It was nearly six in the morning when she woke, quietly moving aside the silken sheets to free her legs. Feeble streaks of golden light were making their way through the partially closed curtains, bathing a small part of the bed in shadow and light.

She turned her head to see that the King's side of the bed was untouched- he had probably spent the entire night in a meeting with the Counsel, and was most likely still in the meeting room. She reached out and traced a hand over the unwrinkled pillow for no particular reason- sentimentality, perhaps. With the quiet of the castle and the luxurious lifelessness of their room, she felt as though she were the only being alive in the entire world.

It was not a cheering thought.

She sighed and sat up, now fully awake. The bleary fuzziness of sleep fell away as she sat up and stretched, the warm air urging her to curl back under the comforter, but she resisted the call of the blankets and stood up.

It took a short while for her to get dressed- and for her to decide what she would do today.

The war, however limiting it may be, had not kept her from making appearances with her people... and whether or not they were anticipated by anyone was debatable.

Ever since she had been shut out of politics, she had taken to wandering the streets on her own when left to her own devices. It wasn't exactly the best way to gather information, but she found that most Prospitans were friendly, eager to talk about recent events on Prospit, something that gave her an edge when it came to knowing what they needed or wanted. It was better than most of the Counselors, who rarely spent a day out of the higher districts of Prospit- or even the palace.

Disguising herself was even easier. Seeing as most carapaces looked alike save for their build and clothing, all she needed was a common gray and golden-yellow cloak, durable pants and a shirt that was ornate enough to pass as an aristocrat's, should she need to remove her cloak. She had considered wearing something less noticable, but again, worker carapaces generally did not speak in such an aristocratic tone, something she could not change.

These she quickly threw on, tugging the hood over her face on the off chance someone noticed that she resembled the Queen. She was now just any regular carapace on the street out for an early morning walk.

The few servants she did encounter on her way through the castle merely bowed and continued on without further commenting on why she was up and about so early in the morning. It was a secret exhilaration for her, something that reminded her of her earlier days of hide-and-seek from her maidservants. She slipped through a kitchen backdoor and into the garden. During her childhood gallivanting with the king, she'd found a secret opening that let them in and out of the castle without being seen by guards. She quickly ducked through and locked the old iron gate behind her with the key she'd slipped underneath the wall.

It was seven when she checked her pocket watch. As she strode down the road, seeing the shopkeepers beginning to open doors, she touched a hand to the belt that concealed a thin poniard, making sure that it was securely attached to her hip. The recent reports of highbloods revolting was disturbing, and she wasn't about to be caught out without a weapon.

She wondered who she would be able to run into today. A carapace had just started making something that smelled delicious at a breakfast stall, and she decided to head there first.

Jake had completed his education a little under two years ago, when he turned 17. This was great, because it gave him about 80% more free time, as John was in the roughest stages of his own, and spent most of his days cooped up with his various teachers, attendants and even Jade sometimes.

Being an early riser, the Page sometimes allowed himself a morning trip to Prospit if the weather was nice enough and he felt like doing some shopping or just wanted some time to himself. More often than not he stuck to the gaudier district and refrained from chatting people up, out of fear that he might be unmasked because of his social shortcomings.

After a recent string of events though, Jake felt emboldened and expanded his wandering radius, daring to go in the poorer districts, and even striking up random conversations with people that weren't shopkeepers! He also tried to gain as much information about the Rebellion as he could, the Rebels being constantly on his mind since that one night...

But was he really doing this out of newfound audacity, or was he still foolishly clinging to the positively ridiculous hope of meeting her again? Even he himself didn't know for sure.

He took off through a small opening in the garden's wall that no one had ever bothered to shut off, for some reason. Or rather, over the opening. Usually Jade was with him so she could unlock the gate with her magic but when the Page was on his own, he had to do a few acrobatics to get over the wall. Once he was on the other side of the wall, he bolted for the shuttle station, feeling his fake magical mustache to make sure it was properly grown.

One thing Jake loved about taking morning strolls was that the food from stalls, taverns and the like was sure to be freshly cooked. The best part of it was definitely the smell, deliciously intoxicating as it was.

It just so happened that he spotted a Carapace putting out a freshly baked blueberry pie on a stall close to him, which he immediately homed in on.

She had just taken a seat, the slender carapace wiping his flour stained hands on an apron and greeting her with a smile. Taking out her purse, she noticed that he was unusually young, with a distinct scar stretching the skin where his open collar did not cover. The victim of some childhood accident? Possibly.

It was a habit of hers, observing every single person she passed in order to find out more about them. It had saved her life a couple times before, especially when she had just become the Queen and the change of power prompted the few who were disgruntled enough to take attempts on her life.

