A/N: Before I get started I'd like to thank Sentinel07 again for all the lovely reviews. I mean wow! One for every chapter! Thank you thank you thank you! Also an image added for the cover~ It's actually by my friend, the only other person I know that likes this pairing in real life. XP

Chapter Ten

A ruler must come equipped with many skills. It is expected that a monarch can speak fluently, keep their calm publicly in the face of distress and hard times, make diplomatic decisions, and be able to offer an accept sound advice. However, Althea always felt her greatest skill was her ability to sneak about.

It wasn't exactly lady like, nor was it really needed to rule a nation. But she'd be damned if she couldn't argue it was something she was exceptional at.

The Queen couldn't help but chuckle to herself quietly as a group of Selkies hurried past. By now everyone had heard that the Queen was missing. Sherry and Keiss had just about whipped the entire Guild up into a frenzy searching for her. But she knew she wouldn't be caught. Only when she stopped trying to hide had anyone ever noticed her.

As Althea slowly made her way down the narrow and rocky pathways of the Guild's shipwrecked cove she kept her head down and her body pressed tight to the rocks. Ever ready to slip into a crack or lower or pull herself up to another pathway. She had been sneaking in and out of the care of guards since she was thirteen, by now she'd come to recognized the hurried pace of someone approaching or the distant voice of people shouting out areas to check and how to avoid them.

The first time she'd run off she'd borrowed a dress from a maid's daughter. It was just to go out and play tag with a group of kids just beyond the palace gate. When she was fifteen she'd started slightly altering her appearance. She let the loose leaf ends of her locks dangle instead of neatly folding them around the bulb in her hair, or she'd wear a hat, or glasses. At eighteen she'd started collecting old uniforms from servants and folks around town. By far the blue jacket and shorts of the girls that worked the terminals was her favorite. It was the most over looked and most forgotten appearance in Alfitaria. Trying to find one in the hundreds that worked the city was nearly impossible.

Althea stopped on the pathway and looked out over the edge. From here she could stop the empty lot that Keiss had mentioned, but no one was present. She searched up and down the area trying to imagine where Layle would go. If it were her she'd start walking to wherever she could be alone. She sat down on the ledge of the pathway and carefully found her footing to start climbing down the side of the rock wall. How she wished she'd had her uniform with her now. It'd make this that much easier.

It was true, all the times she'd left the castle on her own she could have taken a guard. It's not like she was a prisoner. But leaving the palace formerly was something she hated. It always required she'd have an escort with her, everywhere she went someone would announce her presence, she could never truly go where she wanted to and worse, she could never see what Alfitaria was really like. When everyone knows you're the princess, the treat you differently.

"It must be nice…" She muttered to herself as she neared the bottom of the rock wall. "To go and come as you please… People always treat you for you, and not your position in the world." Althea looked down, she was just a foot or two before the bottom. She pushed off the rocks and landed, stumbling backward, with a thud. "And to always be able to wear sneakers!" The Lilty sighed picking herself up. "From now on, I'm wearing the uniform under my dress… At least the bottom half."

Althea dusted herself off and looked around. There was a crudely beaten path leading away from the clearing down to the rocky shore line. It was in the opposite direction of the Selkies and the Guild, so she figured she'd start there. The Queen took a quick glance into her dress pocket making sure the paper she'd brought with her was still there before setting off. Althea could help but sigh as she got a good look at the way down to the coastline. The 'path' was uneven and covered with moss, rocks, and the sight of tiny crabs scurrying back and forth. She reached down and pulled off her heeled shoes.

"And I will always have sneakers with me."

As far as Layle was concerned walking along the uneven, slippery, moss covered rocks of the cove shore was as simple as walking down the dirt paths of the grass lands. He didn't even bother to take his hands out of his pockets as he moved from rock to rock, occasionally having to make a small jump over a gap to the next one. He'd walked along pathways much more dangerous than this one. And at worst if he fell, he'd just be covered in seawater.

Not really anything worth worrying about.

