One On One- daz and lacuna;

[vixen;]

Roya
She glared at the immature boy, seeing him now as he was. Immature, shallow, and judgmental. She hated him now, which she didn't like to say. But she did. She looked at him, her glare now filled with fury. She pulled her hand back, then slapped him. She bit her lip again then stormed down the alleyway. She turned the corner, her cloak flying behind her. She walked down the market street, drawing attention. She stopped as a doll fell in front of her. She looked down at the doll, thoroughly surprised. She reached down, and picked up the doll. She held it in her hand, studied it as she turned it over in her hand. She froze as she felt a tug on her dress. She looked down, seeing a little girl. Roya stared at the child in shock. The child held her hand out to the doll. "Yes. Of course, here." She said hurriedly, handing the doll back to the girl. She smile at the child before continuing down the street. She turned, looking back at the girl. The child waved at her. Roya waved back at the child, staying at the end of the street until the girl's mother got the child.

Roya turned around the corner of the building, pulling the hood of her cloak farther down her face. A cart moved down the road, an old man was driving the mule. Roya approached the cart, asking to be let onto the cart. The old man let her on, smiling at her. The hood slid down her face, making to where her feature were visible. One look. And she was off that cart. The old man shouted at Roya as she hurried away from the cart, pulling the hood farther over her face. She walked down the road farther, trying to get away from the village. She walked down the road, the woods were all she saw as she walked. Roya finally took the hood off, looking around her. She sighed, stopping for a moment before continuing.

She heard the cart coming from behind her, Roya pulled the hood over her head, pulling it farther down her face. The driver slowed the cart, the two horses tossing their heads in protest. Roya looked up at the driver as he offered her travel. She accepted, and was soon sitting beside the driver. Neither of them talked, the driver tried to start a conversation a few times, but Roya refused to respond. She looked down at her shoes, staring at the leather boots.

Hours passed of painfully awkward silence. Roya had fallen asleep around hour number three. A jolt from the cart woke her up as they came into another village. She thanked the driver, careful to keep her face hidden. The driver handed her a few coins, and Roya smiled. She looked at the driver, keeping her face concealed. "Thank you." She said, truly grateful. She walked away from the cart, turning to wave back at the driver. She walked in the crowd, keeping her face hidden.

Juniper
She looked up at the young man, listening intently as he spoke. She studied his reaction, which seemed odd. Kindness had been a routine in her life, nothing went without kindness. She had smiled here and there throughout the conversation. She frowned as he asked the last question. "By tree?" She smiled again. "That would be new. Probably faster than horseback." She chuckled but looked back at him. She smiled again, trying to understand this.

"By tree." She repeated. She looked over at the guards as the erupted in noise. "Oh no." She said quietly. She shifted her weight nervously. "We should go. We should go. Now." She repeated 'we should go'. She grabbed his arm, dragging him into the forest as the guards began to run towards them. "Come on. Hurry up." She said, smiling widely. She pulled him into a ditch, the guards ran by them, a few stopped, looking around them. She put her hand over her mouth, trying to keep from laughing. She looked at him, smiling still.

The guards passed them, and Juniper lifted her head above the ditch, looking around them. "They're gone." She spoke softly still. "The guards are idiots. We really should train them better." Juniper said, momentarily serious. She smiled again, then looked back at him. "Trees. How about that?" She chuckled, but looked back at him. "Are you okay? I dragged you pretty hard." She looked around them.

"Uh, sir. Well, friend, since I don't know you're name, not many people do. But anyways. I trust you. Enough." She smiled nervously as she looked at him. "I mean, well. Yes. I do trust you. It may be stupid, but if you were going to kill me, you would have done it already." She paused. "I hope."

[daz]

━━━━━━━━━ ｌａｒｋ ;;


________lark nodded his head slowly, his chocolate brown gaze trained intently on the princess before him. he simply couldn't overcome how she was treating him, her words not tainted with noticeable insincerity or disgust. it actually seemed that the two heirs were getting along, where their parents never would. cinderella was rumored to despise maleficent, as obviously their two kingdoms were constantly butting heads. and he was sure cinderella didn't appreciate maleficent's poor parenting choices, allowing her son to linger where he pleased and cause as much trouble as possible. in this moment, speaking to june herself, lark couldn't help but feel remote guilt. he had done loads of awful things to the palace she originated from, having performed more unfortunate curses than he enjoyed admitting. luckily, it didn't appear that june was one to hold grudges. that, or she was utterly oblivious to him and his legitimate power.
________"yes, it is much faster. or, at least, it is to me. but who knows? perhaps it'll be convenient for you too. it's worth a shot." lark quirked his lips, outstretching his hand to the girl before him. although, she wasn't given the opportunity to take the offer. it was then that the guards seemed to explode, the bomb finally going off in their heads. he supposed the silly knight who'd informed june she was going on horseback had coughed up his knowledge, casually letting it slip he'd witnessed the princess lingering beside a man with horns. being the only one unaware of who lark was, all of the other guards went into a clumsy frenzy. you could hear distinct shouting, them coming to the abrupt realization that juniper was literally standing beside one of the castle's most wanted villains.
________normally, in situations like these, lark refused to lose his cool. he would turn around and defend himself, as well as his mother's honor, and slay the knights if they wouldn't leave him alone. it was no inconvenience at all eliminating the worthless men, all of which pretty awful at their jobs. he would've gone about his usual routine, had it not been for june. the young princess snatched him by his arm, before then proceeding to haul him into the forest once more. he didn't exactly protest, a bit too stunned to recall how, instead going along with it. so, not only was she a member of the royal family who didn't see total wickedness in his presence... but she was willing to save his tail from her own guards? this woman was a work of art!
________lark tumbled into the ditch alongside juniper, having to kneel on the ground due to his height and gigantic horns. he distinctly heard cluttered footsteps as they sprinted past, the guards flustered as they proclaimed "maleficent's son had literally just kidnapped the princess, right from underneath their noses." god, how stupid can one get? and he noted june's muffled laughter, her burying her face in her hands so it wasn't as noisy. she was certainly a princess fond of adventure, as she had willingly hauled herself into this mess. she could've screamed the moment she saw him, but she hadn't. why?
________"no... no, don't train them better. their stupidity is far too convenient for me," he reasoned shamelessly, standing up straight again. he peered around, ensuring that all of the guards had in fact vanished from sight. he crossed his arms on top of the ditch's wall, resting his chin in the palms of his hands. "you didn't hurt me, either. don't worry." he didn't look at her as she spoke to him, instead busy mulling their predicament over in his head. essentially, he had just accidentally captured cinderella's daughter. although, she had come with him completely willingly. in fact, if anything, she had been the one to kidnap him. but, of course, would any of those incompetent guards even consider for a second he'd meant her no harm? absolutely not! if they found him now, with her at his side, it would be off with his head!
________the dark fairy's gaze flitted in the princess's direction, once again driven to curiously look her up and down. she was such a mystery to him, just waiting to be solved. she had just referred to him as her friend, which was more unusual than anything else he'd heard that day. friends? with a good princess? his mum would probably kill him for this, if cinderella didn't get to him first. and, although june smiled at him, he did not return it. he continued to peer at her coolly, his expression instinctively cold and uninviting. "trusting me is a foolish act. we ought to not be friends. it's dangerous." then, he smirked his crooked smirk once more. "but i love the danger." his british accent was laced with spine-tingling poison, which again, was all a fraud. underneath this thick coat of skin was a true human being who meant no harm, it just took a lot of effort to pull him from the shadows.
________the brunette turned and hoisted himself from the ditch, once again finding himself double-checking for nearby guards. one couldn't blame him for having slight trust issues, never quite certain who he could legitimately rely on for safety. placing his bets on someone like juniper could be the death of him, and there wasn't a chance he'd be making a mistake like that. nevertheless, he offered his hand to the princess once more. he assisted her from the ditch, before self-consciously tugging his cloak around his shoulders. "now. where might this summer home of yours be located, hm?"
________lark was genuinely eager to get going, as it had been some time since he had formed a true destination. traveling around the forests and villages was always a blast, especially when he got to invade them. and, on their way to june's location, he would definitely be taking a pit stop at a village. he would want to snatch some food, as he was awfully hungry. that, and he was penniless.

