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Vanessa sat there, in the small patch of field the only thing that was close to a garden or forest as it could get. It sat there on the far west side of town, to get to it you had to walk down a steep hill but it was worth it. There weren't that many flowers either, the field consisted mostly of daisies and dandilions; which was fine with her. A flower was a flower, they were all the same but completely different; so it didn't matter how many types were there.
She had carried a small basket with her, her plan was to pick a few and then arrange them - putting them in a vase afterwards to set on her thick wooden kitchen table, just for the atmosphere.

The basket was littered with dandelions, and only a few daisies. She knew it wasn't good to take home dandelions because of the pollen but they were the only thing that inhabited wthe patch of grass and it was either that or nothing, and she'd rather have that.

Standing, Vanessa brushed off the stray grass that had blown or rubbed up onto her dress. It was getting a little later than she had planned, and she wanted to be home in time to see what she was going to cook for dinner that day; plus she needed to clean and do other chores. The hard part was that her home laid on the east side of town, therefore it was a far walk from here to there.
Vanessa grabbed her basket and trudged up the hill, stomping one foot infront of the other to climb.

Her doll-like shoes clacked agaisnt the stone pavement, the lights of the town had sparked themselves on as it got later and she walked a bit faster to get home.

As Vanessa got closer to the middle of the town she noticed a small rumble but at first she only thought it was her nerves of not preparing dinner before her mother came home but once she had worked herself to the middle of the town the rumble had only gotten more vicious. Her legs shook terribly as she walked in the middle, towards the foutain. She stood there, right in front of the fountain, her attention focused toward the side as now her whole entire body shook with a great tremor. From the distance she heard a scream as a mother picked up her child and ran past her and the fountain, going in the opposite direction.

She squinted her eye's, soon fallen as the shaking became too much and now the only thing she could do was hold onto the fountain. Her flowers bounced out of the basket, scattering across the hard pebble stone of the town and even the water was beginning to splash out, splattering near her and wetting the floor.
Her eye's focused more intensley and in the distance she could see some thing coming closer, but that thing was unharmed and obviously the cause of the towns trauma.

Vanessa stood to her feet, having to use both hands to hang onto the fountain as she regained her balance. She turned to meet the monstrocity but it wasn't a monster at all, nor a demon or the devil. It was a boy.

The aura around him radiated, breaking street lamps and shattering nearby windows. Vanessa frowned and gasped at the high and dangerous level of magic that bounced off of him, destroying everything in his path. Her mind reeled with what to do while her body told her to run for cover.

She jumped as something near her bumped her and for a split second she looked down only to realize that it was her basket, lying on its side while more flowers spilled out. Vanessa bent down, following more of her bodys motions then her own thoughts. Her body still stricken with fear as she picked up a daisy, her hand shaking just as the town did. Her legs became stiff but akward and the boy only continued to walk forward, she stood there; the flower shaking in her hands just as her legs and arms were.

But a strange thing happened, she began to move. It was at a slow pace and it was hard to keep from falling down, so she took her time; making her way towards the boy just as he was making his way towards her.
Vanessa held up her hand, the flower bending from it's own weight and sadness; and all of a sudden she stopped as she soon came face to face with him.

"I picked this just for you."

The world came to a stop, or at least it felt like it now that the destruction was over.

Vanessa breathed in deeply, the air clogged her throat and made her swallow a hard lump. Her emotions felt like her hair, frazzled, and it probably showed but there was no time to calm herself down or brush away the frizz that his harsh winds created; he had addressed her and it would be rude to not address back as soon as she could think.

But even the words wouldn't form in her mouth, and the sky was now black from being so late. Where did all the time go?

Vanessa's eye's popped for a minute and she breathed again.
"Ah...your highness, I'm sorry." Her feet fumbled backwards as she gave him some space and her thoughts settled back into her head. Her hand plummeted back to her side along with the distraught flower, and her eyes met his gaze. Should she bow before him? But her feet wouldn't fall, it was a strange feeling she had something that could only be categorized as "limbo"; she was neither scared nor alright.

She suddenly reached for his hand and put the small daisy in it, "It's for you, like I said." Vanessa swallowed, not sure where she was going with this but not knowing wether to stop.
She let her hand let go of his and looked him back in the eye, what was he doing out of the castle? At a time like this....and the town. She looked over the destruction he had brought down upon it, nothing bad, no lives lost but still the town looked hugely altered.

She looked back at him and frowned a bit, everyone knew about the Prince; most called him a rebel. And the fact that the King still sat on his throne was for that very reason, he saw his son was unfit for ruling a kingdom - but looking at him, Vanessa didn't see that at all.

Vanessa turned her head, her basket of flowers were overturned and spilled out; they themselves looked shaken up. She walked over to it and knelt down, picking them up in small bundles to save the already tarnished petals. Her heart pounded in her ears, although only two seconds had past it felt at least like five minutes.
Vanessa stood, the handle of the basket in her grip and she turned and looked at the Prince.

