"Are you sure about this, your highness?" Whispered Ochako as Calliope pulled her hood over her head of green hair.

The rosy cheeked Maid in Waiting had just finished braiding back the princess' distinct, long locks; she had to make sure she wouldn't be recognised.

Sneaking out of the great hall had been a cinch; everyone was quite drunk on ale and mead at this point. However, it had been a pain getting Calliope out of her mother's dress. But Mina's firm tugs and nimble fingers had soon released her from it. The princess now wore a far more breathable garment beneath her dark riding cloak.

"Don't worry, Ochako," Calliope reassured, tucking her long plait away, "I'll be fine. I just need some fresh air."

It was partly true. Though she left out the bit about never returning when she cast her Maids a syrupy smile and disappeared down the spiral stairs.

*

"Ack. It could be worse, you could be working as a stable hand or something."

Two figures sat at the bar of a rundown tavern. One was tall, lanky and looming like a young willow at dusk. The other figure was shorter, broader and fairer like a small birch at dawn.

Samuel slouched at the bar next to his friend. It had been a while since he had seen him. Unlike Samuel, who was bound to the court, Touya referred to himself as a travelling merchant although a trickster and a charlatan was probably the more appropriate way to describe him.

Touya had just finished telling Samuel the tale about how he had recently sold a supposedly bewitched trinket to a bard who hoped the severed chicken's foot would grant him favour in court. When Samuel had jokingly asked if Touya had anything in his box of tricks that would end his miserable life as a court jester, the lanky fraud had scoffed and waved a dismissive hand. He never showed his friend any sympathy about his life as a professional fool.

"Easy for you to say..." Samuel mumbled into his tepid tankard of mead. "At least you're free to do as you wish and go where you please."

The tavern was a gloomy place but strangely enough Samuel felt far more at ease here, surrounded by farmers and merchants, than at the castle surrounded by knights and royalty.

Touya tugged teasingly at the jester's hat, making the bells ring loudly. "Oh cheer up! Your life isn't even that bad!"

Samuel swiped the comical hat from his head and tossed it onto the bar next to his third tankard of mead.

"Honestly, Sam. You're the gloomiest jester I've ever seen." Touya chuckled as he slapped a hand on his friend's back.

Samuel simply grunted. "You would be too if you had to parade around like a fool."

Visions of the court's intoxicated red faces and bellowing laughter flashed in his mind. Clothed in garish fabrics with food piled high in front of them as they sloshed their mead and slapped their bejewelled hands on the table next to their golden plates.

"Ah but the king loves you!" Touya reminded. And he was right. King Toshinori was quite fond of his jester. He had treated him with so much kindness over the past year- Samuel did start to feel a little guilty about his moping.

Touya sipped his mead and eyed the shift in Samuel's expression. "And er..." he began, his eyes glinting impishly in the lamp light, "so does the princess, so I've heard."

At this, Sam scoffed, his hand running through his mess of fair hair. "She thinks I'm funny is all. The poor thing is probably bored out of her mind half the time. I'm not surprised she likes my crappy jokes."

The memory of her smiling face flashed behind his tired eyes. The way she smiled at him when he'd bowed to her...

Her smile was always the brightest in the room. A vision of grace and beauty amongst a sea of inebriated gargoyles. And her laugh was always the most important to him.

The first time she'd snorted loudly at one of his jokes had marked one of Samuel's proudest moments as a jester. He had only been at court for less than a fortnight and his nerves had been rattled by the amount of hard-faced clergymen and lords that had gathered in the room. After reeling off a long winded tale about a man and his cow that ended in a comical plot twist of a punch-line, there had been a sickening silence. However, just as Samuel was beginning to fear for his neck, Princess Calliope had burst into a fit of laughter.

