Two days after Alrossia's escape to the palace, she had gone so much further than what the palace guards have thought of. Residing in a small inn of a secluded town, she had promised to herself that she would never allow the King to find her. She will escape as many times she wants no matter what her consequences would be.
Knock! Knock!
Alrossia immediately spun herself towards the wooden door. Surely no palace guards have tracked her down yet, right?
She slowly opened the doorknob.
"Hello!"
A beautiful woman appears before her doorstep with her husband. The man took off his straw hat and the couple smiled gently at Alrossia.
"I heard that you sold pieces of jewelry."
Alrossia replied, "H-How did you?"
"The innkeeper has told us. She's my sister." The woman whispered.
Alrossia sighed. "Please come in."
The couple entered Alrossia's inn room and sat on the nearby wooden chairs. She calmed herself down.
'Ooh, that innkeeper! She sure knows how to put other people in exposure!' she thought.
The innkeeper was the only person in town who she had told about her job. She had told her that she was a jewel merchant and the only thing she could pay her was a small chunk of ruby.
Of course, the innkeeper accepted the gemstone since it coated more than the normal fee of the inn. Alrossia had no penny to exchange with.
But the nerve of that woman to share a private job was ridiculous! At this rate, she might be close to her doom!
"What kind of stone do you find fancy, may I ask?"
The couple immediately blushed. "Well, we decided to marry each other on the 5th. I was hoping if you can offer us a matching ring."
Alrossia smiled.
"You guys are getting married, you are so lucky to find each other!"
The couple chuckled.
Alrossia took her purse. She only had a few chunks of rubies and a small chunk of amethyst left. She then looked gently at the couple with soft eyes.
"It may take a few minutes. Oh right, please try on these measures."
She took a pouch with different sizes of jewelry. Rings were the most abundant. The couple looked at her with concerned faces.
"T-These are too precious, we cannot afford to touch these with our bare fingers ma'am."
"Oh no, it's alright." she encourages. "You may try them on. Unfortunately, I only have rubies left to match you. My amethyst is too small."
The couple was surprised. "A-A ruby you say?"
The looks on their face became apologetic. "D-Do you offer a different mere stone?"
She smiled at them. "Do not worry about the payment, sir."
The couple teared up as they rummaged through the pouch and happily tried on the different sample sizes of wedding rings.
She couldn't help but smile at them. "I wish I had someone like that too." she murmured to herself.
Alrossia worked for the couple and gave the wedding rings free of price. The tears the couple had after being given the opportunity to receive such a sacred matrimonial vessel was touching.
The couple bid her goodbye and Alrossia did too. She watched them from the window as they leave the inn's front yard.
The couple exchanged laughter and tears as they both raised their arms to the air, looking at their matching rings. She saw the compassion and dream from their eyes as they sparkled.
Alrossia was more than happy to be a part of their happiness.
The feeling of happiness inside her was immense. She jumped up and down on her feeble mattress and squealed.
The happiness she felt being free and making other people smile was amazing.
She wore a very big smile, until she leaned out to close the window.
Outside, she heard galloping of horses. Chills immediately struck her body as she recognizes the male with the green cape.
"Uh-oh."
She grabbed her purse and all her belongings and then leaped towards the opposite window. She fell hard into the thick bushes and immediately stood up and ran away.
From the distance, a palace guard notices her presence. "Captain! She is here!"
The Captain glanced at the sentry and then led his horse towards Alrossia. "Quickly, seize her!"
Alrossia jumped and ran. She did not stop even if her feet were worn out. She made her way into the town's market where a few farmers and fishermen were exchanging goods.
"Arrest her!"
A confused face was plastered on young Alrossia as the palace guards rush to seize her. She was tackled onto the dirty grass and the people around her looked at her horrifyingly.
The peasant woman was not able to react quickly as the Captain of the Palace Guards reaches for her lowly purse and rips them into shreds with his sharp lance.
A few dozens of jewels fall to the ground and the people watched in awe as the Captain stepped on the rubies, but picked a tiny piece of topaz.
"Lord Chisthalmagne's ring."
Alrossia struggled, and before she knew it, the spear's shaft was already near her throat.
"It's her, Alrossia the Jewel Trader. Bring her to the courtroom."
The captain then faced the people who were stopping themselves from helping her. The carpenters wanted to punch the guards for harassing one, little girl.
Alrossia reached for the purse, but before her scarred fingers could reach the strap, she was knocked into the ground and her vision started to fade.
The Captain looked at the peasants. "This woman is a thief. She will be judged by the palace accordingly. I suggest you throw away whichever attachment you have made with this woman."
"She is just a merchant isn't she?! Why are you doing this to her?" a civilian yelled.
The captain rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"She's just making a living like one of us!"
The Captain raised his lance against them. The people gasped and dropped their products to the muddy floor.
"This woman's jewels belong to Lord Chisthalmagne. She had run out of the palace in an attempt to rob these stones."
The people said no more.
The next thing Alrossia knew was the cold water splashing her face and the fourteen spears around her exhausted body. She raised her head up, weakly only to see the male that she had never thought to meet again.
His cold, unforgiving eyes met hers and she immediately froze in fear.
"Long time no see, Alrossia. I heard you were rather skittish and left the fort in an attempt to escape."
Her legs trembled and balls of sweat formed on her forehead as she terrifyingly gazes at the aristocrat on the golden throne, adorned with hundreds of jewels and a glass of wine on his gloved hands.
The male's sunset hues focused on her's and she had never experienced such fear as he raised his fingers, commanding the guards to leave.
Alrossia was frozen in fear and looked away. She did not dare stare at the man before her eyes.
When the doors started to close, the male stood up. Her body stiffened when she felt his fingers lift her chin. Fear was evident in her body.
"My Lord," she cried.
"I have lost count of how much times I have told you this, peasant."
Tears streamed from her eyes as his piercing, cold eyes slices her very pride.
"You are sold to me. So give up running."