Ekon had to admit, the Princess' knowledge of the secret passageways throughout the palace did impress him quite a bit. Considering who she was though, it shouldn't have caught him so off guard. Still, the fact that she got out and explored never failed to shock him. Princess Anasuri was so, so different than anyone Ekon had ever met.

The tall elf glanced around the hallway before slipping in after Anasuri, a small smile on his face. The small lamp lit up his eyes, and they immediately changed to a similar shade of gold as the flames. Ekon gently took the lamp from Princess Anasuri, holding it out in front of him as he checked around the passageway. He was a knight, and still had to make sure his ward was safe. "It was very clever of you to use these hidden passages. How many others know of these passages?" Ekon stopped his looking around as he spoke, his gold eyes settling on the princess' small form.

Anasuri paused in her locking of the door to think, "Well," she started, finishing up, then pocketing the key, "There are a bunch of different sets. There are the ones that go from the servants quarters to certain areas of the castle: like the kitchens, ball rooms, sewing room... Then there are the ones that go between the royal bedrooms - like from the King and Queens, the Princes, and Princesses... only the royal family through blood can open those, but even then they aren't used too often."

They began to walk down the stairs, Anasuri slowly feeling her way down. Some of the steps were crumbling or uneven, so it took some concentration to make it down, "Then the more common ones that only take a key - like this exit, which there are a lot more of - or going between the main rooms...." Anasuri trailed off for a moment, picking her way around a section of loose steps, "The palace is riddled with them. I highly doubt anyone knows where all of the passages are anymore, but the ones that use them the most are the servants. In fact, their quarters can only be reached through the passageways - which is a stupid idea in my opinion, but oh well."

Ekon held up the lamp high, trying to give the princess as much light as possible so that she wouldn't slip or fall because she couldn't see. This was definitely not the safest place, the unsteady steps beneath his feet were quite obvious representations of that. Although he was listening to Princess Anasuri, his attention was split between her and the hazardous steps that seemed to want to throw him and Princess Anasuri off.

The knowledge that Princess Anasuri so easily passed to him interested him greatly. These secret passages that were so common here, were unlike anything he had ever seen. They seemed so intricate and old, he wondered if they had all been made when the palace had first been built, or is some had been added over time. The servants's quarters were known to him, he'd had a few night time wanderings in which he'd ran into a maid disappearing into a wall. For someone like him, who'd lived in much worse conditions with previous wards, he envied the fact that they at least got some privacy.

"Well that is very interesting m'lady. I've seen hidden passages before, but this palace seems filled with them, I don't believe I'll ever be able to find all of them, even if I searched for the rest of my life." Ekon grinned, his eyes flickering a deep gold in the light of the lamp. The grin faded as his eyes drifted off and he spoke, though he seemed far, far away when he spoke. "Life as a commoner, if you will, is much, much harder than any noble will ever understand, especially in this country. As a knight, even I do not fully understand the hardships of those who have gone through their life doing everything completely legally. I was never given the opportunity to lead a regular life. So atlhough I do not speak for all people of low birth, I do know that the servants here are more fairly treated here than anyone ever was back in my old farming village." Ekon paused, trying to find the words for the thoughts that ran wild within his head.

"Do not get me wrong, all I've ever wanted in my life is for those of low birth to have opporunities or the just be treated like real people. But here, they are treated decently enough, and given a proper place to sleep at night, which is more than I could say for the people of my old village. I just wish it was at least like this for everyone." Ekon sighed, he hadn't meant to rant, much less speak about his old village, but it had all just slipped out.

Speaking of slipped, Ekon's thoughts had distracted him from his careful footing. The step beneath him was rather loose, and he immediately lost his footing, he wasn't falling per se, but he was definitely about to fall into the wall.

Anasuri felt more than saw or heard Ekon stumble, his solid presence behind her faltering for a moment. Without wasting another moment, Anasuri stalled, and her hand shot out, steadying the knight, "Careful," she warned with a soft smile, her hand still on his arm while she made sure he was steady, "These steps are treacherous."

The silence spanned multiple heartbeats, and Anasuri removed her hand, looking back down to study the steps as she resumed walking.

"I do not doubt the life of the commonfolk is difficult," Anasuri said at last. For the years Anasuri had the power enact change, she had tried her best to make things better for the people. She could never change all of the land for the better, although she would continue to try her best, "I would like to hear of your experiences, if you do not mind, to see what I can do to assist." Anasuri stalled, stealing a glance over her shoulder. They were only a few steps away from the door, and the quiet darkness that seemed to draw out secrets and this softness, "I would like to help as many people as possible, Ekon. I want to... to do better by my country. The people deserve that much."

They went down the last few steps, Anasuri pulling out the key once more and unlocking the door.

When Anasuri's hand shot out and steadied Ekon, he immediately tensed, uncertainty spreading over his features. It was odd to feel another person's hand on him, so rarely did anyone ever touch him. Sure, Princess Anasuri had touched him a few times, most of which while he was unconcious when he'd been injured, but this felt different, more... intimate. He was almost relieved when she pulled away, and the tension left him immediately.

