<span style="color: #8000FF"><br/>He was headed toward his usual haunt for the best prices on the best jewels. He was usually paid well for the jewels he brought in because he only stole top class jewelry and no one but he knew they were stolen. Usually if he pilfered an earring he would have to split it into individual gems to sell since getting a pair was much harder. A pair of earrings would be worth top dollar. Jewelers would buy loose stones but they preferred to buy actual pieces since it meant less work and more profit for them. He knew he would get more for the earrings if he could find a woman rich enough in the market to buy them, but he had a feeling that would be a stretch and he didnâ€™t want to waste the time. Gabe knew he would get more than a fair price from the jeweler on Mason Street. He was one of Gabeâ€™s best customers though of course he only knew Gabe as young Lord Gavary of Mindalan. Despite this the man was determined to keep Gabe as a provider so he usually paid top price for the jewels. <br/><br/>Usually he would have been able to weave in and out of the people without any of them even knowing he had passed. He was light on his feet and his hands were quick. He only bumped into people when it was profitable. Sometimes a slight touch was useful. A tiny bump of a well to do gentleman could result in a few extra coins to pay for fruit or chicken to take home. A brush of the shoulder to a well-dressed woman could result in a fancy ring or trinket to be traded for sugar or candles. He had enough to trade today though he wanted to get his money from the jeweler make his rounds at the stalls and get back home. He needed sleep after last night. He was not his best and more time on his feet wasnâ€™t going to help. It took more energy than he really wanted to waste to keep the glamour up already. <br/><br/>For maybe the first time in five years he bumped into someone without the intention of doing so. This occurrence just cemented the idea that he really needed to get home. He couldnâ€™t go home empty handed though. He couldnâ€™t stand the looks on those hungry faces if he didnâ€™t bring anything back. He took a deep breath and swept a low bow to the lady he had bumped into taking in her shoes as he did so. Most people didnâ€™t pay attention to shoes, but Gabe found it a very useful skill. He wasnâ€™t sure when he had picked it up, but you could tell a great deal about a person by their shoes. This person was very wellborn thought trying to blend in and she had small feet, which meant that she was probably still fairly young. Maybe he had found a customer after all. <br/><br/>He rose out of his bow to meet the womanâ€™s face. He almost cursed and let his glamour fall. He was pretty sure that his glamour did flicker for a second. It wasnâ€™t long enough for anyone to really notice just a millisecond if anyone saw they would think it was a trick of the light or their eyes. Gabe couldnâ€™t let her cost him anymore, but this was too delicious to let pass. She might pay him back for all her trouble yet. Even if she wouldnâ€™t pay to get her precious earrings back to have her treat him as a gentleman would be more than worth the effort. He had to play this carefully though or they would both be in trouble. It was clear from the way she was dressed that she didnâ€™t want to be noticed or recognized anymore than he did. Why she was trying to be so secretive he could only imagine, but that was all the better she would be more reluctant to draw attention to herself if she was trying to blend in. <br/><br/>With a wicked smile just like he had worn the day before he dropped another much smaller bow grabbing her hand and kissing it lightly as a well-born gentleman might do. â€œI am the one who should be sorry my fair lady, but I was so concentrated on where I was going I didnâ€™t even realize I was about to run into such a beautiful creature. I am deeply sorry.â€ He was trying to be as charming as he possibly could. It would amuse him to know end if she fell for his charming act. It worked on most pretty young women especially when he was disguised as Lord Gavary. He had yet to meet a young woman who would object to being complimented and courted by a lord. I didnâ€™t know if it would work on her, but I would know more about her either way. <br/><br/>It seemed that she wasnâ€™t against the compliments and courtship, but when I introduced myself as young lord Gavary of Mindelan it didnâ€™t turn her head like it did most of the other girls. I now had a great deal more knowledge about her. How high up in the ranks did she have to be to not be impressed with a lord? I could consider that later when I had finished my day. I had spent enough time toying with her though. I could have done this all day, but I had resigned myself to an early day and the sun was quickly sinking in the sky turning to afternoon. I looked around to make sure no one was watching us before I made my move. â€œYou know you might be interested in a trinket I am trying to sell they arenâ€™t as pretty as you â€˜girlyâ€™ but Iâ€™ll bet they are worth a pretty penny.â€ He let the same smirk he had been wearing yesterday grace his lips and dropped both the charm and highbred accent from his voice at the end. He let the glamour on his face slip. His playful smirk turned into a full out grin at tricking her as he pulled out her earrings and swung them lightly back and forth in front of her. He was interested to see what she would do. He was having more fun than he wanted to admit gathering information about her to piece together her character. </span><br/><br/><br/><span style="color: #00BFFF"><br/>Kathrine looked over to the person who she had just bumped into. To her surprise she found out that it so happen to be a gentlemen, but there was something about this gentlemen that made him seem unique, like there was a hidden side to him, like a secret or an untold story. She shock off this feeling as he took her hand and kissed it lightly. His warm large hand held her's gently and his warm and surprisingly soft lips touch the back of her hand lightly. To her better judgement she felt her cheeks give a light glow as a warm and sweet smile appeared on her lips. Well even if he wasn't the kind of gentlemen she was used to seeing, he was most certainly charming and kind. Not to mention there was a certain attractiveness about him that she liked. "Oh you are too kind." she replied with a warm smile as she looked across at him."It's a pleasure to meet Lord Gavary." She replied with a small light curtsy. <br/><br/>'Hrmm a Lord. Not a bad Handsome, charming and young Lord at that.' Kathrine had thought to herself as she smiled polite towards him. Being a Princess meant that you only got to see mostly Kings, Princes and Knights. She has meet the odd Lord or so, but normally very high respected ones, but still he seemed to be of a high standard. Not that she would of mind either way. As long as the person was to be nice to her and show her with some kindness of respect, she would be warm towards anyone. Even with her maids she would treat them with respect, after all she knew that they did a lot for her and her family and they too showed respect for her and her family. One would only receive the same attitude as one would give. <br/><br/>Her smiled staid as he continued to talk. It seemed that he was here on business, selling trinkets and -- Wait! What had he called her? 