Predator and prey

[Celvi Gray]

It was far colder than she had expected it to be. A gust of wind blew the hood of Celvi's cloak back so that her hair and skin were exposed to its iciness. Ah, wonderful!
Around her, the magnificent vista of the Ryum River spread before her eyes: The mighty stream, so fast that it didn't even freeze over in deepest winter, the snow covered banks meandering through the plain, coming from the mountains, leading towards the unknown south. Sometimes Celvi wished she could just follow its lead and journey to foreign places – but what was there to see, aside from the cursed kingdom of Mar'vol?

Celvi disbanded such idle thoughts from her mind, listening to the rush of Ryum, a sound that always soothed her deepest concerns. Only then did she allow herself to listen to the other sounds around her: The soft thudding of horse hooves touching snowy ground, the creaking of leather – and the realisation that these sounds were doubled. She was not on her own today.

Reluctantly she snuck a sideglance at Princess Christabel, sitting majestically on her mare, one hand resting on the reins as if she didn't need them to control her horse, the other hand carrying her beautiful falcon Tybalt. How she envied this girl her sureness in all what she did! Maybe you were born with that kind of self-esteem when you were a princess, destined to be your homeland's next ruler? Why the princess had taken out her to this little secret hunt Celvi didn't know. It was not like they were best of friends, maybe even the opposite. Ah, no, she shouldn't dare to think she might have a special place in this girl's heart, whether for fondness or distaste. She was just one other of her many ladies-in-waiting.

Celvi took a deep breath and almost tasted the air in her mouth. It smelled and tasted like there was even more snow to come. The cool air made her skin tingle and her teeth ache, but she didn't really feel cold, because she had bothered to wear her most expensive and warm green velvet cloak.
She took another look around, noticing the numerous tiny tracks of several animals in the snow, then she turned to Christabel.
"I think this place will be perfect, your Highness. Shall we give it a try?"

Not that she was particularly fond of hunting. She just liked the grandeur of raptors circling the air until they found their victim, then pounced down and almost never missed. Too bad for the prey, though. Who would want to be in its shoes the minute it saw what was coming but couldn't prevent it?

[lili]

Annabelle’s hooves hit the snow-covered ground with soft, muffled thuds. It was quiet out – peaceful, almost. No life seemed to stir in the trees or near the river. But then, it was the dead of winter. It was the time of year that all life slowed into a state of hibernation, their limbs weighed down by the cold. Even life in the palace often seemed a little more sluggish than usual – not that that made much difference. Court life constantly whirled in motion like the spinning top that she had played with as a child, the colors blending together into a confusing blur of motion. Too often it seemed inescapable, most of all to the princess.

Christabel sighed, breathing in the frigid air. This was what she had come out here for, rather than the hunt. She enjoyed the hunt, of course, but contrary to the feelings of most, the princess was not at all bothered by the cold. It was calming, somehow. It served the purpose she needed – a bracing wind at her back when she felt she might break open.

The girl shifted her weight on her favored mare, Annabelle, as she neared the river Ryum. She wore a plain white fur cloak for warmth over a man’s loosely fitting trousers and shirt. She was pale-white figure nearly blending with the white snow, the only dash of color was her golden yellow hair, falling loose in waves down her back. She had not bothered to put it up, as was widely considered proper. She was not disguised as a man, really – not today. There was no need here, for there was no one to see them. She wore the trousers merely for comfort, and the freedom from layers and layers of skirts.

"I think this place will be perfect, your Highness. Shall we give it a try?"

The voice, soft and slightly tentative, pulled Christabel from her reverie. She turned to face the Lady Gray, one among many of her ladies-in-waiting. She had several reasons for choosing this particular lady to accompany her, some of which were very vaguely defined. It was in part simply because she sensed that the girl, Celvi, was least likely of all of the ladies to fuss over the idea of the princess in trousers. Perhaps there was also something Christabel had glimpsed in those strange eyes of hers that made her think that this girl was someone she might be able to trust if she had need of it. Of course, the two had never been particularly fond of each other, so who was to say the girl could be trusted? Who was to say anyone could be trusted, for that matter? In court, misplaced trust could cost a person their life. She had learned that, if nothing else, in her short sixteen years of life.

