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“Princess-”
“Shh, It’s Liz when we’re outside, remember?” Shiori purses her lips at the order. As a knight, she was meant to uphold certain responsibilities, including addressing the royal family with fitting titles. She was a mere knight.
She was not meant to utter such a precious name so casually. More so a nickname. Shiori huffs a breath, more like a sigh, not unnoticed by the princess she’s guarding. Shiori relents.
Included in her responsibilities, though as a personal knight, was to follow every order. And this, begrudgingly, was an order, too.
This is nice too, Shiori supposes, shoulders relaxing slightly at the absence of her usual plates and greatsword. Instead, she has a shortsword hidden in a parasol she uses to cover the princess with.
“Liz,” Shiori hiccups, coughing as she promptly ignores her wide smile. “Are you sure your disguise is enough? I may attract attention with my hair but no one recognizes me due to me wearing my helmet all the time. I can’t say the same to the royal family’s red hair.”
“Fear not, my knight. This is why I kept my hair neat and tied, hidden under this burly commoner cap!” Shiori almost snickers. Burly, she says, yet it was brand new, made of the finest fabrics the kingdom had to offer. The rest of her clothes, however, fit such a description at the princess’s request.
Granted, most of it was borrowed from her own fleet of soldiers, and even Shiori chipped in with the shoes. Good thing she had spare boots lying around, and even greater that it fit the princess at all. She was much taller than her after all.
“Sure, sure. And your face?”
“Hidden enough if I pull the cap low enough.”
Shiori nods thoughtfully.
“And your flame?”
The princess flinches, and Shiori has the gall to laugh. “Shiori!”
“Sorry, sorry!” She isn’t, she must admit. The flame on the princess’s chest was more telling than the possibility of her hair showing. A signature of magical prowess, one held by the bloodline of the Bloodflame Kingdom. “And how will you deal with it, princess?”
“It’s Liz, Shiori.”
Shiori rolls her eyes. “Liz,” she adds unenthusiastically. They were ways away from the square, sneaking through the west gate where knights usually pass through.
“Like this?” The princess closed her eyes, and nothing happened for a few minutes. And a few more. Before Shiori had the time to get worried, the flame was gone.
The flame was gone.
“Hah!” The princess grinned, sweat dripping down her cheeks as she grinned, uneven, almost fitting if not the tiresome look in her eyes. Shiori frowns.
“How long will you last like this?”
“Long enough.”
That wasn’t a good answer.
“Now c’mon! I simply must visit the pub.” Shiori sighs, fully, heavily, makes sure she was heard and all. The princess only walks ahead. “And don’t use the parasol. It’s almost twilight.”
“As you wish.”
They walked for several minutes, finally reaching the main square. There was a clear disparity in social class, but that wasn’t the agenda today. Leisurely, the princess walks through the main square as she usually does on her patrols. A knight stands before her, and Shiori had to pull her by her shoulder to not collide with him.
“Halt.” He sounded disapproving almost, Shiori had to scowl. The princess was only confused.
“What for?”
The knight raises a brow.
“Vermin ought not to step foot in this square, missus. Lest you might end up worse than a mauled rat.”
The princess’s jaw steels. Shiori is ready to engage, when she is stopped by a raised palm.
“I see,” was all she said. Cold, unlike her usual searing tone. “Perhaps the princess ought to hear about this.”
The knight cackles. “And how will you tell the princess? Will you dare step foot in the castle?”
The princess laughs, the usual laugh, the recognizable laugh. Shiori could only sigh once more. Despite this, she could only grin.
“I live there, after all.” The princess pulled on her cap, revealing her long hair as it fell, flame once again ignited on her chest. “And what house do you belong to, might I add? An investigation is in order.”
The knight stammers.
“Oh dear.” Shiori could only follow along.
-
-
“Shiori!!” The princess whined, clad in her usual, though unusual for a princess, suit. Shiori, in something similar, simply stood by her door. “You must help me try again!”
“And what for? The news has already spread across the kingdom. “The princess disguises as a commoner to catch nobles in despicable acts,” is what they say in the streets.”
“But that wasn’t what I wanted to do. At least not for that purpose yet.”
“It is working, though. The nobles and their pawns are on guard, keeping themselves in check.”
“Do you think they recognized you?”
Shiori hums. “I doubt it.”
“Good.” Shiori raises a brow. “You don’t like the attention like that, after all.” Ah. Shiori could only look away. “Though can we really not try to go to the pub anymore?”
“What for? You don’t even drink alcohol.”
“To perform!”
“What..?”
The princess had this look of wonder, almost like a dream. “I wish to sing songs to an audience who would enjoy it for the sake of it. Not because I’m the princess.” Shiori hums.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
-
-
It took a few weeks. Shiori had to be absent from a lot of her duties as a personal knight, such as being there while the princess was within the castle walls. And since her absence has caused the princess unable to leave, due to orders and a promise formed with her mother, Shiori had a lot of making up to do.
“Are we truly going outside?”
“Yes, Princess, now if you would please hurry.”
“What for?”
“I’m trying to get you to the pub and you’re being so slow.” At the mention of the establishment, the princess had already begun changing out of her nightwear and into a different set of common clothes. Loosely fitting, but fitting enough regardless.
“Now, where to?”
“Just follow me. And don’t ask.”
Shiori walked and led the princess through streets and alleyways, finally finding a hidden gem. Ways into a relatively quiet street was a busy pub that housed a live band, the only noise that echoed between the houses.
The princess awed at the sight of the band from the front door. A guard stands before them. Shiori waves, and the guard stands aside.
“Shiori-”
“Shh. It’s Ella here.” The princess hums. “And no questions.”
“Ella!” A voice calls from beyond the counter. Shiori simply drags the princess towards them. “You brought a pretty lass today, huh? Here to impress them with what you’ve been learning?” Shiori promptly ignores her curious gaze.
“Oh goodness no, Mori, she isn’t here for the alcohol. Remember that deal we had?”
What deal?
“Oh! Right, yes of course! Well then, Miss, if you’d like to pick a song from this book here, and step onto our little platform, the patrons might enjoy their drinks a little more.” Mori, who the princess assumed was the owner of the pub, hands her a notebook. “This here contains every song the band knows so you can pick anything.”
The princess’s eyes twinkled at the amount of songs, and the amount she knew amongst them. She turns to Shiori who has changed into some sort of uniform.
Shiori only shooed her away.
“Go sing, m’lady.”
And if Shiori was caught catching glances, then well, she is still her knight, after all.