushing her favorite horse-an old Arabian with gray speckled hair-when lightning struck, causing him to buck up and kick her in the face with his hoof, leaving a nasty cut and not to mention a bruise..

A boy in his teens with wild dark hair and flashing green eyes stepped into the stables; the reins of a sleek, black as night stalion in his hand. Nathaniel, as he was named, brushed a hand lovingly over its soft nose affectionately as he walked it back to its stall. He noticed the girl on the girl and hurriedly put his horse away.

"Yew awright, miss?" Nathaniel inquired as he stopped by her side and pushed her bangs from her face to get a better look. She was one of his father's many slaves and he knew that they weren't equipped to handle such an injury, not to mention the rage his father would express if one of them was caught treating her.

She looked up at him through blurry eyes. "Yeah, 'm fine. I jus' love ge'in' kicked by ho'ses. 's my favowri'e pass time activity," she said, subtle sarcasm in her voice. The small girl sat up, not likingthe way blood gushed down her face. "Woll, tha's no' good..."

Nathaniel payed her sarcasm no mind as he stood up and hurried into a small room in the back of the stables. He returned with a moist rag and some gauze, which he sat down and used to start dressing her wounds.

"Thank yew," she said, sitting still so he could fix her wounds. She still felt horrible, but at least someone was talking to her. She seemedto be the least favorite of all the slaves, seeing as noone was allowedto talkwith her, and she got the longest and most brutal beatings of all of them.

The elder boy kept his silence, tying off the bandage and returning it to its rightful place in the back room. He wasn't in a mood to talk, truth be told, and though he knew it was wrong to treat slaves with disrespect as they were just as human as himself, but it was something instilled in him by his terrible sperm-donor he had dubbed 'father'. The man was a wretch and spent his days lazing about and beating the slaves for fun. One day Nate hoped to inherate them and show them what a kind master could do for them.

She stood up. "Fine, 'en. Be tha' way," she said, walking back over to the horse. "S'okay, Ches'nu'. Theh ligh'nin' di'n' mean i'," she said, petting his nose.

Nathaniel brushed his raven hair from his face, not looking back as he finished taking care of his stallion. He turned, once finished, and left the barn; doors still ajar as the tell-tale dripping of water echoed through them and faded into the silence of the barn.

this is an AU RP between me (*PsycoChic4eva) and my booday (~PuffyReptar) on dA! We're workin super hard on it and we really hope everyone enjoys! feedback is much loved X3

oh and if you couldn't tell, it's a middle ages sort of thing! Stu is gunna be refered to as Elizabeth unless something important comes up and he has to resume his real identity- temporarily or otherwise.