'Girly' Kathrine repeated in her mind as she tried to figure out why that rang a bell in her mind. Still looking across at the Lord, she notice a smirk playing on his lips and his charming accent drop. For some reason all over a sudden he looked familial. But how could she know him? This was her very first time in the market and only her second time out of the castle walls. She had only meet a very small handful of people... It was him! That same man who had meet the day before, who couldn't be less like a gentlemen even if he tried. <br/><br/>"You!" Kathrine gasped as she starred at him in shocked. He had dressed himself up to look like a Lord and pretended to be a gentlemen of such high class. A couple of heads had turned but they son looked away in another direction. Kathrine took a step closer towards him and eyed him a little. Yup, no doubt it was him, with that bright 'ha-ha' kinda grin played across his face, much like the one he had when he had taken her earrings. Speaking of her earrings he was now dangling them in font of her as if all this was a little game, which she supposed to him it was. "What do you think your doing?" she asked with a stern look placed upon her normally gently soft face. "Just waving them about? You where meant to sell them to get things for the children!" she continued raising her voice even more. "And tricking me!" she added. From the corner of her eyes she noticed that a lot of people where now drawing their attention over to them both, which wasn't a good thing. <br/><br/>Kathrine looked around at the crowed and soon turned away from their view. If anyone was to find out who she really was then things would just turn fr the worst for her. She would most properly never be able to leave her room, let alone be able to go out into the Castle grounds. Quickly she shock the idea out of her mind and onto the matter at hand. How could he be so stupid as to be playing dress up when there was children in his village that needed so much? Kathrine gave out a long sigh to try and calm herself down a little before turning her attention back over to him. She wasn't to sure why she was so angry and upset with him. Was it because he hadn't sold the earrings yet or that fact that he was playing yet more games with her? <br/><br/>"Those earrings are worth a lot and your just playing dress up and why on earth are you playing games with again?!" Kathrine hissed over t him. "A gentlemen...a Lord! I can't believe I even..." she muttered back as she slowly started to walk from one stool to the other, trying to act like all the other people at the market. How on earth could she have fallen for it? For his so called charm and grace. She had even blushed to his comments. "And the fact you where acting so...and I even..." she could bring herself to finish her sentences. She was so embarrassed and annoyed with herself that she had even believed his act and acted in the way she did, that she couldn't stand the sight of him. "Your such a child and, and annoying" she hissed over to him, having the last word. She then quickly headed down a quite street, making her way back over to the path by the woods which lead her to her exit from the Castle. Being in no mood to be around other people or to shop anymore. <br/><br/>She knew that she was not acting like the lady that her mother had raised her, with moaning and name calling but there was something about him that got under her skin and she didn't like it. When she heard footsteps and his voice calling towards her she turned quickly to reply with something else childish, when he ankle gave way and she fell to the ground. Kathrine let out a little cry in pain as she reached over to her ankle which was in a lot of pain. Removing her hand from her ankle she found that there was some blood on her stocking. Looking at her hand she had found that she had also cut her hand as she feel. Most properly on a rock or something sharp on the dried ground. More worried by the fact if she would be able to walk on her foot to get home, she tried to place some pressure on it but she only cried out in pain again due to her ankle. </span><br/><br/><span style="color: #8000FF">He knew she wasnâ€™t angry from the moment he pulled out the earrings. He didnâ€™t really mean to make her angry he had liked flirting with her even if it was only for play. It was just for fun after all, couldnâ€™t she take a joke? Was she so up tight she didnâ€™t even know how to laugh? If she wanted to blend in she would have to learn not to take everything so seriously. She was acting like he had betrayed her or something. He was going to sell the earrings, but some girl had bumped into him on his way. The one thing that really drove him crazy about her reaction was that she thought he was playing. She seemed convinced that he wasnâ€™t going to use the earrings for the very purpose he stole them for. Why would she assume that? He fully intended to sell them and use to money in town to trade for food. What else would he do with the earrings it wasnâ€™t like he had some girl to give them to? He shouldnâ€™t even have to explain himself to her, but he couldnâ€™t let it go. <br/><br/>He started to talk back but then noticing all the looks they were attracting. According to these people he was still Young Lord Gavary. He had just let her see it was him underneath it all. He really should have just offered to escort her wherever she was going and leave it at that. Why couldnâ€™t he leave her alone? That was ridiculous it wasnâ€™t like he had run into her she had been the one to run into him. The names and insults were completely uncalled for at any rate. She was storming off now, but he wasnâ€™t going to let her just walk out after such insults. â€œChild? Iâ€™m a child? You are the one acting childish girly and need I remind you that you are the one who bumped into me. I was on my way to Mason Street where I could get the best price for these trinkets when you so rudely ran into me. I saw it was you and since I have so little fun I thought I would have a bit with you.