(A/N: Don't read if you dont wanna be spoiled much, anyway Keep an eye on noahs personality I forgot to add that his personality represents his past.
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Chapter 5: A princesses awakening.
The afternoon sun filtered in through the small broken slats in the roof, its warmth brushing across the dusty floor. The shack creaked softly under the shuffle of bare feet and the hum of quiet chatter. Despite the rough living conditions, the place had its own life—it's own warmth of a family.
And sitting outside, was our dear noah, leaning back lazily against the wooden wall, both his arm's resting behind his head, his eye's closed, and his white hair catching the flow of the light breeze. He still wore the same tattered clothes from the night before—grimy, worn, however there was no blood on them, like what happened this morning was a mere dream. Though that was far from a dream, it was reality.
Inside the shack, seven kid's played or worked in the limited space. Yui, the smallest of them, and the youngest, soon came outside, accompanying her was a dirty bear doll gripped tightly in her small arm's. She sat right next to noah, her small hand and fingers clinging tightly to his t shirt, her innocent eye's wide and silent, gazing at noah with a unreadable expression.
Noah opened one of his and shifted his gaze towards her, a small smile soon tugging his lip's seeing who it was. "Yui, *sigh* it's seems your back holding me captive like I'm your second doll." No response, just silents met his remake. Noah chuckled seeing that she just tilted her head, seemingly confused at his joke.
The others—Rio, Lina, Mira, Toma, Kenji, and Rika—moved about naturally, teasing each other or helping with simple chores.
From a corner of the shack, a low groan echoed. Princess Flora stirred beneath a tattered blanket, blinking at the ceiling above her, the faint scent of smoke and herbs clinging to her.
She sat up slowly, confusion clouding her face. "W-Where…?"
Rio stepped forward, his voice casual but steady, and a hint of respect in his voice. "You're not in a castle, that's for sure princess."
Flora, startled looked in his direction, then at the children beside him, wide-eyed and unsure, she asked her voice shakey. "did… you save me?."
He gave a half-smirk. "No, I didn't. Someone else did."
"Someone else…?" she asked softly, fingers gripping the edge of the blanket. Did her savior leave her here with kid's her age? She thought
She blinked at the thought, if that was true why here and not at the castle?.
She snapped out her thoughts, when she seen Mira approaching and offered her a small wooden bowl of soup. "Princess you should Eat. You need it." Mira said softly.
Flora hesitated, but seeing the kindness in Mira's gaze, she ccepted it a kind smile on her face and grabbing the bowl with trembling hands. "Thank you…"
The children gradually went back to their routines. Noah didn't move a inch when he heard her, not cause he was mean, but because she'll naturally see him, there was no rush, he had a half of day after all.
Yui remained glued to Noah, like a quiet shadow, while the others kept a watchful but casual eye on Flora. She watched them too—how easily they moved around, how comfortable they were in a place like this. Taking a sip of the soup, she was surprised to found it.... quite good.
A few minutes passed before she looked up again, seemingly eger to ask something. Seems her look eger, rio asked, "is there something you need princess?".
She nodded slowly, before replying, her voice slow and steady, making sure rio heard every word clearly. "I… I don't know if yous know him, but the boy who saved me and brought me here, did yous by any chance see him. He had white hair, and his eye's were a beautiful wine red. He was strong and he looked around our age. He… he's the one that ki—!!"
*SWOOOSH!*
Flora yelped, feeling a finger on her mouth.
"hi, princess ~". Noah, who was just sitting outside, spawned Infront of her, making a (🤫) motion with his hand, signaling her to don't speak further.
Flora though, had barely anytime to react before a boy teleported into her view, this obviously made her back up a little. A Shook, and scared expression on her face, the soup she held falling, to which noah saved quickly.
"Sorry a spooked ya, wasn't intentional trust me." He chuckled, before whispering to only which she could hear him. "You see, I don't want them knowing I you know *SLIT* people."
Luckily they didn't hear that last bit properly.
Hearing his whisper, she nodded weakly. Calming down a little. She observed him more closely after calming her racing heart. red eye's and white hair....wait.
"You....your that boy, the one who saved me?!" Her eye's wided in shock upon recognizeing who it was, that boy who she mistakenly thought had left her.
"Yup. That would be me. Your golden, wonder boy in the flesh. Name's noah." Noah replied, a small smile on his lip's.
