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<span style="font-size: 18px">~ Lady Scarlet &amp; <a class="username" data-user-id="48" data-username="@Elle" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" href="https://blackdahliaroleplaying.com/members/48/">@Elle</a> ~</span>​</div><br/>
The streets of Rivethaer were far from safe for anyone who decided to wander about alone and Wesley had learned that lesson well enough when he was six. Most of the others on the streets knew that he knew it, too. No one gave him the warnings anymore, though, because everyone knew that he wouldn’t listen to them anymore. He might have been growing up but it was still a saying that the boy would do what he would do and that would be the end of it one way or another. <br/>
<br/>
And on that night, Wesley had a very specific goal in mind. The skinny blonde street rat walked with determined footsteps as all the doors to all of the shops closed up and as people poured into the bars for the evening. He wasn’t following them, though. The more he walked, actually, the cleaner the streets got and the thinner the alleys became. Someone had once told Wesley that the theory was that if there were no alleys, nothing bad could happen within them. While that was true, it didn’t prevent the alley violence from moving out onto the streets in the dead of night. It was too early for that, though. Most of that would wait until after the bars had closed and until after all of the children were tucked away in their beds - well, all the ones who had families to tuck them in. <br/>
<br/>
Wesley had never had any of that. <br/>
<br/>
It existed where he was heading, though. That much he was certain of. Surely someone in the castle got fed a good warm meal every night and got to sleep on a soft feather bed just because they were the one who tucked the princess into bed every night when she was a child. Wesley envied them and he hated them. They had some of the simplest jobs on the sand’s rough surfaces and they could’ve let a boy do any one of them, but they didn’t. Instead they gave their food and their warmth and their extra feather beds to someone else… to someone who probably would’ve had it anyway. <br/>
<br/>
That wasn’t why Wesley was heading to the castle, though. No, he headed to the castle because the following morning was the start of the Summer Solstice festival and there would be a jousting tournament as part of the opening ceremonies. Wesley was going to try to sneak in and be a squire. He’d done it once before… two years ago during the winter festival. It was the closest to knighthood he would ever probably get. And if he did well enough, he knew that he might even be able to get out of stealing for his dinner the next few nights. It would all be a lie, though. <br/>
<br/>
<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rebeccapurple"><b>“Wesley!”</b></span> a voice hissed out at him and he nearly jumped out of his shoes. Or rather, his shoes almost fell off of his feet when he jumped. They weren’t very intact things at all and they were far too big for how thin he was. <br/>
<br/>
Quick to regain his bearings, though, Wesley turned in the direction of the voice and he found himself almost face to face with Garrett. They’d shared bread a few times, to keep the both of them alive. <span class="fixed-color" style="color:steelblue"><b>“What!?”</b></span> <br/>
<br/>
<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rebeccapurple"><b>“Are you seriously sneaking in <i>again</i>? You know they’ve doubled security since the last time because of thefts, right? With the princess coming of age and them trying to match her, it’ll be even worse this time around! You’re an idiot!!”</b></span> He clearly knew what Wesley was going to try and didn’t think it was advisable in the slightest. <br/>
<br/>
Sighing, Wesley nodded. He knew that security would be worse this time around; they had never caught him before, though, and he didn’t intend on going anywhere near the princess. He just wanted to have a lance in his hand, to hand it to a knight and to be close to the real heroes and the real defenders. At least, that was how he idolized them to be. <span class="fixed-color" style="color:steelblue"><b>“Listen. I’ve got a small stash outside of Miss O’Teele’s shop. If I’m not back in two days, you can take it. Just leave me alone, Gare.”</b></span> <br/>
<br/>
Late as it was, Garrett really wasn’t going to argue too much. He just shrugged. Free food was free food. <span class="fixed-color" style="color:rebeccapurple"><b>“A’right then. Don’t expect us to do nothin’ special if you don’ come back.”</b></span> <br/>
<br/>
<span class="fixed-color" style="color:steelblue"><b>“I never would.”</b></span> <br/>
<br/>
Garrett let Wesley go on his way and Wesley made it to the palace walls. There was a single guard tower that had a blind spot and so far, Wesley had always been able to use it. This situation wasn’t any different and once he was over the walls, if he stuck to the servant’s side of the grounds, he knew he didn’t have to hide much. Someone dressed like he was almost blended right in with a few small exceptions. Curling up under a balcony’s protection, Wesley let himself lull off to sleep. He knew he would wake up early enough to get himself the rest of the way before the preparations started. He just needed to find some nicer clothes, learn a squire’s name, and claim to be them. <br/>
<br/>
Easy. <br/>
<br/>
For now, though, Wesley would dream of armor… of the armor he’d wanted to wear all his life. He wished his mother had had that armor. He wished that he’d taken it before it had been placed far out of his reach. <br/>
<br/>
<a class="username" data-user-id="48" data-username="@Elle" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" href="https://blackdahliaroleplaying.com/members/48/">@Elle</a> </span>