â€ <br/><br/>He was in an odd position he was not accustomed to fallowing anyone unless it was to pick their pocket and when he did that he certainly never talked to them. He really had no reason to defend himself after all he was doing nothing wrong at the moment. He wasnâ€™t even peddling stolen goods since technically she had given him the earrings well one of them at least. More than the fact that he was fallowing her she had the last word. The real reason he was fallowing her was probably because no matter what kind of mood he was in he refused to let her have the last word. He always had the last word ALWAYS! <br/><br/>He decided to be serious. He had reasons for doing what he did and he thought that she could understand that. She should be able to understand that. She seemed like the kind of person who would respond better to the truth anyway. â€œI thought you might pay better to get your earrings back than Mr. Carder down the street. I was trying to get the best price and as for playing dress up as you put it.â€ He trailed off for a minute. He shook he head he had already decided to tell the truth he couldnâ€™t very well change his mind now. â€œTell me the truth would you buy jewels, no matter how good the quality, from a back alley pick-pocket?â€ He didnâ€™t like to place himself in that box but as Gabriel . . . well in the city, or the market, that was all they saw Gabriel as. <br/><br/>He leaned against a tree he was tiered of chasing her and he had said his piece. They were back on the road that would lead to the forest if they continued and he still had to sell the earrings before the day was out. She was still walking away though. He didnâ€™t want to let her go though. He ran to catch up with her his normally light feet sounding especially loud on the empty road. â€œWaitâ€ he said it almost half-heartedly not really expecting her to wait or turn or anything. He just needed some kind of conformation that she understood why he did what he did. <br/><br/>He heard it before he saw it. She hit the ground hard. This was why even when â€˜playing dress-upâ€™ as she put it Gabriel always wore sensible shoes. He thought it would serve her right if he just let her lay there in the dirt for a while. He probably would have left her there if he didnâ€™t see the blood. She seemed determined to get back up. He knew that was a bad idea before she even tried. He was going to tell her to stay put, but firstly she probably wouldnâ€™t have listened and second he was too late. She was just going to hurt herself worse like that. He heaved the same long-suffering sigh he had used last night. â€œStop testing it girly you will just end up breaking the ankle and then you will be even worse off.â€ <br/><br/>He walked over and bent down so he was on one knee. He looked at the ankle, which was already swelling something awful and the cut on her hand didnâ€™t look much better at that. It wasnâ€™t too deep but it was fairly long and a cut on the hand, that was one of the worst places to get a cut. It probably didnâ€™t matter as much to her since blood on her hand wouldnâ€™t interfere with how she made it from day to day, but it still made doing anything uncomfortable. He shook his head. He had always been told not to use magic not in front of people especially nobles but it was sort of his fault. He could fix the cut but he would need some ingredients from the woods for the ankle. <br/><br/>He didnâ€™t ask first because he felt fairly certain she would resist or at the very least object and the sooner they got off the road the better. He lifted her and carried her to the edge of the woods. They would be concealed here. He was much stronger than he looked since he lifted her from the ground like she weighed nothing at all. It probably came from the years of lugging bags full of provisions back and forth from the village to the market everyday. The work and walk also made him lean though so he didnâ€™t look nearly as strong as he was. <br/><br/>He placed her down with her back against a tree. He knew he could and was going to heal the cut, but he felt like he should warn her or something. Well it wasnâ€™t like she would run off with an injured ankle and he could always wipe her memory if she did freak out. â€œUm . . .â€ He still wasnâ€™t sure how to approach this exactly. â€œJust donâ€™t lose your head girly I promise this wonâ€™t hurt, but you can close your eyes if it will make you feel better.â€ He took her hand and turned it over to look at the cut. He would have to concentrate to make sure it wasnâ€™t infected before he closed it. He looked into her eyes deeply before lightly closing his eyes. His long dark lashes toughed his skin lightly his eyes darted under the lids as if he were having a very vivid dream. He slowly covered the cut on her hand with his and ran it from the bottom of the cut up to the juncture of the fingers where it ended. <br/><br/>As he made the motion up her hand a faint blue glow surrounded his hand and started to seep into her skin. As his hand moved up revealing where the cut should have been there was nothing but a faint pink line of new skin as the layers started to knit back together and the line even started to fade. After the moments it took for him to close the cut on her hand he opened his eyes and looked at her. His eyes were the same blue as his magic. â€œAre you okay girly?