Many of the women in the room had begun to whisper, their faces twisted into looks of distaste as Princess Calliope continued to chortle loudly, the sound resembling that of her father's loud laugh and not that of a poised and perfect princess. Samuel had found it charming and continued to see how much he could make her snort from behind the delicate hand that tried to conceal her amusement. It turned out, quite a lot. And despite the many bemused faces at court that night, Samuel didn't fail to notice how King Toshinori glowed at the sight of his daughter looking so cheerful. Samuel was invited to perform frequently after that. Not just at grand feasts and important balls, but occasionally just at dinner while the king and the princess sat and ate their food. Eventually, Samuel even began to take dessert with them. He never got a chance to really speak to the princess during these meals, but the King enjoyed Samuel's witty conversation. After all, jesters were in actual fact highly educated individuals.

Touya hummed in agreement, smacking his lips after draining his tankard. "Yeah, the life of a prince or princess doesn't quite appeal to me neither." He paused as his eyes slipped out of focus, then soon snapped back to reality when the barkeeper asked if he wanted a refill. Touya agreed and ordered one for Samuel too, despite him not yet having finished the one already in front of him.

"I suppose you gotta pity her a little." Touya continued. "Imagine being King Crust's wife-to-be."

Samuel snorted a laugh, catching the tankard that was slid down the bar to him. There had been a few occasions where Samuel had considered using Touya's nickname for Prince Tomura during one of his performances, but feared it would result in his beheading. Some things you simply couldn't joke about at court. Members of royalty being one of them.

"Anyway, I heard your brother won the jousting tournament alongside Bakugo."

Another tired laugh from the jester. "If it wasn't for that rogue bee, Russ would have been knocked into the next kingdom." Samuel hadn't been able to attend the day's festivities but he had heard from the other knights that, once again, his little brother had won by fluke. Part of him wondered how the likes of Russ, and Sir Kaminari come to think of it, had even managed to become knights in the first place.

Touya was chuckling once again against the rim of his tankard. "You and your brother really are something. A fluky knight and a mopey jester. Unbelievable."

The lanky charlatan then continued to rant about how Samuel should be grateful that he had gained the king's favour and was able to at least enjoy some form of luxury from time to time. Unlike the poor souls gathered in the gloomy tavern around them, Samuel ate hot food most nights and even had his own land upon which sat a comfortable house.

As Touya continued to monologue about the perks of being the King's pet, a term that made Samuel scowl deeply, he cast his eyes around the room.

The tavern was hosting its regulars; a couple of elderly farmhands sat in the corner by the dusty window, the old hag with hardly any teeth who sold flowers at market sat hunched at a table on her own, a group of merchants from a neighbouring town huddled around a game of hazard, the dice tumbling across the ale-soaked tabletop...

But one, lone figure caught his attention. They had just shuffled through the door with their hood pulled tightly around their face. Samuel's eyes fixed them as they made their way soundlessly over to the bar and quietly ordered a drink. They kept their head bowed as they pushed some coins across the wood surface towards the barkeeper who's gruff thanks caused the stranger to hastily retract their fingers in surprise.

Those long, delicate fingers.

Those slender hands.

They weren't the hands of a farmer nor a blacksmith. No.

Those hands hadn't seen a hard day's work in their life.

Samuel recognised those hands. They were the same ones that had been used to try and contain snorting laughter and loud, unprincess-like chortles.

Touya had at some point ended his rant and was studying Sam curiously from over the top of his tankard. "It's rude to stare, you know." He uttered, a brow cocked inquisitively.

But Samuel paid him no attention, for it was fully trained on the cloaked figure seated at the far end of the bar.

The four tankards of mead emboldened him. Ignoring Touya's questioning grunts, Samuel slipped from his stool and carefully approached. A click of a tongue and shuffle of feet alerted Samuel to the fact that Touya had chosen to follow. Just so long as he remained discreet.

"Excuse me," Samuel called quietly, leaning to try and glimpse the face beneath the shadow of a hood.

Shoulders tensed beneath the fabric of the heavy riding cloak, graceful fingers tightened around a tankard. Sam knew those hands were more accustomed to the feel of jewel encrusted chalices.

"Your highness..." he whispered, quietly enough so that hopefully only he and the princess could hear.

But Touya's clever ears picked up on the words and he scoffed loudly in confusion. "Eh? Samuel, what do you mean 'your high-'"

Princess Calliope spun quickly, her desperate hands almost knocking her drink over as they reached to silence Touya. Her firm grip on his forearm seemed to do the trick. That, or the shock of seeing her face staring up at them from beneath her hood.