Once Ekon fully recovered from the shock Anasuri's steadying gave him, he set his eyes back on the steps below him, trying to ignore his heart pounding in his ears. It actually took him a moment to actually realize that Princess Anasuri was speaking to him, but once he did, he immediately paid attention. Anything she had to say was worth listening to.

"Then you are already a better ruler than the king that sits upon the throne ever will be. As for me, I will tell you about my past with time, it is not an easy thing to speak of, and I truly wouldn't want you to deal with the same night terrors I deal with. You truly are a blessing to the people my princess." Ekon couldn't help but add in the last sentence, the darkness covering his purple blush and tentative smirk.

Anasuri shook her head, although her face was warm and she was smiling, "Being a decent elven being isn't something I should be praised for, but I thank you for your words anyway. And I shall not rush you at all - there is no need for you to tell me anything if you do not wish it. I would never want to put you in a position of pain if I could stop it."

And with that, Anasuri opened the door wide, light spilling into the room, highlighting the cobwebs and dust. The princess took the lamp from Ekon, and blew out the small flame, setting it on the small shelf beside the door.

"And into the light we go," Anasuri said lightly, locking the door back up after they both left the dimly lit stairway, "I know exactly where we should go - it is about a thirty minute hike, and we will have to cross a river, but there are stones to get across it." Anasuri decided to leave the more serious topics in the gloom. Both herself and Ekon could use a break, and some time to relax. Business could be left inside the stuffy palace - the outdoors were a place to finally breathe.

Perhaps Ekon's standards were low when it came to royalty, but he also knew that Princess Anasuri was a good person, a kind, forgiving soul. She was better than most people he knew, though he didn't know many people, but still. He couldn't help but enjoy her company. "Trust me, I will tell you one day, but today is not that day," Ekon spoke softly. He felt a bit relieved at the light in front of him, the dark tended to infiltrate his walls, make him more open, more vulnerable. He trusted Princess Anasuri of course, but some things he preferred to keep to himself, his past would be a story he'd tell her eventually.

"That sounds lovely m'lady, the weather is lovely today, the day would be wasted if we didn't go on a hike." Ekon relaxed slightly, though he remained alert, since Princess Anasuri's safety was always the first thing on his mind. Still, the comforting warmth of the sun would always make him relax.

Anasuri walked along no visible trail. Rather, it seemed she simply knew where to go by heart, forging her way through the tall grass. Her light, yet long, dress protected her legs from the itchiness of the grass, and the soft sounds the grass made as they walked through the field was the only sound present.

They were not in the tall grass for long, however, and soon were in the cool shade of the trees. Occasionally the underbrush would grow thicker, but Anasuri kept on moving.

The silence was peaceful, and with some regret, Anasuri broke it as they approached a wide, but relatively shallow, river. As she had said before, there was a path of rocks leading across, though some were damp and slippery looking, "Here we are. Careful on the rocks - footing can be slippery here."

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this is the opportunity:

anasuri walk IN the water and holds anasuri's hand as she goes across the rocks

or

he goes on the rocks ahead of her, and holds her hand to help keep balance, and they go on the one rock close to one another

up to you :)

Ekon bathed in the sun's warm light, his eyes drifting into a honey color that accurately depicted his current state. His eyes skimmed over the landscape, wary of any lurking dangers. For some reason, his eyes kept returning to Princess Anasuri, he just couldn't stop looking at how... free she looked out here, with the birdsong and that small smile on her face, that he wasn't sure if she even knew was there.

Despite the fact that Princess Anasuri kept catching his eye, he coudn't help but stare at the beauty of the forest, and the fresh air in his lungs. Perhaps she was not the only one who truly felt free out in the open world.

As they approached the river, Ekon looked over to Princesss Anasuri for guidance. If he'd been alone, he would've walked straight through it and not thought about it, but with Princess Anasuri, he wasn't quite sure as to what to do. As she spoke, Ekon approached the river, listening to her as he knelt down and dipped a hand into the shallow water. It felt nice, a perfect match against the mild heat of the day.

Once Princess Anasuri had finished speaking, Ekon stood, turning around suddenly and shooting her a goofy grin. "I think I'll be okay walking through the water m'lady, it is really such a perfect temperature. I am more concerned about you, are the rocks that slippery? Would you be okay if I helped you across?" Ekon spoke as he slipped off his shoes, but as soon as he finished he immediately looked up at the princess with a broad smile.

Anasuri was silent for a few moments, before shrugging and giving in, "That would be wonderful - thank you, Ekon." She switched the basket to her other arm, and took the offer of Ekon's outstretched hand. She kept her eyes looking downward as they began to cross, watching her footing, and struck up a light conversation, "The water is quite nice, but with longer dresses, if the hem gets wet, it can be quite uncomfortable. With your help I can avoid that, as well as make sure I do not slip, and get all of our food wet."

The next stone was wobbly, but with Ekon's sturdy presence, Anasuri just moved onto the next stone, shooting him a grateful smile afterwards.