â€ He knew she had a sprained ankle, but that wasnâ€™t what he meant. He knew he had healed the cut properly as well he had healed enough of his own over the years. What he didnâ€™t know was if she was going to be afraid of him now. He knew that magic was forbidden but he had taken care of people for so long that he couldnâ€™t just leave her there on the road injured. He just needed to know if he had made his life even more difficult than it already was. </span><br/><br/><br/><span style="color: #00BFFF">The pain in her foot was much greater then that of her hand, even though it was bleed quite badly. The cut she could easily bandage when she had gotten home but the ankle, if she could walk then she wouldn't be able to get home and then her parents would find out that she has been leaving the Castle with out there knowledge. The more she tried to move it the more it hurt and began to swell up pretty badly. Kathrine sighed at his comment. Although she wouldn't like to admit it, he was right and then best thing that she could do was to keep any pressure off of it. Which wasn't the best of things as she had to get home. What was she going to do, hop all the way home? She let out a large sigh of frustration at the thought of it as he knelt down and looked at her ankle and hand. What was he going to do? click his fingers and it all be better? <br/><br/>Looking down at her ankle, wondering how on earth she was going to get out of here she soon felt a pair of warm, strong arms wrapped around her slim body. Kathrine let out a gasp of surprise. Both for the reason that he didn't even ask her for her permission and the fact he did it so swiftly, like she weighed no more then a birds feather. As he carried her she focused on his face and his features, not really minding where he was taking her at the moment as her ankle seemed to hurt less with no weight leaning against it. Up this close he looked much younger, much closer to her age then she had thought. Possibly mid twenty's maybe? He seemed a lot stronger then he let on too and his cloths didn't do much for what she presume was a very leaned body. A sudden thought had crossed her mind and she soon shock it out of her head quickly. No lady should be thinking about what laid underneath a mans cloths. <br/><br/>When he stopped and placed her down by a tree she looked over at him and wondered what was going thought his mind and what he had planned next. Why had he taken her into the woods? It wasn't like there was anything useful her that would help with either her hand or ankle, but then again he come from a different background. Perhaps there was some old folk thing for cuts and sprained ankles that he was going to us on her. The thought made her a little nervous but she was grateful that he was even thinking about helping her again, even with the mean and childish things she had said to him at the market. A slight twinge of shame was running though her as she remembered a few of the things she said. <br/><br/>Kathrine was drawn from her feelings when he had muttered something. As she looked across at him he looked over at her and took her hand gently. 'Don't loose my head?' she thought to herself. Why would she? What was he going to do? As he took her hand she felt her heart skip a beat. For some reason she felt a little nervous but she didn't want to show it so she kept her cool in front of him. As he turned her hand around she felt a little ping of pain which she cringed too slightly. Looking from her cut to his eyes she notice him looking right into hers. For some reason her nervous seemed to fade slightly and she felt calmer within herself. Perhaps it was his eyes? Within a few short seconds he closed his eyes and her nervous come flooding back. <br/><br/>Kathrine continued to look at his closed eyes as they moved within the closed eye lid. Although she was nervous she couldn't help but frown and be intrigued in what he was doing. With out realizing it he hand placed his hand over her cut and it wasn't till he was moving it across that she notice it was even there. Looking down she expected to feel pain and she was even embracing herself for it but nothing came. All she felt, if anything was a nice cooling sensation, like water running down her skin gently. The feeling made the hairs on her neck stand up on end and a gently shiver ran thought her body, though she kept still. <br/><br/>As she continued to look at his hand over hers a faint blue glow appeared. All of sudden her breathing stopped as her heartbeat went faster. 'What is that?!' she thought to herself in a slight panic as her eyes grew wider and she leaned away from her and his hand. Still looking at her hand she saw that the cut was fading and be replaced with a new light pink layer of skin. Never before in her life had she seen such a thing, nor did she know what it was. Being locked away within the castle walls it meant that she was hidden away from certain aspects of live. Magic being one of them. <br/><br/>When the he had finished heeling her hand she started it for a moment, her breathing quite harsh as she went though her mind about what had just happen. "What, What." She couldn't get the words out of her mouth. Yet again she looked up at his blue eyes she started to feel less panic and more...curious. Looking back down at her hand she smiled softly as she brought it closer to her chest and used her other hand to examine what he had just done. It was like the cut was never there, like nothing had happen and that she hadn't fallen over, well it would if it wasn't for her ankle. "What was that?" she finally asked in amazement. " I mean your hand glowed. Like a candle at night but it was blue!" she asked as she looked from her hand up to him. "Like your eyes..." she added softly. <br/><br/>"Oh um yes. I'm fine. Well apart from my ankle but..." Kathrine replied as she ran her finger along where the cut had been. Fro a while she just stared at her hand turning it over and back up again. It was like she was waiting for the cut to return again or something. As she did this a though come to her mind. "Could you do the same to my ankle?" she asked as she looked down at he rather swollen ankle then back up at him. "Where did you learn to do something like that? Could...Could I do that?" she asked wondering if this was a normal thing and that every one could do it and that she just hadn't been taught it yet.</span><br/><br/><br/><span style="color: #8000FF">He was more surprised by her questions and reaction than anything else. He had been fairly sure she would cringe away and try to crawl away from him terrified that he was kind of devil worshiper or something even worse. Most nobles ran from even the word magic let alone the actual use of it. She was different. Why wasnâ€™t she afraid? She acted like she didnâ€™t even know what magic was. He felt certain that everyone knew what magic was; wasnâ€™t that the point of banning something? Of course maybe it was different for her he had grown up being taught and warned about using his magic. For people who didnâ€™t have magic maybe it was simpler to just ignore it completely so why bother telling your daughter about magic since it wasnâ€™t allowed. He could understand that. <br/><br/>He could tell quickly that she was going to have a lot of questions for him all of a sudden. It seemed this wasnâ€™t going to be a quick fix. He leaned back a bit so that he was sitting with his legs stretched