Aria wasn't able to go back home immediately, knowing that if she did, someone might catch her on the way in. The family she's currently living with would also be dragged into her mess if she was caught right then and there, not that they weren't already.
"What do I do now...?" she said out loud, slapping a hand across her mouth quickly.
The girl then peered around and let out a relieved sigh upon seeing no one near her.
'I'm such an idiot...' she muttered, closing her teal eyes.
Just as she grabbed and was about to throw off the cloak from her body, she heard some fast paced footsteps, hell, even running steps passing by and coming near.
"Search the corners and alleys! Don't miss a single spot and don't get off task!" one of the knights exclaimed from afar.
Aria frowned and released a low growl to herself, regretting her failed actions she decided to take throughout her life. Just as the girl was about to take off again, a knight from earlier's goose chase caught her in his sight once more. The teen froze for a second and then ran off after registering she was caught again, nearing danger with the second she lagged within.
"Give up and you'll be let off easily or face the consequences!"
As usual, she remained silent and kept moving her body to escape trouble and cheat punishment. Turning to a tall wall with some crates stacked messily near it, Aria decided to jumped it, stepping on the crates as well as wall climbing skillfully and escaping the knight yet again. Aria landed cleanly and softly on her feet into an open area, dashing off to look for another hiding spot to take off her cloak. However, once her feet left the ground, she ran and crashed into someone, not a knight for she felt no armor when she made contact with the person. The girl grunted and stumbled backwards, falling backwards heavily. Luckily for the girl, her hood didn't slip off, but a part of her lower body did show after landing, her clothes being revealed.
"Whoa, easy there," a male voice muttered in a dull tone.
Aria flinched when she heard the voice and sat still, not looking up from the ground. A dog was heard near her, releasing low barks or growls and sniffing at her leg.
'He isn't an imperial knight... Judging by his clothes he shouldn't be one..' the girl thought as she stood up and slightly tilted her head up to see.
"Trouble seeing or something? Cause you got a little something big covering your head," the man stated sarcastically.
It seemed like she was right, for he knew nothing about her reputation and what was going on at the moment. The dog she heard earlier suddenly tugged at her cloak, causing her to fall back down again and this time her face and distinguishable features were shown a little more during the drop.
"Repede, you didn't need to confirm her identity or even help her take that thing off," he joked.
"Why would you need to confirm my identity? By the looks of things, you know nothing of me.." Aria suddenly spoke, pulling her hood back up further and standing up.
"Oh, so you can talk. Hm, I was beginning to think that you're just some mute or something."
"Well, excuse me now, I must be going..." she stated quickly, running off again.
'Strange girl,' he muttered.
'Yuri! Hanks is looking for you again!' someone called.
"Alright, tell him I'll be there in a bit!" he called back.
Just as Aria was about to head over to another hiding spot, someone managed to grab her and halt her movements completely. Her arms were grabbed and she couldn't escaped from their grasp. Judging by the person's metal covered hands and strength, she knew it was male and a knight from the imperial castle grounds.
"Sorry, but I'll need to write a warrant for you and your actions," the unfamiliar voice said.
Flynn noticed that the mysterious cloaked figure was actually female, due to her very low build and slender shape arms. He was thinking that by now Aria was mumbling curses at him and sending secret death glares through her cloak. It just happened so that she was doing the opposite. She had a frightened expression on her face and mumbling wishes to escape without any harm being done.
'I promised the two I'd come back soon, but maybe today is the day I'll break the promise..' she thought
"I'll need to have your hood taken off and have you explain yourself. It is, of course, breaking the law of keeping peace to this place; your actions that is."
"... Peace? I see nothing, but bad treatment here," Aria stated shakily.
"Look, just do what I say and no one will get hurt," Flynn said sternly, letting go one of her arms carefully.
Aria hesitantly listened and pulled off her hood to reveal her silky hair and mesmerizing eyes. As for Flynn, his thoughts were wrong. No, this wasn't some vicious mad woman trying to send all the hate she could just to mess with the higher class, yet it was just a teenage girl at the age of possibly nineteen doing what she wanted to do to get back at the noblemen. She was clearly scared and not threatening at all.
"Just what are your reasons for doing this?" Flynn asked again, softening his eyes after seeing that she was nearly frightened to death.
"... I just wanted to get them back.. For their bad and unfair treatments, okay?" she asked. "Now, please let me go, I need to see my family before they grow worried."
Flynn remained still as his grip completely loosened though it was still around her arm. He suddenly held out his hand in front of her, waiting for her to return the goods.
"I'll need to ask you to return the items you've stolen," he stated immediately.
The girl didn't budge, getting ready to run again, until he managed to shoot out a threat, one that sounded more like a worried warning.
"I'll have to throw you into jail if you don't. I wouldn't want to do that, you know," Flynn said. "You don't look like you enjoy what you do like other crimina-"
"That's because I don't..." she said softly, holding in a frightened gasp as she cut him off. "Why would I enjoy acting rebellious towards others? I only do so because I want them to know how I feel, how the mysterious cloak figure feels, how everyone feels being looked down and stepped on."
The young man only smiled at her sympathetically, but still waited for the items he needed to retrieve. Aria gave up completely and sighed as she untied the pouch at her belt and dropped it into his armor covered hand.
"Now that that's over, I must be leaving now," Aria said, pulling her arm away and walking off.
The girl pulled off the long worn out cloak around her to reveal the clothes she wore underneath. She folded up the cloth to hide it and fixed up her neckerchief and high collar before she left the alley, Flynn watching her leave.
'Whoa, she looks different..' he suddenly thought, blinking a few times.
