Prince Julian went to the cell that Austin previously had been held in, the cell that he "escaped" from, to find the arresting officer there, his face as red as a tomato and yelling at the dungeon guard. "What in God's name were you doing that would distract you so much from seeing a goddamn, highly dangerous prisoner escape?!"
"Calm down, Captain Hart. What happened here?" Julian asked, separating the men.
"I dunno, mi'lord. One minute he was here, sleeping in his cell. The next minute, when it was meal time for the inmates, he was gone!"
"What do you mean GONE?!" The captain yelled frustratedly. Julian gave him a stern look, so he calmed down a bit, or at least tried to. "Who else came in here today? Last night?"
The dungeon guard scratched his head, "Well, I fells asleep last night, but nobody comes in after sundown. They claims it's spooked. This morning... hmm, only the majesty's right hand an sir. I assumed he had a message from the majesty here himself."
Julian nodded, "I did."
"The cooks came with breakfast after, but didn't notice anything." The dungeon guard finished.
"This man is a cold hearted murderer and has evaded the Royal Guard for months and no once notices! No wonder this kingdom is going to the dogs."
"Watch what you say, Captain. Though we are low on soldiers I will not hesitate to remove an unruly captain from his post." Julian reprimanded him. "Tell the men to be on the lookout, but don't send anyone out for a search party. I won't dare weaken the border anymore than it is now. Go." He turned and left the dungeon, Captain Hart agrily turned the other direction to go to the barracks. I'm going to find him.
The carriage rattled along down the dirt road, Austin's body ached with every bump. He leaned forward and asked Manuel the driver, "Can you ease up on the reigns? I'm dying back here."
Manuel did not stop the horses but turned around. "No hablo englais muy bien." He turned back to the reigns.
Austin was confused, "Uhh..que?"
"Deja de quejarte." Manuel yelled over his shoulder.
Austin had already taken off his disguise and stuffed it into one of the princess's bags. The morning was quickly turning into noon, the midday sun shone warm and green through the trees that shaded the road, though a few almost clipped his head. A zephyr breezed through the leaves and ruffled Austin's hair. It also swept a fly right up his nose. "Aughh!" He swatted his nose desperately just as Manuel steered the carriage onto a bump and succeeded in throwing himself off of the carriage.
Manuel sucked his teech and pulled the reigns back, muttering in Spanish. Snoozing in her seat Ally lurched forward, waking up.
Austin coughed, the wind had been knocked out of his lungs, and the fly flew out of his mouth. Groaning he sat up, "I'm fine Manuel."
"No me importa. Darse prisa." He said to him. Again, Austin didn't understand so he just waved him off. Dangerous assassin and still freaks out over a fly. He thought, disgusted with his sissy-ness (as they used to call it when he was a young boy).
"Austin?!" Ally exclaimed, astonished. Austin looked up to see her happy face looking down at him. "Is that you?"
He held back a sigh, "Yeah, it's me Ally." He supposed he should've said hello to Ally right after they left, seeing as they were friends as children and he was her protector for the journey, but he had decided against it. She would've begin asking questions about what he's been doing all these years and he wasn't in the mood to lie just yet. But he was going to have to come up with something soon enough.
"Oh my gosh!" She rushed to open the carriage door and jumped out of the carriage, "Austin! What are you doing here?" She pulled him in for a hug.
He stood there awkwardly, not hugging back. "Your brother hired me to make sure you get to Damask safely." He answered.
"Really? That's-"
"Senorita, tenemos que darnos prisa, por favor." Manuel called from the front of the carriage.
"Do you understand what he said?" Austin asked Ally.
She smiled, "No idea. Come sit with me." She pulled his hand and led Austin, who was somewhat reluctant, into the carriage, which was lavishly cushioned by red velvet cloth.
Manuel slapped the horses' reigns and started them off again.
Inside the carriage, Austin kept his eyes down. Ally just beamed at the man that Austin had become. His chubby cheeks werereplaced with a strong jawline and high cheekbones, but the dimples remained. His hair was just as angelically blonde as ever but was less curly, a lot more straight than it had been. His shoulders were broad and he looked strong, but not rippling with muscles. His eyes that used to smile all the time didn't, they looked so.. ancient. Like they've seen as much experience, loss, heartache, and grief as any wise man or elder. "I just-I can't believe it's you, you're here!"
"Yup, I am."
"How have you been Austin? Last time we saw each other was what, 10 years?" She asked.
He nodded, "Almost exactly. Tell me, how did you become a princess?" He turned around the question to her.
"Well, Julian joined Ariden's military then was stationed here in Rathen. He met Princess Dina and they got married soon enough. I moved here with him and became princess by family right." She explained.
"How's your mom?" Austin asked, still keeping the conversation off of him.
"She uhh, she died a week before the wedding. Typhoid." She looked down at her hands solemnly.
"Wow, I'm sorry." Austin remembered Ms. Dawson as a really caring woman, she was almost like the mother he never had. His own mom had died in childbirth, so Ms. Dawson had taken care of him when his father wasn't around.
Ally opened her mouth to speak, probably to ask about Austin's last 10 years. But Austin interrupted her quickly, "Remember how we used to watch the new recruits train in the field, and try to sneak in with them?"
Ally laughed, "And when they found us they would always give us "one last warning"?" They laughed about times gone by, all the fun they used to have as children. Austin, Ally, and Julian.
We drank a toast to innocence
We drank a toast to now
And tried to reach beyond the emptiness
But neither one knew how. Austin thought to himself. "Well, I should go back topside."
"Do you have to? We'll be fine. No one knows that I've gone and if some one was going to attack us, they would've done so already." Ally reasoned. "Stay." And it was at that moment, when 7 men dressed (barely) in black stepped out from the shadows.
