"Are you okay?" Anita asked, clearly worried as she ran over.
Raphael was in shock, staring unblinkingly from the ring, to the knights and down to Maria.
"Qu'est-ce qui vient de se passer?" Raphael's voice was reduced to a croaked whisper.
Anita could only offer a surprised shrug.
"You shielded Miss Violin here and your ring and her necklace sent out a green light! You broke his sword Ralphie!"
Raphael looked to his hand again, other than his ring finger feeling warm, nothing else appeared wrong. That sword should have sliced his hand in half, clean off even, but it hadn't. Raphael looked down at the girl almost frightened now but saw she was unresponsive in his arms.
He gently laid her on the pavement and pressed a hand to her head, gently telling her to wake up. Anita drew circles in her hand, shaking her arms every now and then in her own attempt to wake her.
Maria stirred but didn't open her eyes. Her violin and bow slipped from her grasp onto the ground.
Raphael pressed his finger against her neck, finding a pulse he withdrew his hand. "She's fainted…"
There was a roar from the bridge. Sir Phillipe growled as he managed to get to his feet, leaning heavily on the stone railing, a trembling hand holding the sword to point at the trio. "Get them!" he demanded, but none of his minions was in the physical state to obey. Some tried but fell to their knees soon after.
Raphael took his chance. "Let's get going. Grab her violin." Anita nodded, picking up the instrument and all its pieces, as Raphael picked up Maria. She was surprisingly light.
"Get back here!" the knight called before falling over with a clash, Raphael looked over his shoulder as they ran, hearing the abusive calls. "The Unknown Royals won't be silenced anymore! We are everywhere! We will know where you go! We know where you live, thief!"
The last one momentarily jarred Raphael, but he pushed through, disappearing from their sight, but not before hearing; "The Crown of France will be ours! The rightful King shall rise again!"
*
Maria felt very weak running through the smoke, the strange concoction strangling. She wandered blindly through the smog until she managed to exit it, almost unable to stand from coughing.
The panic was enough to make her vision blurry, but she saw the young man and the little girl at the end of the bridge. "They've gone past us!" Maria took a moment's glance over her shoulder before attempting to run away, her arm holding weakly to her violin and her pendant escaping from under her dress.
She looked over her shoulder, watching as the knight's sword was raised, ready to strike on her. Before she could react, her saviour wrapped his arms around her, shielding her from the attack. She clung onto him, burying her head into his chest out of fright.
She was almost blinded by her pendant, however, and the incredible glow it possessed as it seemed to vibrate. She managed to see his ring, reiterating a similar radiance, as the sword came down. "No!"
A surge of exhaustion came over her, only managing to see the blurred vision of the sword shattering and the gradually decreasing light of the jewellery, and she watched everything turn black. She had never fainted quite so heavily before, but was aware of so many things; muffled voices, her body moving, and how cold she suddenly felt.
She wasn't coherent enough to remember it however, every moment she recalled was immediately replaced with the next. The only thought she eventually could retain was; Are we moving?
She wasn't running, her legs and one of her arms hung from something carrying her, they swayed with someone else running. One side of her body felt warm, pressed against a fabric while her other side was exposed to the cold air. Her eyelids fluttered, but, like her head, couldn't retain an image. When she spoke, it was a groan, barely a syllable of a word.
"She's awake," a voice said. Maria couldn't tell what gender or who the voice belonged to, and it upset her as she tried to move.
"Hey. You're okay," someone said, their voice was very comforting. She felt whatever held her tighten.
She managed to open her eyes, staring at the chest of whoever was holding her. Her head felt heavy, but she managed to see it was the man from the bridge, who had helped her from the knights. He was carrying her, walking briskly down the street.
Her stare caught his attention, and he gave her a smile. "I've got you," he assured.
Maria blinked against his chest, relaxing in his arms.
She had been playing the violin on the street corner for a few hours, even performing with the travelling group of jazz musicians throughout the streets of Pete De Paris. She recalled people dancing, chanting along and overall enjoying themselves until those strangely dressed men parted the crowd in search of her. They appeared very determined, and, more frighteningly, knew who she was. The jazz band had thrown themselves in their path, so she could flee. Maria had never been so scared.
But she didn't anymore.
She felt like she was finally able to breathe in the arms of this stranger.
Maria lifted her chin and saw the little girl walking beside the man examining the violin. She way she handled it was delicate, but Maria wished she would leave it alone.
"Do you think I could play the violin, Raphael?" the girl pondered holding it properly, she started miming the motion of playing.
"Perhaps we stick to piano for the moment, Ann," Raphael replied, "That's the only thing I know how to play."
Ann tucked the violin under her arm and the pair continued to walk in silence. Maria tried to figure out where she was with the few glances she made, as the walk continued her mind became less foggy, and she began to feel better.
"I…" Raphael looked down to her, "I think I can walk now." Her assurance seemed meek.
But the boy nodded, "Alright." He gently dropped her legs and aided her balance as she stood up. Her body felt numb, and she was plagued with a dizzy spell. She grabbed Raphael for balance as she pressed a hand to her head. "Are you okay?" Raphael rested a hand against her back, which Maria relied on heavily.
Eventually, she managed to dismiss him. "Don't fuss, I'm fine." She stood on her own and took a deep breath. She felt the aftermath of her panic settle into her chest, making it feel tight, but she was determined not to show it as she smiled to them. "Thank you. Truly," she said looking from Raphael to who she thought was Ann. "I had been running for a long time before I even found someone. Those… people were relentless."
Ann offered her the violin back. "They were scary," she admitted, "And very rude. I didn't much care for them." The little girl was speaking to Raphael, who laughed. "I don't think I want to be a knight anymore." Ann pouted as she folded her arms.
"What will you be then?" Raphael countered.
"Not a princess!" Ann seemed very firm about this.
It gave Raphael a good laugh, Maria couldn't stop a smile.
"Listen," Raphael appeared to become serious, "I know you don't know us, and under any other circumstances, I wouldn't be bold in offering this. But it's very late at night, and there are some… strange men following."
"Very strange," Ann added.
"Stay with us for the night, at least until it's morning and we know it's safe for you," Raphael informed.
Maria was at a loss for words. The little girl held her hand and smiled up to her, "We insist, Maria."
Maria still wasn't sure.
And Raphael seemed to notice this and added, "I'll walk you back to the church first daylight. Promise." He held a hand to his heart, and the other up, like one does when swearing an oath.
Maria's eyebrows furrowed, but then she recalled their conversation on the street corner. "Raphael? Right?"
He beamed a smile and tilted his hat, "At your service, Miss Maria."
Maria found Raphael charming but knew to be cautious around strangers, even those with a pretty face. She looked around the dark streets of Paris, in the night time she couldn't tell where she was. The streets seemed so gloomy, like another world.
Maria sighed, admitting she would feel safer with them than attempting to make it back to the church. "But the Sisters are going to be so worried. They would've expected me hours ago."
Ann shrugged, "I'm sure they'll understand if you explain to them what happened," she replied. She got a strange looked from Maria, so she giggled. "What? They won't believe you got chased by Grande Armée dressed knights?"
Maria noted the sarcasm and smiled, "I'm inclined to think not."
"Oh, where's their imagination?" Ann stared to the sky and did a twirl.
Raphael chuckled along with the girls and gave a nod, "It's settled then, you'll stay with us until morning."