The Lamb and the Ruins(Part 2)

The courtyard doors swung open with a creak like a groaning harp. Dust motes swirled in the sudden shaft of sunlight that spilled across the cracked marble. In its glow stood a girl no older than thirteen, her hair the colour of wheat, wearing a riding dress still dusted with stable straw. A circlet of silver leaves crowned her head — not a heavy royal crown but something light and playful, as though she had slipped away from lessons to explore.

She gasped when she saw him.

“Oh! A lamb!” she said, voice soft with wonder. “How did you get all the way down here?”

Alex blinked. Princess? He hadn’t expected this.

Behind her hopped a grey rabbit with floppy ears and bright, knowing eyes. It moved with the careful grace of a courtier rather than a field animal.

“Careful, Your Highness,” the rabbit muttered in a whisper only Alex seemed to catch. “That’s no ordinary lamb.”

The princess knelt, holding out her hands. “Come here, little one. You’re trembling.”

Alex’s instincts told him to bolt — horns and elves were still in the distance — but his anti-hero mind saw opportunity. A princess. In a palace. Perfect vantage point. He took a tentative step forward, bleating softly, trying to look as lost and harmless as possible.

“There, there.” She slipped off her cloak, a soft lavender thing lined with rabbit fur, and draped it over him to warm him. “You poor thing. You must be lost. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.”

The rabbit hopped closer, sniffed, and whispered again, eyes wide. “Magic mark, glowing bell… this one’s trouble.”

Alex tilted his head at the rabbit. You can talk? he thought, and to his surprise the rabbit’s ears twitched as if it had heard him.

“Of course I can,” it muttered back in the animal tongue, voice low and sardonic. “Name’s Thistle. And you, little hornless sheep, had better behave. The elves are already sniffing around the borders. I can smell them.”

The princess glanced between them, oblivious to the exchange. “We’ll take you back to the palace garden,” she said brightly. “I’ll put you in the royal pasture. You’ll be safe there until we find your flock.”

Alex forced himself to bleat again, as lamb-like as possible, though his mind was racing. This is my opening. Inside the palace I can gather information, learn about the elves, maybe even get close to the vault.

A faint chime flickered at the edge of his senses:

New Condition: Under Royal Care. Disguise effectiveness +20% while near Princess Elara.He smirked inwardly. Perfect.

Thistle narrowed his eyes. “I can hear your thoughts, you know. Don’t get any ideas.”

Alex smirked again. Too late.

The princess gathered him into her arms — surprisingly strong for her size — and stood. Her perfume smelled of wildflowers and parchment, an odd mix of child and court scholar. “I always wanted a pet of my own,” she whispered. “You’ll be my secret for now.”

As she turned, Alex caught sight of a small satchel at her hip, books and maps sticking out, a sign she’d been sneaking off to study the ruins. Maybe she knew more than she let on. The thought made his heart race.

They stepped onto a hidden stair cut into the wall, stones worn smooth by centuries of feet. It spiralled upward into shadow, cool and damp. Drips echoed like soft bells. Alex shifted in her arms, sniffing the air; protective wards laced the stones, faint as spider silk. Another chime scrolled across his mind’s eye: “Arcane Architecture detected.” Useful.

Thistle bounded ahead, pausing every few steps to twitch his nose. “Keep your head down when we reach the garden,” he warned. “The court gossip travels faster than hawks.”

Alex gave a token bleat. He wasn’t about to reveal he understood every word.

Halfway up, the princess paused to catch her breath and smiled down at him. “Don’t worry, little lamb. No one will hurt you here.” She brushed a thumb over the glowing bell at his neck. “What a pretty charm. Did someone give it to you?”

Alex’s heart skipped. If she only knew…

They climbed again. Somewhere far above, faint music drifted down — harps and children singing. For a moment, Alex allowed himself to imagine what it would be like to belong here, safe and fed, instead of plotting survival.

As they reached the top, he looked back one last time. The glowing fountain-lamb below flickered once, eyes like embers, as if in approval, before going dark.

Outside, horns still echoed from the hills, but inside the palace walls, for the first time since his reincarnation, Alex felt warm and safe… and exactly where he needed to be.

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