“Dabrose!” He heard a familiar voice hiss.

That voice almost made him forget that he was caked in mud and there was a crossbow-wielding sniper waiting for him to stand.

“A moment, my lady.” He mumbled, scurrying across the muddy ground towards the voice inside the stables, & hopefully away from the sniper’s eyes.

He could hear a snicker as he finally got up, his eyes resting on the Princess of Qerradith leaning against the stable wall, her eyes dancing with amusement. Almost like his life wasn’t in any danger at all. She really irritated him sometimes.

“Darling, the sniper is being taken care of as we speak. That was the last bolt he would ever throw. Unfortunately. He was a brilliant sniper.” Her calculated aloofness almost made him angry.

“Maddening woman.” He muttered, his eyes never leaving her beautiful face.

“It still wasn’t wise for you to enter the room like that. Especially when Mother and I were in the middle of a conversation.”

“The Bender’s Key was stolen.”

“Well… That poses a problem.”