[vixen;]

Juniper
She was out of the ditch, and now watched him as he talked. She moved her hair through her hair, she fixed the cloak around her shoulders, still watching him as she did this. She twisted the ring on her index finger, the silver ring glinted in the sun, and the amber colored gem seemed to light up in the sun. She put her hands back at her side, then smoothed the front of her dress. She pulled at the necklace, tugging at the silver chain. She felt it break as she pulled on it again. Juniper bit her lip as she held the broken necklace, she shoved it in a pocket on her cloak.

Juniper flashed a smile, then looked at Lark. "Perhaps it will be. Won't know unless you try." She commented as he spoke. She had studied him since the moment he had first spoke, and now was more curious about him. He was aloof, there was no doubt about that. But she felt as though she was right, if he were to harm her, he would have done it already. Still, this small conclusion seemed to be a first one of many pieces. She went back to watching him carefully, he did prove to be aloof, and somewhat cold, emotionally.

Now Juniper questioned her own motives. Why was she acting like this? She had been raised, her mother's beliefs the only option to take. The Evils are, well, evil. Good is to stay with its own kind and vice versa. But now, logic seemed to be gone, thrown out a window. She hadn't panicked, hadn't screamed as soon as he approached her, didn't cower in fear. Maybe she was just stupid, she had lived in a sheltered world, but how could that be. Ever since she was a child, one thing was always told to her. Evil is evil. Good is good. Was this a rebellion? But what did she have to rebel against? Her parents had treated her fairly, always let her make her decision, then suffer what ever consequences followed.

Juniper stopped the rant taking place in her head. "Trust is not foolish. Trusting someone is not foolish either. And for danger, I have no taste for it. But to quote myself. You never know unless you try." She considered what he said. Yes trusting him was foolish, almost a death wish considering his reputation. She let the thoughts take their own route, glancing over at him, she went back to her own thoughts for the time being. Her mother had a reputation before being married to her father, and this is how Juniper saw the world. Evil was a person, Good was just a person. She almost sighed as she thought back to her mother's past. A wicked step mother, a dead mother, and two evil step sisters. Juniper knew her mother was Good, there was no doubt about that. But there had been times when she had questioned that, the meetings, the recent secrecy in the castle, mother recently deciding she was to be on her own more.

Juniper stopped, listening again as Lark spoke. "The summer palace." Juniper almost cringed as she said it. Now as she spoke, it sounded so Good, on normal terms, that was to be praised. Something was just off. It sounded just as Juniper was, a stuck up princess who had never known what the world was. "It's north of here, about a days travel away, maybe half a days travel."

[daz]

━━━━━━━━━ ｌａｒｋ ;;


