One

Juliet darted out from behind the tree, sprinting across the damp ground. Though not graceful or quiet, she was fast. Weaving around bushes and shrubbery, she skidded to a stop and rolled beneath a particularly large bush, ignoring the sticks that cut at her arms. Dropping to her hands and knees, she peered from the leaves out at the forest around her.

A whole ten seconds passed before leaves crunched around her. She tensed, freezing into a statue and refusing to even breathe. Her eyes involuntarily squeezed shut.

"Please don't see me, please don't see me, please don't—"

"Found you," a voice said, right beside her ear.

Juliet involuntarily screamed, jumping and trying to scurry away. She skinned her elbow on a rock in the process but she hardly noticed. Arms clamped around her waist, pulling her up and yanking her back. The end of a stick was thrust toward her as her captor, the villainous, worldly famous bandit Noah Ryder, let her go. He kept his weapon raised and his chest puffed out in triumph.

"Nowhere to run now. Hand over the royal crown and I'll let you go."

Juliet defiantly thrust out her chin, clutching the crown of flowers and twigs in her hands. "No. You'll have to kill me before I ever give it to you!" she said, thrusting it behind her back and stomping her foot.

Noah smirked, keeping his stick raised and starting to slowly circle her; cutting off any means of escape. His sandy blond hair fell in his eyes and he shook it back. "Then I will have to kill you."

Juliet screamed again as the sword was thrust toward her. Gripping it around the end, keeping it "impaled" in her stomach, she fell to the ground. The crown of flowers fell from her hands. "You... will... pay!" she gasped, panting heavily and reaching her hands toward him as if she could strangle him.

Noah laughed, scooping up the crown and holding it triumphantly in his hands. His pale eyes darted up to meet hers and he smirked. "The Arctic winds couldn't even catch me!"

Juliet abruptly rolled to the side, scrambling to her feet and holding the stick in her hand as she pointed it toward Noah. Leaves and twigs clung to her long, pale blonde hair and the lace along her dress. "Ha! I tricked you, bandit."

Noah took a step back, confusion crossing his face.

"I'm wearing indestructible armor," she gloated, patting her stomach. "And now I will take back the crown and collect the reward money for myself."

"You... you tricked me."

Juliet wrinkled her nose and stuck her tongue out. "They don't call me the smartest thief in the kingdom for nothing!"

Noah scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. When she lowered the stick, just a little, he took off running.

"Hey!" Juliet bolted after him, dropping the stick and running as fast as she could. Panic swept over her and after only a minute she realized the pursuit was useless. Noah was much faster and easily outran her. She stopped, frowning. "Noah! You're too fast!" she cried, her eyes beginning to brim with tears of frustration.

Noah slowed to a walk, turning so he could face her. He frowned. "Are you crying?"

"No."

"Yeah, you are."

"No I'm not!"

"Then what's wrong?"

"You always run!"

"So?"

"I'm not fast." Juliet angrily brushed away a tear that spilled.

Noah shrugged. "Well I am."

Juliet's frown deepened and she almost started crying.

"Okay fine, then I won't run." He waited until she had taken a few steps closer to him before slowly backing away. "Ready?"

Juliet nodded, sniffing.

"Do you surrender thief?" Noah asked, easily slipping back into character.

"Never! That crown is mine!" she huffed, planting her hands on her hips. Her hair fell around her shoulders, dirt and twigs clinging to the ends.

Noah looked at the crown in his hands, a smug grin still on his face. He shrugged one shoulder, setting it on his head.

Juliet almost laughed, but managed to swallow it back and stay in character. "Looks to me like it's mine."

"You're going to rule the kingdom wearing a girl's crown?"

"No, I'm going to sell it for millions of tivs and retire to my own island where I'll live the rest of my life surrounded by money," he said, stammering a little as he struggled to keep up the monologue. "But..." his eyes narrowed as he glanced sideways at her, "perhaps I will take you with me."

Juliet frowned. "Why would you do that?"

"Because we could accomplish so much more if we worked together."

Her face brightened and she nodded vigorously.

"Only if you promise not to trick me ever again."

Juliet made a cross on her chest. "Thief's honor."

"That's contradictory."

"What does that mean?"

