"Running is all I have been doing for the past few years"
"And that ended two days ago. Why?"
"Well… can't you see? You caught me."
"You've been able to hide for ten years. Not to mention that you've escaped many before me. The way you got caught was too easy"
"Maybe…"
"What are you planning this time?"
"Who knows? My feet have given up from all the running"
"So you're only taking a break…"
"True"
"Why now? Why at this time?"
"What could you mean? I don't choose when my feet get tired. They do"
To make her point, she puts her feet on the table. The investigator, Charles Helm, raises his eyebrow at her not-lady-like posture.
"Got any more questions four eyes?"
"Only the one. Are you ready to face him yet?"
Scoffing she says, "Please. As if he'd show his high maintenance ass to this crappy place"
As if on signal, the door opens with a creek sound.
"My high maintenance ass huh?"
She shocks on air the instant she hears the newly arrived and her eyes widen. She fights the urge to look at him.
"Surprised are we?"
"Well, you made her speechless. That won't help in the interrogation."
"She won't talk anyways."
A moment of silence passes by before Charles speaks.
"I'm going to leave you two for a moment. Try not to kill each other." With that he exists the room leaving the elegant prince with the hard-headed fugitive.
"I'm glad you're okay," the prince says in a soft voice.
No reply
"Sorry you had to go through this" he continues
No reply
"Are you going to stay silent?" he questions wanting to hear her voice. He starts to pronounce her name.
"Don't you dare say my name" she snaps at him, "you lost the right to be so familiar with me, your Highness". The fugitive spits his title venomously causing chills to run down his spine.
Silence fills the air again, but this time it's awkward. Heaving a sigh, the prince takes a seat in the chair at the corner of the room. "Will you at least look at me?"
No reply.
At least, I got to hear her voice… even though what came out of her mouth wasn't very pleasant, he thinks to himself as his eyes fixate on her figure.
Her once long wavy hair has turned into a failed attempt at a pixie bob. The eyes that he once craved for have been reduced to one. Her right eye is covered with a worn out eyepatch whereas her left eye has lost its brilliance.
Before the prince is able to process her changes more, she snaps at him, "QUIT STARING YOU PERVERT!"
A laugh rumbles through his chest, "first my high maintenance ass and now I'm a pervert? What else you got in store?" he taunts her. And she falls for it.
"Hmm let's see," she begins, "wait, I don't need to think about it. There's idiot, loser"
"So far so good" he says as she goes on
"Jerk"
The prince turns silent.
"Liar and for the grand finale, traitor" she finishes with a mocking smile.
When she gets no reply, she makes the mistake of looking at him. His face covered by a shadow indicates, per her experience, that she crossed a line. If it were like before, guilt would have eaten her and pushed her to apologize. However, with how things are now, she couldn't care less.
"Don't act oh-so-heartbroken. You should have seen it coming when you asked for my stock of nicknames," she says bluntly and turns her gaze elsewhere.
The prince mumbles "yeah" but it goes unheard by the opposing party. He leans back in his chair and hangs his head backwards. "I see you've changed," he says trying to keep the conversation going, "they call you night walker now".
"True," she replies.
"That's a cool name," he mutters to himself but this time it doesn't go unheard.
Instead of thanking him, the words that come out of her mouth are "Quit trying to make small talks with me. It's pathetic".
"Right, my apologies" he adjusts his way of sitting into a more comfortable one. "Night walker" the prince finishes his sentence and smiles smugly.
"Son of a-" she begins but is interrupted by Charles' return.
"Mind your language in the presence of his highness" he scolds her as if she's a child.
"Mind your language in the presence of his highness" she repeats the phrase mockingly earning a well-deserved glare from Charles.
"Thank your lucky stars you won't be staying in prison." Charles says in a professional manner.
"Why not? I'm a fugitive" she air-quotes the last word.
"Because you're returning to the capital with his Highness." He explains
"WHAT?! THERE'S NO WAY I'M RETURNING TO THAT HELL HOLE. I'D RATHER DIE". Night walker objects.
"It's not your decision to make," Charles argues back, "the crown has been pursuing you ever since you fled"
"I didn't ask 'the crown' to pursue me. And I for hell didn't escape without my reasons!"
"You can explain your reasons when you are given audience with his majesty".
Night walker laughs mockingly, "His majesty won't care for my reasons and you both know that."
"That's not true. Father was worried when you fled" the prince intervenes
"That's a load of crap. My…." She stops realizing what she was about to say would raise more questions.
Catching her hesitation, the prince and the investigator exchange a brief look before the prince begins to speak again.
"We will keep your return a secret until you're granted audience with his majesty" he proposes.
"Who are 'we'?" she sighs and asks.
"Charles, mother, father, my private secretary and personal guard and me," he counts them making sure he got them all.
"So my old folks don't know" she looks at him, making strong eye contact with him for the first time since they were reunited.
Looking her back in the eye, he replies with a no. Charles expresses his agreement on the prince's offer and questions night walker, "what do you say?"
She grunts, puts her feet down, stands up and hold her restrained hands in front of her, "on two conditions, these" she wiggles her hands together making the handcuffs clatter, "are coming off as soon as I step outside this crappy room."
"What's the second condition?" the prince asks.
"I want to see someone."
"And who might that be?" Charles asks
"My mother"
Both men share a look that makes night walker wonder, "What?"
"Night walker… I don't know how to say this" the prince begins. He places his hand on the back of his neck and lets out a breath. "Your mother… she has been…"
After hearing what he said, night walker's eye widen, her body starts trembling. She manages to get one word out, "how?"