Even though Samuel knew Touya had a habit of forgetting faces, especially those of the many women he encountered on his travels, there was no denying the face beneath the hood. The king's high cheekbones and arched brows, the late queen's warm skin and bright eyes...

"Well, shit. It is the Princess." Touya breathed in quiet disbelief. A smirk tugged his lips as he watched her glance anxiously left and right, her slender fingers still curled tightly around his arm.

"Shh! Please!" She pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper.

No one in the bar seemed to be looking their way, therefore Sam continued.

"Your highness!" He hissed, still not quite believing he was actually addressing the princess. And in such a bizarre setting.

How strange it was to see her in such a dreary, gloomy place. He was so used to seeing her face lit up with candle light and surrounded by colour and music. Without it, she almost looked human and not like the angelic being he often thought about in the lonely moments before he drifted off to sleep.

"What are you doing here?"

Princess Calliope's eyes darted towards the barkeeper who was currently chatting to the toothless flower lady at the other end of the bar. Steeling herself with a shaky sigh, the princess jerked her head towards a darkened corner of the room and before he knew it, her soft hand had found his and she was leading him over to it. Touya was chuckling in sheer amusement behind them as he followed suit, swiping up the princess' unfinished tankard as he went.

"I'm leaving." Princess Calliope declared as soon as the shadows engulfed them. "I'm leaving this kingdom for good."

Samuel shook his head, his fingers finding his temples and massaging as he tried to make sense of what on earth was happening. "What are you talking about?" He retorted, and suddenly remembered that he was addressing royalty. "I mean, p-please explain, your highness."

She was shaking her waving her hands. "Samuel, please just call me Callie."

She knew his name? The princess knew his damn name?! Even the King only referred to him as 'Jester.'

A low chuckle sounded behind Samuel as he tried to recompose himself.

"Nice to meet you, Callie." Touya greeted, his voice as silvery as the embroidery Samuel's nervous fingers toyed with at the hem of his ridiculous attire. How he wished he'd gotten changed before coming to the tavern. If only he'd known he'd be bumping into the princess...

The lanky charlatan offered her his many ringed hand and she shook it sheepishly. Touya gave it a firm shake and was even bold enough to plant a kiss at her knuckles. Princess Calliope merely managed a weak smile.

"Funny meeting you in a place like this." Touya mused, sipping the mead the princess had paid for. "Grabbing a drink before your grand escape from King Crust, hm?"

Samuel dragged a hand down his face. Unlike Touya, Samuel had spent enough time in court to know this was far from appropriate etiquette for engaging with royals.

But the princess seemed to enjoy the exchange. She smirked at the use of Touya's disrespectful nickname for Prince Tomura. But that mischievous expression soon vanished as a clear look dread replaced it.

"Indeed. I simply cannot marry him. I-I cannot." Her eyes drifted to the ground and remained there for a sad moment of silence that was only broken by Touya's input once more.

"Well, I don't blame you sweetheart. Here-" and he held the tankard beneath her nose and gave it a jiggle.

Samuel watched as the princess took it with two hands and drank deeply. He was quietly impressed when he saw her place it back down on the bar empty.

She gave a little hiccup then touched her fingers lightly at Samuel's chest. "Help me." She uttered, her eyes boring into his. "Help me leave this place."

Flabbergasted, her could only blink stupidly in response. A damn fool in court and a damn fool outside of court, so it would seem. When he continued to say nothing, her face slumped in disappointment.

That's not right. He was the one that always made her smile. He was the one that-

"You. What was your name?"

She stared straight past him, eyes finding Touya's.

But she usually always watched Samuel so intently.

"Touya." His friend replied easily.

The Princess straightened her posture and tilted up her chin. She was slightly taller than Sam but way shorter than Touya, whom she addressed with an air of authority that only a royal could pull off so effortlessly.

"Touya, I would like you to secure me safe passage out of the gates and far from this Kingdom."

Despite her steady stare and steely tone, Touya merely shrugged. "What's in it for me, princess?"

