Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater.

Chapter 3: Tales In The Courtyard

Jacqueline did her best to explain the courtyard's magical abilities in a way she thought he could understand best. They walked through the ruins of the palace she had been kept in, the tower being in the best condition, and discussed many different things. The princess introduced him to the abandoned rooms, stopping at the threshold of the front gates where she had initially been unable to cross. Now that Soul had slain the dragon and refused the gold, the pair could walk right passed. During their walk, Lady Jacqueline revealed what it had been like to be whisked away to a foreign tower by the curse. She mentioned how disconcerting it had been to wake up in a place that was not her own. She, unlike most of the others, had known about the disappearing princesses and her mother and father had warned her of it once she was old enough to understand. Though their warning did her little good, she had still understood the implication of her towering prison, and her sanity had survived the shift.

In comparison, when Soul and Jacqueline had reunited with Kim in the courtyard, Soul had managed to ask Kim about her arrival, which seemed so unlike Jacqueline's that he almost did not believe it was true.

"Some don't like to speak of it," she admitted, "for a part of them believe themselves happier here in the tower. Maidens, princess or otherwise, have not been treated altogether kindly by men. The world was not made for us but still, the few that can break their own curse chose not to in favour for staying here. For the daughters of the five kingdoms...we long to return home. Upon my arrival, I cried for hours. I had been snatched from my bed and had woken up in my new tower. I recall being quite upset. But Maka appeared soon after to console me and tell me the history of this place."

"Lady Maka?"

"Indeed. Thirty years ago, Maka came through her portal to soothe me. She explained what this place was, what the curse was. I didn't believe her at first, but when I realized that it wasn't going to do me much good sitting around, I followed her into the labyrinth."

Soul nodded his partial understanding, noting more so the fact that it had been Maka, of all the other maidens, that had come to see Kim the knight she was captured. It would mean that Maka herself had been in her tower for more than thirty years, a feat that seemed almost impossible when he looked at the youthful planes of her face. "I thought maidens could not travel to the towers of other maidens?"

"Maka is... an exception. The deal she made… it allows her to travel as she does."

Deal? He'd have to add that to the list of things he wanted to ask her about. The mystery surrounding the beautiful princess seemed to grow by the day. "How long do you think she has been here?"

"I don't know. I've asked and she's never told me, but if I had to guess, I would say certainly far longer than I have."

"Why is that?"

"The chairs-" she started before noticing a gaggle of young princesses approaching. "Ah, I apologize. You will have to ask the Ladies Maka and Tsubaki for a more detailed explanation. The time to tell your stories has drawn near."

"So it has." Soul sat on one of the benches careful not to jostle the sling on his arm. It was hard to focus on when Soul's thoughts kept drifting to see the other girls and their youth. They did not age at all, it seemed, for the curse stalled the passage of time completely upon their addition to the tower. To "prolong their suffering", as Jacqueline had put it. Quite a few maidens had accumulated, and Soul was struck by their ages now that he was seeing them in the sunlit yard. There were no babies, but a small handful of children, aged eight or so, sat in the front row. Many behind them were youths in their sixteenth or seventeenth year. Fewer were past peak marriage age and sat at about twenty or more years of age. Still… "You're all so young," he commented reflexively as the girls arranged themselves before him.

"The curse targets women out of wedlock," explained Jacqueline, who sat nearby. "I was taken after my sixteenth birthday and at sixteen I have stayed." There were so many intricacies to the curse. Too many, in fact. It seemed like the sorceress had chosen her rules very carefully when she had enacted the curse. It made it sound almost impossible to get away from; like a plague. One sitting alone would not be enough to educate Soul on its power and effects.

"How old are you?" posed Tsugumi, her youthful face glowing with curiousity.

"Nineteen."

"Is that not too young to be a knight?"

He snorted. "Most young boys go into knighthood training aged eight or nine, working as squires or pages," he explained. "It is not uncommon to be exposed to the lifestyle at such a young age. In Elderheim, the tale of Lady Jacqueline's disappearance has survived as even I heard it as child. It spurned many boys to become knights in hopes that they might save and marry a princess."

"And you are the same?"

He looked at Maka squarely. "I am interested in my freedom and naught else." She seemed to inspect him critically as if believing him dishonest, so he held her stare in quiet rebellion until she coloured and glanced away.

"How about a story? Please?" came Kim's voice. "Any story will do."

