The prince woke up with tears in his eyes. Again. No matter what happened he barely cried, for years and years. Through pain, both physical and emotional, he had made it a point to let as little of it show as possible. If he couldn't smile he could at least keep it stoic in front of the few people that mattered. After all, wasn't that what becoming an adult was all about? Stuffing your feelings in a bottle and throwing that bottle into the ocean?

However, even before the healer came, the one Elwin confusingly referred to as the old witch, the mask had been cracking, little chips breaking off here and there, crumbling to the ground. And now it was entirely destroyed and it didn't seem like he could keep his eyes dry to save his soul. Along with a variety of other new and confusing emotions that he didn't have the time and wherewithall to untangle right at this very moment.

If his “good attitude” was fake, then what else was fake? For one thing, he wasn't nearly as nice of a person as he pretended to be, that was for sure. It probably wouldn't even be possible to curse someone into killing people if they were actually a good person. Right?

But if he was going to be a selfish and bad person anyway, then of course he was going to keep pushing forward no matter what he had done. That's exactly what a selfish and bad person would do, now wasn't it.

He sat up, rubbing his eyes, and instinctively knowing that he was once again all alone. Still, he called anyway. “Elwin? El?”

The room was much as it had been when he had closed his eyes, only minus one Elwin, and with a good bit of dreary grey light coming in through the window. The air smelled of rain. The fire had burned itself down to ashes and embers, and there was a chill in the air.

But nothing hurt and he was full of energy, which was still a very new type of feeling.

The prince swung his new legs over the side of the bed and gingerly put his feet down on the stone floor. Which was freezing. “Yikes.” The feet went back up quickly.

He wanted to look under the bed for his slippers but then remembered what ELSE was under the bed. Nope, nope, nope.

Luckily he spotted his slippers by the foot of the bed, right beside an old wooden walking stick that looked so familiar. Prin got out of bed again, carefully walk-shuffling around to where his slippers were. He put them on and put his hands up in the air. “I can do this!” Right before a cold wind, sharp as a knife blew in from the window and made him sprout all over with goosebumps and begin shivering. The thin nightshirt was almost the same as wearing nothing at all. “I can . . . find a sweater.”

The shivering almost made him slip and fall but he grabbed for the clothes trunk at the foot of the bed and managed to steady himself. Was it this hard for everyone to walk and they had just gotten used to it? He figured he was back at the status of baby, and although he had never seen one toddling around with his own eyes, he had read descriptions in books. It did sound like walking was a hard thing to get right, at least for a one year old anyway. The only thing to do for it was to keep practicing.

It was dark inside the trunk, but he felt around until he found a thick cotton sweater in blue that he had always liked and put it on quickly. That was better but of course his legs were still cold. Prin pulled out each and every item and there were zero pants to be found. It was kind of as he had figured it would be but it was worth a look just in case. Had he never worn a pair of pants? It did seem that way. No wonder he had never progressed beyond the skill level of a child, he couldn't even get properly dressed. No, it was easy to forget already that there had been no need for such things just a few short days ago. Had there been a need, he was sure he would have had them.

He chose a couple of night shirts that were in good condition with no threadbare or damaged spots and a few pairs of warm socks. That was about all he had that he could use in his new life. For that's what he imagined it to be, a new life on the road that wouldn't be ending, or when it did, at least, it wouldn't be ending back here at the Vulture. It was a bit difficult to choose what to take when you were leaving for good. Although, he had very little that mattered, except for the books. Which was painful to think about.

The prince held onto the walking stick and took a couple of wobbly steps toward the bookshelf, stopped to rest, then toddled the few remaining steps to complete his journey. He could already hear El's voice in the back of his mind telling him that he shouldn't bring books because of the weight and (supposed uselessness on the road), but he couldn't imagine it, not having something to read. He put together a few of his favorites along with the new one he had just gotten and wrapped them up in a clean handkerchief.

He carried the goods shakily back to his little pile of clothes and added it to the top. After resting for a few moments, he went to the cabinet and rummaged around in the stuff that was pulled out as well as the stuff that was still inside. The first aid supplies were here too, and he chose a selection and wrapped them in a small towel. Which is something he figured they had forgotten on their list, a towel. Prin also found a pretty little silver cup that maybe could be sold for a few silver coins with his father's face on them, but if not it would still be good to drink out of.

Having, he believed, pretty much scavenged his bedroom of anything with useful application that would still be small enough to pack, Prin sat back down on the bed to rest. He was impressed that he had managed his way around the room several times without falling but the strain on his legs was tiring.

He lay back down and dozed off for a while, waiting for Elwin to return. The burden of knowing he was a bad person needled at him, but he was too tired at the moment to care.

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*

Elwin's day was turning into quite the mixed bag. The castle treasurer had greeted his cash request with eyebrow raised suspicion and in the end he couldn't get a single coin off the man, but instead a useless agreement to send a tailor to take the prince's measurements some time next week. Which unfortunately, was an appointment they would have to miss. Not that the clothes the castle would have ordered for him would be exactly suitable for traveling anyway, he was sure.

