Silver for his part was equally panicked. His hands and body had reacted on their own.

'What have you done?' He berated himself silently. 'You should have run or hid! Now you've got a captive. This is only going to cause trouble. Say something!'

"Don't move," he told the lady, his voice deep and firm.

'Well that was brilliant,' he thought bitterly. 'Now all she's going to think about is moving. Of all the stupid things you could have said...' Surprisingly he felt the girl's body relax slightly within his grip. It was almost as if he had hypnotized her.

He took a deep breath and tried to reduce his own tension. "I don't want to hurt you," he said earnestly. She nodded in recognition of what he said. 'Now let her go, before she thinks you are some sort of creep.'

"I'm going to let you go," the Guardian announced tentatively. "Don't scream or run." She nodded again and with a slight hesitation, he released her.

Rose spun and took a step away from her captor. He was dressed completely in black except for a brown leather belt at his waist. A mysterious cloak enveloped most of his body with the hood pulled over his head. Though he was taller than her, she could not discern his exact shape, and where his face should be, there was only a void.

'He has no face! How is that possible?' she wondered. The sight should have concerned her, but instead she became even more at ease. From the moment the man had first spoken, she had no longer feared him. It made no sense, but she knew feelings and reason were often at odds.

Wiping her tears, Rose continued to stare at the strange figure before her. A dull warmth radiated from her chest, like embers being rekindled. She cocked her head to one side as she looked the man up and down, trying to puzzle out why he had this effect on her.

Silver could see the woman was sizing him up and the thought amused him. "You should at least try to run," he told her, humor evident in his voice despite his discomfort. "Or scream or try to throw something at me."

Rose lifted her chin and folded her hands. "Would it do any good?" she asked calmly. Her dewy blue eyes, which had been so stormy when she entered the room, were now tranquil and at peace.

Silver shook his head slowly, "No, but I find this calm serenity of yours far more unnerving. You aren't afraid of me?"

"I don't think that would do any good either." She smiled at him, daring him to argue.

'She's brave,' he thought. 'Not your typical courtier.'

'He's scared,' she mused. 'Not your typical marauder.'

Silver spread his arms wide and gave a mock bow. "Please take a seat, my lady. I think we may be here a while." 'Unless I can find a way to get out sooner.'

He considered knocking out the girl and leaving before she woke. Then he would not need to worry about her raising the alarm. But the idea of harming her made him feel sick inside. She had done nothing wrong. Tying her up made more sense, but he still could not stomach the notion. The Guardian was well and truly stuck.

With one eye still on Rose, Silver edged his way to the window and covertly peered below. The garden area was crawling with guards as was the curtain wall. Although he could not see inside the keep grounds, he assumed the scenery was likewise occupied. He glanced up.

The roof was much higher than her suite and it shot outwards more than Silver realized before jutting upwards and coming to a point. While he could perch atop it like a bird, the effort would be exhausting both to get there and to stay without falling. The Guardian sighed.

'I better get comfortable myself. It looks like Hanna got her wish.'

Retreating from the opening, the Guardian seated himself at the vanity and faced the woman. Rose, looking around for the most suitable spot, settled on the edge of her bed, her face void of emotion.

They sat in silence for a time. Silver shifted his weight in his chair uncomfortably and tried to read the inscrutable countenance of his counterpart. Sensing his purpose, the princess decided to speak.

"How long do you think you will be here, Sir?" She asked in her most regal voice.

'Pretty pushy for a captive,' Silver noted, though he didn't mind. The silence was difficult for him to bear. "As long as it takes for the guards to give up searching for me."

"They are pretty determined to find you, I'm afraid." Rose's brow furrowed, and Silver could not decide if she was mocking him.

"Not as determined as I am to avoid them," he responded with conviction.

The blonde nodded thoughtfully, "Fair point."

