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Chapter 5: A princesses awakening.
The afternoon sun filtered in through the small broken slats in the roof, its warmth brushing across the dusty floor lightly.
The shack creaked softly under the shuffle of bare feet and the hum of quiet chatter. Despite the rough living conditions, the place had its own life—it's own warmth of a family.
And sitting outside, was our dear noah, his back lazily against the wooden wall behind him, with both his hand's interlocking behind his head, his eye's were closed seemingly asleep, and his white hair catching the flow of the light breeze of this fine afternoon.
He still wore the same tattered clothes from the night before, this time with his shirt now covering his muscles.
There was no blood anywhere on his being. Like what happened early this morning was nothing but a mere dream. Though that was far from a dream, it was all real. All seen through his once gold eye's.
Inside the shack, were seven children who played or worked in the limited space.
Yui, the smallest, youngest, and newest to the family, soon came outside, accompanying her was a bear doll gripped tightly in her small arm's.
She took her seat right next to noah, her small hand and fingers clinging tightly to his t shirt, her innocent eye's wide and silent, gazing at noah with a unreadable expression.
But if one looked closer, they'll see the happiness in her gaze as she stared at Noah's face.
He opened one of his eye's, when he felt a tug on his shirt.
shifting his gaze downwards towards her, a small smile soon tugged his lip's seeing who it was.
"Yui, " he mutterd with a sighed, before his tone turned mildly gentle. "It seems your back holding me captive like that poor doll in your arm's~"
No response.
Just silence met his remake.
Noah chuckled seeing the small head tilte she did, seemingly confused at his joke. And him being good at reading people, he pulled one hand from behind his head, then placed it on top of hers, much to her delight.
The others:Rio, Lina, Mira, Toma, Kenji, and Rika. Moved about naturally, teasing each other, making each other laugh or helping with simple chores.
From a corner of the shack, a low groan echoed, that entered everyone's ear's smoothly.
Princess Flora stirred beneath a tattered blanket, blinking at the ceiling above her, the faint scent of smoke lingering on her.
She sat up steadily, and slowly, confusion clouding her face. "W-Where am i…?"
Rio stepped forward, his voice casual but steady, with a hint of respect in his tone. "You're not in a castle, that's for sure princess."
Flora, startled, snapped her head towards his direction, her eye's roamed to the children that stood beside him.
Wide-eyed and unsure, she couldn't help but asked, as her voice shaked. "did… you save me?"
Her memories were still a faint blur, so she didn't quite know if he saved her or not.
Rio just gave a half-smirk, replying with a mysterious answer. "No, I didn't. Someone else did."
"Someone else…?" she asked softly, her fingers gripping the edge of the blanket.
Did her savior leave her here with kid's her age? She thought.
She blinked at the thought.
if that was true? Why here and not at the castle?
She was snapped out her thought's when she seen mira approaching and offered her a small wooden bowl of soup. "Princess, if you don't mind, please have some soup we made. After what you've been through, you must be hungry?" Mira said softly.
Flora hesitated, but seeing the kindness in Mira's gaze, she accepted it with a kind smile on her face, as she grabbed the bowl with trembling hands. "Thank you…"
The children gradually went back to their routines, after seeing that princess flora was alright.
Noah didn't move a inch when he heard her voice.
Not cause he was mean, or anything but because she'll naturally see him, there was no rush, he had a half of day after all.
Yui remained glued to Noah, like a quiet shadow. While the others kept a watchful but casual eye on Flora. She watched them too. How easily they moved around, how comfortable they were in a place like this.
Taking a sip of the soup, she was surprised to found it.... quite good.
A few minutes passed, and her blurry memories started coming back. She looked up, her eye's eger to ask something. Which rio saw, so he asked, "is there something you need princess?".