He pondered on the request for a moment, looking around at their faces. Then, the knight opened his mouth to speak and wove a noble tale fit to engage the maidens around him. Even Maka, cold as she had been towards him, could be seen leaning in to listen to his story. Every word came from stories his brother used to tell him before they went to sleep. He told stories of sword fights, of princes in disguise, of nymphs and fey and goddesses that rained down only mercy. He spouted the tales like seasoned knights did around campfires to spook new recruits. The sun was nearly on top of them when Soul requested for a break. He grew tired of the attention, exhaustion under the scrutiny of both royalty and the sun creeping up on him. The girls reluctantly flittered away, amusing themselves with the flora except for Maka, who approached him. The grass beneath her feet brushed against her lovingly, as if thanking her for her careful steps.

"My Lady," he greeted, bowing his head a bit.

"Your stories," she began instantly, "are they... true?"

"Truer for those that lived them, perhaps, but they are honest enough if you believe in that sort of thing."

"They are amazing tales." His eyes jerked to meet hers, wide and amazed. Had that been a compliment? He had been so certain she had hated them; hated him.

"I thank you, my lady."

"Maka will suffice," she said, her dress pooling prettily against the grass as she sat down. Her green eyes stared up at him eagerly with an openness he had not seen in her before. "Have you always known such stories?"

"We learned of them in Elderheim when we were children. Some have happened to me, in fact, but I don't often advertise them."

"Why not? Your more adventurous tales would make for impressive introductions."

"I am not trying to introduce myself, Lady Maka. I merely wish to pass through this world as smoothly and unabated as I can."

"That is a hefty goal. Admirable, in a way, though unlikely for a knight of your standing. Tell me, why go after Jacqueline if you intend to live a life of flat waves?"

"It was the way I was raised." He was surprised at his honesty, especially to someone so much like a stranger to him. Yet it was, as if, he had known her all his life and felt strangely compelled to tell her all she wished. "My brother was a courtesan and a musician at the palace when he heard news of some knights disappearing to look for the princess in the East. Naturally, I was to follow suite so as to have my chance at, as the King puts it, 'anything I desire'."

"And your brother is whom?" Well, perhaps he would not tell her everything.

"He is none of your business." Soul cringed to himself internally. If he had refused a princess in court, he would be severely punished. He was lucky that the women seemed to disregard rank, even if he could never really forget about it. "What is important is that I desire my freedom. And when I obtain it, I will travel until I run out of money or find a decent place to live for the rest of my days."

"You seem so young to be thinking of such futures," she said thoughtfully. "Normally it is old, battle-worn men, old kings and merchants who wish to live the very end of their lives devoid of struggle."

"I am none of them. Simply a man who wishes his life to be a little simpler."

Maka nodded, head bowed in reflection. "Have you ever been told that your stories are wonderful?"

Soul stared up at the sky. It was a real sky, according to Kim. The courtyard existed in a real abandoned kingdom somewhere, tended to by the maidens of the curse. "Does it matter?"

"It does to me. You weave them with such expertise, as if you have done it your whole life."

"I...appreciate your saying so."

"Do you have any other expertise perhaps? To be a knight and a tale teller seem oddly compatible, though the tales you tell are not of war and battle but of other, more beautiful things. Are there any other talents you have? Your brother was a musician. Are you gifted in that as well?"

"You are suddenly so interested in my life," he pointed out, crudely avoiding the question. "Why?"

Her shoulders rose and fell, pulling away from him and allowing her hands to fall into her lap. "For you to know such stories, to relate them to us all with such detail and feeling... it must mean something. Don't you agree?"

"They are just stories. Common tales."

She tilted her head away from him, body shifting as she said, "Is that all they are to you?"

"That is all they are to anyone. Tales are meant to satisfy and intrigue until they are done and nothing more. Perhaps a lesson is taught if it is constructed so, but nothing else can be garnered from it. They are pointless unless they are true. All the strange fairy tales and old lore that people pass around aren't needed."

She was quiet a moment before asking, "And that is what you truly think?"

Soul shrugged, his honesty becoming him. "They are for children and times of desperation. Reality is nothing like our stories. Reality is all something we must face. Living in a dream world where things are flowery and stagnant will change nothing."