out in front of him facing her. He didnâ€™t want to get into the explanations. He didnâ€™t like sharing any aspect of his life. His magic wasnâ€™t a big deal but it always made him think of his grandmother and his parents and that wasnâ€™t as safe a topic as magic. He should just try and brush it off as a perfectly normal thing after all it wasnâ€™t that big a deal. She seemed to think it was though. He wondered if he would react that same way in her position. Thing would be a lot different if their situations were flipped. <br/><br/>He thought about how to start as she ran through her list of questions. There wasnâ€™t anything too complicated yet. He chuckled a bit at her first question. It seemed such an odd question. He had always assumed that . . . well assumptions about magic were apparently wrong. â€œItâ€™s magic girly what else would it be. If you mean to ask me what the blow glow was well blue is the color of my magical aura my inner self you might call it. My grandmother tried to explain it to me once, but all I really gathered from the lesson what that my skin glows when I use magic and I have to pull it from within.â€ He shrugged. He had never liked the lessons on the source and history of magic. <br/><br/>He picked up her ankle being a gentle as he could. He removed the shoes and stockings. He knew she would probably be scandalized at the very idea of him doing this but he needed to get a better look at her ankle. He knew it wouldnâ€™t be as easy a fix. He wished she hadnâ€™t tried to stand if she had left well enough alone he might have been able to mend it and send her on her way. He shook his head as he examined. â€œNo I canâ€™t fix your ankle not with that spell at least. I can fix it but it might take a little time.â€ He looked around. It would be a bit of a hike to find the ingredients he would need. There was a stream near by that should have everything he needed fairly close. <br/><br/>He crewed on his bottom lip. He could carry her to the stream, but it was a lot farther than from the road to the trees and it would mean he couldnâ€™t se his feet. She clearly couldnâ€™t walk, but maybe if he used a numbing charm to get rid of the pain she could make it. Those were the only two options that really seemed plausible. He hadnâ€™t asked her permission the first time he picked her up, but he felt that doing so again if he didnâ€™t ask first would probably get him slapped, kicked, or maybe even bitten. He did not like any of those options so he thought it would be better to ask what she prefer a sedative to dull the pain and get up on her own power, or for him to carry her. <br/><br/>He smiled trying to be at least a bit charming. He had a definite feeling it wasnâ€™t going to help but the less she protested the better off things would be. â€œAlright girly it seemed to me we have two choices. If Iâ€™m going to fix your ankle, and correct me if Iâ€™m wrong you want to be able to use your ankle again, I will need some ingredients. I refuse to let you out of my sight because the way things are going so far . . . well you would probably end up getting yourself kidnapped or worse.â€ Rolls his eyes at the very idea of how much trouble that would end up being. â€œI can either pick you up and carry you, or I can use a numbing charm on your ankle and you can walk along with me, but it will still hurt some.â€ He could tell from her reaction to her two choices that she was going to go for the numbing charm and he wasnâ€™t really surprised. â€œNumbing charm it is girly.â€ <br/><br/>He did just as before looked in her eyes deeply once before closing his own and running his hand lightly over her ankle. The same blue glow encompassed his hands and he pushed it into her ankle the pain and most of the feeling should be disappearing from her ankle for at least log enough for them to reach the stream where he could gather what he needed. He opened his eyes and gently touched the ankle. She didnâ€™t wince so it must have worked. He knew it would; numbing was one of the earliest charms he had learnt. He stood and extended his hand to help her up. â€œCome on we have at least a ten minute hike and I will still have about half an hour or more of work to do once we get there.â€ He thought for a moment. â€œMy real name is Gabe by the way Gabriel Moncrief.â€ He figured he might as well tell her who he really was he had already introduced one of his many aliases to her after all. <br/><br/>He helped her up and told her to make sure she stepped exactly where he did. After about a minute of silence he sighed. â€œOk girly I know you must be just burning with questions I can almost feel them seeping off of you so you might as well ask just try and keep your voice down.â€ He might as well let her ask whatever she liked. She probably would have bombarded him with the questions sooner or later. He had always thought that maybe if non-magical people learned about magic they might not fear it as much. There was no reason not to test the experiment with the more powerful people, and he could still just wipe her memory if things got too complicated. </span><br/><br/><br/><span style="color: #00BFFF">Finally drawing her eyes away from her now healed hand Kathrine looked across at him. With a soft smile placed upon her lips, she awaited his replies to her questions. She guessed that some, if not all of her question may have sounded silly and child like, but she had never come across anything like this before. It was like she had walked into a completely different world with different meanings and things. A world which she was easily starting to like. If one thing she had ever wonted, it was to be opened up to new and exciting things and it just seemed that all her dreaming a wanting had finally pained off. As she got just that. All of the hard work the her parents did to keep her away was now fading away as she waited for his replies. <br/><br/>As he replied he watched over at him like a little child would when being told a story and there just getting to the best part. Her eyes where growing wider at his every word and she even started to lean slightly forward making sure she wasn't to miss a single word. "Magic?" she repeated, trying the word out for herself. She couldn't say that she had heard it before but for some unknown reason it wasn't like it was unfamiliar either. With just this simple answer he had replied with, her head was fulling up with questions. She was dying to ask him more and more question but before she got the chance to she found that he was lifting her ankle up gently and taking off her