A/N - To answer some of ya'lls (yes i say ya'll) questions. Leopold's name is pronounced Lee-a-pold. Like Kate and Leopold. I'm not quite sure how i came up with that name; I have a thing about naming girls with boy names. I don't know why i like that...moving on! : Þ this particular story takes place 11 or 12 years after the Protector of the Small series. I can't quite remember exactly which year it was. I know Daughter of the Rogue took place during the second Protector of the Small books, and this is 17 years after that, because Alex and Nicholas were the two babies born in Daughter of the Rogue, and now they're fourteen, i think. So I think the total comes to 11 or 12 years after the last protector of the small series, and i still have Jonathan as king because i don't want to start changing a bunch of stuff...yet...hehehe! A gift for Leopold? Well i haven't given much thought about it. I'm not very good at giving my characters gifts and actually mentioning them throughout the entire story. I know Aaron has a gift, but I'll either let you figure that one out or tell you later on, but I haven't thought of one for Leopold yet. If anyone would like to suggest one feel free too and I'll see what i can do! So hope you like this chapter! Thanxz for all your reviews and i hope i answered all the questions! If you have any more either leave them in a review or feel free to e-mail me! I love talking to people! Thanxz again!
Chapter 12
"How do you know Aaron?" Eliza asked pulling Leopold back and talking to her. They were walking home and of course Tanner refused to let Parker walk at night without someone with her. So naturally he, Gawayn, Jeff and Aaron insisted they walk the girls home. Leopold had originally been staying close to Parker and as far away from Aaron as she possibly could until Eliza pulled her away from the group and now they trailed a few feet behind the others talking in low whispers.
"What are you talking about?" Leopold replied crossing her arms against the cool breeze that was blowing in and trying to pretend she had no idea what Eliza was talking about.
"Don't act dumb around me Leopold," Eliza said with a small laugh, "I saw you two on the stairs and trust me my eyes are fine."
"They must not be as fine as you say they are because nothing is going on between Aaron and I!" Leopold replied sternly.
"I didn't say there was anything going on between the two of you, but now that you mention it…" Eliza trailed off knowing she was teasing Leopold. Leopold didn't catch on for a few minutes what Eliza had exactly done until it was too late. "He's one of the best thief's around."
"Really?" Leopold inquired uncrossing her arms and starting to twist the cord on her handbag and staring at Aaron who talked and laughed with his friends ahead of her.
"Yes. Nobody really knows how he came to be so good. He only joined the Rogue four or five years ago. Came from somewhere up North, told everyone he was a runaway from a mean uncle. Mithros only knows if that's true." Eliza said glancing at Leopold out of the corner of her eye. She realized Leopold had this far off twinkle in her eyes as she smiled in Aaron direction. Glancing forward Eliza realized Aaron had turned around and was now walking backwards while staring at Leopold. "It was a wonder the Rogue even took him in. They usually aren't very trustworthy with just anybody. But I guess they knew he was special in some way."
"I'm sure he is" Leopold muttered
"Well he's certainly is special in some ways, but in other ways he's very mysterious."
"What do you mean?" Leopold said with a small laugh
"I mean the fact that like mostly every other thief, he's been caught before. Plenty times at that. But he tells the same story every time he returns."
"Returns from what?" Leopold asked
"Well supposedly he'd been serving time in jail, like every thief does. Only he never looks it. He always looks like he just came back from taking a bath. All clean and his clothes aren't as dull as they use to be. But his story is the same every time. He escaped from the cell they put him in and decided to go exploring the castle. Stealing clothes and other jewelry while in there."
"Why does this come as a shock to everyone?"
"Well not really a shock but a feeling of disbelief. Like he's lying in some way."
"I still don't get it,"
"All thief's are trained to get as far away from the castle as they possibly can if they ever escape their cells. So why would Aaron purposely disobey orders? Then there are those few times when he's come back the exact same day, not having spent an hour in jail."
"What are you getting at Eliza?"
"I'm not saying I believe this, Aaron is one of the sweetest guys I've ever met, besides Xavier that is, but I've heard rumors from the older men in the Rogue that they think he may be a spy for the King. Making sure everything goes accordingly in the Rogue."
"Why would the king send in a spy? I mean the Rogue is already in touch with him weekly. They're basically being his spies!"
"Yes well it's not like this is what I think. It's just something that I've heard." Eliza said shuddering against the cold. Aaron had turned around again but every now and then he glanced back at the two girls and Eliza could tell Leopold was having fun teasing him in a way. Eliza had taken another glance at Leopold when she saw the man. He stood there with his sword drawn and silently crept out of the shadows. The man was dressed in all black with two other swords hanging by his waist. His long dark hair was pulled back and tied as he stared murderously at Leopold. Eliza grabbed onto Leopold's arm and stopped her while staring dumbstruck at the man, too scared and terrified to move.
