Hi everyone! Okay, a little break from French Revision here. I recently completed the ever-awesome Fable 3, and since then I've had a whole bunch of drabbles floating around in my head about it. And today I thought what the heck and wrote one up.

This is set just before Princess Rosalyn (Rose for short :P) wins the support of the Bowerstone Resistance. She's just run away with Elliot, who is a little naive and despite knowing she's a Hero and that there needs to be a Revolution, doesn't quite make the connection. Rose has to explain to him that she needs to go.

(Unlike many people out there, I don't hate Elliot. I think he's quite sweet, although once you marry him and he starts using 'Darling' as every second word he starts to get a little annoying.)

I don't own Fable 3 (sadly), or Elliot or Logan or Page, or Albion. I only 'own' the readheaded crackshot Rosalyn and the boxer dog called Dog. I is imaginative :D

Seeing him again had been a shock, more like a cold splash of water to the face than even the dive into the putrid water had. Although she recognised him instantly, and she knew he knew her in that same moment, she had been convinced it wasn't real. If it really was him, what was he doing still in the capital? Why hadn't he fled for his life?

She hadn't given those questions a second thought after she'd thrown her arms around him. He was real, and solid, and alive. He stunk after days of being locked in this sewer, and his clothes were filthy, but it was definitely her Elliot – the same brown eyes blinking at her, confused, the same nervous, almost shy hug.

Seeing him again had made her feel hope like none of her past victories in battle had. It told her that people could get through this, they could stay alive under Logan's rule.

That hope was like a shining ray of light in her chest, and ironically, it was that light that made her do something incredibly dark and selfish. She'd done something similar once before, choosing love over reason. Stealing Elliot away from his fiancée had been almost too easy. A few murmured words, one kiss, and the young man was putty in her hands. She hadn't realised before how much influence she had over him.

She'd felt guilty, of course, when the two of them had revived his unconscious fiancée and Linda, beaming, had wrapped her arms around him and told him how much she loved him. She'd had to make her excuses and leave, let Elliot gradually explain things to Linda, his soon to be ex-fiancée.

Stealing him away from Bowerstone Industrial was just as easy, and thrilling. Running away with him, hand-in-hand, to Millfields had sent a rush of exhilaration down her spine not unlike those she felt just before a battle. The wedding was a large affair, the biggest she could find, but she made sure that all those present were strangers. No sense in letting their marriage, their names, reaching the ears of the king. They didn't even move into Millfields. She picked a pretty house in the Market, expensive, but that didn't matter, because she owned most of the houses in Albion by now anyway.

Elliot hadn't minded. Every time she looked at him, she saw the love in his eyes and knew he would do anything for her. She knew that, instead of the revolutionary leaders, if it had been her that Logan had threatened to execute, Elliot wouldn't have left her to decide. He would have walked up to the block and lay down willingly. That thought always sent chills through her bones.

As selfish as she was, every time she looked across at her husband, she regretted nothing. To see that smile, the love in those eyes, was bliss. She could forget about the Revolution, just for a moment, and believe she was just an ordinary woman, a wandering minstrel and blacksmith, with her own happy family.

Of course, that illusion couldn't keep forever.

About a week after their wedding, Rosalyn had come downstairs, clutching a thin shawl over her nightclothes and Dog yawning widely beside her, to find her husband humming cheerfully under his breath, in the process of placing a crate of vegetables on the dining table. Elliot looked up and greeted her with a smile.

"Morning, sleepyhead. The stalls opened a little early today, so I went out and picked up some of those vegetables you liked. I was thinking we could have them with pie tonight, or maybe-"

Rosalyn smiled sadly. It was wonderful, to feel so domestic, but the time of rest was over. She still had a Revolution to organise.

"Elliot," she said softly, "I'm leaving."

The brown-haired man blinked, then tilted his head.

"Did I forget something? Don't worry, I can pop out and get it, you don't have to get dressed-"

She laughed, and in a few quick steps was beside him, her hand reaching up to touch his face.

"No, Elliot, I mean I'm going to be going away for a while."