"For people like us," Maka began, her voice shaking, "stories are all we have to entertain ourselves. Stories and each other. We must respect them and respect the tellers. They hold so much meaning, so much promise. It's unfortunate that you don't see it quite the same way. They are an honourable escape from realities we know too well of." Frost coated her fresh green eyes as she made to stand, and Soul instinctively did as well. "Indeed, it is a pity you do not seem to value these precious things."

He frowned. "I don't know what it was that I said, but I did not mean to offend you, my lady. I just-"

"I am no lady of yours." She squared her shoulders. "I shall take my leave."

She moved to go again and his fingers found themselves around her wrist in an instant. "Wait! Please, I didn't mean to."

"You have stories to tell, knight," she hissed, tugging him down so her lips suddenly close to his ear. An echo of their first encounter flashed in his mind. "I know that you dislike them, but I'm sure you won't begrudge spitting out a few more stories for these girls."

Then she was gone like the wind. He couldn't even stop her as she curtly excused herself from the group, claiming to be tired from the sun exposure before creating a large portal and stepping into it. Watching her go, Soul realized that the image to which she had taken herself to was the same image as the night before. So she had come to see me last night, he realized as the princesses took their seats once more. But why?

The question haunted him the rest of the session until he was swept up in his own stories, dismally missing Maka's eager eyes.

From that point on, Soul had the distinct feeling that the green eyed princess had taken to avoiding him. When they ate, if in the same room, she made sure that they were separated by maidens who seemed much more intrigued by him than she. Although she wasn't frigid, she was certainly more curt than the others, and made it a point of not actively seeking him out unless it was for a specific purpose, something which had only happened twice in the last seven days. Each time, he'd attempted to speak with her on the matter of his stories and each time the inquiry was curtly deflected. It was frustrating to try to track down someone like Maka in a labyrinth, especially when most of the girls seemed to be sworn to secrecy concerning her whereabouts.

Most information on Maka seemed to have the girls tongue-tied as well. He tried to learn more about her through their them, but they had no knowledge of it at all. All he knew was that she had been in the tower for a while, had a huge grudge against men (presumably because she had yet to be saved), and seemed to enjoy books and other scripture. As a knight, literacy had been important, if only to read the decrees of the king and write letters and other battle reports. He knew that as a young child, Lady Jacqueline had been taught to read and write as well, however few women, let alone princesses, chose to access historical records on their lands.

It was infuriating. He hadn't spoken properly with her since their spat in the courtyard and he was desperate to reconcile. There was something compelling about the beauty that he was undeniably attracted to. It might as well have just been the mystery, he decided miserably on his trek towards the meeting room. She was so different. Each of the girls had their quirks, yes, but Maka...there was something distinct about the way she carried herself and the simple way that she looked at him (although it was more of a glare these days) increased his curiousity towards her. Something about her lithe figure, firey spirit and green eyes, the dip of her collarbone and the delicate curve of her spine had him spellbound. He could normally ignore such urges, but it was hard when Maka seemed so undecided about any possible connection between them. She was detached and then worrying; unresponsive then excited.

It was confusing.

It was curious.

It made him eager to speak with her again.

"Soul! I know I'm a little late, but are you coming to the meeting?" came Tsubaki's voice, echoing through the hall as she ran over to him.

"Yeah. Lady Jacqueline told me it was important to come, but I sort of slept in. Do you know what it's about?"

"It's planning for her departure," said Tsubaki. "They just want to determine whatever assets she has, what she's going to bring home to her, and stuff like that. We have to check our supplies so that we can see how much we can send you both for the journey home."

"Home?"

"Of course! Once you recover, you'll be taking Jacqueline back to her kingdom and getting back your, ah…" she paused in thought before carefully saying, "freedom."

"Right." His nails dug into the exposed flesh above his bound wound. "And who set up this meeting? Could it not have been postponed to when I was closer to recovery? Closer to our possible departure?"

"I suppose, yes," she admitted slowly, "but Maka wanted-"

He gave his head a sharp shake. "Of course she did. She wants me gone as soon as possible. Let's go to it, my lady. I think I'd like to speak to Lady Maka about this after."

"You would?" Their steps echoed through the hall, shadows slipping to and fro behind them as they passed each torch.

"She has been avoiding me, Princess Tsubaki. Does she expect me to just sit around and not confront her on it until the day I leave?"

"Unfortunately, I do think that's a possibility. I'm sorry, Soul."

"Don't be, Princess, it's not your fault. I don't know why she's being so stubborn."