Christabel sighed, pushing her thoughts aside as she nodded once in either acknowledgement or agreement with Celvi’s words – it was hard to tell. She stayed her horse with a soft tug on the reins – that was all that was needed between a rider and horse who had nearly ten years of trust behind them. She reached for the clasp around her wrist that kept the falcon, Tybalt, from flying away.

Christabel watched as Tybalt spread his wings and took flight, circling in flight above them like the majestic bird of prey he was.

[Celvi Gray]

Princess Christabel didn't answer her in words, but Celvi was more than used to that. In fact, she even preferred it that way. The sixteen year old girl already had a right catch on words, knowing well how to hurt with a single one. If one grew up at court it might be necessary to master that skill, but Celvi, who had only joined about four years ago, still found it difficult to not letting it get to her, let alone do it herself.
She had had enough time to learn how to read any sign the princess might give, be it on purpose or not, and so she knew that she was enjoying this little ride, even if there was a tiny hint of unease in her features.

She eyed the girl sitting on her horse next to her with thoughtful eyes, taking in her appearance. Apart from the way she held herself, no one would ever guess she was the Second Lady in the country. She even wore trousers – again. Aunt Dagmara might have shook her head about it, but Celvi herself didn't mind all that much. This little quirk even made her feel connected to the princess in a weird way. Seeing her as sort of a companion was clearly pushing it too far, but it almost felt like she didn't feel so comfortable in her own skin – like Celvi did.

But every further thought was cut off by Christabel, as she let Tybalt go free, throwing him into the air. He accepted his release with a loud, hoarse cry, immediately letting himself carried up with the wind, circling to find any good prey.
Celvi threw her head back and watched him become smaller and smaller, thinking: If I was him, I'd never come back. Her fault to release me! But then she chided herself for even considering it. It was not like her life was bad or unbearable. It just left a few things to be desired, but wasn't that part of the game?

Tybalt himself didn't concern himself with such thoughts, as it seemed, for he suddenly stopped his soaring and stopped in midair, flapping his wings to keep steady. He was over the little woodside almost touching the banks of Ryum now, a little to the right of both riders.
"He has seen something" was all Celvi could exclaim, before the falcon fell down to earth like an arrow, his wings folded to his side to quicken the fall.
Just outside the last trees forming the edge of wood, the lady-in-waiting could make out a panicky movement, as some animal tried to escape. Futile. Celvi knew Tybalt would be upon it any second. She looked over to Christabel as if to ask what to do next. All inside her ached to dismount at once, but doing so without the princess doing so first would be highly impolite.
She was the one in charge here, as well as it was her falcon.

[lili]

Christabel watched as Tybalt circled in the sky. It was a beautiful sight, seeing the bird as he was in his natural element – hunting, as a bird of prey. Suddenly, he paused, creating a tension that coursed through Christabel’s body as if she were the one about to dive down to attack the prey, rather than the bird.

"He has seen something," Celvi cried, just as the bird shot downward.

Christabel let out a cry, bringing Annabelle into a gallop. When she reached the edge of the forest, she tugged on the reins to stay the mare before dismounting, her feet hitting the ground with a soft thud, muffled by the snow. She paused a moment, turning around to motion to Celvi to follow her. She turned to face the forest then, and sprinted flat out into the trees. She would not have stopped for the world. True, it was unladylike and every member of the court would be sure to gossip if they knew, but since when had she cared?

The colors of the forest blurred around her – tree and rock and snow and leaf; she could not make out a difference. She could feel the wind in her hair and it was freedom. It was moments like this that Christabel lived for – this utter freedom, this escape from reality when for a moment she felt she could conquer the world, that she could simply reach out and grab it and it would be hers to hold – for a time, at least.

Christabel stopped dead several yards away from where the falcon had landed, approaching slowly so as not to startle the bird. Its talons were wrapped around a white hare, its body stiff and motionless with death. A gaping, bloodied gasp near the creature's neck marked the place where the falcon's talon has struck. Reaching down, Christabel wrapped her hands around the hare’s legs, pulling him out of the grip of Tybalt, who let out a screech before landing again on her arm, his claws cutting into the fabric of her tunic. For a brief moment, Christabel could have sworn she saw movement in the trees near her, and her brow furrowed. Another animal, perhaps? But when she straightened up again, it was gone. Odd.

