章 39: She Hides in Plain Sight
Jasmine hurried to the audience hall to explain what happened earlier to King Zephron and Queen Emeline. After briefly filling them in, Jasmine left the castle, the carriage proceeding at the fastest pace possible.
Thus, the order soon went out to the castle guards that the Prince was to be detained at all costs, but the order arrived all too late, for the two people had already left the castle.
Robin, of course, was quite proficient in parkour. She had learned it once when she was asked to join as part of a real life Assassins Cre*d movie created by several rich expert YouTube vloggers.
So, getting off the castle roof had been merely a matter of jumping and rebounding off the wall onto a nearby flagpole, riding down the long banner to the ground, and rolling to decrease the residual force of the impact.
She looked up to check the rooftop behind her and blinked in surprise. Prince Christian had just arrived at the edge, staring down at Robin. Not to be deterred by a mere one hundred feet of height, he was determined to follow Robin everywhere.
"Don't you dare try it!" She yelled in warning. But, even before she finished, he had leapt.
Robin kicked the stopper off a wagonload of hay nearby, and it rolled under the Prince at just the right moment to ensure that he didn't break both his blasted legs, or die. She didn't want to kill the man, after all.
But, then again, she wasn't going to stick around for him to capture her either. She took off in the opposite direction that the hay cart was rolling in.
Christian struggled against the spongy hay, trying to roll out of the cart. There was no need to struggle, though. He fell out when the carriage smacked into the tower it had been aiming towards. Of course, the tumble didn't do much to deter Christian from pursuing Robin.
"He saved my life, so, obviously he cares a lot about me." was Christian's love-warped thoughts. "He was just probably far too shy to say anything. How overwhelmingly adorable!"
So, now with cuts on his hands and a bump on his head, Christian continued to doggedly pursue Robin.
If she stayed within the castle, Christian might use the guards to deter her. Therefore, she placed her mask on her head, and ran to the stables, quickly mounting an already saddled horse.
"Apologies! I need to borrow this!" She yelled to the nearby stable-boy, as she rode it at a canter towards the side gates.
"Open the gates! I need to leave immediately!" She told the guards. Since she was the Hero, the guards saw no reason not to comply. She also instructed the guard. "Under no circumstances are you to allow the Prince to follow me. Do you hear? Don't let him through for any reason whatsoever! And Don't let him know that I left!"
Then she yelled, urging her horse to head away from the castle at a quick canter.
Obviously, her fears were well founded, for only minutes after she rode off, Christian appeared at the gates, riding on his personal white stallion.
"Did Hero Robin come this way?!" Christian asked, predictably. The guards looked at each other and one of them asked.
"Sir? Why would the Hero come out the servants entrance? Wouldn't he be headed for the front gate if he were to go out?"
It was a smart move, to be sure. While the guard didn't say yes or no, asking such a question implied that it made no sense for the Hero to head to that gate. Moreover, it redirected the Prince's attention away from them, towards the front of the castle.
"That's a really good question." Christian nodded. "I'll go ask the men at the front, then." He turned the stallion around and cantered off. The guards at the gates all drew a collective sigh of relief.
But none of them realized that the guards at the front gates had not yet gotten the message not to let him out.
Christian didn't even ask about the hero to the guards at the front gates. He just ordered them to open them, and let him out. In his love-stricken madness, he had already guessed that Robin had gone out the back way.
Therefore, when he was outside the castle walls, he first paused before the pristine scenery.
"Let the news go out. Hero Robin has gone forth from the castle. He wears a brown feathered mask, and rides on a brown mare. Whoever finds him first shall be rewarded handsomely."
At this, the ears of all of Hero Robin's hidden stalkers were tickled pink. And at that moment, about a hundred people emerged from their hiding places about the front gates, and ran off to spread the news.
Christian chuckled. "This time, you won't be able to escape me so easily, Robin~"
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A cold shiver ran down Robin's spine.
"Ugh! It feels like something unpleasant is going to happen." Robin shuddered as she gave the horse to a guard at the front gates. After all, she only had to hide out in the capital for an hour or so. It should be relatively easy.
Moreover, if she went too far out, it might take longer for them to return to the castle in time for Jasmine to dispell Christian's 'lovesick' affliction.
Thus, she could only bide her time in the capital. The horse would rest at the city gates until it was time to return.
"Ah, that's right. Can I borrow an empty room and a mirror? I have been tasked to observe a certain area covertly, so I need to disguise myself." Robin asked.
"By all means, please use the guard house." The guard nodded.
Robin raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Without a magic eye?" She asked.
"Er...the second room to the right should meet your requirements." The guard guiltily looked away. After all, who wouldn't want to know what the Hero looked like under that mask?
"I see. I'll take your word for it." She entered the room.
After about fifteen minutes, the guard knocked on the door.
"Hero Robin? Are you done?"
The door was unlocked, and he opened it a crack to peek into the room. Then he threw the door open fully, as he stared at the curtains fluttering in the breeze from the opened window. Hero Robin had vanished.
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Robin had not done much to disguise herself. All she did was to change her tunic to one that was a blue shade of grey, take her mask off, and comb her hair into a style that mostly covered her face. She also placed the Hero's sword in her magic bag. That thing was a dead giveaway. Then she left the guards house from the window to prevent her identity leaking.
Now she strolled leisurely through the streets, as if she were a young nobleman, window shopping. After all, she had only been here for five days. And no one in the city knew her real face. So, she truly was safe at the moment. She also kept to the smaller roads, where it was difficult to ride a horse through.
While she was 'window shopping' at a small roadside stall selling jewelry, a large group of men rushed by.
"Hmm? Hey, what's going on?" She grabbed one of the trailing men, and asked.
"It's the Hero! The Hero's out hiding around somewhere in the city. Prince Christian is offering a reward for anyone who can find 'em. We are looking for a person wearing a brown feathered mask, and riding a brown mare."
"Gadzooks, is that true!?" Robin exclaimed with an incredulous expression.
"If it wasn't, would money be involved? I'm not sure how much, but I was assured the fee would be quite handsome." The man said.
"Is that so…" Robin said with a frown.
'You are very clever, Christian. But it looks like you are not clever enough. It looks like I shall have to teach you a lesson.' Robin decided with a grin.
"Then, I have splendid news for you!" She clapped the man on the back.
"A person bearing that very description rode by on the way to the front gates. Almost ran me over, he did! If you hurry, you might catch him!" Robin said in a friendly manner.
"What!? Is that true!?"
"Why, sure it's true! Anyone on this route can testify it on account of the reckless speed they were riding through. I'm scared stiff of the main roads now, which is why I'm over here."
"I've got to go, then! Thank you!" the runner hurried off.
"No problem! I hope you find him!" Robin called as she waved at him, then returned to perusing the stall.
"Now, how much is this one?" She pointed to a pair of glass earrings.
"That one? It's two coppers."
"...do you have any change for a silver?" She sighed.
クリエイターの想い 
BriarRose
BriarRose Ahem! Author-san here~. Please let me know what you think of my story, comment below, or write a review.
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