He put his hood up again, eyeing her thoughtfully. "You did." *** She returned to the table for her tea, relaxing again. "That is a good thing."
She raised an eyebrow, tilting her head and folding her arms playfully. "I did? You don't even know my name. That's a lot of influence to have." * * * He frowned and as she watched, the slide began smoking. "That's strange..."
He rolled his eyes playfully. "I see you dancing quite often." *** She looked over, becoming a little cautious. "That doesn't look safe."
This seemed to intrigue her and she laughed slightly, crossing her arms playfully. "You do? From afar? How have I never seen you?" * * * He frowned, inspecting it. "I think it should be fin-" He was cut off by a huge explosion of smoke that threw him back, filling the room with smog.
"It's generally from afar," he said, pointing to the balcony. "Right there." *** She jumped up immediately, her eyes wide as she rushed to him. "Sir Charles? Charlie?"
She glanced up thoughtfully, a small smile playing on her lips. "Huh. Okay, then," she said primly, looking back over at him. "I'm Clara." * * * He coughed, trying to wave away the smog. "We... we gotta get out of here," he said weakly. "This gas is bad to breathe in..."
He gave her a small, playful bow. "Ezekiel Salvador." *** She nodded, taking his hand to help him. "Can you stand?"
She laughed slightly, watching him thoughtfully. "Yes, I know," she said, tilting her head. "Where did you learn to dance?" * * * He took her hand, standing up and blinking. The left lens of his glasses was broken. "Don't worry. Go, go."
"Around," he replied smoothly. "I'm not one to stay indoors." *** She nodded, leading him out the door with a frown.
"You're quite good," she told him, tucking her hair behind her ear. Golden piercings along her cartilage gleamed in the sun. "It's always a mixed bag when you pull a dancer from the crowd." * * * He was coughing into the crook of his arm and as they exited, multiple guards came up, as well as Charlie's main advisor, who looked furious. He turned to Wren. "What happened?!"
"That must have been one surprising pull," he teased, raising an eyebrow warmly. *** She stood straight, her brows furrowing slightly. "There was a chemical mishap. Minor damage, but the smoke may be dangerous. I suggest letting it air out before returning to the room."
"A prince?" she said, amused. "Yes, one of my stranger ones, but not the strangest, believe it or not." She held her hands behind her primly and started walking down the street, her posture indicating that she expected him to follow. * * * "I will decide that," he snapped, taking Charlie from her. "You're dismissed for the day, Wren. Go home." "I'm fine," Charlie said in the midst of coughs. "I'm really fine." "You're choking," he replied severely. "And she should have been watching closer. Go home, Wren."
He grinned, following her. "Not the strangest? What was?" *** She seemed hesitant and the slightest hint of upset. Nevertheless, she gave a slight bow, her hands folding in front of her. "Very well."
"I once pulled a man from the crowd," she said thoughtfully, "but only because he was reaching out from the back for my hand. By the time he emerged from the crowd, I realized he didn't have pants on." * * * The advisor tried to pull Charlie away, but Charlie resisted, looking at Wren. "Wait..." "Now, my lord," the advisor insisted, finally managing to tug him away and closed the door behind him.
He laughed brightly. "How weird! What did you do then?" *** She sighed, watching him go before looking back at the smoky room. She retrieved a cloth and held it to her nose and mouth as she went to open the windows, leaving to return home after that.
She laughed, her shoulders shaking with the action. "I mean, what can you do, right? Especially..." She hesitated before shrugging. "I mean... Gypsies aren't protected by the town's militia, so going to the authorities wasn't really an option." * * * (Zoop?)
She laughed in surprise, looking over at him almost curiously. "Vigilante justice. Wow. Okay." * * * The next day, when Wren returned to Charlie's home, the advisor was waiting for her, clearly irritated. "He wanted to see you," he said curtly. "If I had it my way, I'd have you fired, but he insisted that you stayed on. You may see him now, but he might be asleep."
He smiled warmly. "That's the only option." *** She watched him with a frown. "With all due respect, sir, there's a reason I was chosen for this job. As well trained as I am, I cannot predict these kinds of events. I've done well for quite awhile now. You should try to have more faith in me." She paused, shaking her head. "I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."
"Or you could just be paying attention," she said pointedly, looking over at the shops thoughtfully. * * * "I could have faith, and I did have faith. Now his lungs could be damaged," he said flatly. He gestured with his head. "He's in his quarters."