She shrugged it off, reaching to reattatch the chain around her wrist to Tybalt's leg with one had while holding the hare in the other.

"Shall we go back?" She asked, turning to Celvi with one eyebrow raised in question.

(OOC: I appologize for the crappiness of this post. And also for how long this took xD)

[Celvi Gray]

Again Princess Christabel didn't bother to answer her. Instead of replying with words, she simply cried out to speed up her mare and raced towards the edge of the forest, which of course meant Celvi had to follow.
With a sigh she urged Artano forward and the horse eagerly responded to the command, seeing this little ride as some kind of race. Of course he couldn't beat the beautiful mare, for she had quite a head start, but that didn't stop him from trying.

As Christabel dismounted and ran into the woods, Celvi mentally scolded the girl. How could anyone be so careless, and she of all people! Running off into the woods where anyone could hide to ambush her. It was not like they were living in peaceful times! It was a horrifying thought that Mar'volian mercenaries could break through the battle lines and roam the outskirts of Lamoran territory – and it might also be absurd. Any leaking like that would have been reported immediately, and there were also the Between Lands to cross first!

Still, it was a foolish thing to do, even if the worst that could happen would be Christabel tripping over tree roots. "Wait!" she called after the disappearing girl and quickly dismounted herself. As soon as she started running though, the excitement catched on. Running was pure freedom and she felt her spirit rise high over the woods, the sky being the limit. A little joyous laugh tumbled from her lips as she called again after Christabel, acting on the spirit od th moment: "Just wait, I'll catch up!"
It was long since she had allowed herself to run free like a bird, like she had done in her childhood years. She had almost forgotten how good it felt and so she was almost disappointed as she reached Christabel, already bending over Tybalt's prey.

Gracefully the falcon allowed his mistress to take the hare and settled down on her hand again as if nothing had happened.
"Shall we go back?"
Surprised to be address so openly, Celvi turned her attention to Christabel and cocked her head in thinking. She was reluctant to go just yet, but the trees around her made her slightly uneasy, as if the thoughts of an ambush still lingered in her mind.
"That's up to Tybalt, isn't it?" she answered finally. "Let him fly up once more. Maybe the kitchen will be grateful for another piece of meat."

A jaybird began to screech somewhere near in the trees and Celvi jerked up her head, looking around. It hadn't complained when the two girls first entered the woods - was there someone else around then? "Shh!" she hissed towards the princess and strained her ears. Was she overreacting or did she hear the unmistakable noises of a man trying to make no sound when walking on forest ground? Just then, another sound from the opposite direction reached her ear. Were they about to be surrounded? "We best get out of here", she said under her breath. Or was it already too late?

[OOC: It's NOT crappy, it's cool! ]

[moore]

[Be prepared, it is not as good as I had hoped, but I am here to post! Thanks for being so patient! ^^ Enjoy!]

William could feel the bitter cold of the winter's day finally penetrating his dark greyish-blue cloak. His eyes were squinted in order to see through the misty forest. He was also furrowing his brows from the pain that the biting chill inflicted. The pain did not matter though; the only thing present in his mind was the thought of revenge. “An eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth,” was the popular saying.

It was not a fort-night ago he been informed by one of his spies that her Highness, Princess of Lamora, often hunted near the Rhyum River. Of all things that a young woman should do: HUNT! However absurd it sounded it though, it was certainly working to Will’s plans and he was thankful for it. The Queen would pay in the worst way imaginable for the abduction of one of Royal House of Mar’vol. Immediately after hearing this news about Christabel, William knew this was all was what he had been waiting for.

Once he had worked out all of the fine details and combed the plan for any flaws, Lord William Moore called together a four-man group of his best man and set the date. Today was the day; Will’s dog following close by, there was not a sound around them save for the almost inaudible padding of Gwynn’s paws in the pure snow. The wind had picked up and this added to the men’s succeeding stealth movements. Before Will knew it however, the distant splash of deathly cold water against chilled stones reached his ears; they were almost there.

