Unmasked || Dreamwastaken (On Hold)

III • The Start

  Charity was bouncing around beside me as I notched another arrow. "Tell me everything. You keep avoiding my questions."

  I put my focus into hitting the target in front of me once again. It was a good distraction from everything. I let the arrow fly and reached for another from my quiver once it had hit the target.

  Charity pushed my arm down to stop me with a frown. "You're not listening."

  I lowered my bow and turned to look at her. "What?"

  She took the bow from my hand and set it with the rest of the equipment. "Talk to me, Aly. I want to know about the Masquerade."

  I shrugged my quiver off of my shoulder and gave her my attention. I hadn't been talking to anyone after my discussion with Edmund, almost a day and a half now, but if there was anyone who could snap me out of it, it was Charity. "What do you want to know?"

  Charity excitedly grasped my hand. "Oh, everything! Tell me everything!"

  I chuckled at her excitement and started walking out of the training facility with her. "Well, I threw a knife at the carriage when the guards said I couldn't take it in."

  "Oh, goodness." She shook her head with a smile. "I wouldn't expect any different from you."

  "Then, I smuggled another knife in." I admitted.

  Her eyes widened. "Please tell me you didn't get caught. You didn't speak to anyone from the castle did you? That could be disastrous."

  I chuckled. "I spoke to the king."

  Charity froze and grabbed my arm. "You what?"

  "I spoke to the king of SMP, Dream." I reiterated my statement.

  She started to shake with excitement. "Oh my god, tell me about him! Is it true that he's young? Is he handsome? Was he nice?"

  I laughed at the questions she chose to ask. "He is young, yes. At least he seems to be around my age. As for handsome, I didn't see his face. Masquerade, remember?"

  She nodded in understanding. "Was he nice?"

  I took a deep breath and continued to walk through the gardens of the palace. The purple irises caught my attention and a small smile crept onto my face. "He was lovely. We spoke about many things."

  "Did you discuss an alliance to repair our relations?" Charity asked like a true queen.

  I shook my head. "We didn't talk politics. We just talked."

  "You... just talked?" She questioned me.

  I looked around to make sure that no one was near us and lowered my voice. "I'm going to see him tonight."

  Her eyes lit up and she squealed.

  I quickly shushed her. "Don't tell anyone. This isn't for political gain and if anyone finds out, it'll become a bigger deal than it needs to be."

  "Well, it is a pretty big deal." She commented.

  I shook my head at her with a chuckle. "He's just like you or me, nothing special. I'm simply meeting with him not as Lady Aletheia, but as Aly. Nothing more."

  Charity hummed in thought. "But this could be wonderful for the kingdom."

  I sighed. "This isn't about Gione. I'll cross that bridge once I get there."

  She nodded in understanding and we continued to walk through what used be our mother's gardens.

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