Arabian Nights (Discontinued)

Prince Armin

He shuts the doors behind him and they make a heavy clang, the knockers jingling from the impact.  He lets out a heavy sigh, running a hand through blond hair.  Another princess?  So soon after the last one?  His father really was determined.  He thought that surely after the incident with Princess Annie, everyone would come to fear Rajah.  Getting bitten by a tiger isn't his idea of intrigue.  Especially not one that tempts another foreign princess in less than a week.  Maybe the Russians hadn't disclosed what happened to their princess to any other countries.  He does feel sorry for what happened to Annie, but it caused her to leave Agrabah the next day, so he's glad for that.

His attention is caught by shuffling feet down the hall and suddenly he's met by soft brown eyes.  "Prince Armin!  I've been looking everywhere for you!" he exclaims, rushing over to the blond with a furrowed brow.  "Where have you been?"

"I'm sorry, Marco," he says honestly, shrugging off his shawl for his butler to hang.  "I was out."

The freckled man gasps.  "Out?  Your Highness, you know you can't just leave the palace whenever you wish!  There are things you must attend to, people you must see!"

"I know, I know.  I really am sorry."

Marco's eyes soften and he gives a small smile. "Oh, it's alright.  But no matter!" he says, taking his arm.  "Another princess has just arrived.  We must get you ready."

They round the corner and make their way along the sinuous path to Armin's room where new robes are awaiting.  As soon as they are through the door, Marco lets out a sigh and starts rambling about how dangerous it is to leave the palace unattended.  You could be held for ransom or you could've gotten lost, but above all it was the thieves.  There are so many thieves he'd say.  Pickpockets and the like.  They'd be quick to try to rob you, your highness.

Armin rubs his wrist idly where his mother's golden cuff used to be and thinks back to Eren. How he had saved him from that man who accused him of stealing, how he helped them escape the guards, showed him his home.  And then stole his cuff.  He feels a pang in his chest.  He doesn't want to believe Eren took it, especially not something so important to him.  But it doesn't matter.  He figures he'll just have to live without it.  Maybe it's better not to have something to constantly remind him of his mother.  He tends to fall into a deep depression when that happens.

Marco suddenly gasps and it pulls Armin from his thoughts of emerald eyes and chestnut hair.  "Your Highness, your cuff!"

"Oh, I . . . must've lost it," he says despondently and Marco looks at him intensely. 

"It wasn't stolen was it?"

"I . . . ," he starts but Marco can read the look on his face. 

"It was!  Oh, what did I say about those thieves!"

"No, Marco, he didn't mean —"

He stops himself before he can say anymore and the brunet turns to look at him inquisitively.  "You know him?" he cries in outrage.

"Well — we — I —"

"Your Highness, you know you can't be off consorting with the peasants.  You know how the sultan gets about those things."

His tongue seems to be forming words for him and they just fall from his lips before he can register them.  "Marco, he was different!"

His butler looks at him with wide brown eyes before they soften.  "Oh, don't tell me."

"What?" he asks, folding his arms over his chest and swallowing nervously.

"You don't . . . like him, do you?"