What was worth worrying about were his friends. Belle and Keiss as of late were, far from the Belle and Keiss he'd known a year ago. Maybe it was the stress of having the kingdom constantly threatened. Or the work load of running the Guild. No, he could size it up however he wanted, but he knew it was about him. Belle had flat out told him so. And while Keiss never came out and said anything, the fact that all week he'd been busting his chops over the most mundane things made Layle realize the same thing is probably eating away at his best friend as well.

"I should go back and apologize," he stopped moving forward and looked out over the sea. "I never really did… But I've never really had to before… Of course I've never really disappeared before." The Clavat tilted his head back. He half knew he owed it to the Selkies and he half felt he owed them nothing. As selfish as that was to admit to himself. But Keiss knew he was alive. That should have been good enough. He had a job to do. It's not like he hadn't undertaken solo missions before. Certainly Keiss had gone off on his own before and Belle glorified her solo work. So why should he apologize?

It's not like any of them ever knew him to be the time to stay put and do as he was told.

"I shouldn't feel guilty about trying to do the right thing, should I?" He looked down. Near his feet one of the crabs that inhabited the shore line was scurrying about. The Clavat watched it as it crawled over the top of his shoe, and he carelessly kicked it. It went flying into the water, and skipped across the surface twice before sinking out of sight. "Goldenrod, I'm not apologizing to those two. You gave me something to do, and I had to do it…" He sighed and turned his gaze away from the ocean, "I knew I wasn't going to be able to just come back-"

"Layle!" The Crystal Bearer turned his head around to see Althea standing on the rocks a few feet away. "Layle! There you are!"

"…Althea?" He couldn't help but laugh at the sight of her. "What are you doing? W-what happened to you!" He continued to smile as he motioned his hand up and down taking in the scuffs, smudges and rips on her dress. "You look like you feel down the entire shore line!"

The Queen rolled her eyes and carefully balanced her way over to him, "Stop laughing. It's not easy following you in this outfit."

"Why are you even following me to begin with?" He started to make his way toward her to save her the trouble of navigating the rocks. "Shouldn't you be with the High Commander? Why did you two leave Alfitaria to being with?" He held out a hand so she'd have something to balance on. The moment he asked her about the capital, he remembered he was supposed to be there too.

"I'm only here for a little while!" She looked up at his hand and stretched out for it. Althea was just an inch short and jumped forward. She grabbed his hand and landed uneasily on the next rock. Layle gripped her wrist and pulled forward stopping her from falling backward into the ocean. "I'm just- just here to see you!"

"Again to see me?" He shook his head at her and half grinned, "You're going to make the High Commander dislike me even more than she already does."

"She doesn't dislike you," The Lilty continued to hold onto his hand as she spoke, "She just doesn't know how to handle your personality."

"I'm starting to think no one does anymore."

Althea watched his expression. Though the Clavat was smiling, the way he said his last sentence struck her. "…You know, Belle was crying awfully hard when I left them."

"Oh yeah?" He instantly seemed disinterested. Layle neither smiled nor looked concerned over his friend's state.

"Do you… Do you want to go back and talk to her?"

"Not really," He started to move across the rocks again, still holding onto Althea. She followed, doing her best to keep up. "I had something important to take care of. I've explained that to Keiss. I've explained that to Belle. I know that they're mad. But they just have to get over it."

"Layle, everyone thought you were dead-"

"Not everyone," He jumped a little bit further, and Althea nearly missed the next set of rocks. "It's not my fault Keiss didn't tell her I was okay. He should apologize for lying to her. But I'm not going to apologize for doing what I had to do."

"Couldn't you just tell Belle yourself?"

"If I had contacted her at the time, there was a good chance someone from the Nation would have tried to kill her," he looked back at Althea. Her expression was pensive. "Look, I know it sounds odd, but just, trust me. I just know a few things more about the situation than she does. Than Keiss does. Their safety is important to me. That's why I stayed away."

"But how did you know, Layle?"

"How…?" Althea watched as he opened his mouth as if he was about to answer but then stopped. Instead he turned and made the small jump to the next set of rocks dragging her with him still.