"That's right doll," the man said taking another step forward and pointing his sword at Leopold. "Don't move, don't scream, don't make a sound or your friend here dies!"
Leopold and Eliza were too stunned to move or make a sound for help. They stood clutching each other while the man advanced towards them, holding his sword out and pointing it straight at Leopold. Before either of them had a chance to react the mad had grabbed Leopold away from Eliza and spun her around, placing his sword at her throat and spitting on the ground.
"Not again," Leopold muttered to herself, breathing quickly and terrified to make any other noise.
"I said no talking!" the man hissed yanking Leopold's hair back so her face was looking the sky. Leopold gave a small shriek in pain and watched Eliza stand in terror while fiddling with her purse. Leopold had to take a closer look to see that Eliza wasn't fiddling with her purse, she was moving a small pocket mirror back and forth in the where Parker was walking. Eliza quickly glanced towards their other friends who were pretty far away by now, and Leopold hoped she knew what she was doing.
"Lets get inside this alley before your friends notice your gone sweetheart." the man hissed breathing down her neck and motioning for Eliza to follow. Eliza took another glance in Parker's direction before silently following the man who dragged Leopold backwards into the dark alley. Leopold stumbled over loose gravel and whimpered as the man dug the sword into her neck producing a line of blood. Eliza almost threw up as she hated the sight of blood. The man let go of Leopold and pushed her up against a wall, staring her up and down before turning to Eliza. He backed away from Leopold but kept his sword pointed at her throat where she was steadily loosing blood. Eliza's face which was already pale drained of all color that was left as the man advanced on her, grabbing her arm and giving it a hard twist as she cried out in pain.
"Don't worry," the man hissed staring at her greedily "He doesn't want you, but you'll do perfectly for me!" Eliza's breaths started coming in quick gasps as she stole a glance at Leopold, who leaned against the wall for support, to weak to move. As the man dropped his sword and grabbed Eliza's arms before kissing her neck, she shrieked as three figures dropped from the rooftop into the alley and started attacking the man. The man in black let go of Eliza and turned to the others in shock. Eliza ran towards Leopold as one of the strangers did before she recognized the person was Aaron.
"What happened!" Aaron asked collecting Leopold in his arms as Eliza ripped off one of her sleeves and held it against her throat to stop the blood flow.
"I don't know," Eliza said as hot tears started flowing down her face once she realized the danger she and her friend had been in. She heard a roar of anger behind her and squeezed her eyes shut to block out the noise. The man in black was dead.
"It's okay Eliza," Jeff said coming up behind the two and gently touching her on the shoulder as she started shaking with fear. He thankfully caught her right before she and Leopold both passed out.
Chapter 12
"How do you know Aaron?" Eliza asked pulling Leopold back and talking to her. They were walking home and of course Tanner refused to let Parker walk at night without someone with her. So naturally he, Gawayn, Jeff and Aaron insisted they walk the girls home. Leopold had originally been staying close to Parker and as far away from Aaron as she possibly could until Eliza pulled her away from the group and now they trailed a few feet behind the others talking in low whispers.
"What are you talking about?" Leopold replied crossing her arms against the cool breeze that was blowing in and trying to pretend she had no idea what Eliza was talking about.
"Don't act dumb around me Leopold," Eliza said with a small laugh, "I saw you two on the stairs and trust me my eyes are fine."
"They must not be as fine as you say they are because nothing is going on between Aaron and I!" Leopold replied sternly.
"I didn't say there was anything going on between the two of you, but now that you mention it…" Eliza trailed off knowing she was teasing Leopold. Leopold didn't catch on for a few minutes what Eliza had exactly done until it was too late. "He's one of the best thief's around."
"Really?" Leopold inquired uncrossing her arms and starting to twist the cord on her handbag and staring at Aaron who talked and laughed with his friends ahead of her.
"Yes. Nobody really knows how he came to be so good. He only joined the Rogue four or five years ago. Came from somewhere up North, told everyone he was a runaway from a mean uncle. Mithros only knows if that's true." Eliza said glancing at Leopold out of the corner of her eye. She realized Leopold had this far off twinkle in her eyes as she smiled in Aaron direction. Glancing forward Eliza realized Aaron had turned around and was now walking backwards while staring at Leopold. "It was a wonder the Rogue even took him in. They usually aren't very trustworthy with just anybody. But I guess they knew he was special in some way."