He blinked slowly, confused. His hand, the one with the ring on it, reached up to clasp her own.

"Away? But we've only just got married..."

She smiled.

"I know. But this is important. I need to talk to P- No, maybe it's better if you don't know."

Elliot's grip on her hand tightened, and she saw a flicker of fear in his eyes.

"Rose? What's going on? Why- where are you going?"

The Princess sighed, slowly guiding him to sit down in one of their chairs. She had a feeling she would have to explain this to him very gently.

"We talked about this, Elliot. In the sewers, when the Hobbes were attacking, remember?"

The confusion in his eyes told her otherwise. She sighed again.

"Elliot. I'm a Hero. You said as much yourself, remember? Well, Heroes can't stay at home forever. I have something very important to do."

Elliot nodded, stammering now.

"Y-yes, so you've got a Quest, right? But you'll be right back, having slain a monster or whatever you need to do, right?"

Dog whined softly as Rosalyn bit her lip. She almost wanted to cry. Elliot, her beloved Elliot, hadn't realised, yet, just what she was mixed up in. She took a deep breath.

"This is more than just a Quest, like in the legends. This is dangerous stuff. I told you, Elliot. Back in the sewers. I told you, remember? 'It's going to take a whole Revolution.'"

His eyes widened, and she knew she'd got the message through at last. His hands gripped her own, and his voice was bordering on panic.

"T-that's ridiculous! A Revolution – that's too far! I-I mean, I've seen what Logan's done to Albion, but we can't just rise up against him like that! You can't! You can't take on the King by yourself, even if he is your brother!"

Rosalyn smiled grimly.

"Hence why I've spent most of the time since...that day...gathering followers for the battle. It's why I'm leaving. We're not ready, yet."

Elliot shook his head, disbelieving.

"You'll never be ready. Logan has the entire Royal Guard, the Army, all under his command."

That caused her to smile. She raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Does he? But even if he didn't, we need more allies. Specifically, the ones I'm about to meet, are going to be key if we're going to take Logan down. That's why I'm leaving. I'm going to try and gain their favour, and their help. That's why I'm going to be away for some time."

She knew he'd let her go. She saw it in his eyes before she'd even finished talking. He nodded slowly, his eyes filled with tears.

"Okay. But be careful. We just found each other again."

Rosalyn nodded, rising to her feet.

"I know. I will. But if anything does happen to me..."

She paused, then leant forward to whisper in his ear.

"If anything happens to me publicly, or I'm away for too long, get out of here. Don't worry about the rent – I own this house, so no one will come after you. Get far away from Bowerstone. Run to Mourningwood, first. The gypsies there will take you in for a while, then you can take the Fort route and get to Brightwall Village. There's some good people there. You can start a whole new life there."

She leant back, turning away to go back upstairs and dress. Elliot caught her wrist. She turned back to see his face, shocked.

"You've planned this way too well, Rose. Do you really think you're going to-"

His voice caught on the last word. She managed a reassuring smile.

"I hope not. But I don't want anything happening to you, if I do fail. Not that I'm just going to let that happen. I'm going to try my hardest to get back here, I promise."

She leant forward, meeting his mouth in a kiss a thousand times more tender than the one they'd shared in the sewers. Breaking away, she smiled.

"I love you, Elliot."

When she left that noon, she could've sworn she heard him start to cry softly behind her. But then the door had shut with a click, and she'd whistled for her dog, heading determinedly to Bowerstone Industrial. Now she had something to live for, there was no room for failure.

Arg, sorry for the angst. And I tried my hardest to write Dog in there, but it's really hard. Even in-game, I hardly noticed I had a dog unless he was barking to say he'd found treasure. To be honest, he was kinda useless because half the time I'd spotted the chests before him and the dig spots were mediocre at best.

Shame he's not a Mabari, really. Although, that might have totally unbalanced the game, because I found it easy. I didn't die once, and I'm the sort of person who generally has the words 'Snake? Snake! SNAAAAAAKE!' ringing in her ears after a game of MGS.