What was he going to tell her? He could easily say it to Keiss, because he knew no matter how crazy it sounded, Keiss would know he wasn't crazy. He'd mock him. He'd laugh about it. But the Guild Master had accepted it. A dead Yuke was telling him beforehand. Amidatelion told him not to speak to Belle in the city, because he was being watched. If he'd spoken to her, they'd try to get her to get to him. If he'd continued to write to Keiss his letters would be intercepted and tampered with. He just couldn't do it.

"Althea," Layle stopped moving forward, and she nearly fell forward into him. She had been anticipating another jump. "I'm glad that you came out here to see me."

"You are… why?"

The Clavat shrugged, "Out of the three of you, you're the only one that hasn't lost their temper yet."

Layle didn't look at her when he spoke, he was back to staring out over the water. The Queen squeezed his hand and looked out the same direction. "That doesn't mean I'm not upset. I still think you owe us a lot, Layle. Maybe you don't want to tell me right now, but I would like for you to tell me someday. If we're really friends, then you should explain it to us."

He nodded, "Alright. I can agree to that, Little Miss. Someday… But not today," Layle looked down at her. "So why did you come out here anyway?"

"I came, ah-" She let go of his hand to dig out a blue piece of paper, "I came to ask you- or rather hire you."

"Hire me?" Layle took the paper from her and unfolded it. Sure enough it was a contract.

"Yes, hire you. As my personal guard."

Layle looked over the paper for a moment and flooded it up, "Althea… I can't accept this."

"Why not?" She pulled her hands away when he tried to give it back to her. "I need someone, Layle. I need you."

"No, not me. I can't stay with you all the time. I'll never know when I have to go. Or when Az will show up- I can't be anchored to one spot."

"For the past month, every time the Nation has attacked has been in and around Alfitaria, anyway."

"In Alfitaria- No," he shook his head. "I understand your point, but when he leaves Alfitaria I need to be able to follow him. If I have to watch you, then I can't. I'm sorry. You have to ask someone els-"

"There is no one else!" She cut him off. "Sherry has been watching over me herself, but she has her duties. And she has the trouble of sorting out her ranks. Not to mention that Bertalian thinks there are spies in the court- Layle, there are only a handful of people I can trust in Alfitaria. There is no one else but you."

The Clavat pressed his lips together. What she said did make sense. If every trusted member of her court was occupied, it meant Althea was often alone with her guards. Guards that could easily be traitors to the crown. And even if she didn't keep a guard with her, that still meant that any spies about could report when she was alone, or take the chance to make an attempt on her life. But to always be with her? He'd never get anything done. How could he follow Amidatelion's instructions if he was tethered to the Queen. Even if the Yuke had told him to go back, he couldn't remain locked up in the castle. It was absurd.

"…I'm sorry, Althea." Layle handed the paper back to her but she didn't take it. Instead she stared at it, he could almost say the look of contempt on her face rivaled that of Belle's anger not long ago.

"I'm sorry too, Layle," She turned around and started back across the rocks. The Clavat watched her slowly making her way back to the shore. Again he found himself wanting to call after his retreating friend, but fell short of doing so.

"Man, I am doing swell today, aren't I?" He shrugged his shoulders and started after her. At least he would make sure she made it back to the Guild safely.

The entire way back the Queen kept pace ahead of him. She didn't turn around, she didn't speak, she didn't break stride. Layle was convinced this was worse than anything Belle had done. Belle's anger with him was expressive, loud, exuberant. The Selkie would get it all out, rub it in his face and then it was over. It was gone. But the Lilty Queen was clearly seething.

She didn't even express it with a raised tone of voice. Just a quiet seething. She had given him one angry look, no not even to him, to a piece of paper. Althea out right denied him a reaction to how upset she truly was, and instead buried it. Kept the full extent of it to herself and refused to relieve Layle of guilt of her anger.

It was so much worse than being yelled at and hit.

Worse yet, he was certain that after a few minutes she'd completely washed her exterior clean of the emotion. Though she hadn't turned around or spoken to him, they soon encountered Guild members searching for her once they were back on shore. And she greeted them, spoke to them, and she turned her head he could see her smile. She shook her head, and spoke in a calm collected voice. Even laughing at the state of her appearance.