"It means it clashes. Like something can't be big and small at the same time. So you can't be a thief and have honor."

"Oh."

"So why should I believe you, thief?" Noah asked, lightly shaking his head and slipping back into their game.

"Because..." Juliet chewed her lip, trying to think. "Because I will let you keep the crown the whole time. You can sell it and collect the reward money. Oh! And I'll be your partner."

Noah took the crown off and studied it, screwing up his lips as he looked back toward Juliet. Taking a few steps toward her, he reached his hand out.

"Partner."

Juliet grinned, shaking his hand.

Noah's eyes suddenly shifted up. Grabbing Juliet's arm and pulling her behind him, he snatched up the abandoned stick and held it up at an imaginary threat.

"We've been followed by King Moone's guards!"

Juliet gasped, clinging to Noah's arm as he started to slowly back up. "We should run for it. We can make it to the armory if we hurry," she murmured in his ear.

"I think you're right. On the count of three, ready? One, two, three!"

Together, they turned and ran through the woods past trees and bushes. Noah turned at the palace's stone wall and Juliet started to fall behind again so he grabbed her hand and pulled her to go faster. They slid in through the open gate, Juliet stumbling a little on the lose gravel and almost tripping.

Still holding her hand, Noah pulled her behind one of the security check points where they both ducked down.

"We'll wait here until they move past," he whispered.

Juliet nodded, sitting down on the cool dirt.

Noah stayed frozen where he was for a few seconds before dropping down beside her. He leaned his head back and exhaled sharply. "Phew that was close."

Juliet's heart, pounding from running so hard, began to settle down. She could only manage a nod.

"I'm hungry," she said after they had been sitting there for almost ten minutes.

"Come on." Noah stood up, brushing his hands off and stepping back out into the open. The sky above the dome was beginning to darken.

Juliet followed him. "Race you to the gardens." She didn't give him the chance to reply before taking off. He overtook her in a matter of seconds and by the time she reached the trickling fountain at the center of the gardens he was sitting on the ground with his back against the edge.

"What took you so long?" He asked.

Juliet huffed, brushing her hair out of her face. She started to say something but a sharp voice made her tense.

"Juliet!"

Both Juliet and Noah turned their heads as Juliet's sister, Princess Odette, rounded the side of the garden wall. She was alone and dressed in an elegant deep blue dress that swirled around her feet as she walked. Her hair hung down her back in glossy rich brown curls that bounced when she walked. Her face, naturally beautiful, was masked in disapproval and her grey eyes glittered with irritation.

"Your Highness," Noah said, scrambling to his feet.

Odette didn't so much as give him a glance. Her gaze zeroed in on Juliet. "I distinctly remember telling you that you were not to leave your room until tomorrow and only after you finished compiling that list I asked you for. Did I imagine that?" Her voice went up as if she were talking to a baby.

Juliet flushed, swallowing nervously and glancing at Noah for help. She twirled her hair around her wrists. "I... well, I was. But... I wanted to play and thought if I stayed away from you it would be okay."

Odette shot her a look, crossing her arms over her chest. Her eyes darkened even more and she stood up straighter. "Ah, trying to be deceitful again. You must enjoy being punished."

Juliet shook her head, a hint of fear creeping onto her face.

"It was my fault, Your Highness," Noah piped up. "I distracted her."

"Juliet should have more sense than to run and play like a peasant with a common guard-in-training." Odette shifted her gave to Noah, her eyes turning to ice.

Juliet saw Noah's face harden in defiance. "I... I'll go back," she said, nodding vigorously and worried Odette would hurt him instead of her.

"And aren't you supposed to be in training?" Odette asked, finally turning to look at Noah.

Noah nodded.

"Then go. And I suggest you pay a little more attention to your training, young man, if you have any desire to survive."

"Yes Your Highness." Glancing one more time at Juliet, Noah reluctantly turned and disappeared around the corner.

Juliet followed Odette back inside the palace and through the corridors toward the library, mimicking the way her sister carried herself—shoulders back, head held high, and graceful steps.

"I hope your playtime was worth it," Odette said.

