Author's Note: PLEASE review!!
It turns out, his name isn't really Sir Kennsington of Grant.
"Well, first of all, my name isn't Sir Kennsington of Grant. It's Rupert of Jenn. I'm really dirt-poor. (sighs)
"I don't even have a house. My mother just died, so my father sold it. He's rich. I ran away. I've been living off food in the forest. I've come to two close-calls with ogres. Anyway, I've been sleeping here at night. It's - well, the most beautiful place I've seen in awhile."
"Why did you run away?"
"Oh... my Father. He was going to force me to go into the knome-caverns and spy on them. He wanted me to steal valuables whenever I could. But he didn't want me to get caught. I don't want to go all the way to Ayortha! Plus, I am NOT a criminal. I hate caves anyway. If my Father found me... I don't know." He shuddered.
"What?" I pressed.
"Well, he's not-not the most- not the nicest man in the world."
"Ok."
"Yeah. So, you haven't told me why you're here every night. Do you go to school here?"
I laughed bitterly.
"Yes."
"So why are you so bummed about it?"
I laughed sourly.
"They don't exactly encourage individuality here. You do something wrong and your starved. All the girls hate me because the one and only time I was put down instead of complimented on was on posture. It sucks."
"Forgive me for asking, but what does that mean?"
I laughed wholeheartedly.
"Forgive you for asking?? Are you serious??" He only looked me oddly.
"Well, I mean, come on! Is that why nobody ever asks anybody anything around here? Why would asking need forgiving? It's only curiosity." I added.
He looked at me smiling, but his eyes said "Confused Guy here!!".
I laughed again.
"So, you ran away so you wouldn't become a criminal?"
He still looked half-confused. The other half of him was amused.
"Yes. And my dad- you don't know him."
"No, I can't say I do. Go on."
"Well he- he- lets just say that he has connections most people don't have."
"So? Why don't you just go to another town and get a job?"
This time it was he who laughed bitterly.
"My Father,"
"What about him?"
"Well, when someone does something he doesn't like... alright. My Father is a criminal. He's aiming to get in league with a Sir Peter of Frell, whom, he says, will be very willing to rip people off, as he's already becoming known for that."
Sir Peter of Frell... that's Ella's dad!!
"So, Father has connections. He actually knows all the ogres and crooks around here. Yet, no crook or ogre knows what Father does to get the villagers and royals on his side, and the villagers and royals don't know what he does to get the ogres and crooks on his side."
"Wait- wouldn't ogres just eat him rather than bargain with him?"
"No. That's part of an agreement they have. Father turns any crook or villager who scwabbles on him or doesn't do what he says to the ogres in exchange that the ogres do what he wants them to do to."
I shuddered.
"What does he do to get the royals on his side?"
He laughed bitterly.
"He donates some of the money he has the crooks steal for him. He's made many a respectable villager into a crook."
"Yikes. So... why can't you just hide in another village?"
"No doubt Father has the whole population of any village, all the ogres, and maybe even the royals looking for me, afraid I'd leak out information."
He laughed again, this time with amusement, "which is exactly what I'm doing now..."
"But... he wouldn't turn his own son over to the ogres... would he?"
"Father? Father hates me. He loves my older brothers, who always do exactly as he says to. That's why he told me to go to Ayortha. He wants me as far from him as possible. It's always been like that. Of course, if I was found two weeks later I'd mysteriously disapear again, this time not leaving a trace... unless someone were to cut up an ogre's stomach."
"Wow... and I thought my parents were bad."
"What about them? You haven't told me your story yet."
So I told him. At first he thought I was joking, and didn't believe me, but eventually he did.
"Wow. That's- interesting. But, Sasha. I love your name," he said, turning red.