in your debt.

@ dezz

Silas groaned as he settled into her mattress further, kicking off his muddy boots, although he groaned in pain when the boot on his injured foot came off, sighing in frustration as he closed his eyes again. He groaned again when she offered him roast duck, opening his eyes to give her a pained look. "Teasing isn't funny, your highness.." He grumbled, knowing he'd likely just get scraps of bread or whatever else she didn't want to eat, although his mouth watered at the thought, knowing they'd be the best scraps of food in the kingdom, and he'd be lucky to have them.

He took the goblet of wine from her with a small nod of thanks, downing half of it quickly, hoping to dull the pain in his foot and ribs. He hesitated for a few minutes while he considered telling her, before settling on the truth. "I'm not part of it, but I sell the things I steal to the thieves guild.. There numbers are going down cause they can't get any good thieves anymore, and their leader is willing to buy my stuff in order to help him keep up his shipments.. I'll probably get a few hundred gold for all this, enough to pay for at least two weeks in an inn, assuming I can barter a bit."

Edith's eyes shot open when he mentioned his pay out, almost growing furious again when she realized, had she not caught him, her mother's jewels would've been sold for next to nothing. "Silas..." She breathed, looking at him like he was crazy. "That pearl necklace alone, would've been enough money to feed a family of four for weeks. The jewels in your bag would easily bring you enough money to buy your own home out in the country, with acres and acres of land..."

She hated being the bearer of bad news, and she almost wondered if he already knew all of this and was just trying to take what he could get. "If this guild is losing its numbers, why don't they ask you to join? I think they know they're making more money off of you by not letting you in." It was pitiful, but she couldn't let him go on living this way, being taken advantage of, even if he was profiting off of others misfortunes.

@ katahdin

@ dezz

Silas closed his eyes as she looked at him like he had two heads, knowing full well what she was going to say. That he was selling the jewels for nothing, that he was being conned out of fortunes. "They won't give me what they're worth. No one will, Edith." He sighed in frustration, shifting a bit to get more comfortable, hoping to drift off to sleep and not have to deal with the conversation. "Having enough money to feed myself for a week is better than not having any money at all."

He knew he could be doing better, getting better prices, that after this if he received fair pay he could go live somewhere where he'd never have to work again. But he'd never get a fair price, and he didn't have any other skills that were useful for any other jobs, so it was either steal to survive or die. Soon enough though he drifted into a light sleep, the wine helping to dull the pain enough for him to rest for a bit. He still intended on leaving as soon as he could, not sure if he could stand being a disappointment to a freaking princess.

Edith sighed, letting her shoulders drop as she watched the poor man fall asleep in her bed. She didn't see him as pathetic in the slightest, just a poor soul who had been dealt a very bad hand. The princess watched him for a while, and once she could, she pulled herself up to her feet, ripping her eyes away from the handsome thief.

Slipping out of her room, she made sure to lock the door securely, sliding the key into her corset for safekeeping. The last thing she needed was a maid walking in her room to find him there.

Heading down to the kitchens, the young princess held her hands tightly in front of her, waiting for one of the chefs to acknowledge her presence. "Oh, princess!" One finally looked up from their work, hurrying around to give her a slight bow of the head.

"No need for that, George," she smiled, "I know dinner is soon, but I am just starving... Do you think you could-"

"Say no more, princess." The chef smiled, hurrying back to the counter where he had been slicing the bread for that nights dinner. He made her a plate of bread, quail and a few grapes before bringing it back to her.

It wasn't roasted duck, but she was sure Silas wouldn't complain. She thanked the chef with a bright smile, before taking the plate of food and hurrying back to her room with it.

Slipping back inside, she shut the door quickly behind her. "Silas, wake up." Edith held the plate of food for him, hurrying to his side by the bed.

@ katahdin

@ dezz

Silas slept soundly while she left him in her room to sleep, knowing he wouldn't get a decent rest like this for ages. When she returned he was still sound asleep, although when she was suddenly telling him to wake up he sat up quickly, thinking he'd been found and needed to hide or run, groaning in pain as he grabbed his ribs.

He looked at her worriedly, about to ask what was wrong and why he needed to be awake when he had been enjoying being asleep, although just the smell of the dinner she carried made his mouth water and his complaint die in his throat, sitting back against her headboard with a grunt.

"Come to eat in front of me? Make me watch you eat whatever that is and then leave me the scraps?" He teased, closing his eyes as he rested his head back against the headboard. Looking at it made his stomach growl, and it'd be easier to ignore his hunger if he didn't look at it.