The imperial knight captain snapped out of his trance and then ran after her quickly. For some reason, he felt the need to look after her just as much as he needed to look after Princess Estellise of the imperial castle.
"Let me escort you back to... where ever you live," he offered awkwardly.
Aria turned to look at the taller teen and just blinked curiously, tilting her head to the side a little too innocently. She then looked back forward and shrugged lightly. Little did they know, they were being watched by a certain person from Flynn's squad.
"... What's with you all of a sudden?" she decided to ask. "I'm pretty sure I don't need an escort since no one actually knows my identity aside from this cloak, but if you insist.."
She then began to stalk off again, but this time with Flynn following right beside her. From Aria's point of view, it just looked like he was trying to keep an eye out on her, not trusting whether she would go straight home or steal more items.
"Oh, and by the way, my name is Flynn. Flynn Scifo to be exact.." he said, smiling at her calmly.
Aria blinked, feeling a little uncomfortable and cautious around him, though she decided that it was best to introduce herself to the knight. That is if she didn't want to end up in a cramped cell located deep in the imperial castle.
"Nice to meet you, I guess, Flynn..." she said, not wanting to get close to the knight. "I'm Aria... Winslet.."
"Winslet..?" he suddenly repeated. "That sounds... quite familiar within the noble court..."
"Does it? I don't know anyone else that goes with that surname," she replied.
"What about your parents?"
"My mom and dad has a different last name, why?"
Flynn went silent once he noticed something different and looked away apologetically, immediately regretting his question and curiosity.
"My bad.. I apologize for that," Flynn said after a few seconds of silence.
"Apologies for what? It's not like you said anything bad like you'll kill my family or me. Besides, if you did say that then I'd react differently and try to kill you instead, you noble freak."
Her honesty seemed to shock Flynn. It was so blunt and straightforward, yet it remains true to her for not a single hesitating reaction was visible as she said it aloud. It sounded... wrong..
Not knowing whether her family left her before she could remember then clearly and not knowing whether they are still alive and healthy. Not many who knows about the situation can bear with that way of thinking. Her mindset was just too messed up and scrambled. Flynn seemed to have caught something strange about her that maybe a false fact. All he needed left was to confirm it.
"Even so... If you were told that the family you live with now is a foster family, do you want to meet them, your real parents, someday?" he asked carefully. 'It sounds like she has no clue...'
"Not if they don't want to see me. I would wish to see them someday though if what your trying to imply was true," she said, tucking her bangs behind her left ear again. "Please stop with the nonsense."
'An angel who's tainted her hands through thievery; one that has lost all of her innocence. Well, not exactly all. She isn't aware, but she's suffering from being a flightless bird just through the lack of knowledge about herself right now...' Flynn thought.
Aria ignored the knight and continued to walk through the quarters silently. A few knights passed by and Flynn just continued to follow her, looking around to 'find the culprit'.
"You know you can go on your merry way now if you don't want to get in trouble," Aria stated. "To be frank, I don't think you're doing a very good job covering yourself up like that."
Flynn ended up chuckling and shook his head, refusing to leave.
"If they found out who you were, what would you do?"
"... I think you're just going to make me stand out to them," she answered. "My house is just at this corner, now thank you for being my escort. Leave."
The twins suddenly threw open the door and ran over to the girl excitedly, that was until they saw Flynn.
"Aria, who's that?" Leia asked curiously.
"..."
"Are we in trouble again?" Leon added, looking a little anxious as he pushed his sister behind him. "Are they out to get you and mom today too?"
"... N-no, we aren't in trouble..." she answered. 'At least I don't think... He is not here to get anyone.'
Flynn felt curiosity rising up in his chest as he smiled at the kids and bent down to their level of height. In response, the twins just anxiously moved away. Aria sighed and waved them back into the building before they start questioning about the imperial knight.
"Look, you're a knight from the imperial castle and I normally don't talk to, let alone, trust you guys, but I may have to ask you to leave me and this family alone. I believe you're able to do that, yes?" she said, crossing her arms together.
Flynn remained and stared at her, suddenly smiling at her understandably.
"I cannot do that."
"And why is that?"
"I have my reasons," the older teen said, smiling warmly. "Get used to seeing this face. You'll be meeting it more often."
His smile was capable of keeping Aria calm even if she tried not to lower her guard down. Bright, very bright and warm, was all the person who received it can think of.
'That doesn't sound like a good thing...' she muttered. "I guess I will have to.. There's no other choice. Just don't bother us like those stupid knights of yours."
"May I ask you something then?" Flynn suddenly questioned.
Aria began to ponder on about her answer, not very comfortable or at ease when he requested her to ask his question he left hanging in the air. She then lowered the lids of her eyes and silently huffed.
"... Shoot," she finally decided.
"What did those kids mean 'out to get you' and 'in trouble again'?" Flynn said, releasing the bomb.
Aria stared at Flynn, her face expression looking lifeless and bored, a sign that she didn't ever want the topic to be brought up between strangers. She slightly parted her lips to speak, but immediately sealed them tight for a little while longer.
"I rather not tell a knight, let alone a stranger, my problems. Our problems," Aria said, her eyes suddenly sharpening up.
Flynn's eyes felt like they were widening up, but he, with all of his energy, managed to keep everything looking calm and steady. The way she seemed protective about the trouble she's taking care of made it seem as if the problem is quite a big one. Her eyes were now engulfed in flames. Teal colored eyes mixed in with flaring red it seems.
"I'll have to get to know you more and have you tell me then so I can help you," he said, forcing a smile despite the worry he felt.