Chapter Text
Marius walked through the streets, adjusting the cloth covering his face. It was noisier here, the sound of vendors and music filling every corner. So different from what he knew.
Merchants called for his attention, displaying their wares, stalls lined with everything from clothes to jewelry to food. Marius took in every sight, every sound, every… smell. Definitely different from what he knew.
As he passed through an arch, his surroundings became noisier, rowdier. He noticed a child reaching for some food on top of a stall. Marius pitied her, the child clearly malnourished for her age. He took an apple and offered it to the girl, her gaunt face widening into a smile before scurrying off.
He was about to head for the next stall when a hand had caught his wrist. Turning around, he saw a large figure looming over him. The man was much taller than him, his torso larger and his face permanently etched into a scowl. “You’d better be able to pay for that.”
“Oh, yes,” Marius quickly searched his pockets. But as he searched, his hands going into every fold and crevice, he began to sweat. The man narrowed his eyes at him, the grip around his wrist getting tighter.
“Thief,” the man spat. He brought Marius’ arm down on the table and raised his sword, the metal glinting in the sunlight. Marius gulped.
He tried pulling away, but the man was too strong. “This’ll teach you,” his arm prepared to swing down and Marius closed his eyes.
“Stop!” A lithe figure suddenly approached them. She dropped a few coins beside Marius’ hand, her fingers lightly brushing his, “Here’s your money. Now, let him go.”
The man huffed and set him free, but his blade was still pointing toward Marius. “Be grateful she saved your ass. The same thing won’t happen again.”
Marius felt a shove against his back, the woman pushing him away from the stall. When they were a distance away, the woman sighed and turned to face him. “If you’re going to steal, you shouldn’t do it so obviously.”
Marius looked at her, eyes wide at the accusation. “I wasn’t stealing.”
“Yeah, and you didn’t pay for it either.”
“I just forgot to bring some money, that's all,” Marius scowled. He tilted his head down, ashamed at forgetting something so obvious.
“Mm, we all just forget to bring money around here,” the woman hummed.
Marius looked at her again. Without the imminent danger, he was able to look at her properly. She had a small and slim body, somewhat hidden by her clothes, but her gracefulness was evident in the way she moved. Her face, framed by a thin brown hood, was pretty and adorned with delicate features. Her beauty was less obvious than the others, not striking you all at once, but once you saw it, you wouldn’t be able to forget. And, boy, did Marius see it.
But most striking of all, he thought, were her bright amber eyes. They had an unusual color, a slight green whenever the sun shone on her face. And they held a certain something in them, something that made her look stronger, more resilient. As if she could face anything the world threw at her.
“What’s your name?” he asked, following her through the streets. The path became narrow and the air more quiet. Marius didn’t know where she was taking him, if she was even taking him anywhere, but he couldn’t help but chase after her.
“Tell me yours first.” Even her voice was mesmerizing, the clear sound of it floating in his head.
“I’m… Z.”
“Rosa.” The flower of love and beauty.
“Is that your real name?”
“Is Z yours?” she asked back.
He felt guilty, but he knew he couldn’t tell her his real name. Tightening the cloth around his face, Marius frowned at his wrist, a purple bruise already forming around it. "Is it always like that here?"
“There are a lot of thieves here.” They passed under lines of clothes, arriving at an empty spot. Rosa cleared the broken planks of wood, practiced movements revealing a tiny path leading to a set of stairs. They were heading up. "It's not like jobs give a lot of money."
Marius tested the rickety steps. "You seem to have plenty though,” they were halfway up, the breeze blowing through their clothes and ruffling their hair, “You must have a nice job."
Rosa quickly turned around, the sudden movement surprising him. Marius held tight to the wall, the open air licking at his back. Their faces were just an inch away. "You are very noisy."
"Don’t you like the sound of my voice?" Marius smiled teasingly. She turned around, continuing up the stairs.
"No." And yet she still talked to him.
"Aww, Miss, don't say that! You're hurting my feelings."
They soon arrived at the top. Rosa walked to the edge, hands resting on a broken pillar. The sun was setting, casting oranges across the surface and bathing them with a muted glow. It was a sight Marius was familiar with, watching from the windows of his room. But standing here, it was different.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Rosa asked. She was staring straight ahead, her eyes a little hazy. Marius couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
But as he looked at the sight before him, inspiration welled in him anew.
The sun soon disappeared and night had fallen. “I have to go home soon,” Marius said.
She didn’t look back, her eyes still on the world outside. “Be careful out there.”
The next day, Marius awoke in his bed, the familiar resplendence greeting him in the early morning.
Servants came to him in the dining hall, each bearing plates piled with food and cups filled with wine. None of it interested him, the sight from the rooftop still in his mind.
When the servants placed the offerings in front of him, a familiar green had caught his eye. The girl from before—Rosa—was standing right in front of him. She was dressed in servants' garbs, the smooth white linen so different from the muted brown.
But she didn’t recognize him. No, no one would with the disguise and the cloth covering his face.
Marius called the royal controller over, "Has that woman always been here?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. She's worked here for 6 months now."
He watched as the servants left. The royal controller was confused but he didn’t dare ask. Instead, “Your Majesty, have you chosen a replacement for your personal servant?”
Marius stared at her retreating figure, the small, lean shape of her back etched in his mind. A smile quickly grew on his face. “Yes, I have.”