They fell into another uncomfortable silence. Rose eyed the headboard of her bed, remembering the carved cherub wing that could be removed to reveal a knife. She felt like it had been excessive at the time, but the king had insisted her safety above all else.

While the princess did not feel threatened just now, that could always change. She should be prepared for anything. Rose flexed her hand unconsciously as she imagined the action she would need to take if the moment arose.

Silver followed her eyes and noted the odd shape of the headboard. Recognition dawned on him as the Guardian cleared his throat.

"I wouldn't do that," he warned. With a motion that was barely noticeable, he retrieved the knife and held it lightly in his hand. "Sorry to have to disabuse you of the notion. I have a distaste for violence, but I will defend myself."

Rose barked a laugh, "Distaste for violence? Is that why you shook the earth with whatever strange magic you possess?"

"That bursting ball was not magic. And I aimed it where no one would get hurt," Silver defended himself. For some reason, he cared what the lady before him thought of his actions.

The woman narrowed her gaze. "And what about the arrow that you sent through the commander? It's lucky you didn't hit his heart!"

The Guardian recoiled at her comment, disgusted by her words. "I could have hit his heart, small as it is, without thinking. My aim is second to none. The shot was merely a distraction, and a mercy at that. Borit would have killed me if he had the chance." 'You can call me a thief, but never a murderer.'

"You don't like the commander very much, I gather." There was a lack of judgment in her voice that surprised him. Silver inclined his head to agree.

"Borit only left me for dead, murdered my parents, destroyed my village, and took two of the people I hold dearest from me. So I don't fancy him, no." The Guardian answered sarcastically.

Rose's brow creased. She didn't like the commander, but she had never thought him particularly dangerous. This was information she would need to handle carefully...if she chose to believe the man before her.

Sensing her incredulity, Silver added with a sigh, "I would have loved nothing more than to avoid Borit tonight. I have no desire to poke the bear."

"But you didn't succeed…and then you shot him?" The princess questioned with one eyebrow raised.

"Yes, well, I was sabotaged," Silver responded bitterly.

"There is more than one intruder in the castle?" Rose asked, surprised. A fear welled up in her as her eyes grew wide.

"Not anymore." The Guardian couldn't help but smile. Hanna had trespassed the same as he, but she would never be caught.

"Who sent you?" The girl's face became sympathetic, tugging at his heart. But having seen his fair share of manipulation, he saw the girl's compassion for what it was.

'She's prodding me for information. What a clever girl.' "Who sent me? Why my saboteur, of course," Silver answered cryptically.

Rose rolled her eyes and smirked. "That is not a great friend."

The man shrugged. "Maybe not, but she is an excellent boss."

'He is just trying to confuse me,' Rose realized. "How did your companion enter the castle? You came alone." She could tell by his body that the stranger was only slightly surprised.

As Silver had only seen the silhouette of the woman in the tower earlier, he had not been positive that this was the same person.

"You were the woman who was watching me? Then I thank you for your silence twice now. Though, had you raised the alarm then, you wouldn't be in this situation now." Silver's eyes flashed bright silver, and the sight sent a shiver down his companion's spine. The sight was equal parts beautiful and terrifying.

"The thought had crossed my mind," she admitted.

Abruptly, Silver changed the subject, "When do you think your mistress will return?"

"My mistress?" Rose was confused.

"You must have a mistress because you have no escort. Surely the brunette who you were attending in the garden sent you to prepare her room."

'He does not know who I am.' "I should lie to you, but in truth I have no mistress. My escort, the brunette, fainted when she saw Borit's injury, and I foolishly came back here alone."

"Quite foolish." The Guardian nodded slowly. "Did you not know there was an intruder lurking about?"

"I had heard some rumors," she answered innocently, a blush coming to her cheeks.

The cloaked man stroked his chin, his hand disappearing in the void of his hood. "So this is your room, then? Interesting. You must be important to the king to have such lavish apartments."

The prirncess's eyes sparkled as she chuckled quietly. "Indeed sir, quite important."