________lark couldn't be certain how he felt about their current predicament, finding that his opinions continuously were altering in his head. it was such an odd thing, speaking this freely with an individual of june's status. not only was she a princess, but she was a princess coming from the good side's primary leader. the difference between them was remarkable, and the fact they were getting on quite well thus far said a lot about their character. it was like, somewhere within their bodies, they'd always disagreed with their parents' petty laws. why should good and evil be separated as they are? why should they be conditioned to despise one another? although lark was particularly vicious, he had never enjoyed that aspect of himself. he wanted to change it, but that was far too risky. his mum wouldn't tolerate that sort of behavior. maleficent hated anything remotely lovely with a terrifying passion, which inevitably caused her son to be the same. the only thing that made their views on good people unalike was that lark was more curious about them, and didn't purely despise them without reason.
________the dark fairy couldn't help but scowl a tad at june's response, remotely disgusted by her lack in knowledge. good guys never understood how difficult it was to exist as a villain. they were oblivious to the struggles which came with it. most who considered themselves to be good were annoyingly naive, or were the type to prance around without the knowledge that the universe typically wasn't as perfect as they deemed it. those were the ones that lark couldn't stand, and was always more than willing to eliminate. honestly, he wouldn't be surprised at all if juniper was just like them. she was a girl who'd been raised in a royal setting, likely very guarded and rarely informed of the unspeakable things which happened beyond her bedroom. lark didn't doubt for a second that he could get away with murdering the princess, or secretly taking her in the wrong direction. he could deliver her directly to his mother's doorstep, and she would never know the wiser. but... he wouldn't. he wasn't even sure why, he just didn't think he could. no. not that he couldn't, more just that he didn't want to. yeah, that sounded better. it made him appear less weak.
________"unfortunately, princess, my world doesn't function quite like yours. trusting most anyone asides from myself can be costly, i can assure you of that." lark frowned a tad, squinting at her almost confusedly. "which is why, i must admit, i'm highly surprised you're not dead yet." ordinarily, he would've slain the foolish peasant who dared cross paths with him. but, truth be told, he was then one who'd crossed paths with her. yet, in the end, she was cinderella's daughter. he was likely the biggest fool on the face of the planet for ignoring that aspect of her. june could choose to betray him if she so pleased, and she wouldn't have any trouble sleeping at night in knowing she'd successfully helped eject a commonly despised villain.
________lark nodded slowly in response to her sharing the location of her summer palace. in fact, he felt he was familiar with the place. he'd likely come across it once or twice in his adventures around the borders, not knowing it belonged to cinderella and her child. good to know. although, he had yet to decide whether he would be informing maleficent. you know what? probably not. and that was sensible lark talking.
________before he was given the chance to speak further on the matter, the same voices from earlier emerged once more. the guards were retracing their steps, clearly having no luck finding what they were looking for in the wrong direction. lark was forced to act quickly, as there truly was no way to properly conceal himself from their lurking views. if they were to get their meaty paws on him, there wasn't a chance they'd release him. especially not after vanishing for a few moments with their princess, which was such a foolish decision. not the first one he'd made that day, at least.
________lark hurriedly reached out for juniper, wrapping his arm around her thin waist. she was a small female, so hoisting her off the ground was no struggle at all. neither was scaling the closest tree to him, hoisting himself up with ease. it didn't even take branches for him to shuffle his way upwards, him being highly skilled in burying his fingernails and the toes of his shoes into the jagged bark. it was practically just like rock climbing, but a bit more to the extreme. lark eventually made it to a rather hefty branch, placing the princess down so she could sit atop it. they were very high up, as if they were touching the clouds, their bodies concealed behind layers and layers of foliage. it was so calming and familiar being here, but he wasn't certain how june would take it. if she disliked heights, then she was screwed. either way, lark, after ensuring june was positioned properly on the branch, inched out towards the edge of it. he stood at the end, peering downwards and at the many flustered knights. it was evident, even from this high up, they were bitter and frightened. attempting to explain to cinderella that her daughter had been "kidnapped" by the world's least favorite dark fairy would be painful enough, but also having to admit it happened directly beneath their noses would be significantly worse. not just for them, but for him. word couldn't get back to the palace before lark returned juniper to her summer home, or else the entirety of the population would be looking for him. so, he muttered a curse. a grisly one at that, which tauntingly slithered down his body and promptly made its way towards the vulnerable guardians. once the sickly green mist made contact with their flesh, their feet were consumed by stone. the stone sneaked up their bodies, hurriedly turning them into statues before they were even given the chance to scream.
________"if you were uncertain whether or not you liked danger, then there was your first example. welcome to my world." lark cast a wicked smile over his shoulder, peering at june. "we'll make it to your little castle in no time at all, princess. all i ask is that we take a brief stop at a nearby village... just a moment, in the least. i'm awfully hungry, and i'm sure you are too." lark stood straight where he was, poised at the edge of the tree branch. he was good at keeping his balance in positions like this, as it was simply in his nature. as a fairy without wings, but the unholy blessing of gigantic horns, one had to get around somehow. he easily leaped over to the tree directly beside it, his long legs carrying him a great distance, heading towards north. when he struck the landing, he turned back to face june. it was then that he extended his hand to her once more, staring her down like he didn't know what to think of her. "come along, we mustn't stay here forever. or else someone will come looking for you and your nasty guards, and boy will they be in for a surprise." he giggled in spite of himself.

[vixen;]

Juniper

She stared down at the guards. Her face a mask of terror, she felt her jaw go slack, her mouth hung open. She tried to process the situation, and it took a moment for her to get over what had just happened. She looked back at Lark, now she saw him differently, now she no longer trusted him. She looked at him from where was on the other branch, Juniper walked out on the branch, swaying as she got farther on the branch. She jumped to the other branch, almost falling. She regained her balance, but was no reconsidering everything. She felt the mix of emotions swirl away as she stared at Lark. She hated to say, or even think it, but there was no doubt he was the son of Evil's queen. She avoided looking at him, and moved past him as she walked on the branch. She swayed again, leaning to the left. She bent down, grabbing the branch. She stood back up, then walked the remainder of the branch, stopping as she got to the tree trunk.
Looking over at Lark, she avoided looking directly at him, staring at a branch to his left. She finally looked at him, staring at him, she knew he was Maleficence's son. For some reason, she was no longer scared of him, but was frightened by how easily he had done it. She looked away from him, then moved around the tree trunk, her foot slipped and she let out a small yelp, her hand grabbing a branch. She felt the bark dig into her hand. She moved to the other branch, then rubbed her hand against the dress. She looked around the tree, waiting on him. She walked to the end of the branch, her hand slightly shaking as she pressed it against her dress again. She felt the branch bend underneath her, and her eyes widen. She took a step forward, back towards the tree trunk. She could hear a pop from the branch which she had been standing on.
She looked back at the branch, then walked back to the tree trunk, she stepped onto another branch, her foot slipped again, and Juniper glared as she looked down at her shoes, she glared at the boots, then looked back at the branch, the dress snagging on the tree. She didn't bother looking over at Lark, she couldn't put her finger on it, but for a strange reason she smiled as she looked at him. She turned back to walking on the branch, she walked out on the branch, less confident than before. She carefully moved to another branch. Juniper couldn't understand why he had done that, the guards wouldn't have found him, and she could always explain things to her mother, surely her mother of all people would understand. Juniper walked onto another branch, stopping as she saw a bird's nest. She looked back at Lark, then waved him over to her, she didn't smile at him. She smiled as she turned to look at the bird's nest.
A male chaffinch sat on the branch, a female resting in the nest. Juniper sat down on the branch, her feet hanging off the side of the branch. The male chirped, jumping on the branch. June watched as the bird chirped again, the female ruffling her feathers. Juniper stared at the blue feathers on the male's head, smiling as she stood up. Both birds flew off, and Juniper continued to walk down the branch. She leaned against the tree trunk, then decided against talking, she felt as know she couldn't, and didn't want to start a conversation now. She turned in a tight circle, unsure of where to go know. So as she waited for him, she let the race begin.
He was Evil. The prince of evil to be exact. His mother was the face of Evil, cruel and wicked. Juniper was Good. The princess of good. Her mother was the face of Good. Here they were, the heir to Good and the heir to Evil. He knew her name, where she lived, what she looked like, and how her parents were. She began to doubt her choice of being here, all of her guards were dead, which included the guards for her stay at the summer palace. As she thought about the situation, things seemed to be in favor of the dark prince. Juniper thought of what she knew about him. He was Maleficence's son. He was Evil, and had just killed around twenty people. Twenty innocent people. And her she was a princess without her fairy godmother, who was most likely dead as well, she wasn't big enough to fight him off, she didn't know how to defend herself against any type of magic, and his magic seemed powerful to say the least.
June snapped herself out of the thoughts, she stared at him, her face giving away her thoughts for a moment before she covered up her emotions. She looked away from him again, hating how she felt scared of him. "You were right. Trust is foolish."

