“David.” Prince Elton said this loudly, stopping from where he was.
David looked at his father, having stopped running and walked back towards the prince, “Your Highness?”
Seeing Prince Elton look quickly around, David questionably looked at his friend and didn’t know what to think upon seeing him this way.
Weird…
“I will not be accompanying you, but I want you to come and update me at the pace before this day ends!”
With that nearly whispered speech, the prince turned and strode away, putting up his hand and just like it was magic, a carriage came out of nowhere, coming towards the prince from two blocks away…
How did he do that?
“The prince has something more important to do?” Benjamin asked, a bit upset.
David scoffed, “Nearly anything else is more important than this, father! You should know His Highness by now!”
While two went one way, to try and catch up to Cid, the Prince got into his carriage and sat down for a moment.
“…Your Highness? Are we going back to the pace?”
…I heard that the thieves often go to one pce when they weren’t working, Elton thought. I remember thinking it strange that thieves would gather…
As far as Elton was concerned a few years ago, thieves worked alone. Well, many people believed that, and it is indeed half true but…
Thieves do tend to do some jobs together, using themselves as innocent ploys or obstacles so that the more important jobs have more chance of success.
Actually, thieves have a strange perception upon a job…They were somewhat the complete opposite of pirates. Pirates could not work with anyone, compining to the bitter end if they did, whereas thieves could work together, quite brilliantly but fight after the job is done, whereas the pirates…They steal and run…
Well, that is if his information was correct…
They really did deserve different names though, Prince Elton thought. Yet, he thought it was quite hirious that the thieves fight whereas the pirates steal and run. What was that about? Why wouldn’t the thieves steal and run after the job is done too? Why…Quarrel as they do?
It didn’t make any sense…
The prince decided that he will have to ask about this, so that he could understand…The problem was, he could only ask a thief…
Upon finding out that the thieves in his kingdom were quite resourceful and stealing more and more rare and more expensive wares, it was this reason why Prince Elton had wanted to get them onto his side, instead of eradicating them all completely! It is because they may prove to be more useful being alive!
He had heard of the notion of spies before, and perhaps his father already had spies in other countries, but…His idea was to make the thieves his spies, of course though, it was still just an idea at the moment. He’d have to meet them first and see what they are like, because, as it is, he’d only met, at most, three of them…Well, three that he knew about…And there was one big thing about thieves that could make this ‘idea’ not work! And that was loyalty…
Thieves don’t seem to have loyalty! They like stealing, they are proud of stealing and even can go into a team to steal, but that was just a job after all. Take the job of stealing away from a thief and they are…Somewhat empty. Perhaps that was why thieves can live so casually, so easily satisfied as long as they have money, because they don’t care for people…Well, it was something to be curious over for Prince Elton as…He didn’t understand…
He understood that he was a Prince and that his job was to become King one day and look after the people, so that was why he was doing what he was doing, but practically anything else didn’t make sense to him. He didn’t used to care that he didn’t understand but tely, he felt like he needed to fill in some gaps in his life, perhaps because…He felt a bit empty…Again, that was just another thing that didn’t make sense to him! He had such a huge job, involving many people and work, and yet, it doesn’t make sense to feel this way!
Shaking these ‘strange thoughts’ out of his head, Prince Elton went back to his usual self, usual ‘working as a Prince’ self that is…
“Return to the pa…Wait…”
Remembering the direction that the woman went in, Prince Elton wondered if he should follow her instead.
Yet, it had been a few minutes since then so she most likely won’t be found now. But…That direction…
Frowning, not understanding this person at all, Prince Elton suddenly got out of the carriage and found himself walking in the direction that the woman went in.
Where the thieves go to meet, was not in this direction…No…This direction led to the nobles that lived outside of the capital…Well, what was left of the nobles outside of the capital…
Why…Why was she going this way?
Curiosity…He hadn’t been this curious for a while…
With determined steps, Prince Elton continued, looking out for a little brat of a woman…
Not being able to even see a shadow of a specific, annoying woman, Prince Elton narrowed his eyes upon the route he was taking and thought that she must have meant to leave in this direction on purpose…Just so that he would do what he’s doing right now!
Wasting his time!
How…Infuriating!
He forgot who he was following!
Why would a thief leave openly in this direction!?
He must have been stupid to think that the thief leaving in this direction was for any other reason, besides to steal or to led someone following astray, so he felt like a complete and utter fool!
She was like another David! He got along with David because his friend made him think or act differently…Yet, having him feel this way with a thief and a female…Gave him a shiver down his spine!
One simple thought followed, I will return this favor, Little Pilger!
Shaking his head and taking a deep breath in, Prince Elton looked around, wondering whether to check on a few of the homes close by, to see if they are being robbed, or not.
Just a bit further was the nobles, some having moved into the capital, leaving houses absent but…There were a few families still behind that kept this area quite well looked after and well looked upon by others.
He hadn’t heard which specific families had moved, nor which families stayed but there was one particur noble home that stood out from the rest.
It was abandoned, broken even…Vandalized…
Right…
Having not thought much of this particur family for a long time, Prince Elton shrugged and turned around.
He didn’t want to waste time upon thinking of criminals!
The woman wasn’t here, so there was no reason to stay any longer!
With a quick motion, a carriage traveled towards him and Prince Elton waited.
Taking one more look at the vandalized noble house, Elton frowned and had a sudden thought…
Back then, all that time ago, he had not been as he is now and questioned things…
And…It wouldn’t be the first time that his father had done something harsh to someone else who was innocent, and he had only found out ter, when it was too te…
This noble family, there was evidence, there was also a certain circumstance that made their crime real.
It couldn’t possibly be…
Widening his eyes, Prince Elton swallowed and thought of a point that perhaps someone might have missed over the ‘evidence’ that could be seen so directly back then, just like he had until this very moment!
This noble family used to have a lot of money, no doubt that was the reason why the daughter had been betrothed to him but…It would be seriously disappointing if it was a scandal!
A scandal…Something like this might even be enough to get that father of his off the throne!
The people, if they came to see…
Right, I need evidence!
I need to find out if there was a scandal here first!
Now that Prince Elton had found something that could become quite a rge development into his pn, he couldn’t rex!
Straight away he got into the carriage, calling for it to return to the pace and could not wait to get there, as he was even tempted to get off the carriage and take one of the horses, to ride back himself!
Talking himself into taking this time, of being stuck inside a carriage, to pn on what he had to do to find out if what happened to the noble family was a scandal or not, he knew what he had to do upon the carriage coming to a halt at the pace.
He knew that for the moment, this would have to be a secret. He also knew that what happened, happened quite some time ago and that getting information was going to be difficult but…For some reason…Probably because this may be the very thing that gets his greedy father off the throne, the prince couldn’t even sleep that night because of the idea of this scandal!
***