shoe and stocking. <br/><br/>Kathrine let out a shocked 'Oh' as she watched him gently pull off her stocking with wide eyes. Never in her life has she been in such a situation where one would just take off her shows and stockings with so much as an warning. And the funny thing was, she almost didn't mine him doing so. Maybe it was because she was in so much pain that she just wanted her ankle to be healed or that he had done many unexpected things to her with asking first. Either way she allowed him to continue with her her making much fuss. Just the odd wine of pain as he examine her now, very swollen and turning slightly blue ankle. Looking across at him she waited for his verdict. Hopefully he would be able to fix it just like he did with her hand, but the more he examined her the more she could tell from his face that it wasn't going to be as simple. Perhaps she shouldn't of tried and walk on it earlier. <br/><br/>As he confirm what she had already expected she let out a small sigh. At least there was a little good news. He thought that he would be able to heal it, just that he would need time and by the way he was looking around a few things to help him. As he chewed on his lower lip she titled her head a little and wondered what he was thinking about. When he turned his attention back towards her with his somewhat charming smile, she frowned slightly at him, wondering wither or not she was meant to go week at the knees or just laugh at him. As he spoke she listened carefully to him and when he commented that she would get herself in more trouble without him keeping an eye on her she mouth opened slightly and she was about to protest but decided against it for now. Closer her mouth she thought about the two choices and one just seemed to appeal to her more. She would much rather walk on her own then to have him carry her again. She wasn't as hopeless as he thought, well that's what she liked to think anyways. "The numbing one please." she asked as she gave smile which said 'I'm more then capable to do things by myself'. <br/><br/>Just like before she watched as his blue eyes looked deep into hers before they closed. Looking down at her ankle, this time with excitement then fear. She watched as the blue glow lighted up his hand and her ankle. The ache within her ankle was slowly fading to the point where she could almost not feel a thing. She smiled warmly over to him as he opened his eyes. As he touched it she still felt nothing and her smile grew even bigger. "Thank you." she said sweetly as she grabbed her shoes and stockings before taking his extended hand. Now standing up she tested her ankle even more by placing it on the ground and putting some pressure onto it, still she felt no pain. Soon they had settled off into the woods and Kathrine made sure she stepped where he did and to keep up with his pace. <br/><br/>Gabe's question took her by surprised, she had almost forgotten all about her hundreds of questions. "Well, I don't really want to bother you with all my questions..." That was a lie. " But since you asked I was wondering what other things you could do and is it something that your born with or can you just learn it?" she stopped herself as she found that she had started to talk a little louder then she meant to. "Sorry..." she whispered over to him. There was just so many questions running though her head that she wanted to tell them all at once but she just couldn't. She then decided that she would await fro him to reply to those before she would ask any more, plus she really couldn't remember what some of her questions where. <br/><br/>Soon they had finally reached the stream and Kathrine looked around the place. For some reason it had this magical feel about it. As the water run down the stream it made the suns raises which where glinting on it look like glitter and there was so many beautiful flowers surrounding the place. All in full blossom, showing off there wonderful and deep colors. As she went over to looked at a flower in particular she felt the pain slowly coming back to her ankle. "Ouch.." she said a little surprised to be feeling the pain again. With a little hobble she placed herself down on a smooth rock as she looked down at her ankle. Although the pain had gone for a short while, it did nothing for the swelling nor the color that was appearing. <br/><br/>Looking across at his she gave a light sigh as she did she realized how rude she was before. "I'm sorry, i'v just realized how rude I have been. I'm Kathrine by the way..." She said but she had to stop herself before she continued and thought about what she had to say next. Saying the wrong thing could get both of them in trouble and that was the last thing she and him needed right now. "Lady Kathrine Woods." she finished as she smiled warmly over to him. "And is it just Gabriel Moncrief. No Lord before it?" Kathrine teased with a slight giggle as she tried to distract herself from the throbbing pain of her ankle. "But really It's a lovely name." she added acting more seriously now. It was true, she quite liked his name. Gabe / Gabriel. </span><br/><br/><br/><span style="color: #00BFFF">He shook his head. He should have known. She had more questions he could tell, but he figured it was best to answer these two first they would take plenty time anyway. He had to think more about the first one. He had no idea how many spells he had learned before his grandmother had died and he had learned a bit on his own. He wished he could learn more, but since magic was forbidden it wasnâ€™t like he could go to the library and read a spell book to improve his ability. He felt pretty certain that the rulers had burned every spell book in this kingdom and maybe even some of the surrounding ones. Oh well he would wait to answer the first one till he had thought a bit more on it. <br/><br/>The second question was easy enough. The origin and existence of magic had been a large part of what his grandmother taught him before she let him even attempt spells. He had always wanted to know what made him different and why no one else was learning the sort of things he was though. When he asked her she would go into a long speech about how not everyone had his talents. â€œVery few people have magic ability Iâ€™m afraid. There are facets of magic that can be learned by anyone though. The easiest thing for a non-magical person to learn is probably potion brewing since it is basically like extreme cooking. We are looking for potion ingredients by the way I will need a potion to get rid of the swelling in your ankle.