William’s heart began to pound; he had never done anything like this before. If the Princess was not where she was supposed to be he really didn’t know if he was going to be angry or glad. This sort of unchivalrous conduct was not in his blood, but all he wanted was to get Dryden back and if this didn’t fall through, there would be no other way. The next thing that petrified him was the chance that Christabel should have a whole platoon of guards following her; but something told the young Lord that her Highness would not want anyone to know that she was a frequent falconer—

As soon as this reassuring thought crossed mind a screech loud enough to make the strongest man scream like a girl echoed though the wood. Blood coursed through Will’s entire body right up through his cheeks; he could no longer feel the cold, only a mixture of feelings and emotions filled his being. Slowing his horse to a stop, he scanned his surroundings like the bird flying above him and his men. Looking over to one of his soldiers who had signaled him, the man motioned William to look North-East of where they were all sitting still on their horses. If it wasn’t for a faraway voice calling something he would never have see the two figures trudging through the overgrowth. Taking a careful eye, he now scanned for any more Lamorians creeping around; there were none. Two horses….two girls.

A realization popped into William’s head, ‘which girl?’ He had never seen a picture of the infamous Princess of Lamora. Ah! Her Highness would be wearing the nicer garments, so she would be far too easy to spot. Silently easing his horse forward and motioning his men to do the same, Will caught site of the ethereal Princess; her hair was a raven black and even from that distance he could see her bright, flashing eyes. There was her servant, red hair and fair skin, also very pretty, but obviously not anything higher than a fetcher-of-game. Mentally shaking his head, he had to focus on the task at hand.

[lili]

Christabel reached for the clasp that held Tybalt, ready to let him fly again, when her hand stopped and hovered just above the chain. The two women standing in the clearing were not alone; that much she could feel. Her blue-green eyes darted to Celvi’s face to see if she, too, could feel the sense of impending doom. Was it her imagination, or did the dark-haired girl have a look of alarm on her face as well?

She turned to face the trees around them then, glaring at figures she couldn’t see but imagined might be lurking among the foliage as if challenging any intruders to make themselves known.

“Who’s there?” She demanded of the trees, turning slowly in circles. “Show yoursel– ” She stopped suddenly, her eyes growing wide and a look of sudden shock showing itself on her features. She could make out the figure of a dark-haired man atop a muscular horse hidden among the trees. She stood still as a statue, the only proof of her shock and fear showing in her eyes. After a few moments’ pause that seemed to stretch on for a lifetime, Christabel’s mind began to work through her initial shock. The fear in her eyes hardened and was replaced by a fierce determination. Ever so slowly, she began taking a few steps back and away from the man she had seen in the trees. Her mind began to race, fearful of whatever might happen next. Surely, there was no chance of escape. She had not the slightest idea of the number of men that might be surrounding them, but who would be foolish enough to mount an attack without ample numbers? She cast her gaze around the forest as if she might find help springing from the trees themselves. Why had she come out here without a guard? How could she have been so reckless and stupid? She glanced at Celvi, a pleading look on her face. Because of her own disregard for rules, she had now led her lady-in-waiting into some sort of trap along with her, and she could not have been more sorry for her own stupidity.

“Run,” she whispered to Celvi, out of earshot of the intruders.

(OOC: SO SORRY this took so long, and also that its short and not as good as I would have liked it to be. DX)

[Celvi Gray]

Panic flooded Celvi's mind as the silence began to thicken around them like a choking blanket. This could only be a nightmare! Right now she would wake up, maybe gasping with fear but then finally realise it was over – like always. Only a matter of time now, only a –
Christabel's demanding tone of voice, laced with her usual royal authority cut her feeble thoughts short. She was not dreaming, this was dreadful reality!

As the princess stubled in speech, Celvi couldn't help but follow her gaze and sucked in a shocked breath. A horse?! Could it be some trick of the eye, or was there really a man atop of the horse? Her mind raced as she slowly took a few slow steps towardss her mistress. Just like the prey knew it should better not make any frantic movements to not alarm its predator. If the man really was on horseback that meant trouble of the worst kind. It would not be a harmless band of tramps stumbling over them by accident and seizing the opportunity. Tramps couldn't afford horses. This meant an ambush on the princess herself! And who in Lamora would dare to do that?

