The warrior princess

Chapter 17- The stakeout

I roll around in the bed. As my body is curled up under the blanket a sigh escapes. My eyes open, my fingers rub them.  A shadow catches the corner of eyes, I turn to watch Richard leans against the wall with his arms crossed. 

"Slept well?" He asks me with an optimistic tone. 

"Yes." My groggy voice answers him. I push my upper body with my arms in the bed. 

"Have you been here all night watching me?" I inquire with a husky voice.  

"Oh, no. I just arrived. " He assured while waving his hand to debunk my question.  I flip the blanket away from me and stand from the bed. He padded away heading down the stairs. I got dressed. This time I'm wearing a grey dress with long sleeves and a corset sewed into the dress. Daya insisted me to take some clothes from her to bring on the travel. The dark blue shawl is in wrapped around my shoulders. The heels make the floorboards creak. Richard waits for his face twists into a brief smile and nods sharply. "You well, Grace." His voice is thick and soft. I smile and thank him for the compliment. 

"For both of our safety, we're going to use another name instead of our real names." He changes the subject. 

" it's sound like a solid plan." My voice goes up, as my arms are crossed. I ambled to exist.

"Where are you heading?" The man questioned me with a casual voice. He shifted his weight onto the other foot. As his waist was pushed forward as his arms crossed. 
"To the market." I pronounce while stepping into my shoes. I wrap around my shawl and unfold my hair wavy beneath it. 

"We don't know anybody in this town, keep your eyes peeled and trust no one." His tone is dark and grave. His eyes lowered, he tilted his head. 

"I'll return as soon as I've gotten what I needed," I inform him. It's probably best to leave now before he changes his mind, I get my jacket and put it on me as I open the door with a basket in my left hand. 

"Good luck!" I shout at him. The archer beholds the view, his face doesn't move when I talk. His arms are crosses each other, with one foot planted in front of the other, the familiar soldier pose. The door is quite light to open. A group of boys passes by me, they were dashing after the first one, another glimpsed at me, but then turned his attention to his group. 

"Hello, little lady. Where are you heading?" His crooked voice spoke. The man stood in front of me blocking the path. I rolled my eyes and kept walking past him.

"Away from you. " I stated with a sharp tone. 
The man seized my arm squeezing it. I grunt, stomping at his foot. He realizes my arm jerking away as I smack his face with my palm. The man roars. Finally, I stun both of his ears smacking them. He shakes protecting them, his face is twisted and body leaned forward. I scurry out of the alley, holding onto my shawl as my head focused downward. The whole square is pictured before my eyes. 

Dozens of people are here. Some bump into me. I move along as the's vegetables piled into boxes, a salesman stares at me with a smile. "I haven't seen a pretty face like yours, miss. You must be new in town." His kind voice appeals. I scoffed at the corners of my mouth bends up. How could this town be a dammed one? It's magnificent in daylight and the people are kindhearted. "Yes," I confess. Tell me, is this beloved town as horrifying as they say?" I point on the groceries I need to buy, he nods and my hand fixes some coins from my coat. He hands over the basket along with the groceries. "Bless you, miss." He thanks me. I bow and bids him goodbye and wishes him a good day.  

Further, I purchase some bowls, a bread, cabbages, and eggs I kept exploring the square. The crowd grows thicker and folks pass me by. I smile and keep my head down, my hand flips the scarf over my head and kept gliding forward. Somehow I'm under observation, why can't shake this feeling? I peek behind my back, the shadow approaches through the crowd, my feet wobble back as I bump into folks. My arms push people away. A furious lady shouts at me, I don't dare to glaze back in fear of stumbling in my own feet. I round a corner and cut the turn dasing into an alley.

My heart ponders in my chest, it feels like it's about to come rumbling up my throat. As I stay leaning against the alley, my rapid breath, and my expanding lungs. I pull up my skirt and start wandering down the alley. As the houses pop up, they are more polished than our current house. 

Richard?" I shut the door behind me. The man shouts out while observing the view. I put the basket down. 

"How did it go?" his dead voice asked. Richard kept staring out the window. "It went fine, I glanced away and spoke with a calm voice, my voice wobbled on the last word. If he had seen my face he would know I lied straight to him. I don't mention the paranoia I had sprinting from the market.  He would pull out of the city if he heard it. Later I prepare for food, the house had a boiler. I lost one of the cabbages and two eggs while I ran. I wiped my forehead and went upstairs to Richard. With one hand I opened the door and stepped in. The man must have felt sent of soup. I ascend the stairs to retrieve the last bowl.

"Did you notice anything unusual after I left?" I asked him. While pouring the soup into my mouth. Finally, the archer stops guarding. I'm sitting on my bed. 

I hand him the hot bowl. "Thank you." He replied as he took them with both of his hand. He began to sip the soup, automatedly he coughed as the liquid is steaming hot. He wiped some off his hand. I leaned forward and planted one foot on the floor. "It's okay, I'll survive." He professed with a wobbly voice. We continued to talk.  

"I don't think well spot someone for today." He puffed. I'll step down for now. We sit for a while communicating. He drags some knives out from his belt and checks them. Before replacing them.

"What about your past?" I dig deep, his eyes become sharp and he loses his smile. His arms are resting on his knee, his posture is straight. He gets up on his feet.

"That is a story for another time, my dear." He brushes off his clothes.

"I'll go to bed. " Richard shuts the door behind himself. I blow out the candle, its smell is burnt and foul. And I lay down in the bed. I toss and turn. Until my head is killing me with thoughts. 

I lure out of bed. And stand watching out the window. After a while I get on my knees and lean forward and gaze out the window there's a man wandering the street. His face is hidden behind a scarf and a hat, he stops outside our house. I can't point out anything else out then he scribbles on a paper. As his writing directions or descriptions to this street.  In a second moment, he lifts his gaze.  I pull away from the window. Hoping Richard didn't hear my moment. I tip tone to the door. planting my ear against the door and stay completely still leaning on the door. The seconds pass. There's no sound, coast clear. I throw the cape around me and head out the door. The sky is absorbed in darkness. There isn't anyone here. 

Richard awakes, he stretches his limbs. The bed is empty He sprints to the window, she has left. He grabs his jacks and dashes out the door. The lanterns are dimmed. The square is crowded around with people. Women who're with their partners, dressed in gowns. The lanterns are hanging everywhere. Music is heard in the distance, instinctively he follows it. People pass by him, some walks past him in the opposite direction. 

Laughter and conversations. The smell of perfumes. The music grows stronger as he's approaching the source. In the middle of the crowd, a woman is dancing. He touches her, she turns a woman with green eyes stares at him. "Can I help you, sir?" She offers him. "No, apologizes my lady." He bows with one hand on his chest and saunters away. The musicians keep playing. On the side, a woman with a dark shawl hanging over her neck, the red and wavy hair dangles over the shaw.
He touches the shoulder to find the redhaired woman standing in front of him, she turns sharply. "Richard." Her voice is dimmed.