Violet pulled her brow together, in confusion or offense, she wasn't sure. Watching him just lean back and close his eyes, she looked down at the food and thought about throwing it on him. "I think I've been rather hospitable," she glared, sitting the plate of food down on the nightstand. Not only was he a thief, but he had a rather rude bite.

"First, you sneak into my home, to help yourself to my mother's jewelry, and I didn't even call the guards. Then, I even let you rest in my bed and, I'm not sure if you're aware, but princesses don't usually wait on people. I brought this food for you, but if you don't want it..." She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed, trying to remain calm. "Do you really think I'd be so rude to eat in front of you?"

Violet couldn't look at him, wondering if she had somehow come off as pompous, to make him think she'd do such a thing. "You know I've tried looking for you? You could be a little nicer." Scooting the plate closer towards the bedside, so he'd be able to reach it, she grabbed his goblet and made her way back to the small table, to refill it for him.

@ katahdin

@ dezz

"I told you I didn't know it was your mother's jewellery." He stated quickly, lifting his head a bit to watch her. "And when I leave I'm not taking any of it. I'll find some other way of feeding myself for the next few days." He said, meaning every word. He was upset with himself for putting so much time and effort into something that wasn't going to gain him anything, but it was the right thing to do, given how upset she'd been when she'd caught him.

"I didn't mean to upset you, princess." He sighed, watching as she moved over to refill the goblet for him. "You don't have to wait on me, and I'll sleep on the floor and not make a peep for as long as I'm here, if that would make you feel better." Silas stated, sitting up with a groan as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. "I wasn't raised in a castle with tutors to teach me how to read and write and how to behave properly around royalty, so forgive me if I do or say something wrong."

Edith sighed, setting the pitcher of wine back down on the table as she turned back towards the man. "You're taking the jewels." There would be no arguing with her on that, knowing that if they could fetch him even one night of dinner and a warm place to sleep, that it was worth it. The princess had full intentions of sneaking a few gold coins in his purse along with the gems before he left.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, moving back to where he sat on the bed. "Here, please, eat and drink." Edith thought she wanted an apology from the thief, but now that she had gotten one, she only felt worse. She realized this might be the last time she saw him for awhile and she wanted to make sure they enjoyed their time together. "I want to help you, Silas. I want you to be able to count on me as a friend... So," handing him the goblet, she picked his plate of food back up for him. "when you are ready to leave, I'm going to make sure you have plenty of coin. On top of the jewelry. You shouldn't have to worry about your next meal."

"And don't think I'm just trying to offer charity. I'm not." Holding onto his plate, she sat next to him on the bed, dropping her eyes to the food she offered him. All the princess wanted was a true friend.

@ katahdin

@ dezz

Silas frowned in confusion when she insisted that he take the jewels, wondering why she'd let him steal things knowing that they were sentimental to her. He took the cup of wine from her, sipping from it as she told him to eat, stomach growling as he looked at the delicious looking meal. He didn't want it to go to waste, and he certainly didn't want it to get cold, so after setting his cup down he grabbed the plate from the nightstand and dug in.

Even though he didn't look like it, he must have been starving based on the way he ate, sucking the bones of the quail clean and barely leaving a crumb behind, not wanting to waste any of it. This was the best meal he'd had in his life, and he wasn't about to leave any of it behind. He looked at her in surprise when she said she'd give him extra coin along with the jewels, nearly choking on the grape he was eating.

He shook his head, brows furrowing as he looked at her. "I can't take your money too, princess.. You've already been more than kind, and done more for me than I'll ever be able to do for you. I'd never be able to repay you."

Edith sat back and watched the hungry man devour the plate of food in front of him. It was almost heartbreaking and she couldn't stop herself from wondering when the last time he had a decent meal was. The longer she watched him, the more guilty she began to feel. Every day of her life she walked around this magnificent castle of a home, having everything handed to her, for her to only do her best to escape it. He must've thought she was crazy.

"I'm not asking you to repay me," Edith shook her head, refusing to let Silas argue with her. Something told her that he wouldn't take any of it for free, though. "But, actually," she looked up from her hands, a small smile breaking out across her face. "I actually do know how you can repay me." Her whole face lit up as if she had just had the best idea of her entire life. "There's so much of the kingdom I haven't seen. Next time I find you outside of the castle, you have to be my tour guide. That sounds fair, doesn't it? A bit of gold to let a princess trail you around for a couple of hours?"