"She isn't fond of men," Tsubaki attempted, but Soul shook his head.

"I don't believe that's it." The knight touched the sling of his arm carefully. "There's something more to it. I just can't put my finger on it. I'm sure you know, my lady, but Maka has no doubt forbidden you to tell me."

Tsubaki fidgeted. "How do you know that?"

He smirked weakly. "Intuition?" he offered coupled with a tired exhale. "I just want to find out why she hates me so much. I want to get to know her; really know her. I've gotten a chance with everybody except her, when she's the one I'm interested in learning about."

"You are in love with her?" squeaked Tsubaki, a delicate hand rising to her mouth.

"No!" His feet froze beneath him and he turned to her so rapidly that he agitated the injury. "Never! I don't- I'm not in love with her." His blood fought on whether to flood his face or his injury, and settled on both. "I just want a chance to know her. She seems the most familiar about the witch that cursed you all and I wish to know more about it. I would like to learn about it from someone who seems like an expert."

"You're not so far off," commented the raven haired princess with a sigh. "Maka knows a great deal about our curses, about our imprisonment. More than any of us really do." Tsubaki's hands twisted together. "You could try talking to her about it again. Her anger... I don't believe that it targets you as you might think. Still, maybe you can help her believe that there's more to life than this labyrinth and give her the hope she needs."

Soul had never been happy with the idea of 'accepting' one's imprisonment. Maka's seemingly resigned decision to stay and protect the other maidens frustrated him. He much preferred fighting predestined conceptions and facts; like how his parents had expected him to amount to absolutely nothing. They had only ever had high hopes for his brother, the only child they believed that had a vision and a promising future. Yet here he was, Soul Evans, a fighter and their youngest child, surrounded by wealthy princesses and other young, beautiful women.

And if Maka had it her way, they would never know how far he'd exceeded their expectations.

By the time they had walked into the meeting room, the women were gathered in front of a long roll of parchment, a inked quill hovering near the top of it. "You'll need this much if Elderheim is as far as you say it is," Maka was saying, raising a hand to brush a stray lock from her face only to dye it black from her hand.

"But Soul's horse as long since died. We'll be walking the rest of the way. Who's to say that we'll even make it back alive?"

"Meme's been caring for some of the stray horses that have survived their knight's dragon fire assault. There should be two healthy stallions available and you'll need this much food for the four of you." Maka leaned down and crossed down something off the list, the dip of her collarbone attracting his eyes. "Maybe a bit more just in case he indulges."

"I don't indulge myself that often." His voice startled her and her anxious hand flicked out, knocking over the inkwell. "May I speak to you, princess?"

"You cannot because I am busy with this meeting." She was in a flurry to mop up all the liquid. He watched some of the girl's offer spare handkerchiefs to her, but she merely waved them off, leaning down and tearing the underlining of her gown off. "A meeting with which you are late for, Tsubaki."

"I told Soul to come to the meeting, and actually, Maka, we're done all the planning," pointed out Jacqueline which earned her an angry glare. "We can fill Tsubaki and Soul in. I'm sure she will agree with whatever provisions we have planned for the trip."

"That's good, Lady Jacqueline, thank you." Only Lady Jacqueline seemed to understand his insistence of speaking with Maka. He had talked to her about it before, and had received her sympathy. He was unsure as to whether that was due to him actually speaking to her or because it meant that she got to spend a great deal of time with Lady Kim.

His lips curved up as Maka wiped some flecks of ink that had landed on the green face of her dress with a huff. "Then we can talk."

Her exhale was equally as annoyed and twice as rushed. Her footsteps slapped against the stone floors and, as Maka came to a halt before him and Tsubaki, she pointed a finger at the space behind. He glanced back to see a wide portal to the courtyard open to them, one that she walked right into. Her silence stung a bit but he'd grown used to it in the last week and, with only his determination to break it, he followed in after her. Tsubaki patted his shoulder as he passed, giving him the best 'good luck' smile she could muster before he was past the portal's threshold, which flared and disappeared into a blink.

Maka walked through the courtyard's brilliantly green trees that rose at twice his height albeit being half his width. She continued walking until at last she grew fed up and swiveled to him. "So what is it you want with me, knight?"

"The same thing I have wanted these last seven days, Lady Maka. A chance to speak to you."

"You had a chance."

"Well I think that I deserve another."