Mar'volian mercenaries! As soon as her mind hat settled on this conclusion, her fear was doubled but also at the same time miraculously alleviated, replaced by a certain fatalism Was this how soldiers felt before an inevitable battle? Was this how her father felt almost everday?
Of one thing she was sure: She would not leave Christabel here, surrounded by potential enemies and turn her back to save herself! There had to be a way out of this, if not for both of them, then at least for Christabel!
"Who do you think I am?!" she replied defiantly, moving between the man on horseback and Christabel. Inwardly she cursed the fact she hadn't brought her bow with her, she only had a small dagger tugged inside her right boot – a trick her father had told her of in one of his letters.

Nervously she glanced back at the Princess' pale face, her eyes widened, the only fact belieing her indifference. She looked so small, so defenseless in her boy's clothes, although Celvi knew there was quite a strong will hidden beneath the façade that made up for any physical shortcoming. Hang on – façade?! Looking down at herself, a thought began to work itself through the panic numbness of the ladie's mind. It was a long shot… but it was worth a try!
"Listen", she whispered hastily, "whatever I say, don't backtalk me!"Then she bent down in a swift movement to retrieve the dagger from her boot, would she make it in time?

[moore]

“Who’s there?” The girl in man's clothing tried to be brave.“Show yoursel– ” They had seen the Mar'volian's; but this was not a problem. On the contrary, it seemed to help the situation. They stood stock still, afraid of the unknown dangers.
This was William's time to move; motioning for two of his men to head to the right, he then motioned for the remainer of his men to head to the left and begin to surround the Princess and her friend. After these commands were in effect, he himself started riding foward into the clearing.

William caught a glance of the two girls whispering, but this did not daught him; they could do nothing to sway his plans. Brows furrowed, he forced himself to leave his face expressionless. This was a tactic he had learned at the opening of his training and he had utilized it often. It allowed the user to become detached from those he was fighting, confronting, or, in this case, abducting. It also did not let the user appear vulnerable; which was vital to him right now because he was.

Hearing the snow crunch under his horse's hooves, William road closer and closer in; past the tree line, into the clearing, and right infront of the women (but keeping his distance of about 4 yards); Gwynn following all along. Though they hid it well, Will could see the terrified flashes in their eyes. Don't let them get to you, don't let them get to you. He had been repeting this in his head since he had started out. He could not let the emotions of the Princess get to him; that was just another card women were able to play. Though his intention was not ever to hurt them, he was just going to let them think whatever they wanted.

The worn look on his face from lack of sleep and his naturally dark lashes gave him an ominous look and he hoped that this would work to his advantage; letting the Lamorian's know he was not someone to mess with. "Princess." He nodded his head at the dark haired woman and with a firm voice he continued, "If you come-quietly-with me and my men, we shall not harm you, M'lady, or your-Servant." (He honestly didn't know what position the woman in Man's clothing held; from the sounds and looks of it she was a falconer, but that was impossible for a woman! Lamorian's were different though.)

[lili]

"Who do you think I am?! Listen, and whatever I say, don’t back talk me!"

Christabel, though not as stuck-up as most members of the court believed her to be, had never in her life been told what to do by anyone other than her mother, the queen of Lamora. And this time, particularly, she was not sure she wanted to listen – not that she had any idea of what Lady Gray was planning. Her mind was in a state of complete turmoil and panic, and instincts that were verging on being animalistic were beginning to take over. In that moment, she knew what it was to be the hunted. Christabel cast her gaze around, as if searching for something in the underbrush. There had to be something. There had to be a way out.

Though she was frightened, Christabel was determined to keep her dignity about her. She may have been outfitted in a man’s clothing, but she stood and carried herself as any princess was expected to. She stood with the weight of an entire country on her shoulders. She fixed a glare on the lone figure in the trees. Several more figures seemed to materialize before her very eyes, breaking off from the original to surround the two women in either direction. She counted the figures; there were at least five that she could make out upon first glance, but who was to say there was not twenty more hiding in the underbrush, ready to ambush the two women?

Christabel could make out a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye, and her head whipped around to face it. A dark-haired man on a majestic-looking horse with a large dog close at his heels emerged from the trees.

"Princess. If you come-quietly-with me and my men, we shall not harm you, M'lady, or your-Servant."

Christabel opened her mouth to inform the man that he could not very well expect her to “come quietly,” as he had put it, only to realize that he was speaking to Celvi. In her current nervous state, it took a moment for what was happening to sink in. The man had mistaken the Lady Gray for herself. Now that Christabel looked around her, she realized why. She was wearing trousers, after all. And what princess dresses in trousers?

