Well, here's Chapter 2. Actually, I'm not really writing this story in proper chapters and I'm just breaking it up into acceptable portions as I go. Anyway, a few things to mention. In my little world, I'm assuming my princess to be 20 (during this chapter she'd be around 15, though) and she's still a brunette, but I gave her blue eyes in my story. I dunno why. Just did. :P Also, I know the game makes it seem like the prince/princess and the old Hero King/Queen maybe never met or at least not when the prince/princess was old enough to remember it, but as discovered in the first chapter, my princess' mother died when she was nine and her father died even before that. Bleh, anyway, I guess that's it for this author's note. Enjoy!
Princess Lyra, dressed in a commoner's frock, slipped past her governess with surprising ease. When she had convinced Eliza that she absolutely had to treat herself to a new hairdo while they were visiting Bowerstone Market on one of those rare occasions when Logan permitted it, she didn't really expect her plan to go so smoothly. Yet the adolescent princess had managed to both talk her guardian into getting a completely ridiculous haircut and talk the stylist's assistant out of her clothes - something she'd become quite skilled in doing later on. And, once Eliza was seated and having her hair manipulated into an absurdly tall beehive, relaxed by the barber's magic-weaving fingers, the girl switched clothes with the commoner and walked stiffly out into the street. When Eliza didn't call after her, demanding that she come back at once, her shoulders slouched in relief and she settled into a more casual pace.
Now that she was strolling incognito, Lyra could barely contain her giggles each time she passed someone and they didn't bow their head respectfully or mumble their polite greetings. Everyone treated her as an equal, for better or for worse. One man even bumped into her and cursed at her as if it had been her fault, which only made her all the more excited. Leaving the man confused as to why the girl he just yelled at appeared to enjoy his rant, the princess skipped away towards Bowerstone Industrial. That's where all the interesting people were, she had heard, and she wanted to see if she could find out just how interesting they were in person. Maybe, just to stick it in her brother's craw, she'd find some of those rebels she'd heard so much about and, masquerading as a fellow oppressed citizen, offer them her assistance. As a naïve blue-blood, Lyra thought it would all make for an entertaining game that really wouldn't harm or benefit anyone in the end.
So, the minute the princess entered Industrial, she kept her eyes and ears open for any sign of the resistance. It wasn't long before she realized how very futile her efforts were. Of course the rebels weren't so stupid that they sat out on the streets discussing their plans to overthrow the king and she couldn't help but laugh at herself for thinking they would. Inevitably she ended up at The Riveter's Rest instead, a pub and apparently the only place of interest in all of Industrial. There was the shelter and orphanage, but it was completely depressing. Even though she was dressed in a poor girl's frock, the homeless still held their hands out to her as she passed and the orphans all begged to be adopted. She wasn't prepared to deal with either. It wasn't like she carried any gold and she certainly wasn't ready for parenthood. Besides, if she didn't have parents, why should they?
Inside The Riveter's Rest, Lyra found that even in the slums a young girl couldn't get a drink. Logan's laws pertaining to alcohol were quite strict, but she didn't expect them to be so obediently observed in a place like this. Disappointed again. The princess was beginning to wonder if running away had even been worth the effort. If she had wanted this kind of treatment, she could have stayed in the castle. However, being in the pub did eventually pay off and Lyra found that through eavesdropping a girl her age was more likely to obtain information than if she were to walk up to someone and ask them to share gossip. The first interesting bit she picked up with the potential for excitement involved a man named Nigel Ferret who was, at that very moment, doing something seedy in a house nearby. The details were understandably vague, but she was able to determine that someone was being shaken down for money and she wanted to see just how such a thing played out.
The alleys were a bit filthier than Lyra expected, but she managed to navigate them despite the overcrowding of boxes and garbage on her way to the hideout the man in the pub had so foolishly let slip the location of. Upon arrival on the backside of the house, the princess could hear muffled words coming from a window roughly three heads above her own. She sighed, lips pursing as her hands went to her hips. If only she could reach the window, she might see and hear what sinister activities were taking place within. It became somewhat of an obsession since her escape from the matron's watchful eye was beginning to seem like a fruitless endeavor.
Nearby a crate from one of the local factories caught her eye. Perhaps with that and by use of her tip-toes, she might reach the window after all. The princess grinned and dragged it over into position with some difficulty. Even with the added boost and straining herself, Lyra's eyes barely peeked over the sill, but it was enough. She could see everything and better yet, hear everything. Unfortunately the teen only witnessed one man, who was tied to a chair and already looking thoroughly beaten, being slapped across the face by someone standing over him before there was a noise further down the alley behind her. Someone was coming and she could hear the distinct tap of a cane that accompanied each step. The first thing that entered her mind was a member of some search party that had been organized to locate the missing princess.
Lyra dropped down from the crate and whirled around, putting on her most convincing mask of innocence. "Well," an unnaturally tall, finely dressed man smirked, "I never expected to see someone like you skulking around the slums. And in such an unbecoming outfit, no less." The princess lowered her eyes and clasped her hands behind her back. This man had obviously recognized her as the king's sister and now, she feared, her little adventure was drawing to a close. He would surely escort her back to the castle where she would receive no less than three hours of her brother's ranting and then likely be sentenced to a week confined to her quarters. Even then, she was thinking it was worth it just to taste the smog-laden air of freedom for a few hours.
