10 Terms

"Princess," A deep voice murmurs, "Pretty Princess." Her eyes flew open and there, gold eyes stared back at her. She blinks, confused on who got past her chamber. Then last night's memories flowed through her.

"Ah," he smirks, "There are those emerald eyes."

She glares and he moves away from her. She didn't move but simply turned her head towards him. Sun light peered through the windows. He stood wearing the same clothes he had wore last night.

She sighs, "This is really inappropriate."

"I assure you, the feeling isn't mutual."

She rolled her eyes, "Is there a reason you had to let yourself in without any warning?"

"It's training time." He smiled brightly.

She turns to squint at the sunlight, then back at him, "Do you usually enter a lady's room like this?"

He crossed his arms, "I knocked, many times. I called out 'Your highness'. I said that I was coming in, and entered with eyes closed-"

"Sure you did."

His smirk turned to a grin, "I never lie." He nods to the curtains, "You were sleeping so peacefully I moved the curtains hoping the sunlight would wake you up. Alas, I was wrong. Therefore I came to the final conclusion. I whispered to your ear. And oddly that seemed to do it."

She sat up, and Emmett averts his eyes. As he should. She pulled the sword onto her lap, the blanket covering her bare legs, "What would you train me for?"

Still not directly looking at her, he cleared his throat, "I can't have you go out there without knowing you are able to properly use your gift."

"My gift?"

"Yes."

"I see… well, early in the morning shouldn't be wasted."

He looks at her with shock and amusement, "Actually, its noon."

She looks back at the window, "Noon? Oh dear…you had let me slept that long?"

"You were tired." She looked back at him and he was shrugging, "Lunch is ready." And he backed way to the door. She watched him leave closing the door behind him.

After getting dress with her clothing and opened the door, the smell of lunch made her stomach rumbled. She hadn't thought she was this hungry until she saw the once empty table filled with food. If she had to be honest, she hadn't thought she'd be getting an appetite any time soon.

Emmett sat crossed legs with reading spectacles low at the bridge of his nose, sitting on the same spot he sat the night before. Emerelda walked slowly, and he glanced up from the news paper he was reading.

She didn't smile, "Good evening." She greets.

"I had thought it was morning." He smiled.

She rolled her eyes and sat at her spot, "Your humor is poor." She said crossing her own legs.

"I like my humor the way it is," he looks back at the newspaper, adjusting he's spectacles. He squints down at the paper, "Been awfully silent. Except-" he drops the paper on the table in front of her, "Rumors of the Prince is most likely missing is loud."

"Of course it is," she murmurs.

He slid the paper away rolling it up, "Interesting I must say. I can only assume the whispering started at no other but the Palace itself." He looked at her over his spectacles. He's big gold eyes challenging.

Emerelda leans back on the chair, trying not to eye the tea kettle on the stove, "The maids do gossip, it's common knowledge. The servants wouldn't dare to break an order that was given that night…after what had happen. They all know there is no forgiveness, especially during these time."

The kettle started shirking and Emmett stood up efficiently to the stove, "It's only a matter of time before it's your turn to be popular on the papers."

"I understand. Yet again, what else could I have done?"

He took two cups from the wood cabinet. Everything here was made from wood, "Choices comes with sacrifices and consequences." He said with he's back turned to her.

For once he sounded as if he relates to his own words. He usually speaks as if it was a matter of fact, nothing affecting him with his blank emotions. The only time he shows any real expression was when he was furious. Fury was an emotion she saw that connected with his eyes. All his smiles, remarks, grins, they didn't touch his eyes. They stared blank like empty windows. She was convinced he wasn't mortal.

"The hard ones, yes," she sighs, "It was the only way. Anyways, speaking of which, I thought on many things last night."

"I'm sure you did." He said in sarcasm, "You didn't snore away once you fell on my pillows."

She almost gasped, "That isn't true!"

"Of course. How on earth would I know? " He turns around, "Sugar?"

"Two lumps," she replied automatically, "As I was saying, I came up with set of rules."

He walked back to the table with two steaming cups of tea, he hands it out to her and she took it pleased, "Rules?" He asks, "Well, I thought I was the only one."

She took a sip. Earl grey, one of her favorites. If only there was honey in it, though it would do. She shouldn't except much more, she isn't living her comfort life any more. She wasn't sure if she would ever.

"I'll go first." She said a little too demanding.

He took off he's spectacles and stuffed them in he's shirt pocket, "Go ahead, Princess." He tilts he's head leaning back on the chair.

She took a deep breath, "Regarding about yesterday, no block on the thoughts."

He nods, "We cleared that. Oh, and please, go ahead and eat, don't be shy."

She glanced at the bread, soup, cheese, and scones on the table. Such an odd combination. She looked back seriously at him, "Every question I ask, you must answer." He opens his mouth, she raised her hand, "Only link to the Assassin matter."

"I truly admire the way you think."

"Whatever decision I make, do not interfere. That goes for everything," she raised her hand again to cut him off, "Except what is connected to the case, or something that could be a danger to us."

"So you agree your implosive."

She crossed her arms, "Are we clear?"

"As the mirror of the great Queen of England," He grins.

She took another sip again. The tea wasn't rich in flavor. She cursed herself for thinking such thought. Stop discriminating. You're not a Princess anymore. Stop it.

"Oh!" she said a little surprised remembering, "If I see that you would stab me in the back, one small slip that would even make me think that, I would kill you right there and then." She looked over the rim of her cup, "Understood?"

His grin grew a little too wide, "This is going to be easy."

She waves a hand, "Go on with your terms."

He sat straighter, "Well this would be simple. One, we must tell each other everything which is the matter of the Assassin. Second, you would follow everything I tell you-" he did the same action she had done to him to keep her silent.

Unlike her, she learnt from the King and adapted the behavior. A flicker of an action that makes the whole room falls into silence without a second thought. When Emmett did it, it got her mouth to shut tight. As if he carried the royalty aura as her father did.

No, she thought, it was much more than that.

He was smiling, "Everything I tell you to do is for mine and yours safety. It's a precaution, and to make sure everything runs smoothly."

She gulps the burning tea, "How the tables had turned. The Princess ordered around."

"How ironic indeed," his smile grew large.

She clenched her jaw, "Go on."

"Lastly, you cannot leave this cottage without my permission."

Silence. She held tight to the cup she was given breathing hard. Emerelda and Emmett were having a staring contest. He had a smug expression, she was furious.

"I'm not your prisoner." She finally said.

"No, but if someone finds out you stay here, or get lost, then that would be a serious problem."

She shook her head placing the cup on the table, "I can't agree with that."

"Then I guess we can't work with one another." He sighs.

She was still shaking her head, "No. I apologize. I would follow everything else, but that."

"Why?" he tilts his head, curious and yet daring.

"I am not your prisoner!" she snaps.

His face didn't change. He stared at her and blinks, "You weren't allowed out of the palace walls, were you?"

She looks away, however that answered everything, "I don't want to be the one who brings rules that would trigger you." She heard him say, "Although, I don't want anything to…happen to you."

She breathes out, "I understand. And you must understand I am capable on taking care of myself." She looks at him, "Need I to remind you? I was on my own before you dropped into my life."

He frowns, "I'm simply asking you to tell me where you would be going, and therefore I would know exactly where to find you if something would have happen." His voice sounded gentle. The gentlest she had ever heard him expressed.

The after taste of the tea didn't sit well in her mouth, "That makes…sense" she whispers looking back at him.

"It is common sense after all." He nods to the table, "Start eating, we need to start training."