#deadmancrawling

            Davina sighs as she stares out the window of her tower; no eighteen year old girl should be trapped up in a tower for ten years. She’s lucky she has human interactions often, otherwise she’d go insane.

“Alright, Pierre, I hide, you seek.” Davina giggles, looking at her pet chameleon she’s adopted.

Davina sets Pierre down on the window sill and begins to hide before she hears someone shouting her name.

“Princess Davina! Princess Davina!”

Davina looks out the window and down towards the ground, spotting Captain Kit and General Liam riding towards the castle.

“I thought I wasn’t supposed to see anyone until tomorrow!” Davina calls, smiling down at the men below.

“We just had to make sure you’re okay. There was another attack on the castle today.” Captain Kit says.

“You don’t have to worry about me. No one remembers I even exist.” Davina sighs, turning away from the window and facing the inside of her tower.

Books line the shelves all around the room, there’s several paintings on the walls and ceilings, dresses sewn that are being worn by mannequins, and several piles of blankets knitted by the Princess herself.

“You know, it would be nice if someone other* than royal staff would come visit. I haven’t been outside in years, Pierre. It would be so nice to just feel the grass beneath my toes again.” Davina sighs, spinning around. “It’s nice to dream.”

Pierre begins crawling along next to Davina as she gathers some paint and some paint brushes, she’s feeling a tad inspired to paint the scenery outside her window.

“You know what, Pierre? I’m going to escape. Who cares that I could get hurt? Isn’t that the exciting part of life?” Davina asks, looking down at her chameleon. “I can’t be stuck in this tower for the rest of my life! How do my parents expect me to rule a kingdom when I haven’t been outside of these walls for a decade?”

Pierre looks up at Davina. “Don’t give me that look, P. I’m just trying to make sense of it all.”

Davina walks towards the window, sets her paints down on the window sill, clears a spot, and begins to paint.

 -

 Calum pushes through the last part of foliage before stopping and taking a deep breath. Running for your life sure does wear you out.

Catching his breath, Calum looks at the scenery around him; it’s beautiful, breathtaking even. A big patch of grass, a waterfall that falls into a pond, and to his right, a tall, singular tower, looms over the area.

“Holy shit.” Calum mutters.

Could it be? Could this tower be his saving grace? What are the odds that the Hidden Princess really lives here? If he’s lucky, he could sell the crown, come back, and live here the rest of his life. Who gets a tower in Rysling, that’s also in a desolate area, for such a great deal?

“Hey!” Someone calls, distracting Calum from his main focus.

Oh no. He’s been caught.

“Hey!” The voice calls again. “Pierre, I think someone is here to say hi!”

Calum looks up to find a girl peeking out the window to look at him. Wavy black hair is the first thing he notices, a telltale sign that she’s a royal.

Perhaps the Hidden Princess?

“Come up here!” The girl, Davina, cries, gesturing for him to use the climbing wall beneath the window.

Calum does as he’s suggested; this is almost too good to be true.

Once Calum makes his way to the top of the tower, looking Davina in the eyes as he crawls through the window.

“I can’t believe you’re here!” Davina cries, hugging Calum as if she’s known him for years.

“You don’t even know who I am. You’re cool with inviting strangers into your tower?” Calum responds, pushing Davina off him.

“Well it’s not like this tower is easy to find.” Davina says. “You must have some business with my parents.”

Calum laughs and shakes his head. “Yeah, that I do.”

“What’s your name?” Davina asks, looking at the boy leaning against her wall. Her eyes scan his face; dark brown eyes, thick eyebrows, curly brown hair, and olive toned skin; she hasn’t seen anyone with eyes that brown since her sister.

“I’m Calum. What’s your name?” He asks, raising his eyebrow.

“Are you kidding?” Davina asks. “You have no idea who I am?”

“No? I’m sorry.” Calum says.

“I can’t believe my own people have forgotten about me.” Davina sighs.

Calum looks down at the ground before meeting Davina’s eyes. “I sincerely doubt that.”

“It’s true. You’ve got to be around my age and you don’t even remember who I am. I’ve been trapped in this tower for ten years. Because of that, I’ve been forgotten.” Davina responds.

Green eyes meet brown ones and Calum sighs. “So what’s your name?”

“Davina.” She snaps. “Princess Davina of Rysling.”

Calum gasps quietly. “So you are the Hidden Princess!”

“The Hidden Princess?” Davina questions, looking at him.

The two make eye contact, and Davina quickly looks away: it’s almost as if Calum is staring into her soul.

“Yeah, there were rumors. After your sister, Princess Ayla, died, we’d heard rumors that you’d gone into hiding. So that way the rogues couldn’t find you.”

Davina sighs and turns away. “Pierre, did you know this?”

Pierre sticks his tongue out in response.

“You’re talking to a chameleon?” Calum asks.

“He’s my best friend.” Davina retorts, turning to face Calum and crossing her hands above her chest.

“Your best friend is a chameleon?”

“I can’t help it! I haven’t had a human friend in over ten years. He’s stuck around, unlike everyone else around me.”

“We get it, you don’t have friends because you’ve been trapped for ten years.” Calum responds.

“What are you even doing here anyway?” Davina asks.

“Honestly, I was running from someone.” Calum says.

Davina looks at him, and notices something peeking from the satchel that rests on his hip. The light hits it just right, causing the part that’s peeking out to glimmer in the light.

“Were you running from Royal Guards?” Davina questions, glancing between Calum’s eyes and the jewels peeking from his bag.

“No.” Calum states. His voice is firm and his mouth twitches.

Davina rolls her eyes. “What’s in the bag?”

“What bag?” Calum asks, shoving the bag behind him so Davina can’t see it.

“I’m not stupid, Calum.” Davina says. “Just tell me and I won’t turn you in.”

Calum sighs and shows Davina what’s in the bag.

Davina nearly breaks down in tears when she sees the tiara in Calum’s hands, but keeps her composure when she looks up to face him. Many emotions are running through her: anger, sadness, happiness… She hasn’t seen that tiara since before Ayla was murdered.

“Where did you get that?” Davina asks, pointing to the tiara in Calum’s hands.

“The castle.”

“Why do you have it?” Davina asks. “Who gave it to you?”

“I stole it.”

“That’s the last thing that belongs to my sister. You can’t have it.” Davina tells him. Her voice is stern.

“Too bad. It belongs to me now.” Calum smirks, looking at the princess standing across from him.

“No.” Davina says. “If you’re going to keep it, the least you can do is do something for me.”

“I don’t do negotiations.”

“And I don’t let people take stuff that doesn’t belong to them. So pick your battle, thief.”

Calum sighs as he puts the tiara back into his bag. “Fine. How can I be of service, Princess Davina?”

“Don’t think I’m going to take you seriously using that tone with me.” Davina retorts. “What you’re going to do for me is take me to the Firefly Festival tomorrow.”

“Oh, I’m going to do that for you?” Calum asks.

“It’s either that, or I report you to my contacts at the castle. It’s entirely your choice, Calum!” Davina smirks.

Calum can tell Davina is serious, so he sighs and agrees with her.

“Fine, I’ll take you. But you have to promise you won’t turn me in.” Calum says, sticking out his hand so the two of them can shake on it.