[daz]

━━━━━━━━━ ｌａｒｋ ;;


________lark couldn't help but release a spunky laugh, able to see how bothered june was by him killing those incompetent guards. she ought to be thanking him! they were all incredibly useless at their jobs, so he'd just given her a reason to hire loads of new staff members. who needed those men anyway? but he failed to think of the consequences his actions would produce, nor did he even begin to recall the poor families belonging to each and every one of those innocent men. they had wives, and perhaps a few children. they had their own lives away from protecting their princess, but now would have nothing more. it would be sad to admit that those things never once crossed his mind, as lark had been raised in the mindset that only he mattered. others and their foolish thoughts and feelings were meant to be the least of his concern. but it was all nonsense, and formed by the pure instinct he'd gained by being around maleficent. if it was merely him talking, without all of the insanity that echoed from his mum, he was just a curious young lad with a tendency towards chaos.
________but lark also didn't consider the backlash he'd be receiving for killing those helpless guards. if cinderella and her kingdom didn't hate him enough as it was, this would certainly be the deciding factor towards his demise. yet it was too late to regret his actions, as they were done and couldn't be reversed. they had his signature all over them, so the dirty work could only be his responsibility. whatever. not like he hadn't done stuff like that before, and easily gotten away with it. he couldn't be caught... it was simply impossible. or, at least, that's what he liked to think. at least he hadn't done away with the princess, and he didn't have the intention to either. she had shown him a lick of sincerity, and had concealed him from her guards before he brutally murdered them. that was a particularly kind gesture, was it not? and coming from someone like juniper, it was mildly impressive. lark hated admitting the level of respect he had gained for the woman, especially since she was the heir to goodness. but labels weren't everything, and they didn't define a person as perfectly as they were made out to.
________lark casually trailed after june, keeping his arms outstretched at his sides so he could keep his balance. he had mastered the art of scaling trees years ago, being a mere toddler the first time he leaped from one branch to another. he owed it all to maleficent, who had been a bit bitter to discover her child lacked wings. he was a fairy after all, which indicated it was only natural for him to have them. but, for whatever reason, he had only retained her horns. they stuck out of his head at either side, the tips of them arched inwards. lark himself stood at an impressive six-foot-three, so having them there made him appear all the more massive in comparison to everyone else. it was simply the millionth contributing factor that made him such a wretched beast to see, representing the bad omen he had come to be.
________lark quickly discovered that juniper was quite the clumsy girl, tumbling all over the place on the hefty branches beneath them. she kept selecting the worst possible limbs to perch on, going for ones that would never support her weight properly. it was odd seeing such an inexperienced sight, as he was totally used to doing this sort of thing. he'd memorized certain pathways to take, and could tell by simply looking at certain branches that they'd never hold him properly. it came in handy when he was "stalking" someone, following them closely from above. he could move hurriedly and quietly, all the while remaining totally undetected by whomever he chose to chase.
________the dark fairy caught the good heir staring at him several times, as if still perplexed by what he'd done only moments before. perhaps it was startling to be in the presence of someone who felt no remorse after the slaughtering of several unknowing men? yes, that had to be it. she had yet to adjust to how normal it was for him to cause chaos and despair. she was still a kind, innocent lady at heart, no matter how tough she attempted to act. what he'd done had hit her hard, but she would never admit it.
________juniper summoned his attention to a bird's nest, stopping beside it to visit with the animals nestled contently in their home. they tweeted joyously in the princess's shimmering presence, but lark didn't dare near them. he would frighten the animals away by simply hovering over them, casting his intimidating shadow over their measly nest. so, instead, he remained pensive as june enjoyed her time with them. once she carried on again he ensured he could follow closely behind, mentally tracing their steps as they went along their merry way. at the pace they were going in, they ought to make it to the village in just a few moments. he could snatch a bite to eat, then he'd be intensely rejuvenated for the journey ahead.
________"hm, really? i was right? i'm so surprised." lark smiled pleasantly at the princess, offering her a foolishly flirtatious wink. "but really, don't get your hopes up, lovely. i don't plan on eliminating you. your mum would have my head." he said it in a joking tone, but he wasn't kidding. he didn't doubt for a second that sort of crime would give him the death penalty, and cinderella would likely stop at nothing to trap him like the vile insect he was. "i don't trust you, though. it's why i haven't revealed my name, nor any other details concerning myself. but you were very quick to give me all of your information, and i didn't stop you. that was your doing, m'lady. you could've had me imprisoned back there... could've screamed for help... yet you didn't. i'm fascinated to understand why."
________the gentle buzz of a village snatched his attention for a moment. he pushed some of the thick foliage from his view, giving him an easier view of what was before them. just as expected, another bustling marketplace. all of the villages were hosting markets this week, as their crops were most plentiful this season. it was like a holiday, as they'd purchase all of the goods and then proceed to host multiple celebrations in all of the palaces. sort of like balls, but with less prestige. lark hated them. he was like the ultimate grinch when it came to the villagers and their traditions, mildly jealous that they could have such limitless fun with one another. in the evil palace, they never hosted parties. it was simply grim and sorrowful there, with not a happy soul in sight. places like jafar's palace, or his own mum's... they were rarely hustling and bustling with life like what he saw now. he cast a glance over his shoulder, arching his brow mischievously as he pointed towards the ground. "and i don't suppose her majesty would like to slide down the tree, hm? would hate to mess up her dress? or can you handle it yourself, doll?"

[vixen;]

Roya

She walked through the village, avoiding the large crowds of people. Roya replayed her encounter with Jazz, a spoiled brat, as she made her way through the village. The harvest from the farms close by the village were plentiful. Piglets squealed from their cages, the clucking of a chicken could occasionally be heard, merchants yelled above the buzz of the people passing by, promising that they're prices were better than the others, spewing lies about the merchandise. Roya turned away from them all, pulling her cloak tighter around her. She walked through the most crowded parts of the village, reasoning that there was safety in numbers. She had ignored everyone that called out to her, wincing every time she was singled out of the crowd. Thorough out it all, not a single guard had approached her, or some much as walked past her. She peered around her, trying to blend in with a large group of people as they shuffled across the road. Roya got across the road undetected, ducking into an alley again. She paused as yet another merchant street stood in her path of getting out of the village. She pulled her dark red cloak around her and darted into the busy street. Horses whined, startled by the sudden appearance of Roya in the path. She quickly moved through the street.

