With a shock Faylice her upperbody shot up. Releasing a rather loud gasp the lady opened her eyes, only to see nothing more but darkness. A wave of panic really pushed through, making her breathing fasten up even more than it did before. The last time she had nightmares, or better said, slept, was on a boat with broad daylight. Now she was surrounded by nothing more than darkness, raising the question where the hell she was. Still panting she tried to focus her thoughts, gather the faint screds of information she had on her mind right now. Not on the boat. No, Fay wasn’t there anymore. Slowly it came back. In Brightwater Keep, Allison offered a room. She looked around, trying to adapt her eyes to calm down even more, but there wasn’t a light around. Almost automatically the lady looked down to her hands, to see if they were at least clean, but her eyes couldn’t see it just yet.

Instead of waiting, Fay moved herself to the edge of the bed. Her vision became used to the lack of light now, just enough to guide her through the room. Making her decide that staying here wouldn’t help her for the slightest. She hadn’t foreseen that waking up at a strange place would be so different from the places she knew, and that sleeping at night -and waking up after- wasn’t the best alternative either. Realising she stayed in a castle again, seemed to worsen everything even more. She was in a castle, she didn’t know the way in.

So Faylice found herself the way to the door. That not before she found an drawer first, where she slammed against. It made her hope she hadn’t woken anyone up with the noise she was making. Nevertheless, the lady continued her way and stepped out the door. The soft light of a lit candle on a holder made her sigh in relieve, taking in from the wall to guide her way. Looking around she started walking, having absolutely no idea where the hell she was going.

Without making any sound Fay stepped through the hallways. She was good at that, it had been one of her favourite hobby’s when she was little in the castle of D’auvignon. A time that seemed so far away, even though it weren’t the best times, her growing up there, it seemed to be the most peaceful she had. Faylice had spent hours over hours walking through the castle, finding all the secret passages. Finding new places again and again, even when she expected to have discovered it all. And now she walked in a whole new castle, giving her somewhat of unnerving feeling of not knowing her way. Logically that was, given that her knowledge of the castle had let her to her escape more than once, it had always been one of her stronger sides. So, finding a herself at least a way out this night, would maybe help just that little bit with the nightmares. And when it came to nightmares, Fay grabbed every opportunity to reduce those.

The soft light reflected on the walls the dark haired lady was walking next to. Her heart still pounding in her troth from the unexpected wake that night. Turning corners she tried to focus on remembering where she had been. At least it would distract her mind from less pleasant thoughts. She hated the way she panicked every time there was something that teared her fears right open again, made her vulnerable and that was exactly the thing she didn’t want. Until now, Fay had always managed to calm herself down again, and every time she had been in panic alone. Which was a good thing, alone had been better than with people who took their advantage on it.

The midnight walk did had it’s effect, as Faylice finally found herself calming down again. It had been harder now she was in a unfamiliar place. The fact that she was in a castle probably had its share as well, she realised this was the first time again after she left D’auvignon. At least she learned something every day, or night, how to avoid her panicking so hard, how to handle a little bit better. Just as the lady was deciding which direction she would go on next, a dark figure appeared around the corner. She hadn’t expected that, to say the least. She gasped softly, feeling how her heartbeat, that was pretty calmed down, sat right in her troth again. Stepping a few steps back, she used the moment to try to discover some of the details of the figure, who seemed to be a man, in the soft candlelight. ’I’m sorry, did I wake you?’ Fay hesitantly spoke, almost whispering as she wasn’t quite over the first surprise just yet. ’I didn’t meant to, if I did.’

For a moment, Faylice felt her panic raise up again. Felt how the fear took control right over again, how it crawled through her mind, blinding her from everything, and especially, thinking logically. Not knowing where she was in this castle caused enough stress for her to cover. But this man made another slight problem, that didn’t help in her distressed throughs either. She had no idea who was here, and who she could trust. Fay wasn’t all that quick on trusting anyways, not after everything that had happened to her. In the moment she felt like the small girl she felt in that night, making her try very hard to keep the flashbacks away. Knowing that if that happened, the only thing she was able to do was to crawl down against the wall, and sit in a corner until everything was over. But that couldn’t happen, not now, not in front of a man she didn’t knew. So she regained control again, observing the much she could of the man in front of her in the faint light.