Princess Calliope's eyes swept the room cautiously as she reached into her cloak. Concealed by the gloom of the bar, she produced a jewel encrusted pendant.

Hunger flashed immediately in Touya's eyes, his greedy fingers twitching eagerly.

Samuel always thought of him like a magpie; he was drawn to shiny, pretty things while his presence often bestowed ill fortune on others.

"This was my mother's." The princess informed them. "You can have it the moment I no longer breath the air of this kingdom."

At her words, the tall trickster chuckled, leaning against the bar as a sly smirk graced his features; pale, travel-worn skin and a mess of dark hair. Faded scars and wild, black locks.

"That's a funny choice of words, Princess." He cooed. "Who's to say I won't wrap my hands around that slender neck of yours and stop you breathing this kingdom's air that way?" He bared his teeth in a devilish grin. "Then mommy's pretty pendant will be all mine..." he leaned in closer, his long spine arching as he pushed his face into hers. "and you won't have to worry about marrying King Crust..." a finger curled beneath her chin, "and I won't have to worry about ever having to sleep rough again. We both still win and it will be far less effort."

Samuel watched nervously as Touya's eyes held the Princess'; Brilliant blue and bright gold; like the sun against a summer's sky. His hand was still at her chin, her jaw locked beneath his touch.

"Go ahead..." she challenged. And it was only then that both Samuel and Touya acknowledged the blade pressed into the latter's tunic.

Samuel cleared his throat as the scene dragged on into the realm of utter discomfort.

"Your highness..." Samuel muttered.

"I said call me Callie." She spat, her eyes still locked onto Touya's and her blade still poking his gut.

"Yes, right. Callie." He tried again, "are you sure you want to do this?"

But it was Touya who spoke first.

"Geez, Sam." He scoffed through a smile as he drew back from the Princess' glare. "Of course she is! Just look at her!" He removed his hand from her chin to gesture at her tense stance. "She's willing to give away her dead mom's broach and risk her life with a strange man she literally just met in a bar."

Samuel watched awkwardly as Touya smirked at Calliope's sneer.

"Either she's 100 percent sure she wants to do this, or she's a bigger fool than you. And you're a professional."

During Touya's cruel but logical monologue, Prince Calliope's brave face had slowly slipped into one of sorrow. Samuel had wondered how long she could keep up her bravado for. He immediately felt pity towards her as he watched her weapon-wielding hand retract back into her cloak.

The jester shot the charlatan a dark glare which was returned with a mocking smirk and a shrug of a shoulder. Finally, Samuel found his courage and took the now silently sobbing princess by the hand.

"Your high-I mean. Callie..." he began, turning her away from Touya's silently studying eyes. "You have to understand, if you go through with this, the consequences may be-"

But Callie's sharp eyes silenced him. Fire danced behind the tears as she penetrated his stare with her own. Unlike Touya's shade of blue, Samuel's eyes were lighter, icier.

Two merciless suns melted through the ice and warmed the body beneath- Callie's stare had him growing hot beneath his collar.

"I am not stupid." Calliope spoke, her voice as steady as the tears that rolled down her cheeks. "I know what is at risk. But..." her eyes dropped to their hands.

Upon realising he was still holding hers, Sam went to retract his. But the princess' grip tightened.

"I do not want to live the life of a princess any longer. I just want to be free!"

Behind them, Touya sighed. When Samuel turned to look at him, sympathy had finally reached his features.

"Okay, Princess." He grumbled, "We'll help you."

Never at one point did Samuel remember agreeing to helping at all. Then again, wasn't this what he wanted to? To cut his ties from court and stop living the life of a bound fool?

He glanced from Touya to the Princess, mind reeling. If he were to agree to this, it would mark the start of a wild adventure, he was certain.

A deep breath, a glance at his hand in the princess'...

"Okay. I guess we leave tonight."

And all the while, as the three figures slipped into the night with nothing but Touya's cart, Callie's pendant and Samuel's wit, the jester knew that as soon as the princess was declared missing, his younger brother Russel and the rest of the knights would be alerted and be hot on their tails.