Anette lolled on the low roof of the towns hall, surveying the bustling market below. The streets were brimmed with vendors trying to sell their goods and she was having trouble deciding what to eat for breakfast.
The competition between the loaf of bread on the edge of the bakers cart and the bag of apples that had rolled right off the farmers wagon was strong. She could take both if she wanted to but the prospect seem too intimidating for her hunger stricken body. Annette finally settled on the apples and shimmed down a drainpipe, landing lightly in a dark alley.
The second her feet touched the ground however, the cold blade of a knife pressed against her neck- hard. So hard, a trickle of blood cascaded down her neck and dripped into her stomach.
She smelt the man before she could see him, the suffocating scent of sweat and smoke filled her lungs and her eyes began to water at his sour stench.
"You thought you could out run me?" He rasped and in different situation, Anette blood would've ran cold but all she could now was gag at his foul odour.
"Would you blame for it? Forget your money Licky, your stink alone is enough reason for me to evade you." Her voice was calm with a twinge of amusement but Annette's mind was running at the speed of light, searching for an escape.
Her hands began to tremble and her eyes flickered around the cobbled walls of the alley in panicked frenzy. Sense were heightened and feet were screaming at her to run but she needed to get out of the chokehold first.
"Where is my money you dirty scumbag? You tricked me, you little deceitful witch." Licky spat, his wart filled face seething in fury.
"I've got it, I've got it." Annette cried.
"Give it to me, now." Licky held out a hand before her from behind and Annette gulped, thinking quick.
"It is here," she told him nervously. "Just behind those barrels."
There was no money behind the barrels of course, Annette hadn't seen a copper coin in weeks but Licky didn't need to know that.
"Then get it." He snarled.
"Well let me go at least, I won't run, I promise, I meant to give you your money days ago, I forgot."
Annette could hear the gears running in Lickys mind, he wasn't the brightest candle in the draw but he wasn't exactly slow. After a moment of tense silence, he withdrew the dagger from her neck and she jumped back from him. Touching her throat gently to see her fingers covered in blood.
"That's hideous little troll," she thought to herself.
"What are you waiting for? Get me my money." He pointed the blade at her chest and nodded his head towards the barrels.
"Of course, let me just get you your—" she started forward but in flash, whirled around and spirited out the alleyway and into the market.
She heard him roar behind her and the sounds of his boots splashing into grimy puddles. This was going to be fun.
She darted into the crowd, dancing round a crowd of children and squeezing past a group of shrieking hagglers. Licky wasn't far off behind her, he was a block of solid wood, hurling anyone that came in path to the side, leaving a trail of demolition and chaos behind him.
Annette quickened her pace and gave up completely on any decency, she was going to be dead if she tried to be polite. Tucking her shirt into her pants and sliding her dagger firmly to the side, she began to bolt down the narrow, stony streets. Leaping over crates of vegetables, throwing wheelbarrows filled with plates and jugs out her way. She skidded round a corner and came crashing into a guardian who caught her just before she fell to the ground.
"You alright?" He asked her, green eyes wide in concern.
She laughed and patted his cheek, "Bless your heart." She told him before hurtling down the street.
Licky charged round and Valancy scampered up a bridge, whizzing past the pedestrians so fast that they all seem to merge together into the mesh of greys and browns but not fast enough. Licky seemed as though he was gifted by the gods, like a spawn of Hermes himself. That man was on her heels and she knew she couldn't out run him. So screwing her eyes shut and praying for the best, she vaulted over the bridges railings and onto the street below.
The life was cleanly knocked out of her when she slammed onto the top of carriage, narrowing missing the spikes on either corner of the dark golden roof.
She almost slid off the curved structure and clung to her dear life as the horse galloped down the winding roads, flying over gutters and rubbish that littered the streets. Annette looked up blearily, her entire being aching in agony and saw Licky standing on the bridge, shaking his head as he stared at her disappear into the hazy distance.
She held up a weary middle finger and grinned, "maybe next time Licky," she yelled out, "or never!"
Licky jammed his danger into his belt, scorching eyes glaring at her from a brief moment before turning away.
Annette shifted to her back and groaned in pain, breathing heavily as she lay sprawled on the carriage roof. She thought she was finally out of harms way but then a golden head pocked out of the carriages window and stared up at her in surprise.
They stared at each other in silence, wind caressing their cheeks, tugging at their hair. Annette mind was fire, she sat up, griping the rails tightly and peered closely at the carriage she was sitting on. It was the royal carriage.
"Well," -she licked her lips nervously, smiling down at the confused face of the prince- "last time I saw you was when you were a child your highness."
"Indeed?" The princes voice was deep and mellow, sending shivers down her back, "I don't recall."
"It during the queens birthday, you did parades in the streets, I remember clearly." She squinted at him, "you look exactly how I imagine."
"Is that so?" The prince replied with small smile, eyebrow raised in amusement.
The carriage suddenly ran over a hole in the ground and Annette was throw forward. She tumbled off the carriage, hanging off the edge with her hand gripping the bar on top.
Their faces were inches away from each other now. Annette clinging desperately to the carriage whilst the prince blinked, stupefied.
"Guess it's time for me to get going your highness." She prepared herself to jump off but the prince reached out and grabbed her arm.
"Why don't I give you a ride?" He asked.
Annette stared at him, his eyes like pools of honey, golden curls like a crown in his head, lit up by the rising sun. The soft smile on his face, the jaw cut from ice. Her heart fluttered and she squealed inwardly.
"How could I refuse?"