It was like what had happened on the rocks had never taken place.

"She's good…" Layle spoke to no one in particular. "She's almost as good as me…"

Althea continued up the road toward the Guild ship. Layle was right, she had buried her anger with him. There wasn't time for it now. She had to get back to Sherry, back to Alfitaria and her duties, back to everything else in the world. She'd have time for her own emotions when she was alone. When it was just her and Mia in her bed room in the middle of night. Those were the only times a monarch had time for their own emotions. When their kingdom slept. They kept her up at night. Fear, worry, regret, hope, anger.

She'll dream about it later, how angry she was back on the rocks, and how she wished she had pushed the Crystal Bearer into the water. Her dreams about seeing him again would be replaced with dreams of smacking him the jaw. Ah, Belle had it so easy. But for now she smiled as she could see Sherry coming her way. The cherry haired Lilty was already expressing enough anger for the both of them.

"ALTHEA!" The taller woman was livid at the sight of her. Keiss and Belle followed behind her. The two Selkies also looked a bit annoyed, though Layle was certain it was for a different reason. "Where have you been, Althea! We've had the entire Guild looking for you!"

"I'm sorry, Sherry, I really am. I had something important to do."

"Something important to do? Something so important you ran off! And look at your dress! Look at you! This is no way for a Queen to behave!"

Layle walked around the two Lilties as Sherry reprimanded the Queen. He approached Belle and stood with his back to two arguing women, "Hey, Belle."

The Selkie crossed her arms when he spoke to her, "Yes?"

"I- Well…" Layle glanced over his shoulder before turning back to her. "Do you have a pen?"

The red head stared at him for a few seconds before rolling her eyes and digging one out of her pocket. "And here I thought you had something important to say to me…"

"I do," He took it from her, "Turn around for a second."

"You had better not do something funny, Crystal Bearer."

"Relax," Layle pulled out the piece of blue paper and set it on the girl's back. Keiss now looked over at the two of them puzzled. "And, Belle, I'm sorry."

"…For what?"

Layle pulled the paper back once he was done and waited for her to turn around, "For making you cry. And worry. And for not telling you I wasn't dead."

"And?"

"Look, that's all you're getting today, okay?" He handed her back the pen and she snatched it from him with a smirk.

"It's a start. But you're not off the hook."

Keiss shook his head, "Just what are you two-"

"Guild Master!" He was cut off by the High Commander. The three turned to face Sherry and the Queen. The woman cleared her throat, "Guild Master, her majesty and I will be taking our leave now-"

"Leaving?" Keiss looked back and forth between them. "But Althea didn't even get to tell me what she wanted?"

"It doesn't matter," the Queen shook her head. "I got what I needed." She didn't even look Layle's way as she spoke.

Sherry however glared at him, "All of this fuss over the Crystal Bearer." She turned her attention back to the Queen, "To think you'd put yourself in danger like this. Who knows what could have happened to you, Althea. You're getting reckless. You can just go running off on your own-"

"Hey," Layle interrupted Sherry this time. "She wasn't alone, Sherry. And honestly, if you don't even feel that the Queen is safe with her own body guard, then how in the world are you going to focus on finding the spy in the court?"

"Her own-"

"My guard!" Althea's face lit up. She folded her hands together and smiled, but Sherry and Keiss did not. Belle made a startled face and pat the pen in her pocket as Layle handed the contract over to the High Commander. She snatched from him and unfolded it.

"You- Him!" She looked to Althea, "When you said you wanted to come here to speak to the Guild Master about his, I thought you were going ask him for a suggestion!"

Althea continued to smile at Layle and shook her head, "I don't need a suggestion. I already knew whom I wanted to stay with me. Whom better to watch over the Queen than the person that saved Alfitaria."

"Althea! You cannot be serious! Him! He's not reliable-"

"Says who," Layle looked to Keiss and Belle, "Well?"

The female Selkie put her hands on her hips, "If you need a hero, there's not a better one for miles."

"He's got the skill…But the brains is up for debate."

"…Thanks, Keiss." The Crystal Bearer side eyed his friend.