She nodded slowly, before replying, her voice slow and steady, making sure rio heard every word clearly. "I… I don't know if yous know him, but the boy who saved me and brought me here. Did yous by any chance see him, or talked to him? He had white hair, and his eye's were a beautiful gold-red. He was strong and he looked around our age. He… he's the one that ki—!!"
Sniff.
SWOOSH!
Flora yelped as she felt something warm touch her lip's.
"hi, princess ~"Noah, who was just sitting outside, appeared Infront of her out of know where.
He was crouching in her view, making a (🤫) motion with his hand, signaling her to not speak further.
Flora though, had barely anytime to react before a boy seemingly teleported into her view, the action obviously made her back up a little.
A shocked expression on her face, startled that the soup she held started falling, to which noah saved quickly.
"Sorry i startled you~, it wasn't intentional trust me." He chuckled, before whispering to only which she could hear him. "You see, I don't want them knowing I you know *SLIT* people."
Luckily they didn't hear that last bit properly. Cause they were surprised by noah's sudden arrive. With rio giving noah a deadpan look.
Hearing his whisper, she nodded weakly.
Calming down a little. She observed him more closely after her racing heart slowed.
Red eye's, white hair.... wait.
"You....your that boy. The one who saved me?!" Her eye's wided upon recognizeing who it was.
It was the boy who she mistakenly thought had left her.
"Yup. That would be me. Your golden, wonder boy in the flesh. Name's noah~" Noah replied, a small smile tugging his lip's.
Before she could reply, she saw a little girl walk up from behind noah with a pouty expression.
Noah, curious at what she was looking at, followed her gaze and seen a pouty little girl, and before he could let out word's, she pinched his arm hard.
'....uhh, right, yui was right next to me,'. He thought, a weary smile replacing his small one, he scratched the back of his head and said with an apologetic tone. "Haha, I'm sorry yui, I forgot you were there."
All he got was a small "hmph".
Sighing, he turned back to flora. "And this is yui, the youngest out of us." Noah introduced. "And behind me is rio, mira, Lina, kenji, rika, and lasty toma. "
They nodded in sync, a small sign of greeting.
"Uh umm.... it's nice to meet yous all. My name's flora. Flora beltrum." She bowed a little, gaining a wave or a smile from the childen.
Her gaze flickered with gratefulness when her eye's met noah's. "Also, thank you noah for saving me, truly. With out you stepping in I... I don't know what would of happened if you hadn't showen up. So really thank you so much, noah~" Her angel voice trembled with gratefulness, tear's welling up slowly in her eye's as each word left her mouth.
Noah just smiled gently. Though if one looked closer, past his warm smile, and deeper into his eye's. One would be able to see, that he was waiting for something. Seemingly seeing her gratitude as nothing more then a side-quest to his main one.
Flora, wipping her soon-to-be tear's from falling, looked back at noah, a big smile gracing her youthful face.
She didn't quite catch the meaning deep in his eye's, cause her happiness over lapped it entirely. " My father would reward you graciously for this, I promise!"
'Bingooo~'
Those were the word's he was waiting for, and he was gonna milk the absolute fuck out of that lovely thing~
If people called him shameless for such a thought towards there king. He'll flip em off with his eye's screaming, "go fuck yourself"
Outside was different of course, he still maintened his gentle smile.
"Don't mention it, princess. I did what I had to for the kingdom, y'know, couldn't let a future princess parish so young~"
The latter was obviously a big lie, noah didn't give two fucks about this kingdom. Hell, even if there was an "come get you fucks" vending machine, he wouldn't get any. Matter of fact, his mere gaze wouldn't even look at it.
That's just how selfish he was.
Plus, this was a safer way noah thought of, unless he wanted a hole two or so kingdoms to try run a fade would him.
Obviously he would love that, though maybe not the kid's. There still to young for such cruelty.
Even if they stayed in a place like this, that's just the tip of the bottle. Not the bottom of it.
Anyway back to Noah and flora's conversation. "That's so sweet of you noah, thank you!" Her eye's gleamed with even more happiness hearing his word's, though she tried to hide the faint blush she had pretty hard.