(OOC: Ugh, I'm sorry about how long this took, and also that its so awful I was afraid of talking for much longer, or else Bell would be bound to do something to mess up our plot. )

[Celvi Gray]

Celvi watched the girl beside her with wary eyes, afraid Christabel might just suddenly attempt to run or do something similarly stupid. This would just ruin everything she might have come up with, even if it was a long shot anyway!
More and more men emerged from the underbrush and trees, some posing swords, some aiming at them with crossbows. They had in fact been surrounded. In other, not so frightening moments, the lady might have raised an eyebrow and snorted. Crossbows! They were so useless in battle, a short range and it took forever to reload them. But now they apparently posed a well enough threat. Having a bolt protrude from her chest was nothing Celvi aspired. On this short range, even a Mar'volian probably wouldn't miss!

Oh how she wished she had her bow with her now! The dagger she had just sneaked from her boot felt so useless in her trembling hands. It was lucky her coat was so wide, it hopefully shielded the weapon from prying eyes as she shoved it up her sleeve for later use. Though on could never be so sure… Anyway, she would not use it now, first Christabel had to get out of harms way!
The man on horseback, no doubt the leader of this whole scheme, approached the two girls further, and Celvi slowly rose to her feet, standing as tall as she could, trying to give her face the most blasé look she could possibly muster.

"Princess. If you come-quietly-with me and my men, we shall not harm you, M'lady, or your-Servant."

Celvi's heart leapt as she found the man was looking at her, not Bell! Her scheme worked already, without her having to say a single word. She had to fight down a triumphant grin, so inadequate and highly suspicious in the current circumstances.
But what would the princess do? Surely she could not go along with being overlooked and disregarded? She might spit fire at being called a servant. A warning look might give Celvi away though, and she just could not risk that! It might sound pathetic to anyone's ears, but the lady felt responsible for the girl she was supposed to entertain. Just like a warrior would. And if she could not fight these rogues, it was the least she could do to take the Princess' place!

So before Christabel could work over her shock, Celvi took one step forward and spoke in a hopefully perfect imitation of Christabel, when she was annoyed.
"So this is an ambush by Mar'volian mercenaries then? For what or whom am I to be held ransom, if I may humbly ask?" Then she squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. "Alright as you wish, I will come with you. But not her", she jerked her head back to Bell. "I am certain you will want to deliver a message to the Q—to my mother. She can do that."

[moore]

"So this is an ambush by Mar'volian mercenaries then? For what or whom am I to be held ransom, if I may humbly ask?"

In an instant the Princess seemed to throw away any fear that William had sensed. He motioned for his right-hand-man, Xavier, to move in. Why did she have to talk?! Why did every woman have to talk?! It would be so much easier to just come with them. That was the distinct difference between the two sexes: men waited for the opportune moment to strike, whilst women saw fit to tatter on with insults or pleas, trying hard to distract their captors. He did not give a reply to her question, there would be time for formalities later.

"Alright as you wish, I will come with you. But not her" The dark haired Princess motioned to the 'girl in the trousers'. "I am certain you will want to deliver a message to the Q—to my mother. She can do that."

The Princess was quite right and smarter (and prettier) than he had predicted. All the while Will had dismounted his horse and was walking slowly closer to the two surrounded women, followed by Gwynn who pressed on to smell their skirts and...trousers. The young Lord bowed his head to the Princess and replied, "As you see fit, your Highness." He tore his glance away from the women and turned it toward his men. "Allow the, maidservant? to go free. Girl, tell your Queen that her daughter will be safe as long as she does not make any sudden plays to disturb me." He moved around to her direction, feeling the thick snow collapse under his worn boots. Stopping, he turned to her. "And that my wishes will be conveyed to her through a courier within two days. Do you understand? Repeat it for me."

As the moments drew on, William could feel the day yielding to the chill of the wind; he couldn't take much longer with this or they would all die and he wanted that message to reach the Lamorian Queen by night-fall. He took a quick glance to the Princess once more. Would she be the key to retrieving Dryden? She had to be! Would the Queen of Lamora listen to a maid-servant? Yes, she is the maid-servant of the Princess, her daughter. Would his Uncle, the King, kill him for being so bold? Yes, most likely.