The words of the man made her lips curl up into a little smile. Looking down for a moment before she let her ice blue eyes flash up again. ’Couldn’t sleep?’ She asked first, her voice a little louder than before. There were so many reasons he could be awake, so the question came not only as a calming factor, but as an informative one as well. Calming in a way that the more she talked, the more she could handle her breath, at least, if everything stayed the way it was now exactly. Informing because those many different reasons all had their own perspective. Though, the smile never left her lips, finding herself some more courage. ’Well, I threw myself against the dresser on my way out.’ Her smile widened with the words, before it faded again. Wondering if the sounds she made were that loud he heard, or if the castle was just so quiet. As he looked into the hallway, Fay turned her head with it for just a second. Worried if there would be something behind her, but there wasn’t. His words made her head turn back again, her eyes right back on him. ’Yes, yes I’m fine.’ Automatically her hand found her hip, rubbing it shortly before letting her hand fall next to her body again. It would probably just turn into a bruise, it wasn’t the end of the world, anyway.

Sleeping had been quite the issue for Faylice. She hated the fact she needed it so much, that she really needed to endure the terror waking up came with. The lady had tried it though, to just not sleep, or only a hour or so. It resulted in the flashbacks coming at every moment she was too tired to guard them away, each and every time more vibrant. That hadn’t been the option, she soon discovered. They were unavoidable, so it seemed. Eventually she had given it up, thinking more about how to calm herself down when she did wake up quicker, finding her ways to deal. Even though it felt impossible every time, she at least was getting better at them, for how much that was possible at least. The answer she got on her answer wasn’t one she was completely sure about. Fay tilted her head a little bit, while the million more questions popped up. Was he getting through something she was getting through now? Or did he just have bad sleep habits? Was it something else? Deciding it would be best for her to drop her curiosity, it had brought her so many things worse, so she was quite hesitant to ask away, she just smiled softly. ’We all have our moments, don’t we.’ Her voice found some of its peace again. Her not questioning further at least give her some security from having to explain why she wasn’t sleeping right now. Something that she’d rather avoid.

Her bumping into stuff on her way out was something she would deal with later. Knowing her little troubles with any dirt or everything worse than that, she had no idea how she reacted on bruises. Fay pushed the thoughts away, really not wanting to get her mind busy on such things, when a possible danger stood right in front of her. Her experiences had made her think twice when encountering people in general, this wouldn’t be any different. Let alone the fact that they were alone and it was deep in the night, that definitely didn’t make anything better. ’I guess we do, cosy.’ The dark haired lady reacted, trying to lighten up her own tension as she spoke the last word with a touch of sarcasm. The next words of the man made her look up again, just as she would be deeply thinking about the subject. ’Hmmm,’ She started, her eyes getting pulled at his little gesture, where they fixated on. ’I guess, doing things that are off the chart.’ The ice blue eyes looked up again as she still smiled faintly. Taking a few moments of silence she gazed a little more serious. ’How well do you know this castle?’

Faylice had expected the worst from the very moment he had appeared in her view. Not that you could blame her, after everything that happened Fay wondered if she could ever go somewhere without looking right over her shoulder at every step she took. Even now, when she was so far away from her home country, was somewhere where they didn’t expect her that quickly, she still made sure no one followed her. Checked of she could feel the walls look at her, watched for the dark corners in her room. And now, in the corridor, still did, checking every step. Being the quietest she could be just so that she could hear it if anyone was around. If there were strange noises, strange feelings that were lurking. But apart from this man, it hadn’t been the case. And he had done nothing more than talk to her, nothing toxic, no steps closer. It didn’t made her trust him just yet, Fay awaited for as long as she could to do that. Still, she felt good for every moment nothing, bad, happened.

The answer on her question about how well he knew this castle, could provide her so much information on who the man was. So Fay listened ever so careful to his words, smiling a little bit more on this gesture. ’I definitely know that feeling.’ She smiled on all the memories of her in the castle of D’auvignon, how much she did that as a kid. ’How long have you been in this castle?’ Fay asked after, her curiosity taking over despite of her carefulness. She always had that, dropping questions before she really thought about them. ’I grew up in a castle, spend years as a kid trying to figure out everything.’ She gestured around with her hands, adding the words softer to the previous statement. As the man spoke again, she sniffed while shaking her head softly. No, she would most definitely not go to bed soon. ’I’m down for it.’ She didn’t trust the man for all that much, but enough to go out exploring together, what would the harm of that be?

At last, Fay could finally feel herself getting a little bit more relaxed. Dropping her shoulders, relieving that tension her muscles had. The feeling that scared her so much wasn’t there, the lingering atmosphere wasn’t present in the hallway the both of them were standing in. The lady still sensed her caution, her carefulness when approaching. The mistrust in her bodylanguage, but it wasn’t as bad as she dreaded it to be. Giving her thoughts some more space to unravel into the chaos they were. Wondering if the man in front of her knew who she was, or if he had somewhat of an idea who she was. Although she was in Rhoynar, her face had have quite a price on it before, and that was not just in Navarre. With that, the questions on how his view on the old and new king were. Critical things to know, and still she didn’t.

