The walk back to the castle makes Soul feel like he's walking on pins and needles. Surprisingly, it genuinely felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. It wasn't a big difference, but it was something.
Despite the relief he felt, he couldn't help but feel helplessly awkward at Maka's side as his fingers tapped the heirloom in his hand. The two had barely spoken to one another since they'd retrieved their swords and started their way back to the castle.
Soul, hoping to find a distraction from the storm that was stirring inside of him, threw all of his attention onto the now cold metal in his hands. The silver chain was broken that secured it around his neck.
As his fingers started to fiddle with the chain, Maka finally broke their silence.
"Sooo," She drawled out in a half whisper, "Was i right? Did I knock your socks off?"
Soul couldn't help but glare over at the Princess, pleasantly surprised by the fact he could see her face clearly in the dim lighting. "I think you managed to knock more than my socks off," He pointed out, waving the necklace in front of the Princess.
Maka's eyes followed his movements, her lips curling up sourly. "Right…"
"That's beside the point, though," Soul hurriedly imputed upon realizing the way Maka was starting the cringe in on herself. "I was actually impressed. Wouldn't say that you hold guard worthy skills, but it seems that you can at least hold your own."
"You think so?"
"Yeah," He sighed in reply, "I think so."
Maka practically beamed at the half-assed compliment, taking a confident step closer to Soul's side so their shoulders brushed as they walked. "At least I did one thing right tonight." Soul just hums, almost disapprovingly, as his grip tightens around the silver in his hands.
Even at their slow pace, it didn't take the pair long to return to the opened window of Maka's tower. With trembling hands, Soul tied the chain together, slipping the necklace around his neck and tucking it beneath his shirt hurriedly as Maka stopped in front of him.
"Putting it back on before you can actually fix the chain?"
"Not everyone gets the luxury of seeing my personal items like you did, Maka." He finds himself wittedly replying. "Getting to see parts of my past is a treat."
Once he's hidden the necklace away under his shirt, he mourns as the cold silver presses against his skin. With a huff, he turned his attention back to the Princess who was clutching her sword like a helpless child before him.
"Uh… Thank you for tonight." The Princess bowed her head, looking everywhere but at him. "It means a lot to me that your actually took the time to spar with me and… you know, share something so personal with me."
Soul, the damned sap he was, couldn't help but flourish at the sweet words spoken to him. "Of course," He found himself saying, a boost of confidence striking him. "I'm glad that if it had to be anyone on the other end of the blade that saw that heirloom, it was you." He cleared his throat, taking in a deep breath. "We could spar again sometime if you'd like."
He doesn't know why he offers it, but he does. Maybe it was because he knew it gave them an excuse to hand out more, or maybe he just liked the close proximity it forced the two of them to be in, but either way, Soul knew he wouldn't mind sparing with Maka again.
"Oh." Maka seems to be taken back by the offer, her head bobbing up with surprise. "I would like that."
"Great… Great!" He sputtered awkwardly, clapping his hands together. "I should probably get going before someone notices i haven't returned."
"Right, right," maka hurriedly agreed before she turned to her window, dropping her sword over the other side of it and pulling herself through it with one swift motion. She turned quickly, her eyes landing on Soul. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
"I'll see you tomorrow,'' Soul answered more affirmatively, confused by Maka's timidly asked question.
With a curt nod, Maka began turning from the window, the ghost of a frown playing on her face. "Goodnight, Soul."
"Goodnight, Princess." The Princess just sighed, slamming the window shut before swiftly walking away into the depths of the castle.
Soul lingers for a moment longer, watching the window like something else would happen, like another life-changing moment would hit him; but to no one's surprise, nothing happens. With stiff shoulders and a dry mouth, Soul made his way around the castle garden and back onto the beaten gravel path that would lead him to the guard's quarters.
Mindlessly, his fingers traced the chain, where Maka had broken it. The one thing holding him to his past finally had a flaw.
No, it wasn't a flaw.
His hands dropped numbly to his side as a million thoughts swarmed his head at once.
The broken chain, the mark Maka had left, was anything but a flaw. He hated the way his mind started working around it, thinking back to the moment in the forest where he really just said fuck it and let the Princess see the heirloom symbol. The facade he'd created, the one he'd sported for three years without a hitch, was crumbling at Maka's fingertips.
He cringed in on himself, thinking back to Steins warnings and Blackstars lectures. He was going against everything they were saying, everything he used to stand for. He would never allow just anyone to see him past, never in his right mind would he even allow himself to get this close with another royal, either.
What was so different about Maka?
There was something about her, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. He didn't know what it was, he didn't even care, honestly.
All he knew was how easy it would be to get swept up in the Princess. She was so captivating, so charming and enthusiastic; She had Soul's full attention now, and it was clear.
If he really had nothing to lose, Soul would just allow himself to be swept up in Maka so easily, and that was a scary realization.
His limbs were burning, crying out for him to stop torturing them. Usually, he had someone to tell him when to stop; Kid had always been so on top of him about taking care of himself, urging him to take breaks. Here he had no one but himself and Stein, and neither were stopping him as he continued to relentlessly beat down on the training dummy in Stein's makeshift backyard.
His muscles screamed uncomfortably as he threw another blow onto the dummy, his shoulders crying in protest.
It had been two weeks now since Stein had taken him in. He was practically back to his full health now after having slept a whole week and then some. Despite how happy he'd been with his recovery, he found himself tearing down all his progression as he pushed his body's limits.
