Criminal

She took off running. Never in a lifetime would I have guessed she would be able to plow through snow drifts twice her size with such agility. I stayed slightly behind her, to keep an eye on her.

She wiped the tears from her eyes with frustration. Then she tripped on a slightly taller pile of snow. I lunged to catch her. She folded into my chest as tears were allowed to freely cascade from her eyes. I pulled even tighter against my chest in a hug of sorts, and kissed her forehead.

"How could he do this to me." She sobbed. "Was anything he said truthful?"

"What do you mean?" I murmured softly. Her sadness constricted my heart and my magik empathized with hers, which didn't help. Every pore of my skin, atom of my body, and part of my being begged me to comfort her, to make her magik sing with delight and a smile light up her face. This is... New... I've never really cared what anyone has felt...

"My father!" She wailed and sobbed with more force into my chest. "He lied about my mother, my family, the world, everything." She shoved against my chest to escape and ran to the inn. I stayed slightly behind her, allowing her some space.

When I got back to the inn Irdil was nowhere to be seen. Panic tightened around my heart, I knew I shouldn't have left her alone. She has probably been attacked or kidnapped and it's all my fault... She could be dead...

Or in the kitchen, seeing as that's where the sweet sound of her voice was floating out of. I walked towards the door and decided I shouldn't both her, but I couldn't help but over hear some of the conversation.

"So... You're not my mother?" She sounded so depressed.

"No, but she is still alive. The kings heart was much too soft to see her die. He originally had her locked in jail." What did the king have to do with her mother? She couldn't be...? No that's just a legend. There's no way the king could hide something that huge for that long.

"What do you mean 'originally'?" She muttered trying to mask the note of hope in her voice.

"Well a young noblemen by the name of Elwe was visiting form Green Barrow." Idril gasped, but the innkeeper continued. "He felt bad for the maiden and freed her, and since he was the closest thing the king had to a son. The king allowed him off with only a minor punishment."

"He was forced to be a guard... Why didn't he ever tell me? I thought we were best friends!" Her voice gave away the tears in her eyes. My arms ached to wrap themselves around her tiny torso and comfort her, but I stayed rooted into my place against the door frame.

"He was bound to a code of silence as soon as the king noticed you two getting close." They continued conversing but my mind was bombarded with outlandish accusations and fog of confusion. I walked down the hall to our room and fell on to the bed, trying to digest what I had just heard.

For some reason Idril lived in the palace and was friends with a guard who had freed her mother from the castle prison. Her mom was in prison because the king didn't have the heart to kill her. Which means he fancied her, like in the legend of Idril. Could it really be true? Could the king have had an affair and an illegitimate child? How did he hide her? He has had more balls and celebrations than I can count, how has he kept her hidden. It was like she was never there, she was never in any portraits or at the head table. Wait... Am I stupid? He would never voluntarily put her there. I'll bet she's never left the palace. I cradled my head in my hands and sighed. Idril soft footsteps padded into the room and the bed shifted as she sat down. She rested her head on my shoulder and sighed happily.

"My mother is alive." She hummed with happiness. "We could find her. I might get to meet her."

"Who's your father." She was taken back by my suddenness and my harsh tone of voice. "Don't lie to me. Please.... Just.... Just don't lie." I'm afraid I'll explode in a if of rage and possibly hurt her if she were to lie... I wish I could control my temper.

"I... I just. He's..." She stuttered. "Promise not to get angry."

"I'll promise not to harm or leave you, however I cannot promise to choke back anger." I looked in her eyes willing her to understand, she nodded back at me.

"Can we exchange backstory for backstory? I have a feeling you might hate me after I tell you all about myself but I want to know more about you. Okay?" She looked at me with her big beautiful eyes, shining orange with worry.

"I'll tell you." I heaved a sigh. "You deserve to know. But you must go first."