Juliet swallowed, nervously playing with the ends of her hair. "Um... it was—" She let out a yelp of surprise as Odette yanked her arm down a narrow corridor. "Where are we going?" She asked, beginning to tremble.

Odette didn't reply, her grip tightening around Juliet's arm. She finally paused, roughly shoving her against the wall.

Juliet stifled a cry, knowing that only angered Odette further.

"I expect you to do as I say, and when you don't listen there must be consequences. Do you understand?" She asked, lowering her voice to a harsh whisper. Odette raised her eyebrows. When Juliet still hesitated she gripped her chin in a vise-like hold, her nails digging into her skin. "Answer me."

"Y-yes. I—I'm sorry," Juliet whispered, biting the inside of her lip to keep it from trembling.

Odette scoffed. "I bet." She stared at her for several moments before finally straightening. "You will go without dinner tonight and you will sleep here as punishment for your disobedience," she hissed, jerking open a small utility door and roughly shoving Juliet inside. It was far too small for her to stand and she had to wrap her arms around her knees to even fit inside.

Juliet scraped her arm on a piece of unsanded wood. "What?"

"Did you not hear me?"

"No, I did. But can I g-go in my room? I won't eat anything and I'll finish the list!" She added, hiccupping in an attempt to stop crying.

"Oh I know you will." Odette handed her a tablet. "You'll get that list completed and hopefully learn that when I tell you something you're to listen."

Juliet started crying, shaking her head again and begging to be allowed to go to her room as she clutched the screen against her chest.

"That's enough! Stop crying like a baby; you're eight years old and you brought this on yourself. Get that list compiled and I might be tempted to forgive your disobedience. And for heaven's sake be quiet!"

Juliet nodded, sniffing and wiping her nose with the end of her sleeve. Odette straightened, swinging the door shut with a bang. She heard a lock click followed by Odette's heels stomping away until they faded away.

Awkwardly wrapping her arms around her legs she opened the tablet and easily slid into the palace's security network until she had accessed the arrivals of Demetria. She started the tedious process of noting the different ships and their identification numbers. Because she only had the one tablet, it took her longer than it probably would have as she had to switch back and forth between apps. Sweat trickled down her back and she shivered, trying not to imagine the hairy legs of horrible spiders crawling all over her. She raked her hand through her hair, nervously scratching at her wrist until it stung.

At some point she started crying again and after what must have been hours she started pounding on the door in the hopes that a passing guard or servant would let her out, but no one came. Desperation started to make her panic. She banged harder and started screaming until her throat hurt.

Finally realizing no help was coming, Juliet started to quiet down. She wrapped her arms around herself, curling up as best as she could. The silence was deafening and she kept imagining monsters creeping in to scare or hurt her.

"They'll be no wishing well, no wishing well at all..." Juliet sang to herself, her voice barely above a whisper. "Who will tear down the wall, of all the walls of waiting walls." Her eye lids started to grow heavy but she tried to force them awake. She didn't want to fall asleep here, what if something came in while her eyes were closed?

She must have fallen asleep anyway as the next thing she remembered was being startled awake by the slamming of the door.

There were dried tears on her cheeks and her eyes were puffy. She hadn't expected Odette to be the one to come back for her, but it was.

"Get out. Hurry up." She snapped.

Juliet scrambled from the closet, her legs weak. The sudden brightness made her squint.

"Now, have we learned our lesson?" Odette clasped her hands in front of her and stooped down to Juliet's level.

Juliet nodded. "Yes."

"Good." She flipped her hand out and Juliet handed her the tablet. "Now come to your room and you're to stay there until I send for you. Understand?"

Juliet nodded again as Odette grabbed her arm and started down the corridor. She'd stay in her room for a month if it meant never having to go back to the closet.

Odette was walking to fast and Juliet tripped, murmuring a quick apology that was ignored.

Coming to Juliet's room, Odette yanked the door open and shoved Juliet inside.

Alone, Juliet darted straight toward her bed and burrowed beneath the blankets. She thought she would cry some more, but apparently all her tears had already been shed. Seas, she was thirsty though.

Daring to slide out from the blanket, Juliet crept into her bathroom and filled a glass with water. She hoped Odette wouldn't forget to send up something for her to eat.

Her vision started to blur and she crushed her eyes shut.