He had to get better at fighting.
If this was his life now, he would never be free from his parents' wrath. Medusa would probably just be one of many assassins sent his way. He had to prepare. He could not be put in the position Medusa had sent him into again.
A low whistle is what finally pulls him away from the dummy.
"I didn't even think you knew how to properly wield a sword," Stein comments with raised eyebrows. "Who taught you that?"
"What, are you kidding me?" Soul laughed, lowering his sword. "I'm from Cinder, everyone knows how to fight."
"Fair enough," Stein hums thoughtfully before he shuts the backdoor to his house. "So now i'm harboring what looks like a serial killer."
Soul cant help the way he stiffens. "That's one way to put it."
Shrugging, Stein made his way over to Soul, leaning up against the training dummy with half-hearted interest.
"People are going to think its weird that a civilian knows how to fight. If anyone ever catches you training like this, we're going to be in some serious trouble."
Soul raised an eyebrow, despite knowing Stein was right. "Okay…? So what do you suppose I do then, not train?"
"Never said that," Stein quickly interjects. "It's simple, just enlist in the guard force."
Taken back by the suggestion, Soul can't help the stiff laughter that escapes him. "You're kidding right?"
"No. Why would I ever joke?" Stein deadpans, crossing his arms over his chest. "If you enlist in the guard force, you can use a secondary nickname if wanted, keep a low profile, no one will ever question how you know how to fight, and you'll be able to get even better training. I think it's a perfect solution."
Despite everything thrown at him, Soul only latches onto one thing he said. "Secondary nickname?"
"Yeah, almost everyone picks a nickname if they don't feel comfortable using their real name. I still think its a good idea. No one ever questions a guard for being secretive either. We all do what we must to keep ourselves and this disgusting kingdom safe."
Soul thinks back to what Stein first told him when he took him in. 'Don't question what I do. Just follow my lead.' So far, Stein has shown to be reliable. He helped him get back onto his feet, kept him hidden, and was trying to help him even more. Why shouldn't he trust his suggestions?
"Okay," Soul gives in easily. "I'll do that then."
Soul freezes at the fingers that trail across his arm. He could faintly make out the feeling of a tape measure against their hand, the coldness of it seeping through the shirt he was wearing.
"I think he looks good, your highness. What do you think?"
Three pairs of eyes are on him, unsettlingly. The first pair belongs to the tailor, who was making alterations to his outfit for Maka's party. The second belongs to the royal advisor, whose eyes were staring him down like a falcon. The third belongs to the Princess herself, who stood anxiously beside her royal advisor, her arms crossed over her chest.
"He looks fantastic," maka returned with a beaming smile.
Soul ignored the way his heart flutters at the comment.
"You're all set then, Soul." The tailor announced from behind him, finally dropping his arm.
With a breath of relief, he steps off the pedestal he'd been standing on, turning his attention to the tailor. "Thank you, it looks amazing."
The girl just smiles, nodding as she begins to pick up the silks from the ground.
Out of the corner of his eye, he catches himself in the elongated mirror thats propped up on the wall. It had been a while since he'd worn such fancy clothes. They were a little tighter than he wanted them to be, but at least they brought out his figure nicely.
"Soul," The royal advisor suddenly calls out. Turning his head over his shoulder, he hummed in reply, catching the advisor's eyes. "Please don't tell me you'll be attending her highness's party with your unkempt hair." He gestures to Souls shaggy hair that stopped below his ears.
Soul can't stop the way his shoulders rise defensively.
"Hero," Maka suddenly scolds, turning to the royal advisor with a sour face. "I have no issue with his unkempt hair."
The royal advisor doesn't react. "I'm just saying, I think it would be inappropriate for such a fancy event."
Soul doesn't even know what to say as he watches Maka turn to Hero, unfolding her arms. "He's fine."
The advisor shrugs. "I just think it would be nice if he followed the appropriate attire, that is all. He will be in the presence of the King and Queen, as well as a bunch of other royals. He should look presentable."
Annoyance prickles at Souls skin.
"He's been in the presence of the King and Queen multiple times with his hair the way it is, they're fine with it." Maka insists. "If anyone else has an issue with it they can bring it to me. They're guests in my kingdom. They should not expect us to bend to their every desire." The sudden shift in Maka's tone takes everyone back in the room.
"While I understand where you're coming from, your highness, my point still stands." Hero sighs, folding his hands delicately. "This is a high-class party, if he's going to be a guest, he should at least look the part, shouldn't he? No offense, Soul, but the whole guard helmet hair doesn't really scream sophistication to me."
If there was one thing Soul hated in this world more than anything, it was being made to look like a fool, and that's what he was being made to look at at this moment. Royal advisor Hero was right, this was a high class party, he should look the part of being Maka's sophisticated plus one.
Truthfully, he really did forget about the whole 'having to keep his identity a secret' bit when he decided to make up his mind.
"Hero, i don't think you have the place to-"
"Your highness," He found himself interrupting. Maka's eye flew to him surprisingly, her eyebrows pinched. "It's fine, really. I'll get it trimmed up."
Maka just stands there looking at him like he'd grown a second head. "Soul-"
"That's great to hear," Hero smiled, "thank you, Soul. This party will go off without a hitch. Now all we must do is find a guard who will take your place as Maka's guard for the night."
