The palace gates loomed tall, but Adrian already knew the spots where the guards were lazier than they should be. He tugged on a plain cloak, hood pulled low.
"Okay," he whispered to himself, "no one will notice if I just slip out. Quick. Quiet. Easy."
He peeked around the corner. The guard nearest the eastern wall was yawning, leaning on his spear. Adrian's lips curled in a grin.
"Perfect."
One small dash, a leap over a crate, and Adrian was outside the palace walls. His heart beat faster—not from fear, but from excitement. He had been sneaking out more often these days. The streets of Arathia were so much livelier than the polished marble halls of the palace. Here, there was laughter, arguments, smells of roasted bread, and the chaos of life.
He moved into the bustling market. Merchants called out their prices, children weaved between adults, and guards patrolled with slow steps.
Adrian adjusted his hood. "Alright, Aiden it is," he murmured. He always used the alias when outside. Adrian the prince stayed behind palace walls. Aiden the curious boy was free.
He wandered past a stand selling oranges when—
Wham!
Something small and fast slammed into his shoulder. Adrian stumbled back.
"Hey—!"
"Outta the way!" a girl's voice snapped.
Adrian blinked. A girl about his age darted past him, clutching a loaf of bread to her chest. Her dark hair was tied up messily, her clothes patched in several places. But her eyes—sharp, burning with boldness—caught his attention.
"Stop thief!" a vendor shouted behind them.
The girl shot a glance over her shoulder. "Catch me if you can, old man!" she yelled, and then bolted down the street.
Adrian stood frozen for half a second, then broke into a grin. "She's fast…" His curiosity flared instantly. "Wait—why am I just standing here?!"
Without thinking, he chased after her.
The girl darted through the market, weaving between people. Adrian wasn't nearly as skilled, but his sharp eyes kept track of her. He saw how she zig-zagged, how she knew exactly when to duck under a cart or leap over baskets.
She slipped into an alley, and Adrian hurried after her. By the time he caught up, she was sitting on a crate, already tearing into the bread.
Adrian stopped, catching his breath. "You—! You just… you just stole that."
The girl turned her head slowly. Her eyes flicked over him. "And you just followed me."
Adrian flinched at her blunt tone. "Well—I—I mean—yes, but… that's wrong!"
She shrugged, taking another bite. "Wrong, maybe. But I was hungry. You ever gone a day without food, cloaked boy?"
Adrian froze. The words hit heavier than he expected.
She tilted her head. "Judging by your clean boots and the way you're breathing like you've never run before, I'd say no."
Adrian flushed. "I—I can run just fine."
"Mm-hm." She smirked, eyes glinting. "So, what's your deal? Some spoiled noble's kid trying to play hero?"
The words almost made Adrian choke. "I—no! I'm not—" He bit his tongue before revealing anything. "…My name's Aiden."
The girl raised an eyebrow. "Aiden, huh? Never heard of you. Guess you're new around here."
Adrian straightened his back. "And you are?"
She smirked, stuffing another bite of bread in her mouth. "Sienna."
"Sienna," Adrian repeated, watching her. She was bold, maybe too bold. But behind that cheeky smile, he noticed the way she kept glancing toward the alley's entrance. Alert. Wary.
Adrian spoke softer. "…You do this often?"
Sienna shrugged. "When I have to."
"That's dangerous. The guards—"
"The guards don't care about kids like me." She leaned forward, eyes locking with his. "Why are you even here, Aiden? You don't belong in these streets."
Adrian opened his mouth, then closed it. What could he say? That he was a prince sneaking out of the palace because he wanted to see the real world? That he hated being treated like someone fragile, untouchable?
"…I just wanted to see things," he muttered.
Sienna tilted her head, chewing slowly. "See things?"
"Yes." Adrian clenched his fists. "I don't want to just sit in one place my whole life. I want to see the people, the streets, the kingdom for myself. Not from behind a window."
For a moment, Sienna didn't answer. She studied him carefully, her sharp eyes softening just a little. Then, she smirked again. "You're weird."
Adrian blinked. "W-weird?!"
"Yeah." She swung her legs off the crate. "But not bad weird."
Adrian felt his ears heat up. "Y-you can't just—say things like that so casually!"
Sienna laughed, loud and unbothered. "Why not? You're easy to read, Aiden. Your face gives you away every time."
Adrian groaned. "Ugh…"
They sat in the alley for a while. Sienna finished her bread, tossing crumbs to a stray cat that had wandered near. Adrian found himself… oddly at ease.
"So," Sienna said suddenly, "you gonna tell me the truth, or am I supposed to just believe you're some random cloaked boy who decided to play chase?"
Adrian's heart skipped. "I—I already told you my name—"
"Names aren't the same as stories." She leaned back, arms crossed. "You talk like someone who's lived comfortable. But you're here, in the dirt, chasing me like you've got something to prove. What's your story, Aiden?"
Adrian hesitated. He couldn't tell her everything. Not yet. But something inside him—maybe curiosity, maybe trust—pushed him to say a little more.
