As soon as Camellia made her appearance, I took advantage of Roy's turned head to slip my hands out of their bindings and seized his knife. I danced out of his reach as he rapidly realized his predicament.

Part of me wished Camellia had entered a little more quietly. Roy could have easily used me as a hostage if I hadn't moved. But quiet wasn't really her style, or so it appeared.

She seethed at Roy, but there was also concern in her eyes as she glanced at me. "Lady Raine, are you hurt?"

I shook my head while feeling slightly dumbfounded. I was entirely unused to this new treatment of "the heroine" that lacked her earlier antagonism.

Roy smiled, flashing a sharp canine at me as he put two fingers to his temple and flicked them my way. "Later, princess."

With that, he dashed to the narrow window and vaulted out, scattering shards of glass everywhere. Several of Camellia's guards hollered, and ran back outside to chase him.

I put a palm to my forehead, exasperated. Only in an "Otome game" could a kidnapper get away so easily from the scene of a crime. My bet was that Roy would manage to evade his pursuers, and I wouldn't see him for a while.

Good riddance.

Camellia approached me, holding out a hand. She gently turned my wrists over, examining the scrapes the rope had left on my skin. She was so short I was able to look at the crown of her head as she did so. I could see where the roots of her hair met scalp. Her skin had pink undertones, which was probably why she always managed to blush so red.

If I were to pat her head when I was back in my own body, how would she react? I bit my tongue, and the sharp pain brought me back to reality.

"How did you find me?"

"My family’s guards arrived to retrieve and reprimand me, but you weren’t back yet. I looked for you, and a bystander said they saw you get snatched near that alley."

She fidgeted. "Prince Velvetine heard about the citywide search and met with me. He told me the alley leads to a tavern run by Roy's mercenaries, and gave me the location of Roy's hideout in the slums. I don't know how he knew where it was."

Asa must have known the location from playing through Roy's route in Garden of Dreams. She sure was handy to have around during a kidnapping.

But…a citywide search. Camellia must care about me more than she lets on.

I let Camellia lead me outside to the carriage. Like I thought, the guards had returned dusty and frustrated from their fruitless chase, and took their place at the reins and on horses that flanked the carriage.

Camellia didn't realize it, but she was still holding my hand when we sat down. I was not going to tell her to let go anytime soon.

So, she had met with Prince Vel. Or rather, Asa in my body. I didn't know whether to be happy that she would meet with the original me outside of school or upset that she and Asa were starting to get along so well.

Though at this point, I wasn’t quite sure why that would upset me. Was I jealous of myself?

"So, you met with Prince Vel?" She looked up at my words, broken out of the trance she was in. I made my tone light, teasing, though that was the opposite of my mood. "Without a chaperone? How improper."

She spluttered. "You- you were in danger, what was I supposed to do?"

I felt a real smile slip onto my face. "You were worried about me?"

Camellia balked. "Of course I was!! Without you…" she turned her head to the side, and I spotted a rosy glow on the edge of her cheek. "Without you, school would be…really boring!!"

I was still smiling, and couldn't seem to stop. "Well, I'm glad I make learning more…entertaining for you."

She harrumphed, and lapsed back into silence. I put my free hand over the one she held mine with.

"Lady Camellia?" She started. She had definitely forgotten to let go. "What were you so upset about this morning that made you literally run away from home?"

She gulped, and she suddenly looked on the edge of tears. "You'll just laugh at me."

"I won't." I put a little pressure on her hand. "I promise."

"My father," her mouth twisted, as if she didn't want to continue talking but was forcing the words out, "is going to break my engagement with Prince Velvetine."

Shock jolted through me like a bolt of lightning. "What?"

"He told me it was a request of the King." Her shoulders were shaking, and tears started to roll in fat drops down her already tear-stained face. "Apparently the prince has someone else he is interested in."

My insides roiled. Was this Asa's doing? Did that half-brother of mine put her up to this? 

"It's probably you." She looked up at me miserably, the tears still falling. "I guess all that fuss I caused was for nothing, huh?"

That was the last straw. I reached across the gap between us and pulled her into my arms. 

"I am not," my voice came out almost as a growl, as my teeth were still clenched together, "going to marry Prince Velvetine."

"But if it's an order from the King…"

"Shush." 

At first her limbs were rigid in my hold, but they eventually loosened as I stroked her long hair all the way down her back in a rhythmic motion. Her body was warm against mine. I could feel the vibrations of her shaking slow as she calmed down.

I pulled back to look at her face, and noticed that she had fallen asleep from stress and exhaustion. I lay back in my seat and closed my eyes, still holding her.

I have wanted to hold her like this for a while now.