"I should be going home...I have a meal to make and it is getting late." Her voice rang and bounced against the cobble stone street, and suddenly she became a little self conscious, did she sound too loud?
"I...well would you like to come to my home?" Vanessa's cheeks became crimson and she tried to quickly fix the mistake that came from her mouth. "I mean, I know the food at your home must be better but, but if you enjoy pasta - I mean it's all I have really. It's not as if I'm poor, it's just the most common food in the village and..."

She closed her mouth, getting the feeling that she was talking too much, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you again."

Vanessa stood there, bringing her thumb up to her lip; a childhood habit, her way of thinking.
To her even though he was apologizing for causing her distress it seemed that he was the one in it.

Vanessa turned on her heels and walked across the destructed town, toward her village. If the Prince declined her invitation then that was it, but she wasn't sure that she wanted him to come over anyways.
Her home would probably seem cramped or musty, anything along those lines. Maybe he didn't like the flow of nature air, a castle is much more modern than a cottage afterall.

Her heels clicked and her mind wandered back to the town, who would repair it?

Soon the pavement stretched into regular dirt, indicating that the town met it's end and her village began. No one much cared for the village, except from what they got from it; wheat, vegtables etc. It's what the small little community was known for.
Vanessa's shoes mashed against the ground, making small imprints of her journey. Nothing was better than her little village, she could never hope to leave; but it's not as if she was given a choice.

She met the small cult-de-sac of houses, all arranged in a circle that spread out. Her's was left from the center, and that's where she was headed.
It was late now and maybe even too late to start dinner, her mother would surely be angry. In the household Vanessa was the cook, the maid, the babysitter and the chore-doer. This gave her little to no room to herself, her whole time was developed to her family.

Vanessa entered her home, it was quiet and mostly dark. Small light came from the living room where her six-year-old sister laid herself on the couch, asleep. It was this that mad Vanessa feel bad, she had probably waited for her to cook dinner and now she was asleep and the time to eat had long passed.
Vanessa lifted up Amelia, her tiny body limp and heavy as she walked her up the wooden stairs. There were two rooms, one inhabited by her mother - which Vanessa had never stepped foot in unless to bring her food - and the other was all for Amelia. Vanessa didn't mind her mother's one sided love, her favoritism for Amelia was a bit comforting to Vanessa; after all all little girls should feel like a princess.
Vanessa laid Amelia down in her tiny bed and walked back down stairs, her bed was the couch; which didn't bother her in the least bit. She kicked off her white buckled shoes and laid them in the corner, her tasks now was to clean the kitchen, so she did.

Her thoughts went back to the Prince and his distress, feeling bad that there was nothing she could do for him.

It was groccery day, and with a family of three it wasn't too often; about every week or so. But, like with everything else, Vanessa took care of this.

The main groccery isle was in the towns market, it buzzed with people and slightly over priced food. But the slightly cheaper food was down a dark alley, it wasn't as scary as it sounds and bad people didn't inhabit it, it just looked spooky - but it had reasonably priced food. That's where Vanessa was, usually she bargained with both areas but her mothers pay was low - and getting lower - so she found herself coming down this alley more and more.

She balanced multiple fruits in her hand; celery, lettuce, onions and other greenish plants were already in her basket.
The sun was the highest in the sky and only streaks of it shined through the alley. Vanessa bought some fruit and counted her coins, she had enough to get what she wanted; something sweet.

Turning up and onto the main intersection, where the market laid, Vanessa immediantly began searching down the rows of shacks for her own secretive prize.
And at the far back of the row she found it. They were fluffy and almost marshmellow like, but not marshmellows at all. The tops were sprinkled with pink sweetener and smothered in caramel; these were the shop owners specialty.

Vanessa dropped the change in the old womans hand and let it jingle, she would give up almost anything for these sweets; the pastry type candy that made every stress drift away.

She picked them up, their small fake golden tray held each of the twelve sugar plum-like candies.
Vanessa held them with both hands and close to her chest, careful not to let anyone destroy her delicacy. The crowd began to disperse around her as she made way our of the market, and into the main plaza.

It had been two days but it already looked significally different. The most noticeable was the noise. Everywhere hammering could be heard, along with much talk. Walking past the towns people it was easy to tell what the main gossip was, and it all pretty much centered around three things - with the exception of some oddball topics - the King, the Prince and the town.
Vanessa scurried across the cobblestone, not taking much interest in the towns peoples lives; just like they wouldn't take an intrest in hers.
The small ju-ju like candies stuck to the tray and jiggled with every step of her white tiny shoes; her only pair.

She made her way to the west side of town, going inbetween or around the people to make her way.

Vanessa stopped in the middle of the town, right near the fountain and where she had met the Prince himself; so hectic.
People moved and she moved along with them, involuntarily, because it was so crowded whenever someone walked past her they pushed her. The middle square was the busiest, and the deadliest for known pit-pocketers.