Perhaps he was an apprentice or son of the owner. Either way, he seemed like a good-natured boy.

"You're my first customer of the day," he said, blushing when she complimented him on the beautiful baked good he had just taken out to cool. "Would you like to sample some?"

Pie for breakfast! Unusual, but it had been a long time since she'd gotten to eat anything from outside of her own castle's kitchens. When the carapace set a plate in front of her, complete with a fat wedge of the dessert, she slid a hundred boondollars to him, waving away his protests that it was far too much for just a piece of pie.

As she was about to take a bite, someone slid into the seat next to her, a young man with striking green eyes. He was well-built, tanned, and a peculiar mustache obscured most of his face. A warrior, perhaps? Something about him rang so familiarly with her.

Oh! She was staring. She quickly smiled, curious- why did he seem like someone she knew so well? "Hello," she said. "It's a beautiful morning, isn't it?"

She was glad her cloak wasn't easily discernible and it hid the green in her dress perfectly. She didn't need the High Priestess knowing that she was out here at this hour, but perhaps she would be chastised leniently, since she had finished up her morning chores and prayers early.

No matter. She hadn't been to the Lower District in a long time, and it was still as she remembered it. With her face hidden, she glanced around at all the white carapaces, her mouth watering slightly at the heavenly aromas of desserts and freshly baked goods. She didn't have very much on her, so she couldn't afford to bring back anything for the other maidens, and for that she felt a little bad.

It wasn't that she didn't want to share, but sometimes one had to make due with what one had. Besides, the others were probably having oatmeal and cereal for breakfast today. One purchase wouldn't hurt her too much. It could potentially be the only thing she'd eat that day anyways.

She was considering not buying anything, but a sudden rumble in her stomach told her otherwise. Eying the stall and fingering the money in her pouch, she glanced at what they were offering, not noticing who was already there, but being patient with them. After all, they were there first.

The pie was a bit of a stretch, so maybe a loaf of that raisin bread would be enough. She looked up at the two, and found something oddly familiar about the youth but she couldn't quite place it.

[Sorry this took so long orz the internet is shit here and the forum ate my post this weekend and i was so mad it took me several days to get back on here]

As he took a seat, Jake gave a quick friendly nod to the hooded lady carapace sitting beside him then promptly turned to the shopkeeper, his stomach being a bigger preoccupation than socializing mores right now.

"I'll have a piece of that pie, good sir!" He said putting a few crumpled up boondollar bills on the table. While the merchant was cutting him a piece of the dessert, the page was couldn't help but stare at the act, devouring the pie with hungry eyes until he realised that he was being spoken to. He exhaled silently, too embarassed to realize just how familiar the voice sounded to him.

"I couldn't agree more, m'lady." He turned to his seat neighbor, smiling. "Pretty warm, too! Perfect for an outdoor snack, I say!" He was proud of how much his people skills had improved since his first trip by himself.

His manners, though, not so much. The second the shopkeeper put his plate in from of him, he unceremoniously took a bite, closing his eyes taking a really long time to chew it down. It was that good.

I guess I should make another post just to update the last reply timestamp so it won't like like I haven't replied yet :X

Smiling at the young man's apparent bliss upon eating his pie, she looked over at the young woman on her right, nodding politely. "Good morning," she said. "You can sit here if you'd like." She indicated the stool next to her. Something about her manner and clothing- the way she carried herself- suggested that she was a Maiden from the Temple of Life. It was possible, but she didn't want to pry, especially if the girl didn't want to be identified as a Maiden.

She turned back to her dessert- finally taking a forkful and finding the crust flaky and the filling moist and perfectly sweet. After finishing a couple more bites, she turned to the man. "I can certainly see why you enjoy this pie so much," she said. "It's perfectly delicious. So, what brings you out here on this fine morning?"

She gave her a polite nod and sank down on a nearby seat after paying for her breakfast.

"Thank you miss." She watched them enjoy their meal and bit into her own, quite fond of the rich flavor of the fruit. They tasted like they were just picked that very week. She continued taking small bites, enjoying her breakfast as her eyes looked over her company.

The woman was quite beautiful, by carapacian standards. There was something...regal about her. The way she sat, the way she spoke... Was she part of nobility? Or... No, she couldn't be. She did seem like a good-natured carapace, for all she knew of her so far.

The young man... She still couldn't quite place him. In the back of her mind, she thought he would look much more dashing if he trimmed his facial hair. She caught herself thinking of what had become of her crushfriend from adolescence and continued eating her breakfast, a faint pink dusting her cheeks.

She perked up as she heard the woman ask the youth about his business in the city, and thought about what she would answer with, if they bothered to ask her. She resolved to telling them the truth.