Before she could reply, she saw a little girl walk up from behind noah. Noah, curious at what she was looking at followed her gaze and seen a pouty little girl, and with out word's, she then pinched his arm.
....uhh, right, yui was right next to me. He thought, a weary smile replacing his small one, he scratched the back of his head and said with a apologizing tone. "Haha, I'm sorry yui, I forgot you were there." All he got was a "hmph".
Sighing, he turned back to flora. "And this is yui, the youngest out of us." Noah introduced. "And behind me is rio, mira, Lina, kenji, rika, and lasty toma. "
They nodded in sync, a small sign of greeting.
"Uh umm.... it's nice to meet yous all. My name's flora. Flora beltrum." She bowed a little. She then looked gratefully at noah. "Also, thank you noah for saving me, truly. With out you stepping in I....I don't know what would of happened. So, really thank you so much." Her angel voice was laced with gratefulness, tear's welling up slowly in her eye's as each word left her mouth.
Noah just smiled warmly, though if one looked closer into his eye's they would be able to see, that he was waiting for something. Seemingly seeing her gratitude as nothing more then a side-quest, to his main one.
Flora, wipping her soon-to-be tear's from falling, looked back at noah, a big smile on her face. She didn't catch the meaning in his eye's, her happiness over lapped it. " My father would reward you graciously for this, I promise!".
'there it is hehe~'. Noah smirked in his mind, those were the word's he was waiting for, and he was gonna milk the absolute fuck out of that lovely reward.
Outside was different of course, he still maintened his smile. "Don't mention it, princess. I did what I had to for the kingdom, y'know, couldn't let a future princess parish so young~"
The latter was obviously a big lie, noah didn't give to fucks about this kingdom, even if there was a "give fucks" vending machine, he wouldn't get any.
Plus this was a safer way noah thought of, unless he wanted a hole two or so kingdoms to try run a fade would him. Obviously he would love that, though maybe not the kid's.
Anyway back to Noah and flora's conversation. "That's so sweet of you noah, thank you!" Her eye's gleamed with even more happiness hearing what he said.
Poor girl.
Noah just waved his hand, dismissing it. He switched the subject quickly, before he started feeling bad. "Your welcome, princess. Anyways make yourself comfortable, and if needed let these", he pointed at the kid's, "little demon's distract you from what happened, and when your ready I'll take you back to the castle, sweet?"
Gaining a nod, noah got up from his crouching position—yui doing the same as she tightly held his shorts. Her minute ago mood disappearing after listening to the conversation.
He told mira to get another bowl for flora—she did.
As the afternoon continued, Flora managed to eat slowly, and gratefully liking the cozy atmosphere that flowed through the air. She didn't seem wary, or scared anymore, she could see that these people were genuinely good people.
---
Later, as the children ventured outside to play, Flora being pulled with them.
As she was playing game's with Lina, mira, and yui, she spotted Noah sitting just outside the shack, lazily staring at the horizon, his posture relaxed, and lazy.
She approached quietly, voice almost a whisper, laced full of curiosity. " I don't mean to pry or anything, and you don't need to answer, but I still don't understand why someone with your strength is in the slums."
Noah turned his gaze lazily towards her, a smile gracing his handsome futures. "Cause of these little demon's of course." He pointed at them, chuckling, " You could say....I took pity on them. Another big part of it is cause I kinda lost my memory so I don't know who my family is, so there helping with that. Then there life story's, which ain't sunshine one's, y'know. "
She blinked. Caught of guard by the deep answer he gave. She thought he'll say something like "cause I can't become a knight with my age", or something along those lines, but this.....
There was a long silence that followed, flora looked at him for a long moment, trying to put together word's to say, not quite getting anywhere sadly.
The silence was broken when she heard him laugh. Looking at him surprised.
Even the kid's looked at him shock all over there face.
'.....Noah's, laughing.?' They thought in sync.
Even rio was surprised, him being around him the most, hadn't heard him full on laugh before.
They have never seen him laugh before to, even when he's been with them this hole time.
His laughter soon calmed down. "Haaa.....Don't think to hard, princess. As long as we're happy now is all that matters." He got up, and walked towards where they were playing. He picked up yui putting her on one shoulder, toma going on his other." Ain't that right, ya little demon's." He asked all the kid's—all of them smiled. Yelling "Yeah!!" In sync.