All was well, she almost out of the street as a horse reared, the metal buckles of its harness ringing out with the loud whine come from the horse. Roya was knocked to the ground, the horse's front hoof had hit her shoulder, the pain insuring there would be a bruise there. She was not alarmed by this, anyone could be knocked down by a horse. Her terror grew into a roaring fire as her hood slid off her face. Her jet black hair was medium in length, yet again a common feature in people of the village. It was her facial features were what gave her away. She had her father's eyes, nose, and wicked grin. Unfortunately she had her father's moody grin, almost a trade mark. Her clothes were not a traditional dress, but a pair of pants and a top, her stomach exposed from the fabric. Tradition Arabic clothing for a daughter of a powerful villain. Deep reds and blacks, everything added up for one cause; to give her away. She looked around, her expressions showed one emotion: panic.

Slowly villagers began to notice a strangely dressed girl that had a striking resemblance to a well known villain. Chaos spread through the crowd, people pointed, mothers pulled their children into buildings, then stared in horror at a villain. Roya scrambled to her feet, looking around her. She was caught. The villagers had formed a tight circle around her, trapping her like a mouse. Roya panicked, turning in circles as she realized just had bad the situation was. A villager had alerted the guards, retelling what had happened, from their point of view. A dangerous villain had come into the town, spooking horses and causing chaos. Oh that point of view, changes the whole story, doesn't it? No matter, any logical person would have believed the villager's story over her's. Guards shoved their way through the villagers, armed with swords and shields. They set up a barricade, trapping Roya even more.

Roya pleaded with the guards, telling that she was not there to cause any harm. An outburst from the villagers followed after this, the previous gentle hum of the village had turned into a chaotic roar. This only terrified Roya more, she spun in a circle, holding her hands out in font of her. Guards remained stone faced, staring at her like she was a wild animal meant to be caught. Reality closed in on Roya, she had no magic, no exceptional strength, and was not Good. She spun around again, with each passing second the circle was shrinking as the guards became more confident.

Juniper

She walked in the tree, mimicking his movements as they went on. Many thoughts filled her head, mostly opinion. She had heard the soft hum of the village. She winced as he laughed, then turned her head away from him and went on. How could he laugh? He just killed people. Juniper stopped, glaring at a stick. Ironic, she was sick of herself. She abandoned the thoughts, then let new ones fill her head. One was an obvious problem. She need to get down, but couldn't. It was a miracle she hadn't fallen out of the tree already. Juniper was ready to just jump and take her chances with that. Certainly the chance of her landing without dying was greater than the chance of her climbing down the tree. She looked down, the height almost dizzying. She couldn't let it bother her, not now. She continued on her way, walking through the trees. The sun shown through the trees, occasionally dancing in Juniper's eyes. She would stop when this happened, and wait for a cloud to block the sun. What a princess. She reacted to him until she commented on trust. Juniper tried to ignore him, focusing on other things, she saw a few other birds' nest, each to far to reach. She had considered calling the whole tree travel adventure a mistake, ask him to get her out of the trees. The cons on this outweighed the pros. She had no other mode of transportation, walking to the summer palace would take twice as long as on horse back, and with no supplies it would be a miracle if she even made it. The forest was known for its harsh climates, and hostile animals.

She looked away from him as he talked, acting as though a branch was the most interesting thing in the world. She gave in, looking over at him as he spoke. "Mother would be too preoccupied. My father would have your head, then the head on anyone you ever looked at." Juniper said, her expressions neutral. "I can tell you don't trust me. It's so simple to see. I understand why too, the very same reason I can no longer trust you. Our titles. You are the Prince of Darkness, I'm the heir to all things Good, so sickeningly good and pure." She looked away from him. "And, my dear. Why I didn't have you arrested the moments I saw you can be your puzzle. Good luck solving it. Also, how needs a name when your face is plastered on every wanted sign in just about every kingdom. Maleficence's son." Juniper paused. "Cinderella's daughter. You say you won't kill me, so that can be my puzzle as well as finding out your name."

Juniper looked down at the ground, she stepped closer to the tree trunk. "We have to get down. We just climb down?" She asked, trying to keeping the shock from edging into her voice. She tightened her grip on the tree trunk again. "That's a long way down." She spoke in a hushed voice. Slowly Juniper moved her way to a position that would allow for her to climb down. She climbed down ten feet, stepping on a branch. She heard the sound of wood snapping before she could tell what was happening. The only thing keeping her from falling was the grip she had on the branch above her. Her body swayed, pivoting from that one point. She swung back, her foot touching a branch. Juniper hooked her foot around the branch, finally having her footing again. She let out the breath she had been holding, then looked up at Lark, her face drained of color.

She bit her lip, before continuing on. She looked up as he spoke. "Well, I'm down here, you're up there. Would his royal highness like some help?" She called up to him, smiling as she did, though her voice shook. She tested each branch now before putting her full weight on the branch. She panicked every time she heard a cracking sound from a branch. She was one fourth of the way down, and now her confidence in tree travel had plummeted. "I should have taken the horse." She muttered. She would have never chosen the horse, not with the option of tree travel on the table.

[daz]

━━━━━━━━━ ｌａｒｋ ;;