Poor girl.
Noah just waved his hand, dismissing it. He switched the subject quickly, before he started feeling bad. "Your welcome, princess. Anyways make yourself comfortable, and if needed, let these," he pointed at the kid's behind him, "little demon's distract you from what happened, and when your ready I'll take you back to the castle, sweet?"
Gaining a nod, noah got up from his crouching position, with yui doing the same as she tightly held him once again. Her minute ago mood disappearing after listening to the conversation.
He told mira to get another bowl for flora, which she did. Cause she also wanted to befriend and talk to her.
As the afternoon continued, Flora managed to eat slowly, and gratefully, liking the cozy atmosphere that flowed through the air. She didn't seem wary, or scared anymore, she could see that these people were genuinely good people.
Yes, even noah.
---
A few hour's later. The children ventured outside to play some game's, Flora being pulled along with them.
As she was playing game's with Lina, mira, and yui, she spotted Noah sitting just outside the shack, lazily staring at the horizon, his posture relaxed, and lazy.
She approached quietly, voice almost a whisper, laced full of curiosity. " I don't mean to pry or anything, and you don't need to answer. But I still don't understand why someone with your strength is in the slums. You are a genius aren't you?"
Noah turned his gaze lazily towards her, a smile gracing his handsome but punchable face. "Cause of these little demon's of course." He pointed at kid's, chuckling lightly, " You could say....I took pity on them. Another big part of it is cause I kinda lost my memory so I don't know who my family is, nor where they are. So there helping with that. Then there's the whole tragic story's, y'know~"
She blinked. Caught of guard by the deep answer he gave. She thought he'll say something like "cause I can't become a knight with my age", or something along those lines.
But this....
There was a long thick silence that followed, flora looked at him for a long moment, trying to put together word's to say, not quite getting anywhere sadly.
The silence was broken when she heard him laugh.
Now she just looked confused.
Though, the same couldn't be said about kid's, who looked at him like they seen gold for first time ever.
'.....Noah's, laughing? Woah.' They thought.
Even the stoic rio was dumbfounded.
Him being around him the most, hadn't heard him full on laugh before.
They have never seen him laugh before to, even when he's been with them this whole time.
His laughter soon calmed. Going back to his usual lazy tone. "Haaa.... Don't think to hard, princess. Long as we're happy now is all that matters." He got up, and walked towards where they were playing. He scooped up yui putting her on one shoulder, then toma going on his other. "Ain't that right, ya little demon's~" He mused. To which all the kid's smiled. Yelling "Yeah!!" In sync.
Flora looked at him for a long moment again, the silence around her thicker then before.
'he's really different from that incident,' she thought to herself, a light shiver running down her spine remembering that scene.' who would believe that the boy now is the boy from then?'
Probably nobody.
Her thoughts spinned like a tornado. Snapping out of them only when she heard her name being called.
She got up, and walked over, saying a little timidly as she got closer to them. "also, yous can just call me flora from now, no need for saying princess all the time when we're friends~"
They all looked at each other, a slow rising smile forming. "Alright then, flora" Noah replied, followed by all of them right after.
---
(Two hours later)
"You ready?"
"Yup, all ready!"
Noah gave a small eye brow raise.
Him and flora were getting ready to head out for the castle.
Noah led the way, waving at the kid's telling them he'll be back soon with wonderful news.
Flora walked next to him also waving at them cheerfully. "See yous, thank yous for everything yous done up until now!" Her smile brightening when she heard them.
"Come visit again, flora!" They all yelled, other then rio, who just waved and smiled.
About ten or so minutes later. They found there way out of the maze of slum alleys and joined the main road.
Villagers were already stirring: a fisherman walking toward the river. Civilian's walking down the long road from both way's.
