A knock sounded on the door. "What do you want?" Aleia shouted at it, from where she was sitting by the window.
Raoul opened the door and came in. He came over and sat next to her.
"You knew, didn't you?" Aleia asked.
He nodded. "Captain Garse told all of the officers this morning. Vaughn told some of the other cadets and word kind of got out. That's why they were staring at you when you went into Garse's office."
"That's why you wanted me out."
"We couldn't really have our crown princess being killed."
"Well, apparently I'm going to anyways."
"Aleia, you don't know that, not for sure."
"Fine, but what if I don't want to be crown princess? I want to be a spy! I am a spy, and I don't want to change! I mean, look at me! I'm not really princess material, Raoul!"
Raoul's eyes went to her wavy brown hair, blue eyes, freckles, her small waist, down to her sheathed sword and knifes, back to her eyes. "You look pretty enough to me."
Aleia flushed. "That's—that's not the point. I can fight, Raoul, but I can't embroider cushions and—and sit around and do—do whatever it is princesses are supposed to do."
"Alright, I see what you mean, but think of what you could do for your country. You said once that being a spy you could help protect your country, but if you're a princess, you could do so much more! Stop wars, help the economy—"
"Alright, alright, enough already! So maybe I could live with being a princess, but dying! I don't want to die, I'm too young to die!" Aleia shouted.
Raoul was silent for a moment. "How old are you?" he asked finally.
"Twenty."
"When's your birthday?"
"August seventeenth, next year. What about you?" Aleia asked, more to pretend she was having a normal conversation, than actually caring about the answer.
"I'll be twenty-four on April first," Raoul answered.
Aleia nodded.
"At least you pretty much have another year. It's only the beginning of September."
Aleia glared at him. "That's not exactly comforting."
"You could beat up any fairy who tried to get you to touch a spinning wheel."
Aleia still looked unhappy.
"Ok, I know you don't want to die, but refusing to be princess, isn't going to change anything. If you actually believe in this curse that was put on you, then you're going to die whether you're the princess or not. But if you do decide to be the princess you can do things for your country and just live! You're not necessarily going to die. I'll guard you with my life, we can make plans, to make sure this doesn't happen to you, and everything will be alright," Raoul said.
Aleia sighed. "You're trying to convince me, but I don't really have a choice, do I?"
"Not really."
"Promise you won't talk to me differently because I'm a princess?"
"Other than what public procedure demands, I promise."
"And we can still be friends?"
"Always."
"Alright, I agree to become crown princess, and, well, see what happens. I just hope I don't die."
"Good," Raoul said, smiling.
At that moment, the king burst through the door, along with Captain Garse, Vaughn, Josh, and an array of other spies.
"Alone together, in her apartments!" the king gasped.
"Sir, you have to understand, she's with men all the time, it's not against propriety for a spy," Captain Garse tried to calm him.
"Well, alright, but that will have to change from now on."
Josh grinned at Aleia from behind them. She rolled her eyes and made a face. The king came and patted Aleia's arm.
"Daughter, I know the transition phase might be hard for you, but you must become crown princess!" he said.
"I know. I've decided I will do it, for Tressar."
"Marvelous!" the king said, clapping his hands. "Now you must come and see your mother!"
Aleia got to her feet and was whisked away by the king. "Your highness," she heard a teasing voice in her ear.
She turned her head. It was Josh, of course. She stuck her tongue out at him, before going out the door.
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Alright, I could use a little help. I don't know much about spies and yet I find myself writing about them. If you know anything (what being a spy is like, spy techniques, any random pieces of information about spies) could you please send it to me? It would be great help in writing this story!