________well, there certainly was never anything wrong with a good puzzle. it had been sometime since lark was given someone to crack apart, eventually digging out all of their secrets until there was nothing left to give. it was likely he would end up doing the exact same with juniper, as she had made herself out to be a tough nut who refused to crack willingly. he liked to think he had a specialty for people like that, where they would never disclose anything to him. it would just take a bit more breaking in, and eventually he could gain her trust. after he had learned all that he needed to know of her and her mother, he could abandon her like all the others. or, at least, that's what instinct told him. his own mum's words echoed about in the far corners of his mind, her stern, sing-song voice penetrating whatever sanity he could retain from himself. "you delicately pluck the flower, lark. you take it in your hands, and you let it settle there for a while. allow it to grow comfortable, and for you to do the same. depending on how long it remains there, you're bound to get used to it. it is around that time that you take that flower, and you crush it." she had been holding an infant dandelion as she'd spoken, before proceeding to violently smash it between the palms of her hands. a young, partially terrified lark had stared at her in utter confusion. "but why, mother? why wouldn't you just keep the flower?" and she had simply laughed, tilting her head back and releasing the most hearty cackle. "well, isn't it obvious, my little bird? you don't want to keep the flower. you want to be rid of it. you don't care about it at all, you see. don't let yourself care about the flowers, let them do the caring. you just sit back, listen, and let them do the steering." her words had applied to his daily existence ever since, eventually learning that the flowers she'd killed were representative of people. he was meant to let them grow content with him at their side, and for them to gain a sentimental sort of trust in him. then, when he had retained all that he needed, he was to smite the light and kill the innocent person. lark disliked admitting the many times he had done just that, having become pointlessly drawn in by someone new. then, he'd fastened his talons and held on, permitting the flower to begin liking him. after they had passed him their secrets, they were finished.
________lark wished he could fight instinct sometimes, because the personality concealed beneath the many layers of villainy didn't want to hurt anybody ever again. he wanted to be considered normal, and not feared. he wanted to befriend june and stay that way, and he wanted to stop being so alone. but that could never happen, as it just wasn't meant to be. he was the prince of evil, and she was the princess of good. their roles would never work in their favors. lark had to do what he always did, and he'd get over it eventually. once again, as usual. this wasn't a new process.
________"i like to think i'm a bit more than a poster. "maleficent's son" is practically a stage name anyway, but my real one is of no one's concern but my own." nevertheless, lark was pleased to hear that juniper had her own puzzle to solve. he had much to learn about her, and she had much to learn about him. surprisingly, in that moment, one could consider them as equals. simply two normal people, both of which highly invested in learning about the other. but that simply couldn't be the case between good and evil's children.
________"well, of course it's a long way down. it was a long way up, too. are you surprised?" the dark fairy chuckled, tilting his head as he observed the princess. she began to clumsily make her way down the gigantic tree, occasionally slipping up and nearly falling to her doom. seriously, this sort of drop on her miniature figure? he didn't doubt for a second that she'd literally snap in half upon impact. luckily, that never happened. the princess successfully made it to the ground after some time, grinning up at him as if he ought to be proud. he simply gave her a curt shake of his head, before proceeding to jump directly off the branch he was perched upon. just as predicted, the drop was incredibly distant. but it wasn't anything his long, powerful legs couldn't handle. lark landed in the lush grass with an incredibly soft thud, bending his knees and kneeling for a moment, his cloak billowing about below him. if he'd stupidly locked his legs, he would've definitely broken them. this was why he had been taught "the spring technique," which ultimately meant before you landed you'd transport the bulk of your body weight into your thighs. that was why he landed close to the ground, before springing right back up to his full height. he smirked up at the female above him, who still happened to be inching her way down the lengthy tree. "take your time, princess... we have all day."
________the village had been noisy before, with its casual hustle and bustle that he was well acquainted with himself. nothing unusual was occurring yet, simply a bunch of overly happy villagers and their businesses. that is, until all seemed to stop. lark was still waiting for juniper when it happened, a sudden uproar surfacing from the village nearby. the tree they'd just come from was directly beside the busy place, so all he had to do was peer over the bushes to see what had gone awry. the fairy had predicted some bickering salesmen, likely having gotten into it after one supposedly stole an item of value from his table. they'd likely tussle a tad, but eventually they'd get broken up by a set of impatient guards. but, what lark did see was not at all what he'd predicted. a young woman lay helpless in the middle of a dirt road, having clearly just spooked a horse and been kicked because of it. although, no one was making any efforts to help her. in fact, a cluster of absolutely infuriated villagers had formed around the trembling figure below. guards eventually joined the "party" too, holding their ridiculous weaponry. mothers were holding their children close, and fathers were shouting horrid things like "burn her!" as if she were some sort of witch. and the guards simply did what they were conditioned to do, a lot less terrible at their jobs than the ones lark had killed previously, homing in on their prey and forming a barrier around her. the woman was trapped.
________"horses are for pansies," lark replied to june with a smirk, before placing his hands on either side of her waist. he plucked her from her place in the tree, then placed her feet on the soft grass, looked her over once, and then immediately turned back to the village. his first priority had been food, but it had quickly altered once he had discovered the unknown woman's identity. the villagers kept shouting it, laughing sprightly at what they'd done. they'd caught her, they had! yet another reason to pointlessly rally and celebrate! huzzah for stupidity and all that nonsense. the girl, according to the audience, was jafar's daughter. that was all lark needed to know to make up his mind. it was the same way for anyone considered good. if you were a good, you protected fellow goods. it didn't matter whether or not you knew each other personally, you just did it without question. that unspoken law was the same for villains, despite it being a bit less common to follow. generally speaking, it was "every man for himself" in an evil's mind. but lark didn't see it that way. although he disliked goods, he never disliked villains. especially not ones who were falsely accused, and he knew jafar's daughter was exactly that. he knew everything there was to be said about any and all members of the royal families in the evil forest, and jafar's kingdom was one of them. his daughter had recently run away from home for reasons no one knew, but lark had a good guess. the woman had zero interest in becoming the miniature version of her greedy, incompetent father. yeah, he said it. incompetent. lazy. jafar and maleficent didn't get on too well either, despite them both being rulers in their evil society. it was because jafar was pointlessly greedy, and obsessed only over riches rather than vengeance. maleficent only had a thirst for revenge, not jewels or money. so, truly, lark didn't blame jafar's daughter one bit. if the girl wanted out so badly, enough that she'd gone about running away and then making it this far, power to her. he wasn't about to stop her, but he was certainly about to stop them. jafar's daughter was so unlike lark, really. she had had the courage to deny her dad's teachings and attempt to abandon her life of evil, which was an incredibly courageous thing to do. the dark fairy had never even dreamed of doing such a thing with his own mother, as he knew better than to get on her bad side.
________lark didn't think much about it, he just did it. it was like he'd completely forgotten that juniper was watching him, the good princess still back by the bushes lark had just stormed from. well, this would be her first unintentional sign that lark wasn't completely and totally heartless. the horned beast came out into the open, although he remained unnoticed for the time being. everyone was too preoccupied with jafar's daughter to notice him arriving, his presence easily one of the most intimidating things a person could ever see. he was a bad omen, remember? so bad luck to anyone who laid their eyes on him, oh noooo...
________"hello, boys and girls. allow me to put this as simply as i can," lark rose his voice, practically having to shout his words so he would be heard over the angry, rioting villagers. many of them turned in his direction as he spoke, disgruntled and confused until they spotted him in all his glory. horns and all, with the most beastly glint in his chocolatey eyes that he could manage. "hm... how do i say it... leave her alone!" lark essentially screamed his final statement, his mouth opening wide and his eyebrows deeply furrowed. his anger fueled his fire, causing him to throw his hand back and spew his green dark magic around. anyone who made contact with it began to choke, flustered and floundering. it was like a toxic gas, poisoning them to death right on the spot. the bad omen had made his mark. and, oh how the villagers screeched. it was like music to his ears, hearing them so petrified. the cluster that had formed around jafar's daughter broke off, as some people died and some simply scattered out of sheer terror. the green magic would only harm those he wanted it to, so nothing could injure roya. the guards who weren't hacking and dying looked scared at first, but quickly changed their attitude when they realized the opportunity they were being "handed." lark, the prince of evil himself, was standing right there. when they shouted for him to freeze, and to stop, and to go nowhere, he did exactly the opposite. he grabbed roya's hand in his own, hurriedly helping her to her feet.
________"i would say a thank you is in order, but it can wait till later. for now, run." he ordered, giggling excitedly. lark loved danger, especially when escaping it was ridiculously simple. he cast a glance over his shoulder, gesturing for juniper to follow them. they were getting out of there... they had to, or else lark and roya were going to prison. the horned "monster" was public enemy number one, and people tended to stop at nothing to obtain him.