After that he had caught up with Dolce, or rather rousted her from her bed, much to her justifiable irritation. Still very early, the two of them had raided his room as well as any unneeded things Dolce had at hand and came up with a surprising amount of the things on the list with no money out of pocket. Then, she had agreed to giving him a small loan (Dolce must be secretly loaded, Elwin figured, as whatever did she do with the money she amassed from her various jobs and hustles that she always seemed to be in the middle of?) so that he could shop for further supplies.

After that, still early in the morning, they had split up to go and gather further items. On a budget! And Dolce planned to later scope out the docks for ships that were leaving, the sooner the better, and find out what it would take to get two young men a ride to the next continent.

All of this was not very subtle, and Elwin figured, once the prince was missed it would not be difficult to trace where they had gone. But hopefully they would be in the middle of the ocean at that point, and once landed they could make haste to travel on in an unpredictable direction. Or something. There was also the possibility that the King would not go out of his way to chase down his errant son. Elwin wasn't sure they could count on that though. Still, they weren't exactly master escape artists so it would have to do. And on the plus side, no one, or should he say very few people, even inside the castle's walls actually knew what the eldest prince looked like, so they shouldn't draw undo suspicion when trying to leave.

He didn't stop going until he realized he was half starved and it was already close to lunch time. He hadn't meant to leave Prin alone this long.

Elwin put some of the things he had amassed in a knapsack and raided the kitchen before hurrying upstairs with the goods.

*

The prince was just where he had left him, Elwin was relieved to see. Sweetly sleeping in his own bed. He hurriedly sat down his pack and went to him.

“How are you feeling?” Just as Elwin reached out to brush a strand of dark curls away from his sleeping face, he sat up suddenly, causing Elwin to jolt back, startled.

Prin looked at him and opened his mouth to say something before biting his lip. His eyes seemed red.

“You want to ask what took me so long.” Elwin said, ashamed. “I'm sorry.”

“Yeah, yes.” Prin admitted. “I didn't want to say it. But I did want to say it.”

Elwin took his hand. “I should have left a note so you wouldn't worry.”

The prince took his hand away from Elwin. “It's not that I'm worried! I'm just . . . frustrated. How did I live with this for so long? Being trapped, and . . . imprisoned. I don't think I fully appreciated that this was a prison. Now I know. Also, why does it have to be so hard and exhausting to walk? If I had to walk down those stairs I would surely die before I reached the bottom!”

Well, this was new. “We don't have to leave right now, there is still time to reconsider.” If they waited a few weeks (a few months?), it would at least give Elwin more time to gather money and the prince more time to build up strength in his new legs.

“No!” The prince blushed, ashamed of himself. The pink color complimented his face so nicely. Elwin thought he was so pretty, even when he was being cranky. “Sorry.” the prince sighed, looking down at his lap. “Sorry, it's just important we don't let him get away. Further away I mean.”

“Right, understood.” Elwin agreed. “Oh, I know what this is. I bet you're as hungry as I am. After expending all that energy.” He spread out the foods he had brought in between them on the bed. “I've been neglectful, I got too caught up in the middle of what I was doing.”

The prince, not accustomed to just freely eating whatever (recent events excluded), picked up a piece of cheese and bit into it as though tasting it for the first time. He smiled. It was good.

Barely pausing for breath, Prin begin eating rapidly. He gobbled up, cheese and sliced meat, and bread. Pastries with dots of jam in the middle, and fresh fruit.

Elwin was barely able to grab one pastry for himself. It was like eating a meal with Dolce. He stared on in amazement, a big grin on his own face. “Careful not to choke.” He cautioned gently, certainly in no way wanting to discourage him. He poured Prin a cup of wine to wash it down with.

The prince drank the wine, only after he had eaten all the food. “I guess I was hungry.” He said sheepishly.

“Are you full?” Elwin wondered, amazed.

“I could eat more.” Prin admitted. “But I'm okay! Not to worry.” He smiled reassuringly at Elwin. “I truly am sorry for everything. For how I acted just now. You don't owe me anything, I shouldn't be like that. Also . . . you know, for getting you into this whole thing to begin with.”

“You haven't gotten me into anything. Whatever it is, we are in it together, remember?” Elwin said.

Prin nodded. “And I will get stronger.”

“You will.” Elwin agreed.

“I can feel it.” Prin said.

“Me too!” Elwin was so happy, he took both of the prince's hands in his. “Don't get discouraged. If you had any idea how far you've come already!”

“I have?” Prin asked.

“I wouldn't say it just to blow hot air.” Elwin assured. “Now, do you want to see what I brought you?”

*

Elwin soon had to go again, promising to come back as soon as he was able. The prince would have liked to come with him, but they decided it would raise too many eyebrows when the last thing they needed was to make people suspicious right before it was time for them to make their big escape. Absolutely everyone would notice Prin if he started wandering through the downstairs of the castle.

He ran around town checking on a few more things, and had to break it to Dolce that he wouldn't have any money to actually pay for a ride on a ship. She had already figured as much. Damn her. She had gotten them a ride on a ship that was leaving at dawn, and not a moment later.

Elwin hurried back to tell Prin the good news, bringing the rest of the supplies he had gathered with him to the tower, as well as more food since it was supper time by this point.

He bounded up the stairs, almost spilling the basket of food he was carrying, more then once, in his enthusiasm.

Elwin threw open the bedroom door at the top of the tower. The prince was nowhere to be seen.