"I'm sure he is" Leopold muttered
"Well he's certainly is special in some ways, but in other ways he's very mysterious."
"What do you mean?" Leopold said with a small laugh
"I mean the fact that like mostly every other thief, he's been caught before. Plenty times at that. But he tells the same story every time he returns."
"Returns from what?" Leopold asked
"Well supposedly he'd been serving time in jail, like every thief does. Only he never looks it. He always looks like he just came back from taking a bath. All clean and his clothes aren't as dull as they use to be. But his story is the same every time. He escaped from the cell they put him in and decided to go exploring the castle. Stealing clothes and other jewelry while in there."
"Why does this come as a shock to everyone?"
"Well not really a shock but a feeling of disbelief. Like he's lying in some way."
"I still don't get it,"
"All thief's are trained to get as far away from the castle as they possibly can if they ever escape their cells. So why would Aaron purposely disobey orders? Then there are those few times when he's come back the exact same day, not having spent an hour in jail."
"What are you getting at Eliza?"
"I'm not saying I believe this, Aaron is one of the sweetest guys I've ever met, besides Xavier that is, but I've heard rumors from the older men in the Rogue that they think he may be a spy for the King. Making sure everything goes accordingly in the Rogue."
"Why would the king send in a spy? I mean the Rogue is already in touch with him weekly. They're basically being his spies!"
"Yes well it's not like this is what I think. It's just something that I've heard." Eliza said shuddering against the cold. Aaron had turned around again but every now and then he glanced back at the two girls and Eliza could tell Leopold was having fun teasing him in a way. Eliza had taken another glance at Leopold when she saw the man. He stood there with his sword drawn and silently crept out of the shadows. The man was dressed in all black with two other swords hanging by his waist. His long dark hair was pulled back and tied as he stared murderously at Leopold. Eliza grabbed onto Leopold's arm and stopped her while staring dumbstruck at the man, too scared and terrified to move.
"That's right doll," the man said taking another step forward and pointing his sword at Leopold. "Don't move, don't scream, don't make a sound or your friend here dies!"
Leopold and Eliza were too stunned to move or make a sound for help. They stood clutching each other while the man advanced towards them, holding his sword out and pointing it straight at Leopold. Before either of them had a chance to react the mad had grabbed Leopold away from Eliza and spun her around, placing his sword at her throat and spitting on the ground.
"Not again," Leopold muttered to herself, breathing quickly and terrified to make any other noise.
"I said no talking!" the man hissed yanking Leopold's hair back so her face was looking the sky. Leopold gave a small shriek in pain and watched Eliza stand in terror while fiddling with her purse. Leopold had to take a closer look to see that Eliza wasn't fiddling with her purse, she was moving a small pocket mirror back and forth in the where Parker was walking. Eliza quickly glanced towards their other friends who were pretty far away by now, and Leopold hoped she knew what she was doing.
"Lets get inside this alley before your friends notice your gone sweetheart." the man hissed breathing down her neck and motioning for Eliza to follow. Eliza took another glance in Parker's direction before silently following the man who dragged Leopold backwards into the dark alley. Leopold stumbled over loose gravel and whimpered as the man dug the sword into her neck producing a line of blood. Eliza almost threw up as she hated the sight of blood. The man let go of Leopold and pushed her up against a wall, staring her up and down before turning to Eliza. He backed away from Leopold but kept his sword pointed at her throat where she was steadily loosing blood. Eliza's face which was already pale drained of all color that was left as the man advanced on her, grabbing her arm and giving it a hard twist as she cried out in pain.
"Don't worry," the man hissed staring at her greedily "He doesn't want you, but you'll do perfectly for me!" Eliza's breaths started coming in quick gasps as she stole a glance at Leopold, who leaned against the wall for support, to weak to move. As the man dropped his sword and grabbed Eliza's arms before kissing her neck, she shrieked as three figures dropped from the rooftop into the alley and started attacking the man. The man in black let go of Eliza and turned to the others in shock. Eliza ran towards Leopold as one of the strangers did before she recognized the person was Aaron.
"What happened!" Aaron asked collecting Leopold in his arms as Eliza ripped off one of her sleeves and held it against her throat to stop the blood flow.
"I don't know," Eliza said as hot tears started flowing down her face once she realized the danger she and her friend had been in. She heard a roar of anger behind her and squeezed her eyes shut to block out the noise. The man in black was dead.
"It's okay Eliza," Jeff said coming up behind the two and gently touching her on the shoulder as she started shaking with fear. He thankfully caught her right before she and Leopold both passed out.