[Not long, but I wanted people to be able to speak instead of Will "tattering" on. hope you like! Yours was GREAT!]

[lili]

"So this is an ambush by Mar'volian mercenaries then? For what or whom am I to be held ransom, if I may humbly ask? Alright as you wish, I will come with you. But not her. I am certain you will want to deliver a message to the Q—to my mother. She can do that."

Celvi’s words came as a complete shock, hitting Christabel’s ears like ice water. What on Earth was the Lady Gray doing? Christabel turned toward the girl, a warning glance on her face, as if to say, “Do not do this. You don’t need to protect me. You can go free. Just run away!”

The large dog ventured out to sniff at Celvi’s skirts, then at Christabel’s trousers. She jerked away, as if afraid the dog had some awful disease.

"As you see fit, your Highness. Allow the, maidservant? to go free. Girl, tell your Queen that her daughter will be safe as long as she does not make any sudden plays to disturb me. And that my wishes will be conveyed to her through a courier within two days. Do you understand? Repeat it for me."

Suddenly, intense hatred filled the young woman as she fixed this man with an intense glare. This man, who led an incredibly misguided ambush, who thought he could order her about, who was about to take away what Christabel now realized was the closest thing she had to a friend – which really only showed how alone and generally disliked the princess was, because the two women clashed often – was suddenly smaller in Christabel’s eyes; as if he had shrunk. She would not give him the satisfaction of her fear, he was not worth it.

“I am not your puppet, nor a trained dog. And you cannot very well expect me to sit by and let you take her,” she said, struggling to keep her composure. Even as she said the words, she knew how pathetic it sounded. How could two unarmed women fight against an ambush of men, who were fully armed and poised to attack?

[Celvi Gray]

Celvi very well could see the warning glance Bell was giving her, and she realised the Princess was close to snapping. Something was boiling inside of her and when it broke out, all could be lost! For Bell could be very convincing in her tantrums, no question of that. She was used to be believed and so almost every word she said was laced with natural authority. An authority Celvi often wished she had. To stand up against Dagmara instead of always backing down, to fight for what she felt was right. But Celvi had never been a fighting person. Until she suddenly had to be, as it seemed.

She shot a warning glance back in Bell's direction, hoping it would slip the men's attention as usual girly ways of communicating, not detecting the truth behind it. Prejudices, after all, were a powerful truth in themselves, Celvi had learned. Wasn't it that way with her opinion on the Grand Duke?
She was wrenched from her thoughts when the leader of the ambush, probably a noble as well judging from the way he held himself – well Mar'volian nobility, close to peasantry anyway - , approached her and Bell. His mammoth dog paced forward, sniffing at her skirts. Celvi instinctively inched backwards. This animal no doubt could rip her throat out if it wanted!

"As you see fit, your Highness. Allow the, maidservant? to go free. Girl, tell your Queen that her daughter will be safe as long as she does not make any sudden plays to disturb me. And that my wishes will be conveyed to her through a courier within two days. Do you understand? Repeat it for me."

But even that fear was washed away by growing devastation as she almost could hear that 'click' in Bell's mind as she lost her temper, being adressed this way by a foreigner, and a Mar'volian to boot.
“I am not your puppet, nor a trained dog. And you cannot very well expect me to sit by and let you take her,”
For a moment, Celvi closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. At least Bell had said nothing about their reversed roles yet, but judging her temper, this might break out soon enough. Basically she was even grateful for Bell standing up for her this way. It showed what she had never thought possible: That not all was lost between the two girls.

Still, she would not waver in her decision, could not waver! And she better did something to steer the man away from Bell soon!
"Lady Gray!" she was surprised at herself, how demanding that sounded. In fact, her voice almost resembled a whip cracking through the air. Turning to Bell, she locked her gaze. "I appreciate that you are trying to save my skin, as any honorable servant would", she started, her voice laced with secret meaning. "But I will not let you risk your wellbeing for me. Now, repeat what he said to not forget it, and then haste yourself to the castle." Hoping it would not be too much, she hestitantly reached out a hand to quickly squeeze Bell's. "And Runnori shall be with you to give you speed and strength."