However, instead of pinching her ear and dragging her out of the alley, the stranger seemed displeased by her silence and tapped his cane impatiently against the pavement to get her attention. She looked up, peering out from beneath her bangs in confusion. "You don't really expect me to believe that you don't recognize me, do you? My dear, that's impossible unless you've been living under a rock," he said, tilting his chin upwards so that he could stare down his nose at the teenager coldly. Perhaps he didn't realize who she was after all, but apparently he believed she should recognize him which only made things worse. She had no clue who he was or why he was bothering her if he didn't plan on sending her back to the castle. "Well," he sniffed indignantly, perhaps assuming her to be dull-witted, "No matter. I'm sure that pretty face gets you by just fine in life. In fact…"
Lyra's eyes narrowed as she frowned deeply at the stranger, which only caused him to grin. How dare he speak to her that way? Well, she was trying to look like a peasant, after all, and he was obviously one of those snobbish aristocrats she would often find leering at her in the castle. "I have an interesting proposition for you, my little sweet. How would you like to experience a life of glamour and riches? Wouldn't you like to remove yourself from the squalor of these streets and become a lady of refinement?" As he spoke, the man came closer and closer until he loomed over the young girl. Instead of retreating, the princess stared up at him as if intrigued. Of course, she was already living the life most peasants could only dream of, however boring it was.
The princess flinched as he ran a gloved finger along her jaw line and then lifted her chin. "How would you like to have the Reaver life," he grinned. Lyra's eyes widened dramatically and she hopped backwards to remove herself form his proximity. He quirked a brow, his hand lingering in the air before propping itself on his hip. "Reaver!" The girl's hands covered her gaping mouth as she regarded the man excitedly. Though he had formerly been offended that she didn't recognize his chiseled good looks, he was consoled by the fact that she had indeed heard of him and dipped his head in mock modesty. "The one and only," he said, rapping his cane against the pavement again, "Now, why not tell me your name, my dear?" She stared at him in awe for a few moments more before a grin spread onto her lips. Never in a million years had she expected to run into someone so famous, so interesting, much less someone who had visited the castle numerous times but whom she had been barred from meeting. Logan would be positively irate if he knew, not that he would need the extra incentive considering she'd slipped away from her matron to visit the city's most dangerous district.
Lyra straightened herself and cheerfully replied, "My name is- -" "Princess! Princess, where are you!" The less than sultry voice of her guardian cut her off from somewhere behind and she squeaked, leaping forward to cower behind Reaver. "Princess," he guffawed, calmly peering over his shoulder at the girl now clinging to his coat tails. He would have shot anyone else, especially a peasant, but he realized now that he wasn't dealing with a commoner. So much for his plans to deposit this girl in the local prostitution racket, after sampling her goods first for himself, of course. "Shh! Not so loud," she hissed up at him, blue eyes pleading. The man rolled his own and then looked towards the end of the alley where, on the street outside, a distressed woman passed by calling for her missing ward. Once she was gone, Reaver deftly spun around on his heel to face the teen.
Looking up at him, the girl breathed a sigh of relief. "I don't want to return to the castle," she huffed, crossing her arms and pouting. Reaver smirked, a myriad of alternatives crossing his mind. "What a naughty little child you are, running away like that," he cooed, patting the crown of her head lightly, "King Logan would be most upset if his darling sister disappeared… or worse. I'm sure he'd pay handsomely to have you returned unharmed and, hehe, unspoiled." The princess gasped and then scowled, her cheeks flushing with anger. "Hmph! The stories I've heard about you are completely true, I see. You're nothing but a greedy degenerate. And I was so enthralled by the more daring feats I had heard of as a child. How disappointing to find you're not the adventurous hero, but instead just the corrupt business man all the servants in the castle whisper about." It was a rant that would have made her brother proud. She found herself sickened by the thought and quickly apologized despite Reaver's apparent amusement. "I'm not sure where that came from. I'm sorry," she said, fidgeting with the hem of her frock.
The man shrugged and waved a hand through the air as if to dismiss any ill will between them. "Obviously you were offended that I considered dragging you kicking and screaming back to the king. I highly doubt any reward he could muster would be quite as rewarding as your company, my dear Princess." With all the allure of a conman, Reaver caused Lyra to blush. She'd never been treated quite so maturely and she had to admit, she liked it. "How disappointing that you will inevitably have to return to that stuffy old castle. I'd go positively mad if I had to spend more than a few hours there. No parties, no drinking, no excitement whatsoever. How dull," he sighed, "And the king is a great bore." The princess nodded slowly, hanging on his every word. At that moment she began to see Reaver not as a despicable man of sin, but instead as a man who exemplified freedom. He didn't just go through the motions of life, he really lived. The tales her mother had told her about the eternally youthful pirate weren't even the half of it. He made every day an adventure by indulging in life's pleasures and disregarding the rules and regulations that governed other people's lives. That's the kind of life she wanted.
"Ah, well," Reaver said, snapping her out of her thoughts as he flipped open his pocket watch, "I'd love to stay and chat, but I have other obligations. Do give my regards to your brother, won't you?" With those parting words, the man took her hand and bent down to kiss her knuckles lightly. He left her with a smile and a wave, strolling out onto the busy streets and disappearing into the crowd moments before Eliza turned down the very same alley. The princess recovered quickly from the wave of heat that had hit her when Reaver kissed her hand and tried to escape. Surprisingly, the matron was faster than she looked even with that absurd hairdo weighing her down and caught Lyra by the collar of her dress. "There ye are, ye little delinquent! I knew I'd find ye around here somewhere," Eliza growled, struggling to keep a firm hold on the princess. "Gah, I was only having some fun! Not so rough! I'm still your princess, you know!" "I'm taking ye back to the castle this instant. I'm sure his highness'll lock ye up in that room o' yours for quite some time, missy." The governess then dragged her fidgeting ward out of the alley and towards the stony prison looming in the distance.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned for Chapter 3. It'll be flying at ya soon! Also, reviews will let me know if I should keep going or not. ;D I'd like to know how people like it, if they do, and perhaps even some constructive criticism would be nice.