Silence was golden. But, seeing the upper crust left dumbstruck was priceless. At least one person, however, managed to keep his wits about him.
"W-Well! It seems I was mistaken!"
Chibi squeaked as her wrist was seized. The announcer gave his best, award-winning smile, as he raised her hand high for all to see.
"My Lords, I give you your champion!"
Skeptical glances were shared around. A girl like this wasn't typically the acceptable winner of anything, much less, the first royal tournament in nearly twenty years. The whole affair seemed downright scandalous!
But, the life of a noble could be painfully dull; and what could possibly spice up conversations more, than an upset like this? A pocket-sized girl, one hundred pounds soak and wet, had taken down the two favorites! They couldn't possibly pass up such juicy gossip!
As if stumbling upon the same thought, the lords and ladies of Evergreen all rose to their feet. The quiet was filled up with thunderous applause. It bounced off the walls, rushing down over Chibi like the crash of a waterfall. Her lips parted, but nothing came out; it was her turn to be speechless.
There were so many people. And they were all so happy to see her! It didn't make any sense to the thief. But, slowly, she let go of the mace. It fell to the ground, burying itself in the sand, as her hand thrust up to join the first. The crowd's cheers got even louder as Chibi claimed her victory, basking in this all-important, life-changing moment-!
Where did all the noise go? The girl blinked in confusion, before scanning the audience. She followed their gazes to a lone figure that had descended into the arena. The large man's silhouette glided gracefully over the sand; as if sinking in was merely a suggestion that the stranger ignored.
The blood-soaked battlefield paled in comparison to the ruddy ponytail hanging loosely down his back. It was a striking feature. But, quickly forgotten as the girl found herself pinned by the most intense pair of hazel eyes she had ever seen. As the kaleidoscopes flicked over her quivering form, it felt like they could see everything. Where she had come from. And where she was going. In Chibi's mind, this was not just a man; this was a force of nature. After a few moments, a sneer parted his five o'clock shadow.
"No. This is not our champion."
His armor caught the light of the fading sun as he turned his back on her.
"Have her removed from the arena."
"O-Of course, Sir Reim! Right away! Guards! Guards!"
The armored doors flew open to reveal the extent of her bad luck; behind them was none other than Sir Reginald Fairdale. The captain gave a self-satisfied smirk.
"Seize her."
Chibi panicked as hundreds of knights poured in. She darted in every direction, using every trick she knew. But, there was no use. You couldn't outrun a flood. Dozens of hands latched onto her. The girl yelped as their grips tightened, punishingly.
"You're not getting away this time, little thief."
Big tears streaked down Chibi's face, as she was dragged toward the door and the inevitable cell waiting for her down below in the darkness.
"I-I just wanted some bread! I'd pay for it, if I could! Really, I would! Please don't take me away-!"
"Stop."
The voice was calm. But, it seemed to have a mysterious power; the knights immediately froze in place like they had been turned to stone. Her eyes landed on the owner of that unique tone, as they stepped out of the shadows.
The young man was the picture of elegance. A cape flowed off his right shoulder, the red fabric billowing in the wind. It contrasted sharply with his cloud-white suit, expertly trimmed with scarlet, black and gold. Blue eyes shimmered like jewels, framed by the feathery, blond locks that crowned his head; but, that wasn't the only thing that did.
He's... He's got a crown! A real one! B-But, that means-
"Release her."
As the guards let go and took a wide step back, Reim shot the royal a look; one that was as exhausted, as it was disappointed.
"You aren't serious, Prince. That's not a fighter-"
"Let's not be hasty, Reim. She did win the tournament, after all. Besides-"
The Prince sauntered toward her, stopping when he was only a foot away.
"I find this twist of fate... Interesting."
The two stared at each other for the longest time. Chibi had no way of knowing what this man was thinking; the Prince's gaze was guarded and cryptic. But, maybe he was just as curious about her, as she was about him. No one from the Rookery had ever been this close to a royal, after all.
Stories liked to fly about the upper class in the poorest part of the capital; one more outlandish than the next. A tale was told from time to time that they weren't really humans, at all. Just a group of old gods wearing the ill-fitting skin they had stolen from real people.
But, the one that always stuck out to Chibi was how familiar faces went missing on her side of town because they were taken; taken somewhere far away... and eaten. If there was a modicum of truth to any of these rumors, the thief would have been well within her rights to be terrified of being this close to one of them. Because if the rumors were true, the noblemen were monsters.
But, that wasn't Chibi's first thought about the Prince. Instead, all she could do was tilt her head at a sudden, curious realization; one that could only be appreciated by someone forced to daily face a world where everyone and everything in it was so much bigger and scarier.
He's... Kinda small! Like me.