Chapter 44

Without bothering to change out of her dress or saddle up, Eliena put on Chubby's bridle and mounted, galloping him through the streets of the Lower City until she reached the Dancing Dove. She handed her pony off to a hostler, who easily guessed her identity. She burst in through the doors and called, "Samuel Fletcher!" All chatter in the common room ceased, and everyone looked at the beautiful young woman standing in the doorway. Slowly, all eyes turned to the Rogue, who was smiling.

"Can I 'elp ye, milady?" he asked from his position leaning against the fireplace.

"Yes." Eliena ran, a path being cleared for her. She leapt into his arms and kissed him firmly on the mouth, slowly drawing back. The men of the rogue, who were usually perverse, were speechless.

"What was that for?" Sam croaked.

"I'm a free woman," Eliena murmured with a smile.

"What d'ye mean 'a free woman'?" Sam asked, obviously distraught at the idea that he'd been kissing a betrothed woman.

"I mean Leo gets it now. There's nothing holding me back," Eliena replied.

"I didn't think anythin' held ye back, ever," admitted Sam with a chuckle. He kissed her, and this time a cry went up from his men.

"Does this mean we're gettin' a new queen, yer maj'sty?" someone asked. Sam looked into the princess's violet eyes and grinned.

"I think it means ye'll be gettin' a new king," Sam replied.

"Wha'?" the men cried—they loved Sam. He was a fair king, harsh when he needed to be, and an all around fun man.

"Don't ye recognize th' lass?" a man Eliena knew to be Sam's second in command, the pickpocket named Ladyfingers for his delicate touch, questioned. "She be th' princess—Eliena of Conté!"

"Is she now?" a woman asked, emerging from the shadows. Eliena could see this was a lady of the streets—she wore a ragged brown dress. The skirt was slit up the side, exposing her shapely leg to her hip. The bodice—if you could even call it that—was made of flimsy, almost sheer material and was cut scandalously low. The woman had an ample bust—but her waist and hips formed a nearly straight line. Her white blonde hair was piled on top of her head messily, her lipstick smudged around her mouth, and her black eyes had an unreadable twinkle. "Well I'll be. Th' Crown Princess kissin' th' Rogue. What's this country come t'?"

"Shuddup, Aiana," Ladyfingers snapped. "Ye know what kinda government we've got now well as anybody."

"How's that, Ladyfingers?" Eliena asked coolly. She wasn't going to let some street slut talk poorly about her.

"Aiana used t' work in th' palace, afore she was caught sleepin' wit th' knights an' such," a thief named Nikolas explained.

"Oh, you're that one," Eliena remarked in distain. "I heard about you. Drove some of the best pages to their wits end, teasing them the way you did." Eliena tucked a curl behind her ear. "We nearly lost some of our greatest knights because of you." Aiana growled and moved toward her, looking like she wanted to maim the princess. Eliena tsk-ed and stepped to stand beside Sam. "Now, now, Mistress Aiana, is that smart? I can wield a sword better than my mother, and best my own Uncle George with daggers."

"Yer 'Uncle George' is a lily-handed noble," Aiana hissed. "He's lost th' skills he learned as a rogue!" She kept advancing on the younger girl. "And ye ain't got no sword on ye!"

A hilt was pressed into Eliena's hand. She looked at Sam out of the corner of her eye. He had handed her a dagger. With a smile, Eliena showed Aiana the dagger. "Care to see if my uncle has really lost his touch?" Eliena toyed with the blade in her hands. "And before you go talking about my uncle's hands, perhaps you should see mine." Eliena held up her callused palms. "We do real work around the Tortallan palace. And if you knew my uncle's profession, you'd speak more honorably about him."

"We ain't got no honor 'round here," Aiana snapped. She was ten feet from Eliena. "We're Lower City scum."

"No honor?" Eliena looked around. "Some of the men in this room have ten times the honor of those at Court. Some of the women too." Eliena smiled an smile that dripped acidic sweetness. "But I'd believe that you have no honor." Aiana growled and moved toward her again, holding a dagger of her own. She made a cut at Eliena, who smoothly tripped her. Aiana fell, dropping the dagger. Eliena picked it up and smiled. "You've forgotten I'm trained by the Shang Dragon as well. Always check the credentials of your opponent before challenging them, Mistress Aiana." She turned to Sam. "I will see you later on—maybe after you've cleaned up the scum on your floor." She kissed him swiftly and strode out.

"Now that's a princess," Nikolas commented.

Author's Note- hee, I liked that chappie. REVIEW.