"You deserve-"

"Some respect," he said with a frown. "You have treated me like some evil thief under your roof save our one talk in this very courtyard, and even after that you treated me like a demon. You are ridiculously eager to be rid of me with no decent meaning or motive."

"I have not-"

"You have. I understand that you don't like me. I don't know why what I said offended you, but I wish you would at the very least talk to me about it instead of avoiding me at every turn."

"Look, I'm just as busy as you are. I have to make sure we have enough food to give to Jacqueline for the journey. You also need enough coin to make it back to the kingdom safely. We will not tolerate you giving Jacqueline her escape and failing to deliver her to her father. Not to mention that I've been doing everything I can to get Kim the herbs she needs to ease your pain; to heal your injuries." He gaped a bit at this new information. Her personal business, her dogged attempts to avoid him, was an attempt to help him get the medicine he needed to heal? If it was the truth, then he regretted some of his less than positive feelings. Still, it could not excuse her for everything.

"If that is true," he said slowly, "then thank you. I owe you my life."

She shook her head. "You owe me nothing. Kim, however, you do owe. She has done her best to heal you and has been mixing potions for your pain every morning before you would wake. Why do you think that this injury hasn't ached like all the others you've no doubt acquired in your life?"

"Indeed, I do owe her," he said quickly, "but it is still with you that I wish to speak to."

Maka sighed, her resistance growing, thankfully, weaker the more he persisted. "About Jacqueline?"

"About your curse. It is cruel and unusual and all I want is a chance to speak to you honestly about what has happened to you and the other girls so that, should the opportunity present itself, I may notify others of your survival with the intention of having you rescued. I am not a child that needs things hidden from him for fear that he does not understand. I ask that you treat me with as much respect as I wish to treat you with. I only wish not to fight with you." She looked away. "I did not think it was possible for you to hate me after knowing so little about me."

"I know enough."

"But you don't. We have never spoken, save once, on the matter of my history despite you evading all questions about yours. It is not the least bit fair. You act like you know me but you don't. All I ask is that you give me a chance to befriend you; if not for the sake of friendship, then at least to avoid the extra energy put into avoiding me. If you do not want to speak of your past then that is fine as well. I can respect your wishes as long as you respect mine."

She contemplated the offer in frosty silence, ever skeptical of what he had to offer. Be patient, he told himself. If he was ever going to be friends with her, let alone seem tolerable to her, then he would have to be a great deal more patient with her than he was with normal people. To solve the mystery that was the princess would be a mission he would gladly undertake.

A frown and some frantic pacing later, she was in front of him. Her thoughts seemed to have led her to a blush-worthy cause that ended in her right hand stuck out for him to shake. "Here."

"Is this a truce?" he asked, all hesitation and muffled amusement at what appeared to be her embarrassment.

She squared her shoulders and put more emphasis on her hand, staring at his empty ones intensely. "A truce implies that there has been uneven ground on both sides, but I realize that this isn't quite fair...to you. I'm sorry." His jaw dropped a bit at the admission. This woman, this proud, no-nonsense woman, was admitting that he had done no wrong? It had to be some mistake, some rift in time that had changed his fate so dramatically. If there was magic, there must have been a spell that had caused transformed this fair lady into the humble creature she was now. Not, he reminded himself and the universe, that he was ungrateful for this gift. Soul treasured this new side of Maka and promised to respect it until his dying day. A hand touching hers lessened the tension in her shoulders and, as she hazarded a glance, he smiled softly so as not to scare her.

"It will be enough for me," said Soul, giving her a firm shake and trying not to enjoy the touch of her skin, trying not to over analyze her calloused fingertips and nail buds like his knight training had taught him. Instead he enjoyed it while it lasted, let her go, and sat down on his storytelling rock (it was what all the princesses were calling it now). If he expected the woman to reveal all her secrets after the agreement had been struck, then he was quickly disillusioned when Maka drew up her portal and, after curtly excusing herself, jumped in to leave him behind.

Still, it was a start; a start of their friendship, a start to their tale. It was all just beginning.

And that is that. I wasn't totally sure where I was going with this. Still, all questions will have answers in due time. I promise you this.

Thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next chapter! If you have an questions, comments or concerns, feel free to leave them in the box below or PM me.

Also, side note, I don't how many of you guys watch Miraculous Ladybug, but let me just say that it is amazing and my soul is pretty much dying from withdrawal because the season is over. Am I alone?