Her eyes traced over the square, already the people were rebuilding after the destruction. Once again her shoulder was jostled and just like her brain she began to move, but with a quick thought she went in the opposite direction and no where near her home but instead to the small field on the opposite side.
Vanessa's shoes clacked, along with the other billion people who inhabited the small square. It was interesting to hear them move and talk, children crying over things they didn't get, daily gossip, and the average buyer trying to haggle down a price.

Vanessa pressed on through the crowd, holding her tray as close to her body as she could; every bump with a person making her nervous as her jelly-like candies jiggled. Her arms wrapped around the tray awkwardly, protecting it from all angles.
After making it through the clot-crowd, she came to another neck of the town; the portion where the square sectioned off into homes. It would be much easier to go to the field this way.

Steadily she walked down her section, the only one there between the homes. With each step it felt like a twirl, and a hop; sweet salvation was just a few steps away.

"Can you help me?"

Vanessa stopped and turned, right behind her stood the cutest boy who couldn't have been more than six or seven. She smiled and he gave her one back, his dimple showing in his cheek while his eye-length blonde hair fluttered in front of his blue eyes.

"I need help."

"Oh yes, I um. I can help you." Her whole body turned and faced him and he walked up to her, his hand moving in such a way that she needed to bend down and hear his secret.
The boys hand cupped near her ear and she leaned in, "I-"

But before he could say anything he was hoisted up into the air, struggling right infront of her by his collar and behind him was what could only be his older brother. It was like looking into a futuristic mirror, they looked exactly the same; only this one had a slyish grin.

"I'm sorry, he's a bit of a hassle."

Vanessa stood up straight, er eyes fixating on his and one thing came to her mind - the Prince. Her brows furrowed and she frowned a bit, "Is something wrong? He didn't do anything did he?"

She stood there as se watched the brothers bicker, the older one shaking him by the collar while the little one's fists swung in the air; trying hard to capture his brother and do whatever he wanted.

It was a weird scene to witness, Vanessa's feet awkwardly rubbed against eachother making her shoes scuff together.
She watched as the little one was set down, free once again.

Vanessa smiled awkwardly, somewhere between a combination of polite and wanting to leave but the older brother didn't catch onto this. "Hey, where do you live? What's your name?"

And suddenly the atmosphere changed. His arm wrapped around her shoulder and he was pulling her away, "Here, why don't you come to my house and I'll make up for my little brother's rudeness?"

Vanessa stopped moving but his arm never left, she tried to pull to the side but when she did the little one was right there, pushing her leg while the older one had grabbed her shoulder.

"It's alright, nothing bad will happen. I'm Drew and that's nick, see you know us. So everythings ok, right?"

Her stomach became sick, with the realization of what was going on. Nick had pulled on her basket and she let it go, too nervous to fight her way out. "I-I actually have to be getting home."

"Hm? It'll just take a minute, I'll just give you a little gift that's all."

Vanessa's breath became short and exasperated, worry and old food swam in her stomach and she didn't want to be there anymore; it just didn't feel safe. Nick had reached up and taken away her tray, she watches as his little blue eyes looked at her; and then they blinked away.

"This is our house, hey nick why don't you go play?" But Nick didn't even need to be instructed, because he was already gone. Vanessa stood there at their door, Drew opening it up by jimming the handle, his body slightly bent as is eyes became leveled with the doorknob; and even as he was no longer by her side she just couldn't move. She froze, "Have...have you done this before?"

The realization settled into her stomach, and her memory quickly searched back to the last few minutes; now that she thought about it, it all seemed rehearsed. Like a play put on, to lure in the prey...

Drew tilted his head to the side and looked at her, this time his eyes telling the sly that his lips wouldn't; "Hm? Done what?" And his hand grabbed her shoulder.

The door to Drew's house opened but just slightly, because that's all the time he got before he was jerk.

Even with this small alotted time Vanessa caught a glimpse of the inside. It didn't even qualify as a home, because homes had furniture right? And she didn't think that only a mattress on the floor counted as furniture.

But this glimpse into something that could have been was gone in an instant. Vanessa looked a little to her side, her eyes wide as she saw the Prince of all people and her vision focused on his eyes. For some reason, they seemed angry.

Drew snarled at him and yanked his arm away, "Nothing, I was just inviting her over. What the hell's your problem?" Drew's hand immediantly shut the door and his eyes quickly darted from Hayden to herself; they looked angry as if she did something wrong to screw up his sick plans.

Even though he seemed worthless Vanessa couldn't help but feel bad, anything could make her feel bad. She threw herself at Hayden, putting her face on his chest as her hands scraped his back. Her eyes clenched shut as she kept thinking of what could have been and what could still happen; she knew first hand the damage he could deal and there was no way that some normal kid like Drew could live through it.

"Please, stop... I-I mean, just don't."