His words pulled her out of her thoughts, refocusing her gaze on the man. It made her tilt her head just the slightest, taking a moment to scan him. ’So you came here right at the shift of rulers?’ The lady asked after, letting her curiosity take over. She always had a way of asking, sometimes too much, on the other hand though, it did provide her some useful information from time to time. With the question Fay smiled faintly, the ice blue eyes stuck at his blouse and sleeve for a few moments. ’No, I’m not, from Navarre actually.’ She decided to give a little bit more information, without revealing too much of herself. It seemed like he really didn’t know her, which she decided on was a good thing. It meant he could at least not really be her enemy, not now in this setting anyways. Accepting the offer was a little risk, but judging from everything so far, it was one Fay was willing to take. ’That sounds great, I think I can use a little bit of fresh air.’  

Fay wasn’t the type to get scared very easily. Her past, more so her father, had risen her to not let the fear come to her. To not get overwhelmed that quickly but to figure her way out instead. Ironically it was that she fled her father as a whole, multiple times actually. Even more ironically, was that the lady seemed to be afraid more now than anything else. She had realized it halfway through her trip towards Brightwater keep, as she saw the darkness in each and everybody. It was then that she decided this wasn’t the way she wanted to live her life, in constant fear of the chance of anybody hurting her. There would always be plenty who would want to, even now when she wasn’t a princess anymore. Apart from one, Fay promised herself that she wouldn’t get scared as much.

And so, this conversation had been a good one. The dark haired lady had been careful, because that was the logical thing to be. Especially since she was in the dark, somewhere in the night and very alone in the strange castle. But, aside from that, their little chat had for sure given her the distraction from the terrible nightmares she had, every single night. Not that she wouldn’t get through the night without, but it was quite pleasant. He just nodded to her question, making more of them come up in her thoughts. In stead of asking further, Fay decided she valued the way the conversation was going over getting more information. Though, it went on with the question what brought her here. Which was one the lady could answer in multiple ways. ’Well, I was in quite a tight situation there,’ Fay described, the gaze of her ice blue eyes searching towards the man. It was quite the loose description, but it provided enough for now. ’so I came here.’ The dark haired lady finished. Sounding so simple, though it had been the exact opposite.

The words on some fresh air appealed to Fay, and knowing the way to it even more. With the current sleep schedule she had at this moment, knowing where to go the next night wouldn’t be that much of a luxury. Not if it lead into her finding somewhat of a rhythm to function in the way she wanted to. Answering to the smile, she put up one of herself, curling so smoothly over her lips. Following the gesture as she started walking. ’Do you have nights like these often?’ Fay asked, looking aside towards the man. Still picking her questions strategic, like she always did, aside from that spark of curiosity.

This had been quite the interesting little conversation. They both knew so little about each other, had so many reasons not to trust. And still they did just that. They both held their little role, being the stranger in the dark and for some weird reason it worked out fine. At least, for Faylice it worked that way. Having such a recognizable face, such a prize above her head, it almost never was in her favour. Now, in the dim light, in a country far away, the odds were quite towards her side on not getting detected. And not having the pressure of saying her name, which was something that, if someone hadn’t recognized her face, had quite the risk as well. Since both of them were not so needed now, it gave the dark haired lady somewhat of a reassurance. The other side was, however, that she herself didn’t know all those things of the person standing across her. No name, no face she had seen before. What a logical thing was, since Rhoynar wasn’t all that familiar to her. Though it did not please her that much, she took the both sides and settled with it.

As they started walking, it begun almost awkward. Those things always did. Following directions from a guard was easy, you stepped behind, close friends you’d be next to them. But now, he didn’t fit in either of those categories, making both of the options feel unfit. So Fay walked half behind, just slightly diagonally as she tried to figure out where he was heading. Another reason for her to get to know this castle at least a little bit better, so that she could lead, or at least knew the way.

The words pulled the lady out of her thoughts, making the ice blue eyes gaze back at the man again. The answer was one she could give if the same question was given to herself. It meant that they would’ve the higher chance of running into each other since her nightmares weren’t stopping anytime soon. As he spoke again, the dark haired lady frowned, taking in the soft features of the man, or what she could see in the dim light of the candles. ’What makes you think that?’ Was the genuine question that followed. ’There’re rarely things that can’t be fixed.’ Fay spoke after, her voice softening at her last words, not releasing the gaze from the man.