Dan's POV
Dan's conversation with Kamar about the people close to them being in danger too came to mind. If his brother or any of the nobles he'd pissed off in the last several years found out about his commoner friend and how important she was to him… Well, they could get away with killing a commoner far too easily.
"No one can know you are my friend," he warned aloud and to himself, he wondered if it would be best not to tell her who he was either, he couldn't afford those parts of his life getting tangled and Vera paying the price for it.
"It's a little late for that now, don't you think, half the town knows you and I are friends."
"I should be a lot more careful about going out then."
"Dan, what's this about?" She asked worriedly.
"The person who tried to have me killed would likely go after you too if they find out you are my friend."
"Good, let them at me, and I'll teach them to regret even thinking bad thoughts towards you and make them beg for forgiveness and their life before finally allowing them to meet their maker." she said in a sinister mix of rage and glee that somehow made him feel warm and comfortable.
"No, you can't fight them." he argued trying to be the voice of reason. "I can't fight him and win. And you, well, you would be executed if you ever tried."
"Just who is trying to Kill you?" she demanded.
"The crown prince… I think."
Her eyebrows raised. "The Crown prince? Why? All you've ever done is help this kingdom… through your ideas have cut the profits of several territories... but those were profits gained by corrupt means. Though... it's his brother making the policy changes… and the people are growing to love the second prince far more and question Alexander's right to the throne. He can't kill his brother... Did he find out you're the one giving him all the ideas and decide to take it out on you? She Theorized. "What are we going to do about it?"
"We?" he asked his head still reeling from her deductive reasoning and his guilt. sometimes he just wished she'd figure it out on her own, she was plenty smart enough, yet she couldn't fathom that he was anything other than what he said he was... she trusted him, but he didn't deserve it.
"Yes, we! I won't just let him get away with trying to kill my best friend; Prince or not." She said determinedly.
He sighed. "Nothing. We do nothing," he said sternly.
Vera was quiet for a while. "Is this what you wanted to tell me the other day?" she asked breaking his thoughts.
"No" he replied automatically before realizing he could have just said yes. If she found out now, she'd either try to kill the crown prince to keep him safe or help his brother kill him in her anger. And would she be calm and rational enough to keep the knowledge to herself? the last thing he wanted was for his lies to result in her being targeted.
"So, something else is troubling you on top of all this?" she asked incredulously. "Okay, lay it on me."
He thought for a long moment and a truly horrible and despicable idea came to mind but he was talking before he could hold back. the temptation for her advice he'd always leaned on too much for his pathetic cowardly brain to resist...
"Well… there is this girl I like but she doesn't really know who I am. We kind of met under faults pretenses as I was pretending to be someone I'm not and I was thinking of confessing everything and hoping she wouldn't hate me for lying. But now if the crown prince were to find out how I feel about her, she could be in danger too."
"Huh, that is messy, why did you lie to her?" she asked.
"I… I was embarrassed about who I was."
"Well, that's stupid." She said simply and he smiled.
"That crown prince guy seems to be a growing problem for you. Are you sure we can't take him out?"
Dan sputtered "As in kill him?" he whisper-hissed, "That is treason you know, and that would make the second prince in line for the throne." he could feel panic grip his heart at the simple thought of becoming crown prince. He was hated by the majority of nobility, that would never work and he'd be even more trapped in that fancy prison than he'd ever been.
"What's so bad about that? He's a better fit anyway and the people like him because he's done a lot more than the current heir."
"But, but he doesn't want to be king." He sputtered.
"Well, that's a shame."
"Don't even joke about that," he demanded. It was treasonous and she could end up in danger if she said that within hearing distance of the wrong person.
She just shrugged as if it were nothing. "Well then… does this girl really like YOU or the fake you?"
"I… I don't know, she's never shown interest in me that way before."
"Then don't waste your time on that girl," she said like a punch to his gut.
"If she can't see how great you are now, she's not worth the effort." his gut twisted with guilt and shame for deceiving her, he wasn't as great as she thought; he was a liar. And even while saying those things she didn't seem to harbor any romantic feelings towards him and that hurt; even if it had no right to.
"And if you care about her like you say you do," she continued piling on the guilt. "Then you shouldn't put her in danger for nothing. I'm sure you'll find someone someday who will like you for you," she said comfortingly yet the words provided no comfort.
"Then you can see if they are willing to risk their life to be with you." she added jokingly, "Or you can leave the royal drama behind entirely and travel with me." She said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.
He yearned to follow her away from the drama of his life to spend every day freely by her side traveling and experiencing new things. To watch her face light up with wonder at all the sights and learn all sorts of new things they could discuss each night by the fire. He smiled at the mental image and hoped he could make it so... someday...
"Then you'll get to meet lots more girls and none of them will be in danger just from your liking them," she added dousing his daydream like a candle flame under a bucket of water.
"I wish I could, but I can't leave, at least not yet," he said with a deep sigh. "I have to help prevent two potential wars. Then maybe I can find a replacement and go with you."
"Is that all?" she asked rolling her eyes, and they both laughed.
"If there's ever anything I can do to help, let me know. I will face that conniving jerk of a prince for you if need be and if the second prince won't take his place, then maybe we lead a revolution to make the princess the ruler with the reclusive second prince as the advisor or some such if he's willing. I'm sure Mark would gladly help us, maybe even Bret."
He huffed. "She probably would do better than Alexander, but no more talk of treason. Promise me."
"Fine, I won't if you don't."
"You better get going the sun will be setting soon and your dad will be mad if you're not back by then," he said pointing out the window to the softening pink sky. The one window let in light for the officers to study battle maps and such during the day, so they didn't have to waste candles as they were now. he'd have to snuff them out before it got too dark, and the light could potentially be seen from the palace grounds and investigated.
"Are you sleeping here?" she asked.
"Yeah, I am not ready to go back yet, and I feel safer here." she placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and gave a sad look of understanding.
"Ok, will you be here tomorrow?" she asked as they left the office to go to the archer's hall and the damaged arrow slit they used as an entrance.
"I'm not sure, I hope so."
With that Vera nodded and slid down the rope and ran home. Dan watched sadly as she disappeared before pulling up the rope. She was right, it was a mess. And he had no idea how to fix it.