@ katahdin

@ dezz

Silas was practically licking his fingers clean when she began to say that he didn't have to repay her, and he turned to look at her like she was crazy. He was about to argue again when she said that there was a way that he could repay her, tilting his head curiously as he waited for her to explain. When she first said that she wanted him to show her around the kingdom he almost rolled his eyes and laughed at how silly the idea was, but after a moment's thought he gave a little nod, returning her smile.

"I suppose I could do that.. But that means you would have to listen to me, alright? What I say goes, and I won't have you arguing about it." He chuckled, finishing the last of his grapes before setting the plate off to the side. The kingdom could be quite dangerous, and while he was happy to show her around, he needed her to understand that he was in charge, and that she needed to listen to him so that neither of them got in trouble.

Edith clasped her hands together and smiled brightly, "whatever you say!" There were plenty of places in the kingdom that the princess had never been, largely because she knew the kind of trouble she could find herself in. Not only that, but whatever got Silas to take the help she was offering. She watched as Silas finished his food and almost felt giddy at the thought. This must mean that she would see him again, right?

"That settles it then. When you're all ready to go, I'll make sure you have enough coin to feed yourself for a while." He wouldn't need to worry about thieving for his next meal, though she was sure he would continue stealing. Edith only hoped with her help, he might be able to actually to start to save the bit of change he was raking in. Standing back on her feet, she couldn't hide the excitement. It was practically written all over her face.

Taking the empty plate from him, she sat it back down on the table. "I'm so excited. There's so much I haven't seen. This is going to be great!"

@ katahdin

@ dezz

Silas chuckled at her enthusiasm, shaking his head a bit. It was endearing how excited she was, he doubted she'd still be as happy if she saw firsthand some of the things he had seen.. He offered her a sincere smile when she said she'd include extra coin with the jewels, giving a little nod of thanks. "Thank you.. I appreciate it." Truth be told, a lot of time he ended up giving the coin he meant to be saving for himself away to those he thought needed it more, like the children who ran around the streets looking for scraps to bring back to their families, or the beggars who couldn't find work due to injuries. He was old enough and capable of getting himself coin, so he didn't mind sharing it with those who needed it more than him.

With a groan he pushed himself to stand, hobbling over to the plush looking chair by the window before settling down in it with a sigh. He wished he could remain in her bed, but he knew someone would get suspicious if she went and slept somewhere else, and he highly doubted she'd want to share the bed with him, giving how dirty he was. He wished there was something to prop his leg up on, but he could still fall asleep nearly anywhere, settling in as he closed his eyes. "Thank you for the meal, Princess.. I'll be out of your way for the rest of the night, don't feel the need to wait on me."

Edith cocked her to the side as she watched him stumble around. "You don't like accepting help much, do you?" It was clear he was head strong and had been by himself for... quite awhile. The princess wondered how long he had been relying on himself, where his parents must be... He was old enough to be on his own, but it just seemed odd that he was almost fighting her at every turn.

Looking him up and down, she crossed her arms over her chest and looked towards her bathroom. "If you want, you can take a bath? Hot water would do wonders on that ankle, you know." The princess couldn't offer to clean his clothes, knowing that would be much too suspicious. "I probably have some trousers lying around here somewhere that would fit you..." Heading over to her wardrobe, she pulled the doors open and began rifling around inside. Most of the time, when she escaped the castle, she wore rags, hoping that would help her blend in better.

"Here we go..." Turning around, she held up a pair of navy trousers. Folding them neatly, she sat them down on the table in the center of the room. "You know you're not being a bother, right?"

@ katahdin

@ dezz

Silas cracked and eye open at the mention of a bath, probably the only thing that would have pulled his attention from sleep at that moment. It had been ages since he'd had a real bath, and not just taken a rag and a bucket of water and cleaned himself as best he could. A real bath though..

He pushed himself to his feet once more with a groan, offering her a crooked smile as she asked if he knew she wasn't being a bother. "I know. I just like doing things myself, is all. Been doing things that way for so long, it's hard to just accept things from others without expecting a condition to be attached." He explained, grabbing the trousers from the table before he began to giggle toward the bathroom. "I can wash my clothes in here, too, as long as there's a place to hang them to dry overnight.. That way the smell won't attract any unwanted attention." He laughed, not minding joking around at his own expense.

Edith found herself smiling again, glad he was accepting of her hospitality. "I'm sure we can find a place to hang them," she nodded, pointing in the direction of the bathroom. "Take your time, okay?"