"You're welcome." He responded dryly. There was just a hint of annoyance in his voice. "However, I do slightly agree with Sherry, I, uh, feel this is a matter we ought to talk about." The High Commander smiled as Keiss spoke. The other two however turned their heads to question the Guild Master.

Just what was wrong now?

Keiss took Layle back to Vaigali's old office. Belle followed, but the Guild Master had asked the Queen and High Commander to wait for them on deck. Keiss said nothing the entire walk to old captain's quarters. However as soon as Belle shut the door he exploded.

"You're an idiot."

Layle whistled as soon as the aggravation set in on his friend's face. "That's three for three. I am doing fantastic today."

"Look at you! You're still joking around!" The Selkie waved his hands in the air as he spoke. "Do you have any idea how stupid this is! You're going to go back to Alfitaria? You're going to watch over Althea?"

"Someone has to."

"But why you?"

"I actually agree with Layle," Belle spoke up from where she was leaning against the door. "He's the best person for the job. He can stop anyone that's coming after her."

"Oh yeah, he can do anything with his powers. You know, the ones that he's losing! The ones that as soon as it gets out that your losing that Az is going come at you full force!"

"Well then we just will make sure he doesn't know," Layle shrugged.

"There is a traitor in the royal court! The very place you are going to, you moron!" The Selkie rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Why do you do this? Why do you just make decisions on the fly? Can't you just once, JUST ONCE, ask me before you do something?"

"…Keiss… I'll be alright. Besides, I need to go back to Alfitaria. Goldenrod said so-"

"The Yuke?" Belle pushed off the door, "You saw Bertalian's sibling? Did you tell them?"

"Errr, I'll explain later…"

"Dammit, Layle, when? When were you told to go back to the capital?"

"A few nights ago…" He rubbed the back of his neck, "Look I admit, I don't like the idea of it one hundred percent, but Keiss… I need to be in Alfitaria, and Althea needs me."

"What about all that talk about refusing to stay put, and needing to go when and where ever you needed."

"I still stand by that… I'll think of something if I have to leave."

The Selkie mocked him mouthing the words back to him sarcastically. "And your powers? What will you do if those fail? You still can't fight without them!"

"Bertalian." Belle spoke up and the two turned to her. "Ask Bertalian to teach Layle basic magic." She pointed at the Crystal Bearer, "He's already ahead of the curve, just have him learn gravity the regular way. Then when his crystal fails he can cast magic and no one will know the difference."

"Oh, have the Yuke teach Layle magic," Keiss nodded his head to her, "That's a great idea, let's tell someone else that Layle's losing his Crystal Bearer powers. In fact, let's tell the whole court. No no, the whole world! We'll just put it out there, by pass the traitor and tell Az directly."

"Oh yeah," she raised one hand and pointed, twirling her finger around as she spoke, "Because the Yuke is TOTALLY the traitor. Bert's really going to give Layle up the Lilties that want to re-erase their tribe from the face of the planet. You're right, Keiss, it's a stupid plan."

The Guild Master and his informant became locked in a heated stare while Layle looked on. "I, uh, I like the idea…" He waited. "Guys…guys?"

"Fine!" Keiss threw his hands up. "We'll talk to Bertalian about giving you lessons, in private. And I'll talk to Sherry as well."

"What for?" Layle watched as Keiss nodded to himself.

"You still need a backup plan. Crystal, traditional magic, or not. Don't forget, magic is great, but a thousand years ago, it was proven that it still can't stand a chance against a well trained warrior."

"So you're going to tell Sherry Layle's losing his magic?" Belle shrugged, "After you just got mad at me for suggesting we tell Bertalian."

"Don't worry about Sherry, she won't know he's losing his ability. I can put one over on her just fine."

"So then, are we squared away?" Layle looked at two Selkies, "I'm going back to Alfitaria." He held out his hand and Keiss took it with a shake.

"And the Guild will keep looking for Az…"

Belle leaned forward and put both her hands over theirs, "And I'll keep doing what I always do!"

Layle glanced at her, "Which is?"

"Churn a profit off your hard work, of course!"

Keiss shook his head but Layle laughed. Maybe it really was just that easy to come back?