At A Glance

Although at first, Ava hadn't appreciated having to dine with the prince for dinner, she soon got over it when they served the same wine from the previous night's party. She sipped contently, glancing across the table at her dinner companion. "May I ask to what do I owe the pleasure of such efforts? You needn't be dining with me personally, Your Highness."

Prince Jin glanced up at her. "Nothing in particular. I merely wanted to ensure you were settling in fine."

"Oh? That's kind of you. I'm settling in fine, although I would certainly be better if I hadn't so many nobles to meet with…" She complained with a sigh.

Jin raised an eyebrow. He'd passed by the gardens during the day and saw the two ladies pleasantly conversing, Ava had maintained quite a different attitude then. He had to commend her acting skills, it was a bit disorientating to see how differently the princess conducted herself in private. Mila was observing this from the side, having to hold in her sigh as she guessed the Prince's thoughts. If only he knew that he was still getting half an act, a painted version. The true Ava was even worse.

Jin lifted his own wine glass to take a sip before he responded. "Is that so? There were another thirteen nobles who requested to meet you actually. I thought it would be a bit too much and had them rejected beforehand."

Ava instantly paled. "Thirteen… I might actually have fainted if I had to meet another thirteen… I hardly had to meet thirteen new people all of last year."

The corners of Jin's lips curled faintly as he observed her reaction before he lowered his gaze back to his meal. "Only thirteen in a year? That's a very low number."

"Well, not many new people come to a quiet little town like my home." She sighed lightly as she reminisced about her previous quiet, more socially limited life. "It was quite peaceful. There weren't any visits for afternoon tea, nor social events like balls or archery. Oh well, I suppose there was one time our town held an archery event. Of the six participants, three fell into the river and ended up going for a swim and hunting fish instead. Another two caught nothing but came back with wild flowers and herbs, and one caught a rabbit which was cooked in a stew for everyone to enjoy. It was quite the day."

Jin thought of the most recent archery competition where all the nobles had tried to compete with one another, putting on airs. There had even been a falling out and attempted cheating. It had given him quite the headache and all the people following him around meant he hadn't been able to catch anything much, it was truly a waste of a day. "Sounds… rather pleasant," he answered truthfully as he considered whether it was possible to sneak into a smaller town to attend an archery competition like Ava described. He ultimately decided it wasn't and had to make do with finishing his dinner while he asked Ava to describe more of her hometown adventures. Although Ava happily chatted, he couldn't help feeling she was almost… impatient. She kept glancing at his plate, then out of the window, her finger lightly tapping against her wine glass. Finally, he gave in to his curiosity. "Did you have something you needed to attend to after dinner?"

Ava met his gaze, seeing that he had noticed something off, she knew a simple no wouldn't do. Her mind ticked away for a reply that would make sense as she offered an embarrassed smile. "I wouldn't say that exactly. I started reading a really good book before dinner, I suppose I'm just a bit keen to continue it. I want to know what will happen next. My apologies if I offended you Prince Jin."

"Not at all. I understand. What book is it?"

She was really quite grateful he was quite a relaxed and kind person. It made lying to him and placating him much easier. But now she had to think of a good book that she would have access to, she truthfully hadn't yet gotten to explore the royal library properly. She had to simply hope, listing one of her favourites. She would be rightfully upset if the royal library didn't have it. "Withering Winters and Fading Memories."

Jin thought for a moment but he couldn't recall such a book. He didn't read much so that wasn't surprising. "What is it about?"

Ava knew the book off by heart so she didn't hesitate to answer. "About a celestial being responsible for winter who roamed the world of mortals. To maintain the balance of the world, every hundred years or so, she has to provide a particularly harsh and brutal winter. The mortals didn't understand this, with so many lives being lost to the unforgiving winter, they blamed and hated the celestial. The celestial had spent too long with mortals and become soft and sensitive. Their hate hurt her deeply and so she offered up her existence, putting it in their hands and asking for forgiveness. Instead, the mortals destroyed the ice core that maintained her form, ending all winters. With time, the mortals would forget about the celestial and the beautiful winters she provided, leaving nothing of their existence in the world."

Jin's expression was priceless. Ava truly wished she could capture it, a mixture of shock at discovering the intensity of Ava's book tastes as well a barely hidden sadness at the melancholic and dark tale. It took him a while to respond, first having to tip back his wine glass and down the last bit of liquid. "That's quite the story… I'll have to read it sometime."

Ava hoped it wasn't sometime soon. Afterall, she still wasn't sure the royal library even had the book. Still, she smiled to him. "Certainly. I hope you can understand why I'm so keen to continue it." She prompted, subtly trying to get herself excused from dinner without causing offense.

Jin nodded surely. "I can. I'm glad you're well. Come see me if you find yourself in need of anything Princess Avaline."

"Many thanks, Prince Jin."

She stood up and was just about to leave when she heard Jin call for her. "Avaline."

She turned back to look at him, tilting her head slightly in question. He only offered a small smile. "Enjoy your book."

Ava felt amused as she responded. "I will." She curtsied lightly before quickly walking off. She passed by a few maids and servants who were wandering about, nodding to them as they bowed to her before she continued walking. Once she reached her room, she kept walking, turning the corner and slipping into the shadows, Mila following close behind. They were soon joined by Covin who appeared almost out of nowhere, holding out a cloak and half-faced mask for the both of them. Ava nodded in greeting before slipping her cloak over her shoulders, then pulled onto her face. It was a beautiful polished white, similar to porcelain but much lighter in weight and it vaguely resembled the features of a fox. Mila's was a bit like a bunny and Covin's was similar to the shape of a wolf.

She and Mila fell into step behind Covin in tacit understanding as they continued onward. Covin was in charge of memorising the guards routines and patrols, while Mila had been observing the paths maids and servants usually took. Ava was responsible for distracting anyone they did come across, using a flick of her fingers to create momentary, tiny sparks of light which would draw attention long enough for them to slip by.

Ava had to admit with some displeasure that the security of the palace was really well done… It took much longer than she would have liked to navigate through the twisting and turning hallways before slipping down into an old escape tunnel Covin had vetted earlier in the day. But they did eventually resurface into the open air in the forests beyond the high walls around the palace and onward to the designated meeting place, somewhere desolate and wrapped in the shadows of the night. Now they only had to wait, chatting idly to one another, with only the occasional stirring of a little creature in the grass disturbing the silence of the night.

Finally, the crunching of leaf litter underfoot could be heard, the steps a little fast. Ava and Covin turned toward the direction of the sound, Mila observing them before following suit. Ava's lips curled into a smile as she saw the man walk out from behind the trees, his steps quick but his demeanor was one of confidence and self assurance. However, he paused as he came closer, standing a short distance away from them, a frown on his face. "You aren't my usual contacts."

"Navia and Nate weren't available today." Ava responded coolly, her gaze slowly roaming up and down the figure, taking a moment to soak it in before she continued. "My name is Alira. I'm sure you know what I'm here for."

The man across from them visibly stiffened, a fleeting look of panic and concern flitting across his face as he looked closely at the woman and her two companions.