As promised, the two knights guide her to the underground, dispelling the barrier spells that Miruko has placed there hours ago. They lead her through twisting hallways and further downward in the sewers, where it's dark, damp, cold, and frightening.
"Worry not, Princess," the knight with glasses tells her in an uncharacteristically quiet voice. "The journey may be long and arduous, but be assured that Yoarashi-kun and I will make sure that you will arrive past your own castle's walls safe and sound!"
She shivers within his cape. "Thank you, Sir Iida and Sir Yoarashi," she manages, with unease lingering in her voice.
"Don't mention it! It's the least we can do for ya," Yoarashi says cheerily. He takes off his own fur-lined cape and places this over Ochako. She finds herself swimming in the fabric, but significantly warmer than before. "I mean... it's real bad that we gotta do this a lot since the King really wants the Prince to get better... but it's all we can do, ya know? General Usagiyama and us, we just wanna protect the girls any way we can."
"General Usagiyama?"
"Yeah! Ah, other people call her Miruko. Or the Rabbit of Death," he answers. "Hey, ya met her already! She's the one who brought ya to the tower, right? She told us to standby and fetch ya from yer room so we can take ya out, but you weren't there!"
She feels a twinge of guilt in her chest upon realizing that Miruko has been trying to help her all along, and she almost ruined her plans because she was too suspicious of her. Almost really died along the way too, come to think of it...
"Man, were we surprised ta see that you went off on yer own and somehow ended up in the Prince's room! On his bed, even!" Yoarashi says with an amused guffaw. "I mean, beg yer pardon yer highness, the Prince told us what happened and it musta been scary for ya and all, but... for a moment, I thought you were it!"
She puffs her cheeks in annoyance. "His true love, you mean? That's impossible," she grumbles.
"Indeed, Yoarashi-kun," Iida replies, sounding despondent. "Prior to today's events, our prince and the princess have not known of each other's existence, so such a thing is incredibly unlikely! He has not known any of the women that were brought before him. And understandably, the women have not responded to the Prince as kindly as you have..."
Ochako stares at him incredulously. "Kindly? I wasn't being kind earlier... Weren't you nagging me for bein' rude?"
Iida's eyeglasses flash in annoyance. "You were indeed being rude, Princess Uraraka-kun! It is unseemly for a Princess to act that way and you know it!"
She pouts in the way that she does when Yaomomo tells her off for being unladylike. The two of them would be friends in a better world, she thinks, and would be an unstoppable force in manners should they ever meet.
"But," Iida continues with a sigh, "... you certainly are the first who could stand to look at his... deformity for as long as you did."
"The cursed part of him, you mean?" Ochako asks.
"Yes." Iida replies with emotion. His hand tightens at his side as his face twists with hurt. "I could not stand to hear anyone call my Prince a monster... it is utterly horrible what he goes through everyday with that curse consuming him, and to tell him that he isn't human to his face--"
"Yeah, but the Princess didn't call him that!" Yoarashi says with a bright smile directed at Ochako. "Gotta say, it's awesome when ya called it a black-thing-on-yer-face after everything that happened!! I never thought I'd see anyone have the guts to do that!"
She winces as she remembers that moment. "Well... I didn't wanna show him I was afraid, so..."
"Yeah, and look at what happened! I've never seen him look at anyone like he did for ya before, ya know! It's intense! It's fired up!!" Yoarashi looks overexcited, limbs going all over the place as he continues to gush. "And holding your hand like that, ain't that what they call chemistry? Can ya blame me for feelin' a little hopeful for the two of you back there?"
