She seemed lost in his eyes for a moment before snapping out of it. Without hesitation, she grabbed Nick's hand and ran, dragging him along with her.
Turning her head toward him as they ran, she shouted, "We gotta get as far away from those people as we can!"
Nick didn't respond but kept running beside her.
After several minutes, she finally slowed down, releasing his hand. "We should be safer here," she said, catching her breath.
She turned to face him, a relieved smile spreading across her face. "Thank you for saving me out there. I don't think I would've made it without you."
"No problem!" Nick said, still trying to process everything. "What the hell even happened back there?"
She scoffed. "Just some drugged-up retards looking for trouble. Idiots probably thought I was an easy target."
Nick blinked, taken aback by her bluntness. "You had to have done something to them. They wouldn't jump you like that, especially not in daylight. And no one even tried to help."
"No," she said with a shrug. "I was walking by. I was trying to find my way to the royal palace but got lost and ended up in these slums."
Nick raised an eyebrow.
The palace? Sure, she was wearing fine clothing, but seeing her now. Her dress covered in muddy footprints and dirt, he wouldn't have guessed she belonged anywhere near royalty.
"You're not from around here, are you?" Nick asked, curiosity creeping into his voice.
She smirked. "Neither are you."
Nick nodded slowly.
"Where are you from?"
As he opened his mouth to answer, she held up a hand. "Wait, let me guess."
She squinted at him like she was analyzing every detail. "Draswen."
"No."
"Solmere?"
"N-"
"Ravengard???" she blurted out before he could finish.
Nick sighed. "Correct."
Technically, it wasn't true, but in this world, he considered himself a Ravengard citizen.
"I knew it!" she exclaimed. "I could tell from the clo—" She stopped mid-sentence. "The vibe. Yeah, the vibe."
Nick scoffed but didn't push it. He knew exactly what she was going to say.
"What about you?" he asked. "If I had to guess, I'd say you were from a place where everyone is obnoxious."
She gasped, placing a hand over her chest in mock offense. "What's that supposed to mean?" To his surprise, she grinned. "I mean… you're right, but still, that's mean."
Nick blinked. He was joking, but what did she mean by he's right?
"I'm from Ironclad-" she began.
The second he heard the word "Iron," Nick spun around. "Well, it was fun meeting you!" he said in a robotic tone, walking away.
Renn's words echoed in his head. There's not a single decent person among them.
"Wait, where are you going?" she called after him, grabbing his arm.
A shiver ran down Nick's spine.
He looked back at her. Her bright blue eyes held him in place, filled with curiosity.
There's not a single decent person among them.
But looking at her now, her expression open, grateful, Nick felt a twinge of doubt creep in. Maybe Renn had been exaggerating. Maybe there were at least a few decent people among them.
Damn it. There was no way this girl could be that dangerous.
"Nowhere…" he stammered. "Just looking around. I mean, we don't want those guys following us, do we?"
Fucking liar. She could tell. But she let it slide. Sometimes it was easier to let a lie sit than to challenge it.
"So," Nick said, clearing his throat, "How's life in Ironclad? I've heard… things."
"It's actually pretty awesome," she said. "Don't tell me you believe all that shitty propaganda made by other kingdoms."
"…No."
She rolled her eyes. "You shouldn't judge it based on that nonsense. You should visit and see it for yourself."
"Maybe in the future. Who knows," he said, though in his mind, he kept repeating, Hope to God not.
"Anyway," Nick continued, "why are you heading to the royal palace? I just came from there."
She raised a brow. "They allow people like you in there?" she teased. "I have a meeting. I'd love to tell you, but it's confidential."
"A secret meeting in the royal palace? Are you meeting the king?"
She hesitated. "Uhhh… I can neither confirm nor deny that."
Nick smirked. So she is meeting the king. Interesting. Silas also has a meeting with him. What exactly is the king up to?
"Anyway, do you know the way to the royal palace?" she asked.
"Actually, I was heading there now."
She gave him a curious look. "Didn't you just come from there? Why are you going back?"
Wow. So many questions. This girl talks a lot, Nick thought.
"I was exploring the area near the palace," he explained, "until I heard a scream. Does that sound familiar?"
She chuckled. "Seriously, I owe you big time. You saved my life."
She did.
"Follow me, I'll take you there."
Nick led the way toward the palace, and she followed casually beside him.
"I never did ask your name, did I?" he said.
She paused for a second. "Vera."
"Vera," Nick repeated. "That's a beautiful name. My name's Nick."
"Nick," she echoed. "That's certainly… a name. Is that a nickname, or is it your full name?"
"Actually, my full name is Nicholas. But call me Nick."
"Nice to meet you, Nicholas."
"You too, Veronica."
She burst into laughter. "No, that's not-" She couldn't stop laughing. "Good one, Nicholas. But my name is Vera. It's not shortened."
Nick blushed, embarrassed.
They walked in silence for a bit before Nick broke it. "So why are you meeting the king?"
Vera hesitated for a moment before sighing. Fuck it. It doesn't really matter.
"Honestly? I don't know. He's the one who called the meeting."
Nick grinned. "Ha! I made you confirm it."
She shot him a side-eye. "Yeah, I did that voluntarily."
Nick turned redder. "Are you royalty or something? Why would he want a meeting with you?"
"No idea. I'm representing my kingdom. No pressure or anything."
Nick frowned. "One of my friends also has a meeting with the king soon. That's too much of a coincidence."
"Oh? What's his name?" Vera asked.
"Silas."
She froze mid-step, her body tensing. Her eyes flickered with something. She quickly turned her gaze away, looking off into the distance. Silas? The Silas? Why the hell would the king want him?
Nick caught her hesitation. "You know him?"
"Nah," she said too fast, the words tumbling out almost reflexively. "Just thinking about the name, but… nothing comes to mind."
That was a lie. A bad one. Her mind was already racing, trying to make sense of it. Silas? Why would the king want a meeting with him? What could he possibly want from someone like him? Did they know each other? Did Silas have something the king needed? Something wasn't adding up.
Vera shook her head, trying to brush off her thoughts. "Anyway, we should probably hurry up. Wouldn't want to keep the king waiting."
Nick didn't push the topic further, but he could tell something about Silas's name had rattled her. She wasn't just thinking about it, she knew something. He wasn't sure what.
As they continued walking, the grand silhouette of the royal palace loomed in the distance, its towering spires casting long shadows under the sky. Nick glanced at Vera out of the corner of his eye.
She was smiling again, but this time, it didn't quite reach her eyes.
And for some reason, that unsettled him.