Silent up until now, flora finally spoke, her voice gentle as ever. "Thank you," Flora said, glancing at him. "For… for doing this~"
"Don't mention it. Can't have you getting kidnapped again~"
Liar by the way. He just wants his reward quickly. If she get's kidnapped again, that's an even bigger reward on the spot.
He may even thank that shitty motherfucker who did it. But that's when he meets said motherfucker.
She smiled even sweeter, "i'm sorry that I'm causing so much trouble, noah~"
He shrugged slightly, "Trouble's my love language. Besides, I would of gotten a ear full from yui and them if I left you alone."
Flora laughed lightly just imagining that scene, yui giving him looks, mira doing the same, rika joining the tag team, with the three boy's calling him a, "asshole".
It would of been a funny show, that she would of loved seeing it.
---
Not far down the main road, four figures emerged from a lovely bakery — there clothes screaming noble's that'll make peoplelook twice.
Leading were Roanna Fontaine, her blonde hair shimmering in the sun light; beside her, Vanessa Emerle, a mature looking women with beautiful features, a blade at her hip hidden from pryingeye's; and trailing slightly behind them, were Celia Claire and Christina Beltrum, radiating that calm air around them.
Christina sighed, and asked for the 100th time, "When are we gonna find her. Just... what if....if she's lonely, scared somewhere trying to find her way after escaping those filthy kidnapper's wishing we were there!"
Her thoughts were understandable, they had been searching for hour's with no leads what so ever, and everyone of them were getting worried.
Super worried.
"We know, princess christina, so let's get back to it so that doesn't happe—!!" it was Celia who reassured her, before abruptly pausing, with her eye's growing wide as she stared at something.
Everyone looked at her, confused as to why she stopped mid-sentence. Till they saw her point in a different direction with her mouth opening slightly.
Her voice was shakey, out of character for someone like her, shock lingered through her tone, and sticking to each word she spoke.
"She's right there, that's her magic!" Celia yelled, drawing everyone's attention to where she was pointing.
There they seen her. The person they been searching for. Flora. Who didn't see them yet.
Vanessa, being one of the royal guard's drawed her sword from her hip, and moved swiftly towards the boy she seen right next to her.
She moved pass the civilian's like a flicker of light normal people couldn't see. Flora and noah weren't that far, so vanessa made it behind noah pretty fast.
Though.
Noah, the ever so quick boy himself reacted accordingly. Taking flora in one arm, or you could say "wrapped her in one arm", and disappeared when vanessa blink.
Surprising the hell out of all of them. Flora included.
And without warning, noah reappeared infont of Vanessa, with flora now lounged over his shoulder like a sake of potatoes.
Vanessa couldn't react in time before noah foot push kicked her faced.
BAM!
Sending her flying at breath taking speed.
Whooosh!!
"Ms. Vanessa!!" The three girls shouted in panic, springing into alert mode as they bolted to vanessa.
"Argh!" Vanessa groaned in pain as she went flying. Being a knight of the royal guard's had it's perks though. She balanced herself mid-air, performing back flip as her hand sled on the ground, sliding a little as she landed.
Groanes, and screams hit all there ear's as vanessa hit some civilian's. Which was on accident of course.
Noah though, gave no fucks for the civilian's in the way. It was just there unlucky day to be in the way.
And of course Noah knew who he "FOOT KICKED", just now, though he didn't care, he still did what he would do to anyone who bull runs at him like an idiot.
Flora, who was slumped over his shoulder blushed at her position, she turned her head quick, with embarrassment in her voice and face as she spoke. "N-noah, put me down!".
He did just as he was told, and put her feet to the ground, as he gazed at her blushing face, he apologized.
"my bad," He chuckled slightly. "But I think those people are for you, flora~" He pointed in the direction behind her.
She turned around slowly, as she gave him a confused look.
What met her gaze, was Celia, her sister Christina, and Roanna. All of them were crouching around Vanessa asking if she was alright.
Flora's eye's went wide slowly like a snail. "Sister?," she murmured.
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End