"…I guess… I don't want to be treated like I'm fragile," he admitted. "I want to stand on my own. Be acknowledged. By everyone."
Sienna studied him for a long moment, then gave a small smile. "Then stop looking so much like you're lost."
Adrian blinked. "What?"
"You've got this face," Sienna said, squinting dramatically. "Like a kid who's wandered into the wrong alley and doesn't know whether to turn left or right."
Adrian turned red. "I—I do not!"
"You totally do." She grinned. "But hey… if you really want people to acknowledge you, then you should start small. Learn how to survive a chase, at least. You're terrible at running."
Adrian puffed his cheeks. "I'm not that bad!"
Sienna smirked. "Wanna bet?"
And just like that, Adrian found himself laughing—a real laugh, the kind he rarely had inside the palace.
——————————————————
The alley had grown quieter. The market's lively noise softened into echoes as the sun began dipping low. The once golden light turned orange, painting the cracked walls in fading warmth.
Adrian—still under his alias, Aiden—sat on the crate opposite Sienna. She had finished the bread and was now tossing tiny crumbs toward the same stray cat, who purred happily as it ate.
Sienna stretched her arms above her head with a yawn. "Well, you're not half bad, Aiden. For someone who looks like he's never had dirt on his boots."
Adrian frowned. "I—I'll have you know, I've gotten dirt on my boots before."
Sienna smirked, eyes glinting. "Stepping in your garden doesn't count."
Adrian puffed his cheeks. "I wasn't talking about the garden!"
She laughed, the sound light and teasing. "You're fun when you're flustered."
Adrian quickly looked away, pulling his hood lower so she wouldn't notice his reddening ears. "Y-you can't just say things like that so casually…"
Sienna leaned forward, propping her chin in her hand. "Why not? It's true."
He groaned softly. "You're impossible."
"And you're easy to tease."
The two sat in silence for a moment, listening to the distant market voices fading as stalls closed for the day. Adrian's gaze drifted upward, where the first hints of dusk were spreading across the sky.
"…It's getting dark," Adrian muttered.
Sienna followed his gaze. "Yeah. Nights aren't safe out here. Guards get lazy, and people get desperate."
Adrian's chest tightened a little. He had snuck out plenty of times before, but he knew well enough that being outside too late made returning to the palace harder. His parents would notice if he slipped back in after nightfall.
He glanced at Sienna. She didn't look worried about herself, but… she had spoken those words like someone who had lived through it too many times.
"Do you… always stay out here?" Adrian asked carefully.
Sienna raised an eyebrow. "Where else would I stay?"
"…No family?"
Her smirk faltered slightly. "…Not really. It's fine, though. The streets teach you more than a house ever could."
Adrian stayed quiet. A part of him wanted to ask more, but another part knew better than to push. Sienna wasn't someone who let people pry too deeply. Not right away.
Instead, he smiled faintly. "You're strong."
Sienna blinked, then snorted. "That's a weird compliment."
"It's true," Adrian said, firmer this time. "You live here, you fight, you run, you survive. That's strength."
For a second, Sienna stared at him—really stared, her sharp eyes softening with something unreadable. Then she chuckled and shook her head. "…You're weird, Aiden."
Adrian turned red again. "T-that's the second time you've called me that!"
"Because it's true." Her smirk returned, but gentler this time. "Most people look at me like I'm a pest. You… don't. You look at me like… like I'm actually worth something."
Adrian blinked, startled. He hadn't expected her to say it so plainly. He rubbed the back of his neck. "…Well, you are worth something."
The air went strangely quiet between them after that. The stray cat meowed once, breaking the silence, and Sienna quickly looked away.
"…You're really strange, you know that?" she muttered.
Adrian smiled faintly. "So I've been told."
The orange glow of dusk was fading into purple. Adrian stood slowly, brushing dust from his cloak. "I should… go."
Sienna raised an eyebrow. "Go? What, your family waiting for you?"
Adrian hesitated, then nodded. "…Something like that."
She studied him for a long moment, like she wanted to ask more. But in the end, she just smirked. "Alright, Aiden. Go run back to your safe little world."
Adrian bit his lip. The words stung—not because they were cruel, but because they were half true. He was running back to safety.
Still, he found himself smiling. "I'll see you again."
Sienna tilted her head. "Confident, huh?"
"Yes," Adrian said firmly. "I'll see you again. That's a promise."
Sienna gave him a look, then grinned. "Fine. But if you're lying, I'll make you buy me two loaves of bread next time."
Adrian chuckled. "Deal."
He turned, pulling his hood lower as he walked back toward the market. But as he stepped out of the alley, he felt something strange—like a tug deep in his chest.
Familiar.
He didn't know why, but Sienna's presence… felt familiar. Like a thread tying back to something he couldn't remember.
He glanced over his shoulder one last time. Sienna was still sitting on the crate, feeding the last crumbs to the cat, her small grin visible even from a distance.
Adrian smiled to himself.
"Aiden, huh?" Sienna's voice echoed faintly after him, amused and thoughtful.
Adrian quickened his pace toward the palace, the strange warmth in his chest refusing to fade.