Flora looked at him for a long moment again, the silence around her thick.
'he's really different from that incident' she thought to herself, a shiver running down her spine remembering that scene.' who would believe that the boy now is the boy then?'
Her thoughts spinned. Snapping out of them only when she heard her name being called.
She also walked over, saying a little timidly as she got closer to them. "also, yous can just call me flora from now, no need for saying princess all the time when we're friends."
They all looked at each other, a slow rising smile forming. "Alright then flora" Noah said, followed by all of them.
---
(Two hours later)
"You ready?"
"Yup, all ready!"
Noah nodded. Him and flora were getting ready to head out for the castle.
Noah led the way, waving at the kid's telling them he'll be back. Flora walked next to him also waving at them. "See yous, thank yous for everything yous done up until now!" Her smile brightening when she heard there responses.
About ten or so minutes later, They found there way out of the maze of slum alleys and joined the main road. Villagers were already stirring: a fisherman walking toward the river. Civilian's walking down the long road.
Silent up until now, flora finally spoke, her voice gentle. "Thank you," Flora said, glancing at him. "For… for doing this."
Noah gave a small smile . "Don't mention it. Can't have you getting kidnapped again~."
Liar by the way. He just wants his reward quickly.
She smiled even softer, "i'm sorry that I'm causing so much trouble, noah~"
He shrugged.(🤷) "Trouble's my love language. Besides, I would of gotten a ear full from yui and them if I left you alone."
Flora laughed—a tiny, genuine sounding one.
---
Not far down the main road, a trio of figures emerged from a bakery — there clothes screaming noble's. Leading were Roanna Fontaine, her blonde hair shimmering in the sun light; beside her, Vanessa Emerle, a mature looking women with beautiful futures, with a blade at her hip; and trailing slightly behind, Celia Claire and Christina Beltrum, radiating calm authority.
Christina sighed, and asked for the 100th time, " when are we gonna find her, what if....if she's lonely, scared somewhere trying to find her way after escaping those filthy kidnapper's, wishing we were there!"
Her thoughts were understandable, they been searching for hour's with no leads, so everyone of them were getting worried.
"We know Christina, so let's get back to it so that doesn't happe—" it was Celia who reassured her, before abruptly pausing, her eye's growing wide.
Everyone looked at her, confused as to why she stopped mid-sentence. Till they saw her point in a different direction.
Her voice shakey, shock lingering, and sticking to each word she spoke.
"She's right there, that's her magic!!" Celia yelled, drawing everyone's attention to where she pointed.
There they seen her, flora. Who didn't see them yet. Until Vanessa sharp and quick, drawed her sword from her hip, and moved swiftly towards the boy she seen right next to her.
She moved quick pass the civilian's like a flicker of light normal people couldn't see. Flora and noah weren't that far, so Vanessa made it behind noah pretty fast.
Though
Noah, the ever so quick boy himself reacted accordingly. Taking flora in one arm, he disappeared in a blink. Surprising the hell out of all of them. Flora included.
And without warning, noah reappeared infont of Vanessa, with flora now lounged over his shoulder like a sake of potatoes—vanessa couldn't react in time before noah foot push kicked her faced.*BAM!*
Sending her flying.
*SWOOSH!!*
" Ms Vanessa!!" They all yelled, springing into alert mode as they bolted to Vanessa.
"Argh!"Vanessa groaned in pain as she went flying. Being a knight of the royal guard's had it's perks though—she balanced herself mid-air, perfuming a back flipped, sliding a little as she landed
Groanes, and screams hit all there ear's as Vanessa hit some civilian's, on accident of course.
Noah though, gave no fucks for the civilian's in the way, it's was just there unlucky day I guess.
And of course Noah knew who he FOOT KICKED just now, though he didn't care, he still did what he would do to anyone who hull runs at him.
Flora, who was slumped over his shoulder blushed at her position, she turned her head quick, embarrassment in her voice as she spoke. "N-noah, put me down!".
He did just as he was told and put her feet to the ground, as he gazed at her blushing face," my bad." He chuckled slightly. "But I think those people are for you." He pointed behind her.
She turned around, confusion on her face.
What met her was celia, Christina, and Roanna all them were crouching around Vanessa asking if she was alright.
Flora's eye's went wide. "Sister?," she murmured.
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End