[vixen;]

Roya
The small circle had only shrunk. Roya was no more panicked as the guards began shouting orders to the others. Prison. Roya spun in a tight circle, all of the people, villagers, guard and Roya turned to look at the source of the noise. Many villagers fled as they saw Maleficence's son. Guards shouted louder at the others, trying to come up with a plan. Roya sighed, smiling as she saw him. Now she was no longer their prime target, which would give her a chance to escape, she wasn't worried about the dark fairy, he was known for his escapes. Roya tried to shove her way past the guards, only to be pushed back into the circle. Her cloak lay on the ground, now covered in dirt. Roya looked back at it, frowning as she quickly picked it up. A tear ran down the back of it, and Roya held it tightly as a green fog filled the air around her. She looked back at Lark, then at the villagers as many of them began to run, some were caught by the fog, others stood frozen, so to be victims more than likely. She looked down as Lark grabbed her hand. She didn't need to be told what to do, she ran behind him as he got out of the village. Roya looked back at the guards, all of which were panicking at the lost opportunity of capturing the dark heir.

Roya glanced back at Juniper, then almost fell as she saw Cinderella's daughter. She jerked her hand away from Lark, running past him. "You idiot." She hissed at him, jumping over a fallen tree. She stopped as an arrow flew past her head, lodging into a tree above her head. She stopped, looking back at the arrow, then darted ahead, terrified. She stumbled, then regained her footing, she ducked as another arrow flew past her head. "What is wrong with you people?" She screamed, then ducked behind a tree. She looked around, finding Juniper. Roya hated to go to a royal for help, let alone a Good royal. But now it was this, or the guards, assuming that Juniper had either captured Lark, doubtful, or Lark had captured her, more than likely, Juniper was the best choice at the moment. Roya ran over to her, happy that was at least wasn't alone anymore. She waited for some one to figure out where to go, but no one spoke, not her, not Juniper. She couldn't hear Lark, the guards yelling echoed throughout the forest as they got closer. Roya looked behind her, but didn't see any, she looked back in front of her.

Roya looked over at Juniper. "Where do we go?" She asked, her voice panicked. She looked around, before tripping on a tree root. She expected Juniper to leave, to abandon her and save herself. But instead she felt hands wrap around her arms and pulled her up. Roya expected a guard to be standing in front of her, but was surprised as Juniper stood there, her hand on Roya's arm. She ran again, unable to shake off the odd feeling of a Good helping an Evil.

The two ran through the forest, coming once again to a road. A horse and cart with its driver were the only ones on the road. It was Roya who now tugged Juniper. She ran to the driver, the small bag of coins bumping against her leg. She handed the man the bag, then quickly explained they needed the cart. All seemed like it was a lost hope until the young man saw Juniper. Roya looked over at the princess, then shoved her in front, almost displaying the royal girl. The man quickly gave up the cart, the girls climbed on the cart. Roya stared hopelessly at the reins.


Juniper
Juniper had waited quietly in the forest as Lark went to the village, she watched from the safety of the forest, now the shock from Lark's actions was almost non-existent. But still she would probably always harbor a little shock from the boy's actions. She had let out a tiny yip as Lark had pulled her from the tree, and set her on the ground. What surprised her most was his gentleness. It was the thing that puzzled her the most. She had just watched him murder innocent people, watched him laugh at the guards. But she had just been gently set on the ground by the same boy, then watched as he rescued a girl from the soldiers' wrath.

As he ran through to the forest, towing the girl behind him, Juniper had already begun to run. She fell in pace with the oddly dressed girl. She yelled for Lark when the two girls were separated from him. She was more scared than she cared to admit, normally running from something wouldn't have scared her like this. She bit her lip as she realized she was scared for Lark. The guards were after him in almost every Good kingdom, she knew of his powers, and had witnessed the powers three times now. She neglected the girl with her, turning around as the girl disappeared for Juniper's sight. Juniper spun around, expecting to be alone, she gasped as she saw the girl on the ground. Arrows had been flying around them, there was no time to waste. Juniper grabbed the girl's arm, pulling her to her feet. It was a hard task for someone so small, she succeed when the girl finally snapped out of her shock and got to her feet. Juniper looked over at the girl, she didn't consider them friends, not even close, she consider this girl more of a temporary ally. "The Summer Palace." Juniper answered the girl's question.

The girl's actions only proved her point farther as the came up on a cart. Juniper was pushed forward, almost as a bribe to the young man driving the cart. As the man reached out to touch her, Juniper stepped back, gasping again as the man touched her face. Relief flooded her as Roya slapped the man's hand away, glaring at him as the two talked. Soon Juniper found herself in the cart, with her ally staring at the reins to the cart. Juniper took the reins from her, slapping the reins, the horse lunged into a canter, whining in protest from the sudden commanded. Juniper pulled the horse in a tight circle, the wagon's left back wheel came off the ground as the cart followed the horse's motions. Juniper was half sitting half standing as she slapped the reins against the horse's back. The barrels in the back of the cart slid around. Juniper looked back at the barrels, their labels unclear. She looked into the forest, trying to find Lark through the trees. The other girl jumped out of the seat, pointing into the forest. Juniper followed to where she was pointing, seeing Lark.

Juniper had no idea what to yell. She didn't know his name, or anything he went by. So she did what she could, she yelled, pulling the horse closer to the forest, the animal whined loudly, and Roya joined in Juniper's shouting, trying to get Lark's attention. Both the girl's waved their arms, calling attention to themselves. An arrow flew towards the cart, finding the back of the cart. A loud thunk could be heard when the arrow wedged itself in the wood. Juniper yelled louder, her voice now more anxious.