â€ It didnâ€™t take much longer for them to reach the stream. He looked around and was glad to see that all the ingredients he didnâ€™t already have he could indeed gather from the plants around the gurgling stream but it would take some digging and he would be covered in filth before he was done. He had sort of wanted to stay presentable, but . . . well so much for that idea. She would just have to deal with him being dirty it wasnâ€™t like he was asking her to go digging for ingredients. <br/><br/>Gabriel laughed out loud at her small joke He was not even close to a lord and she knew it. â€œGirly Iâ€™m as much a lord as you are a scullery maid but as I mentioned who would be willing to buy jewels from a pick pocket. If I were a lord would I be stealing from people like you?â€ He raised an eyebrow at her clearly indicating that she should know the answer to that and if she didnâ€™t he wasnâ€™t going to tell her. He shrugged it off after a moment. â€œPeople believe what they want and what they see they want to believe Iâ€™m a well bred gentleman and I present someone who looks like a well-bred gentleman . . . well it may be a lie, but it is to get a better price and you know why I need the money.â€ He said the last bit in a huff. He was still a little stung at how he had fallowed him back to his home the day before. <br/><br/>With little to no warning Gabriel leaped into the water and started to make his way to the opposite side of the stream. He knew that Katherine probably couldnâ€™t swim very well with her ankle if she could swim at all and even if she could a high born lady would never go swimming in a stream with a thief like him. It would be highly improper for her to do so and from his experience the higher the breeding the more concerned with propriety a person was. â€œSo Katherine? I think I prefer calling you girly.â€ He laughed a bit as he splashed across to the other bank and starter to dig for roots in the soft silty bed of the stream. <br/><br/>It wasnâ€™t long before he had everything he needed from the water. He climbed from the stream dripping wet. He was sure that he looked a fright, but he liked catching her off guard. He could dry himself off in a moment but the water felt good after the hike so he figured he would just let the sun dry him. He sat on the bank of the stream picking a handful of small white flowers. â€œThe princess who lives in the castle is named Katherine. She never comes out though no one knows why. Well that isnâ€™t true I suppose the king and queen and the princess herself knows why but not the rest of us. Truthfully Iâ€™m starting to think she doesnâ€™t exist at all I mean no one ever sees her for all we know she could be dead.â€ He was done with the flowers and set them down on a rock next to the roots. Everything else he needed was stowed in a kit he kept in his bag just in case this sort of thing happened. <br/><br/>Gabe laid out everything he would need in a surprisingly orderly fashion. He also took out his knife. The potion wouldnâ€™t work if he didnâ€™t cut the ingredients properly. He had always had trouble with the more complex potions, but this one should be fairly easy. Once the swelling was gone he should be able to heal her ankle the way he had her hand, but without being able to tell exactly how bad and where it was twisted/broken. Due to the swelling he hadnâ€™t been able to fix it before. With a snap of his fingers a small pot already full of simmering water appeared on the stone in front of him. He looked at Katherine and gave her a slightly cheeky smile. <br/><br/>He added the ingredients in a specific order chopping each one carefully. He would occasionally stir the concoction by moving his hand over it. He would stir it this way and that before adding the next ingredient. It was rather tedious to Gabriel, but once all the ingredients were in it was just a matter of waiting. It took about fifteen minutes of stirring and adding different bits of greenery before he leaned back to wait. The potion was currently a sunny yellow but it should turn sky blue in about half an hour which would mean it was not only ready but made properly. <br/><br/>He put back all of his supplies and leaned against the bank looking at Katherine. â€œWell we have half an hour to get acquainted girly. Iâ€™ll start. As you know my name is Gabriel Moncrief no lord or duke or anything, just Gabriel Moncrief. The people in the market know me as . . . well that all depends on whom you ask really but most of them know me as Samuel the son of a merchant in the next town over. The people in my village either call me Gabe or Angel. I know Angel is an odd nickname for a thief, but when you are named after and archangel and do what little you can to help . . . well I guess it is fitting in a way.â€ He shrugged he had always hated angel, but he couldnâ€™t get them to stop. He started stirring the potion again occasionally. â€œThat makes it your turn girly tell me something about you preferable something I havenâ€™t already guessed.â€ He leaned back again one eye on her the other watching the potion simmer. </span><br/><br/><br/><span style="color: #00BFFF">Sitting along the bank of the stream on the soft smooth rock, Kathrine smiled over at Gabe as he looked around the area. Clearly looking for the ingredients that he needed to make up this potion he was talking about. When he replied to her teased little question about him being a Lard or not. She knew exactly what he meant and allowed a light giggle to escape her lips to allow him to know she understood him. As he continued to talk, and mentioned the fact that she knew why he needed the money her soft smile faded. how could she ever forget about those children. There where all sweet and kind children and they didn't deserve the life that they had. It was unfair and cruel and it got to her a lot more then she would like to even admit. <br/><br/>The only thing that drew Kathrine from the image of those children playing with what very little they had was the fact that Gabe had jumped into the water coursing water to slash in all directions. It was luck that he hadn't jumped in to close towards her otherwise she would have more then just a few drops on her dress to worry about. Looking over she watched as Gabe made it across the stream. Kathrine had never really had the chance to learn how to swim. Within the castle gates there wasn't any pools or streams that where deep enough to do such a thing. Besides she doubted that her father and mother would ever let there Princess to something so un-lady like. Which was a shame as