Heading back over to her bed, Edith leaned against the mattress and turned in his direction one more. "Might be hard for you to believe, but I promise I'll never ask for anything in return. It's... what friends do, right? Help each other."

The princess feared Silas might tell her they weren't friends, that a thief could never be friends with a princess, or vice versa. That they were just acquaintances, and soon, they'd have to go there separate ways and she may never see him again. It was nice knowing someone who didn't treat her like everyone else did, tiptoeing around her in fear they may upset her, or just being nice to her because they wanted something. Silas, so far, hadn't cared to tease her and tell her things she might not like. He may have called her princess a handful of times, but he was treating her like one. It was nice knowing someone who just treated her like a normal person.

@ katahdin

@ dezz

Silas chuckled a bit, shaking his head as she talked about not asking anything in return for her kindness, as well as saying that it was what friends did for one another. "I don't know. I've never had a friend before, so I couldn't tell you." He chuckled, hobbling into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him. Once the bath was drawn he tugged his clothes off, setting the dirty clothes aside so he could wash them after his bath before he sank into the steaming water with a groan, the water nearly hot enough to scald. It was incredibly relaxing, though, especially for his ankle, which felt much better after only a few minutes of sitting in the water.

After he'd sat and enjoyed the water for a few minutes he grabbed a washcloth and got to work cleaning himself, scrubbing the dirt and sweat and bit of blood from his skin, before sinking under the water to wet his hair so he could wash it too, scrubbing the dirty locks clean before rinsing them off. He drained the dirty water while also running some fresh water to finish rinsing the soap and dirty from his skin, stepping out of the tub to wrap a towel around his waist before he knelt beside the tub to wash his clothes. It was probably the first time they'd been washed in weeks, so they were in dire need of a good scrubbing, but once they were clean and rinsed he wrung as much water as he could from them before hanging them up to dry in a corner, trying to put them out of the way so they wouldn't be noticed, and so that Edith wouldn't have to move them if she needed something.

Once he dried himself off he tugged on the trousers she'd given him before he came out of the bathroom and back into her bedroom, glancing around to see if she were still there, also keeping quiet in case she'd fallen asleep.

Edith watched the bathroom door close as her eyes fell to the floor. Standing there, for the first time, she felt clueless. Not sure what to do. The second she heard the water running, she forced herself to move from her spot. He told her not to wait on him, but that was all she felt to do. Odd, a princess waiting around on a thief. Moving back to her bed, she fluffed the pillows and turned down the sheets, making sure it would be all ready for him when he was finished. The princess could already hear the thief refusing to take her bed, but if her ankle was sprained, she wouldn't want to sleep in a chair.

Leaving the room and heading downstairs to the kitchens, the princess requested a pitcher of water and some bread be brought up, on the excuse that she wasn't feeling very well. Heading back upstairs with the maid carrying the tray, Edith opened the door for her and the older woman stepped inside and sat the tray down on her bedside table before curtsying and leaving almost as soon as she'd entered. Edith offered her a quiet 'thank you' before shutting the door and latching it closed. Having already fed Silas, she was sure he might still be peckish, so she hoped the bread would be acceptable.

Why did she care so much about this thief? Kindness was only a good enough reason up until a certain point, but now she was outright going out of her way for him. Sinking down into the comfy chair in the corner of her room, Edith could still hear the water running. Pulling the small square blanket she kept on the back of her chair, she laid it out over herself and let her eyes fall closed slowly.

@ katahdin

@ dezz

He'd initially been worried when he'd heard Edith speaking with someone as well as another set of footsteps, worried that perhaps she'd brought a guard in to ambush him after his bath to drag him down to the dungeons or execute him, especially after how upset she'd been about him attempting to steal her mother's jewels. To be fair, he didn't know or care who they belonged to, he just needed the money. A soft smile settled on Silas' lips though as he saw her in the chair where he'd been settled before, taking a moment to just look at her. She was quite beautiful, he'd be a fool not to be charmed by her, but he knew it was a ridiculous thought to have, especially given that she was a princess and that he was a thief.

Feeling rather exhausted, but not wanting Edith to sleep in an uncomfortable chair, he limped over to her and managed to lift her into his arms with a little grunt, his ankle throbbing in protest as he carried her over to her bed and laid her down. Once she was properly tucked under the blankets he grabbed a glass of water for himself before settling onto the mattress next to her, his eyes closing almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.