[daz]

━━━━━━━━━ ｌａｒｋ ;;


________then, there they were. a completely accidental, and highly unconventional trio. the prince of evil, the daughter of another branch in wicked royalty, and the princess of good. if one was to observe each one of them individually, an automatic response would likely be to question their sanity. all of them came from different walks of life, or had opposite opinions revolving around particular subjects. lark was rotten through and through, jafar's daughter was trying to flee her life of evil, and juniper had been shielded from any ounce of villainy her entire life. she was the most innocent, resembling a child in lark's dark eyes. they had to be around the same age, but for whatever reason he felt like he'd witnessed so much more devastation than her. the deaths of these foolish villagers were bound to take a toll on the girl, while they meant absolutely nothing to lark. they were out to kill him anyways, and making someone like lark your enemy was the worst, and last mistake you'd ever make. these people chose their fate the moment they placed those posters up, consisting of a poorly taken picture and his title. maleficent's son. that was it. that was all he would ever be, wasn't it? he wasn't permitted to be his own person, as he would always be connected to his mother. being hated by everyone under the sun was a lot more difficult than one might imagine, even for someone deemed as cold and emotionless as lark. despite being a prince of malevolence, he could be sorrowful every once and a while. his birthright was evil, but sometimes the dark fairy genuinely wondered if that life was made out for him. his mum had insisted it was, claiming he would be the most feared creature in their society. so far, he had become just that. however, it didn't mean lark was thrilled by it. but it was so much easier to simply follow his chaotic urges, embedded forcefully by maleficent's uncensored teaching methods.
________jafar's daughter did not look all too pleased to discover lark was accompanied by the princess of good, expressing her frustration with a verbal cry of agitation. he imagined the clueless girl would assume he had captured june, as did everyone else who spotted cinderella's daughter as she tagged along with him. but, believe it or not, the blonde was traveling willingly. he wasn't forcing her to follow them, yet she kept going. it didn't seem to matter how many times lark would lightly threaten her life, or kill masses of people right before her precious eyes. she stayed with him. he had never experienced anything quite like it, especially not from a royal good. it was so unusual, and that was evident in all of the petrified villagers' faces as the three ran. they didn't understand why juniper wasn't taking this as a chance to escape lark's "clutches," instead willingly tagging along for the adventure.
________lark journeyed in a different direction than the ladies, deciding that splitting up would be a smarter tactic. truth be told, the army of surviving guards were after him now. a fair share continued on after juniper and jafar's daughter, probably intent on "rescuing" the poor princess from the two evil beings who had supposedly contained her. word likely hadn't spread to the palace that she had been taken yet, as the brunette had successfully eliminated all of the guards who'd brought her to him in the first place. so, their reactions were stemming from the initial shock of spotting their princess traveling with the likes of maleficent's son.
________the brooding boy tossed a quick glimpse over his shoulder, using his pointer finger alone to project yet another powerful curse in the guards' direction. it was like a small bomb had gone off, causing the dirt underfoot to form a gigantic cloud around the pursuing men. lark even knocked over a couple market booths here and there, forcefully projecting them in the knights' way so he'd gain some distance between him and their threatening weapons. villagers were doing their best to get out of his way, desperate to avoid looking at him and his massive figure. he was impossible to miss, especially when surrounded by all of the human townsfolk. he stuck out like a sore thumb, easy to relocate if he was momentarily lost in the chaos.
________it felt like it happened in slow motion, really. lark had successfully gained a single apple from one of the booths, stuffing it into his cloak for safekeeping. he wasn't leaving without the thing he'd originally showed up for! duh! after achieving the single bit of food, he had aimed for the trees up ahead. he had figured all of the guards were awfully preoccupied with the ruckus he'd caused in his path, knocking down everything in sight and essentially making the marketplace a housing of disarray. however, as soon as he began to launch himself up the first available trunk, a rough hand snatched the end of his right horn. the knight held on tight, yanking so hard that lark cried out in surprise. he lost his grip on the tree, dragged backwards and onto the forest floor. the guard who'd pulled him from the tree didn't wait around, using his immense strength to sling lark's back into the base of the same tree. since the man was holding one of his horns, his head smacked the rough bark first, forcing him to see stars for a moment. this knight was insanely muscular, as he used lark's horn alone to hoist the pained fairy in the air, his legs hovering above the tall grass. the prince's vision resolved itself at the perfect time, able to see the point of a spear that was aimed to skewer directly through his forehead. he ducked out of the way in the nick of time, jerking his head to the side in resistance of the guard's hold on his horn. lark used his abdominal strength to hoist his legs upwards, using both of his feet to kick his opponent right in the face. the blow caused the knight to keel over, distracted by his sudden bout of discomfort. lark then cursed the man, his entire body abruptly being consumed by a vine of thorns. although lark now had a massive headache from where his horn was used to supply all of his body weight, he still managed to scramble up the tree.
________the male hadn't a clue where juniper and jafar's daughter had ended up, all he knew was that he had to keep going. he sprang from tree to tree once more, still very familiar with the environment. the guards remained back at the village, forced to come to terms with everything they'd just witnessed. many were dead, all of which caused by lark alone. cinderella's daughter was supposedly accompanying two villains, and jafar's daughter had fled from her dad's palace to "reek havoc." thus far, it wasn't looking too good for them. but, lark had to admit, this was the most fun he'd had in months. he needed to kidnap princesses more often.
________juniper's voice managed to reach him from down below, snagging his attention despite him being so high up. it looked like they'd successfully retained a cart and horse, which would certainly aid well in their getaway. he grinned in spite of himself, feeling oddly rejuvenated. it had been a while since he'd been trailed by an army of angry guards, all of them intent on capturing or slaughtering him for cinderella. he had forgotten how much fun he had when he caused this much trouble for the "poor" good society.
________lark slid down the tree he was on, plummeting to the ground. bitter knights were just behind him and the girls and their cart, shooting arrows and shouting profanities in their direction. the dark fairy leaped on board of the cart, settling in among the barrels as jafar's daughter and juniper steered the rowdy horse. "nice try, boys! better luck next time, eh?" the tricky boy taunted the guards as the horse took off once more, taking them down the dirt path at an incredibly fast pace. lark simply waved a childish goodbye to the dumbfounded knights, who had at last come to the furious realization they had been unsuccessful in obtaining lark once more. the dark fairy even pulled the apple from his cloak, giving it a good bite, winking at the guards as they pulled farther and farther away from them.
________he turned around in his seat at the back of the carriage, continuing to eat his apple as he laughed. this had to be the first genuinely happy laugh juniper had heard from him, as it was true... that had been excellent. "nice going, you two. the cart was a perfect touch." he smirked pleasantly at the two women, leaning back and relaxing. the guards were no longer in pursuit of them, meaning they were on their way to the summer palace without anymore interruptions. "see, princess? i told you i would get you to your destination the quickest way possible!" lark even had the nerve of extending his arm forward, the apple he'd been biting into in between the two girls' heads. he was sitting behind them in the cart's cargo, surrounded by all of the barrels with unknown contents. "would either of you care for a bite?"
________sitting still at last, lark was given the opportunity to actually inspect the damage done to him. he massaged the skin around his right horn, finding it was actually bleeding pretty heavily. when that guard had put all six-foot-three of him into one horn, he'd torn some flesh. his thick, crimson blood dribbled down the side of his face, going down and drenching his shirt. oh. oops?