Hale is on her way to her assigned place.

Hiding out in Gallia isn’t what she would like to do. It’s what she is supposed to do according to the escape plan. As Princess of Allaver, she should follow orders.

Out of all her siblings, Hale is probably the most aware of how wrong this plan could go. How are six royal siblings going to actually all make it to different locations in different directions without a snag. Or several

Though that’s the point. As long as one of them survives this, that’s enough.

Not a lot shakes Hale, but that does. It just feels cold. To leave her family. On purpose.

Hale is the best at stealth in her family, so moving around in the trees, avoiding detection is quite easy for her.

It gives her time to reflect on the last concerning conversation with The General.

After the attack in the Allaver ballroom, Gen told her not to trust anyone. He suspected there was someone on the inside.

Does that mean she shouldn’t follow the escape plan? If the enemy knows about it, there could be someone waiting for her.

Why do things have to be so complicated?

All she longs for is just to train with her trusty blade and that’s it.

She has a while to think about what he said, so she does.

After two days of doing that, she nears the outskirts of Gallia. She remembers from the escape plan and her route that there is a town up ahead.

It shouldn’t be a problem for Hale to go around it. She surely can’t go through it looking how she does with a torn gala dress. She’ll stick out.

She needs new clothes. More inconspicuous ones.

While hidden in the luscious foliage, she hears a racket. It’s close by, coming from her east.

It’s a familiar sound to her. Fighting.

Her siblings always said she couldn’t turn down a fight. It wouldn’t hurt to check it out.

Slipping into the shadows, she moves towards the noises. Hale could see these brightly haired siblings. Their red hair gives them away as siblings, maybe even twins from their close age.

Just a few moments of observing these two battling with some guards, they are the superior warriors.

The girl has agility and speed. The boy has precision and brute strength. Both fight…wildly. It is obvious to Hale that they taught themselves to wield the weapons.

When people teaches themselves to fight, they usually have a reason to. A good reason.

Their physicality is impressive, but they are outnumbered. They need help.

Readying her sword, she leaps out of her spot and blocks an attack from the girl’s flank.

The girl’s eyes widen but to her credit does not falter.

Hale knocks another someone back. Turning around, she swings to cut an arrow heading her way. She takes note of the direction it came from.

A whip of air goes by her head, so she knows to grab a fist coming for her temple. Twisting the man’s arm, she hits the flat side of her blade against his knees. He crumples to the ground. His head meets the handle of Hale’s sword.

Eyeing the archer, she withdraws her dagger. With great precision, she catches the archer in the arm.

Another knife whizzes through the air and lands in the archer’s eye. Hale’s head whips to the side and it came from the boy.

With all the enemies down, she looks closer at the duo and they look closer to her age now that she has time to study them.

“Why did you help us?” The girl’s suspicious and doesn’t hide it. Hale likes that.

Hale shrugs. “You needed help.”

The boy scoffs. “No we didn’t.”

“Let’s just get out of here before any of the living ones wake up,” the girl suggests. The siblings slink into shade of the trees just as easily as Hale. Which must be hard with their hair color.

It doesn’t take much to follow them.

They wanted answers. That’s something she could do.

When they are a safe distance away from their crime scene, they all stop.

“I’m curious now. Who are you?” The boy asks, he studies her. A stare that she is used to. She doesn’t shy away.

One of Gen’s many lessons was about confidence. If you let people know that you care about what they think, then they will use that. You need to either have confidence or make them think you do.

“I’m Hale.”

When she doesn’t elaborate anymore, the girl steps up. “We’re known as Lock and Key. I’m Key.”

“Why would you tell her that?” Presumably Lock questions, clearly annoyed.

It doesn’t bother Hale.

And really, why should it? She likes when people are forward with their emotions. It makes them predictable.

“She saved us whether you’d like to admit that or not,” Key points out. Both of them either forgetting Hale is right there or they don’t care.

“We would have been fine. Like always,” Lock insists. Hale doesn’t think so.

Key has the same observant gaze as her brother. It’s as if Hale’s sapphire dress is coming into view for the first time for her.

“You’re from upper class.” It’s a statement. A true statement.

“I’m Princess Halina.” Hale doesn’t see a reason to lie. Lock and Key are not threats. At least not yet.

And if it came down to it, Hale thinks she could take them both.

Her honesty shocks the siblings. His mouth gapes open with equally wide eyes. Her reaction is a bit more subtle with her whole body tensing.

Hale thought they might question her integrity, but they don’t. They take her word for it. Which is either really trusting or really stupid. She can’t decide.

“Oh, you’re one of those lucky kids that got chosen to be a pretty princess,” Lock says. His sister elbows him. Hard. He does appear to regret it.

Hale has to physically stop herself from rolling her eyes.

Gen’s words echo in her mind. You can’t show how you feel. It works on the battlefield and in a council room.

Instead, she raises her shoulders in an unbothered shrug. “Look. I didn’t ask to be picked. None of us did.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that you were.”

Lock’s attempt to get a rise from her doesn’t work. Hale has met far worse than him.

Her and her siblings were all adopted. They’ve been prepared for criticism and doubt.

“Where are you headed?” Key asks, trying to diffuse the tension between her brother and Hale.

It doesn’t work.

“Somewhere,” Hale declares, trying to be as unhelpful as possible.

“How specific,” sarcasm dripping in Lock’s voice.

Key goes to punch him in the shoulder, but he anticipates that and dodges. “Considering those guards were after you for a reason, maybe I’m keeping my cards close to my chest,” Hale remarks.

“If we wanted to hurt you, we would have already,” Lock mutters. Hale would love to see that.

Giving a smirk, her hand unconsciously going to her blade.

“I wouldn’t be too sure of that.”