Liam's POV:

Chapter Eleven

It was the day after my discussion with Emilia, and I remembered the painting that Rosalie had stolen. I knew that hardly anyone paid attention to its loss. It had been replaced a few hours after the loss of the painting had been discovered, by a picture of a milkmaid and a cowherd in love. Typical gushy picture of an unscandelous couple, I thought. But even though no one cared, I felt that as long as I knew who had the painting, I might as well go get it back. No matter what people might whisper behind my back.

So, stupidly, I set off for Rosalie's tent again, wearing a different set of clothes. Even though they were dusty, I saw people glance at me with suspicion. I hunched my shoulders till it ached, and people stopped looking at me that way. Indeed, they hardly looked at me at all, despite my constant stumbling. I thought that I would lose control of my stomach once, and throw up.

I reached the row that had her tent, and began walking down. Little did I know that the Colossus had his tent in the same row.

I saw him leave his tent, and ducked too late.

He growled when he saw me, and started towards me at a deliberate pace. I panicked, and almost ran, but then steadied myself. I would have to face him down sooner than later if I wanted to keep on visiting Rosalie.

Like the last time that our paths had crossed, he began out confrontation with threatening words.

"What are you doing here? I said that I would beat you up if I caught you looking at Rosalie again."

Try as I might, I just couldn't remember him saying this, and I suspected that it was because his brain was so small that he just couldn't remember what he had and hadn't said. I told him so. Big mistake, there.

"What did you say?" he asked threateningly. I honestly couldn't think about one aspect of this guy that wasn't threatening. Even his gigantic stomach looked threateningly ready to crush the person who was lucky enough to be under in when he landed on them.

"I, uh, um," I said wisely. If I had been talking to Emilia, she would have said "Ooh, that comeback really hurt, Liam!"

This guy was too stupid to know that what I'd just said didn't really hold anything against him. "Oh yeah?" he cried. "Well, we'll just see about that!" He looked ready to take a swing at me. I was ready to duck. His fist had just started forward when-

"What's going on? Who are you beating up this time?" came a voice that sounded blessedly familiar.

It was Rosalie. As the man moved aside, I saw her mouth gape open.

"Li- er, Domanic! What are you doing here? Go away," she told the man. "Beat up on someone else. Someone your own size."

I felt like saying, If he can find someone, but when I caught the glare that the Behemoth sent my way, I decided against it.

When the Incredible Hulk had left, and Rosalie and I were safely in her tent, she said, "Liam, what are you doing here? You could have been killed back there! Do you know how dangerous it is out in the city? Especially for the Crown prince of Remalna."

"I think that I've learned that much," I retorted. "I just wanted that painting back. It's been on my conscience, and I can see that it's on all of the courtiers' minds. I even heard one lady say to another 'Did you know that there's been a commoner dirtying up our palace?' All I want to do is take the painting back. Can you give it to me?"

To my dismay, Rosalie shook her head. "I'm sorry. Alex has it, and I'm afraid to ask for it back."

"That's simple. I'll just go and get it. He doesn't know what I look like," I replied.

Rosalie shook her head. "But he does know. That guy- the one about to kill you, outside, that's Alex."

"Ah," I said, wincing a bit. "I see your problem." I rose to my feet and bowed, the picture of the perfect nobleman. "I'll not cause you any more trouble, then. Goodbye"

It was two days after my last meeting with Rosalie, and Emilia and I were going to see her again. It was not a really busy day in the square, so neither of us had a problem getting to her tent without being found out, or, in the least, jostled and bruised. I'd been dreading seeing her again, because I would act so awfully that I would be embarrassed. And let me tell you something, if you're thinking, Awww, is the little pwince embawwassed? I am not embarrassed that often, and I get angry with the person who makes me feel that way. Angry as in I start plotting their murder. But don't worry; I've never actually pulled one off.

Anyway, Emilia and I entered Rosalie's tent, and automatically, I blushed and looked down. After the worst was over, I peeped up and saw that Rosalie was blushing too. But I didn't notice anything right after that, because I started to get dizzy, and my legs shook. I quickly sat down on a handy chair. Rosalie and Emilia were looking at me strangely. "It must be the heat," I said, quickly.

"Oh. Right. The heat," said Emilia, not quite convinced. It had been raining cold showers for the past two days, but had just stopped. It still was very cold.

"I have your meeting place," said Rosalie. "It's in a dried-up well. It will work very nicely if you can climb."

"If I can climb? You're looking at the finest royal climber that there ever was! And you ask if I can climb?" said Emilia, her voice rising in volume at every sentence.

"Right. Okay," said Rosalie.

"The largest thing that she ever climbed was the tree in the courtyard. I'm not saying that tree isn't tall, but there are better climbers in the world." I just had to put in my bit, and Emilia was glaring daggers at me. I should have known that a sister's pride is one of the most delicate things in the universe. Would I ever learn? Hmmmm… and the answer is: never!

Rosalie showed us the well, and how to get to it. She literally made Emilia memorize the directions. Rosalie had also brought a ladder, and Emilia was so eager to try to get into the well that she almost fell into it!

"It's so cool down here!" she shouted up. "I don't think that I'll ever leave it!"

"I'm glad that you like it," said Rosalie. "Stefan and I used to spend hours in there. It's really great for sleeping out in when it's warmer."

I was about to ask if I could go down, too, when I had another weak-attack. My legs buckled under me, and I crashed to the ground. Rosalie started, and looked at me. "Are you all right?" she asked. "Maybe you'd better sit down. You look pale." It was like I wasn't sitting down already.

"What am I missing? I'm coming up," said Emilia from inside the well.

"Oh, you're not missing much, except for the fact that you're brother looks pretty badly. What were you thinking, to bring him out here in this condition?"

"What condition?" Emilia asked. "He was fine this morning, when we left!"

"That's right, I'm fine," I said, struggling to my feet. That probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, because the next thing I knew, I had fainted.