it do look like quite good fun and easy to do. <br/><br/>As Gabe called out her name she smiled over to him but her facile expression changed, to one with an raising eyebrow,as he admitted that he would much rather call her Girly. Although Kathrine didn't look to please about his news, she knew that deep down she quite like him calling her girly. It was his nickname for her and, well to be honest she never really had anyone (Who wasn't her family) give her a nickname. It almost felt like they where friends, though it seemed the could only just bare to be in one another's company. Perhaps all that might change...who knows? <br/><br/>Within almost no time Gabe had swam across the stream collected the things that he needed and returned, all dripping wet. For some reason Kathrine wasn't all that appalled to see him in such a way. Although in one way he looked a fright there was another side of him that she found, somewhat appealing. Perhaps it was the way the sun light up his face or maybe that his cloths now hugged his body, reviling his muscular form in which she had thought about when he had picked her up earlier that day. Kathrine knew that a lady of her status shouldn't be looking and enjoying what she was seeing but there was just something in her that just could help it's self. <br/><br/>It wasn't till Gabe mentioned her or rather 'The Princess Kathrine' who she was pretending not to be, did she bring herself to reality. She sat and stared at him as he started to pick some white flowers nearby. "Well maybe she has tried to escape and you-we just don't know it. I'm very sure that she is real and not dead. The King and Queen would of told us if anything like that had happen." Kathrine replied. It was very strange for her to have someone talking about her and not know it was her. Was this what most of the people thought outside the Castle walls? The thought made a cold shiver run down her back. She had always thought that people had know about her and still got, well updates maybe about her? After all it was her 19th birthday a couple of moths back, clearly they would of known about that? Maybe not... <br/><br/>Not liking where her thoughts where taking her now she decided to focus on Gabe and what he was doing. Kathrine was surprise to see that he handle things with great care and in a orderly fashion. She hadn't really pictured him to be that kind of guy. As she saw Gabe take out a knife she watched him even more carefully. Not that she thought that he would hurt her but then again she didn't know what the potion needed. Would she have to give him something of her, Like a hair strand or a drop of blood? Now it seemed she was letting her mind run wild, as all he need it for was to cut up the ingredients that he had collected. <br/><br/>When Gabe snapped his fingers Kathrine jumped lightly as she hadn't expected it. Right in front of him appeared a small pot already full of simmering water. 'Wow' she thought to herself and she wondered what other things he could do with just the click on his fingers. One by one Gave added the freshly cut ingredients, string after he added each one in a certain way. She wondered if all that really matter, they why one would stir the potion but clearly it was very important and the look upon his face was one filled with concentration. This was why Kathrine decided to keep quite until he had finished what he needed to do. <br/><br/>Once Gabe had placed back all his supplies, Kathrine watched as he placed himself against the bank and he drew his gaze upon her. A small faint smile appeared on her lips as he called her girly again and suggested that they get acquainted, while they waited for the potion to be finished. "I think in a strange why it does fit you. After all the things you do for the children and their parents I can understand why." Kathrine replied over to him with a warm smile. Kathrine had to think of what she was going to tell him. She didn't want to lie, after all he was being truthful to her and she she didn't want to break what ever trust she had with him. but then again if she gave to much away then she would revile who she truly was and she had no idea how he would react to such a thing. <br/><br/>After a few short moments of thinking what she could say she deiced to start with that basics. "Well as you know i'm Lady Kathrine Woods. Although apparently I have adapted the name Girly from a very strange man." Kathrine said with a light smirk playing on her lips. "Um i'm not sure what I can tell you that you may have not guessed." She added with a light sigh as she looked down at her hands. "For some reason i'm drawn to trouble but I guess that's because i'm not normally allowed out on my own." she said as she looked across at Gabe. "I know it sounds silly but my parents have always been one to protect me against everything and since I turned 19 I have been allowed to wonder around a little on my own." Kathrine continued. Oh how much she wished this was true. Her parent's allowing her to go out and not be even more against the idea. <br/><br/>Kathrine eyes where now drawn to were they where sitting. "I Had always wanted to travel and go on adventures." She admitted in a whimsical state. "Go to placed i'v never dreamed of..." She said spreading her arms out a little. Where they were right now was one of those places. Never had she seen so many beautiful flowers and a calming place that makes you feel like everything is alright. "Meet people I never would normally meet..." she stopped herself there as she realized that, that part had came true, true. "Like someone who does magic, like you." Kathrine replied as she smiled brightly over to him. Her bright smile faded a little as she thought that she was now starting to ramble on a bit. "Sorry if i'v kinda ramble on a little.." she admitted with a light nervous giggle. <br/><br/>"I believe it's your turn again. Or maybe there's some questions that perhaps you would like to ask me. I feel like i'm always the one asking them, I think know it's you turn!" Kathrine said brightly again as she awaited any of his questions that he might have. As she waited and looked over at him, something at the corner of her eye caught her attention. The potion was now spitting out what looked to be like little fire works and the color of the potion was now changing from Yellow to a somewhat Lime Green, as if it was making it's way over to a sky blue of something. "Is the potion meant to be doing that?" Kathrine asked as she looked over at the potion, a little worried that something might be going wrong. </span>