"Okay." She breathed in deeply. "All my life I've been trapped in the same setting, the same house and rooms; never allowed outside the giant walls surrounding my home. I never knew why until a few moments ago. I never knew my mother, I had always considered my nanny Hilderina to be my makeshift mother, however she was relieved of duty once I had matured and could take care of myself. And like all others that were fired from my home she was executed to ensure she would never speak of me. I hadn't understood why all the servants and friends I acquired randomly disappeared until now. But I had one dear friend I could count on always being there for me. Elwe, he even helped me escape, I can only hope father didn't have him hung for my disappearance. Anyway, other than him I had no one. My father has never been fond of me and once the servants realized knowing me was the reason for all of the executions they avoided my as if I carried the plague." She chuckled sadly. "I was always sat in the back of the room during balls and parties, forced to wear spell paper to mask my royalty mark, never allowed in portraits, and only allowed to speak to hand picked people outside the castle and only about specific subjects. Now I see that those people were either paid to be my friends and stay quiet about me pr threatened worth execution if the talked. I was granted a lonely childhood... I suppose that comes with being the kings illegitimate child." A tear fell from her eye. "He was hiding me... I can't believe him." I thought my rage would stir and grow of what I had originally thought was confirmed... But any anger I had felt was extinguished by that single tear. That same tear seemed to fall straight onto my heart crushing it to a thousand pieces. How does a small droplet of water from the eye of a girl weigh so heavil on my heart?

I pulled her to my chest and placed my lips to the top of her hair. She definitely was self a poor hand in life. I can't imagine how torturous knowing you caused the deaths of innocent people would be.

She sniffed once and looked up at me. "You hate me, don't you?" She misread my silence.

"Well, hearing that the woman I fancy a touch more than other woman is the daughter of the very man who wants me dead isn't really good news. But I can deal with it." I smirked at me.

"You... Fancy me?" She smiled a little and get cheeks lit up with a red hue.

"Don't misconstrue my words, dear. I fancy you over other women, but only a smidge. Don't go pledging your love to me yet, but don't ever forget that you're special in my eyes." I pressed a kiss to her lips and a feeling of nervousness... Or maybe shyness erupted in my stomach. It almost felt as if hundreds of butterflies were fluttering around in there. When I pulled away a deep red blush covered her features.

"Your turn." She said weakly.

"My story is a little different." I started, memories I had tucked away sprang back to life. "I was also born of royalty. I am the first son of Sallient and Hentia of South Carrion-Barrow. Our family was the kings favorite noble family. We were not only loyal but the most skilled magik users in the land. I was one of the best, compared to the other children. The only person to ever beat me in sparring was my sisters best friend.... Corinth." Idril gasped. "She was far nicer and more considerate as a child. Anyway, when the king pushed for the destruction of all monsters and started recruiting the most elite warlocks and witches I went immediately. By the end of the war against monsters I was famous. Everyone knew my name and legacy, life was grand. Until the king banned magik. I tried to refrain from using my gifts and succeeded until that grave day. I went out for a hunt and came back and the palace was ablaze. I ran inside armed with a fire retardant spell to keep me save. I battled the flames with all my might, I ended up dousing half of them before the kings guards arrived. But I didn't care, I used all my magik that day, every last ounce. Despite my efforts I couldn't save all of my family. I had rescued my mother, two younger brothers and my sister. My father had been asleep when it all happened, and the anarchists had aimed for him, so he was dead before I returned home, and the youngest of my brothers and infant sister had also perished." Their screams echoed in my ears, especially baby Ellian's screeches, she had only been four months old, I fought back the tears and continued on. "I thought the king would spare me seeing as I saved my family, which as I said, was his favorite of the nobles. But he tossed me in jail to rot for the rest of my life. But I escaped and no doubt he is waiting for me to slip up sp he can capture me and decorate his wall with my head."

"What shitty destinies we have been given." Idril wiped the remaining tears from her face. "I know this is kind of out of context but how do they remove royalty marks?"

"The knock you out and put spell paper on them. So, when they choose the phrase we don't hear it." I shrugged, appreciating her distraction. My past was not something I enjoyed reliving.

"Oh." She muttered, but her eyes turned burgundy. I believe that means there's a question she wants answered but doesn't want to ask, like she's conflicted. I think I know what it is.

"Do you wish to find your mother?" She nodded weakly. "We'll find her, I needed a purpose anyway. Traveling simply to avoid being caught was getting boring."

She smiled brightly at me and pecked me on the lips quickly. That same nervousness or maybe shyness erupted, yet again, in my stomach like the soft, yet insistent beat of butterfly wings. Why was this happening? And what were these feelings caused by? They haven't happened with her before, these are brand new.

She blushed and leapt out of my arms to burrow under the blankets. I smiled and followed suit; resting my arm across her waist and allowing sleep to take hold.

Tomorrow we would begin the search for her mother. I hope for Idril's sake that her mother has avoided capture and death.