When I Saw You [AU]

Marina was excited for leaving the ship and go walking on Nirethia. It has been years since the last time she was in the city, and now she was older, and wating to see the small town again, the people, and if the town changed through those years. She was about to leave when she felt a strong hand upon her shoulder. ''Daddy!'', she whined and turned around with a small pout towards her father. Cassim laughed and shook his head, ''You know I don't like you wandering alone, Marina. You can take the day for yourself, but Amelia will follow you. I have some bussiness to finish, and I want you back to the ship by sunset'', he said and leaned down to kiss her forehead. ''Yes, father. I'll be here by sunset'', she said softly and nodded to Amelia to walk with her.


The small town changed a lot, Marina sould see clearly. Her eyes sparkled seeing all the people on the streets, and the shops, but she restrained herself, and acted like the polite girl she was taught all the time Amelia was by her side. On a moment the old woman got distracted, Marina picked up her skirts and ran towards the woods. Amelia didn't take long to notice that, and sighed. She knew Marina would come back sooner... or later. The tennager girl giggled while running. She loved being around nature more than staying locked into fine houses, that's why she always enjoyed travelling with her father, and seeing several different places on their trips. The hem of her skirts was dirty and her curly long hair was all messed because of her running. She stopped near the river, and picked up some pink flowers from a bush as she hummed an old lullaby.

"Belle? Oh, come now, it wasn't that bad!" John sighed as he jogged through the trees, trying to find his kid sister. She was hiding because she didn't like the training they were doing. John had already learned the basics of being an assassin. Now he was trying to teach them to Belle. But, she didn't like the blood. She didn't like hurting anything. Especially the bunny John had gotten for practice. Seeing the blood had caused her to run off and hide. 

He brushed his hair back from his face and huffed, not finding Belle as he stumbled across the river. He faltered when he saw the young girl about his age near the river. He stood up straighter and pursed his lips. "Hello," He said, a bit cautious and timid.

Marina was too distracted to noticed she wasn't alone anymore, so when she heard someone calling behind her, she got a little startled and turned around. ''Hi...'', she said quietly, a little shy. The boy seemed he had her age, and she smiled a bit... Cale was the only person she interacted that was her age, but she hasn't seen him in years. ''Oh my. Are you hurt, sir?'', she asked seeing the blood on his clothes. She walked closer to him, and stopped. ''I don't want to be rude, but may I help you?'', she asked, pointing to the blood spots.

John stepped back when she came closer to him. He was weary of people he did not know, for obvious reasons to his past. He swallowed the lump in his throat and gave her a small smile. "No, thank you... I'll just... Wash it off in the river," He said softly and removed his tunic. He walked to the river and sat down, dipping the fabric into the water and watching it run a bit red. "I was... trying to clean a deer, but... I'm not very good at it. My mentor was teaching me," He mumbled.

Marina also stepped back, seeing how the boy looked uncomfortable having her so closer to him. ''Hm, if you insist'', she smumbled quietly, and watched as he walked to the river. She bit her lip, and decided to walk closer to him, standing a few steps behind him. ''And you decided to take a walk in the woods after realizing it? I can't see your mentor, or anybody around, except you and me, sir'', she pointed out softly, looking around before turning her gaze back to the mysterious boy.

John pursed his lips, a bit surprised the girl was still talking to him. Most people left him alone. After all, everyone knew what happened to his family. "My sister doesn't like blood... She saw the blood... And she ran off. I've  been trying to find her," He said quietly, turning his emerald eyes over to her.

''Oh, you have a sister?'', she asked, a bit curious and dared to walk closer to the boy. SHe tilted her head, and smiled seeing his the color of his eyes. He had beautiful eyes. ''My name is Marina'', she introduced herself with a cute smile, holding out her hand for him to take.

John eyed her hand, a bit unsure before he stood up and wiped off his hands on his trousers. "John," He said softly before he took her hand and kissed the back, bowing slightly like a gentleman was supposed to do. "Why are you out here in the woods? It's not safe," He mumbled. Just in time, a smaller girl with brown hair and bright golden eyes dashed out of the trees cover and ran to John, hiding behind him and wrapping her arms around his middle as she hid, silent and her head ducked down. John smiled warmly and put his hands over Belle's. "This is my sister... Belle," he murmured.

Marina bowed lightly as he kissed her hand before giggling softly, ''Enough with the formalities'', she grinned, ''I like to take a walk on the woods, specially after staying months on the seas'', she answered to his question. She didn't really cared it was safe or not. She looked to the young girl, she seemed to be the same age as her, but she looked wider. She saw how John changed with the girl around, ''Hi Belle'', she waved to the girl, and turned her dark hues back to John, ''How is like to have a sibling?''

Belle did not respond to Marina. She kept quiet and clung to John. John sighed and looked back towards Marina. "Well... When our parents were alive, it was like just having a friend always around. But... I guess I've always looked after Belle. So, now, I'm just her... protector, I suppose," he murmured, gently stroking Belle's hand.

Marina pursed her lips, and looked at them with sad eyes, ''I'm sorry about your parents...'', she whispered, ''I had a friend once, Cale. I thought of him as a brother, but I haven't heard from him for years'', she sighed, and turned her gaze to Belle, ''You seem to be a good brother, John. Can you tell your sister I won't bite her?'', she murmured.

John nodded solemnly when she spoke of her sorrow for his parents. He looked back to Belle from under his arm and sighed. "Belle... It's okay. She's safe," He said gently. Belle hesitated, but slowly moved to be at John's side instead of hidden from view. She shifted her golden hues briefly to look at Marina before back at the ground, chewing on her bottom lip timidly. "She's... Very shy. She's had a very rough life, so... I can't blame her for being like this," He said softly as he stroked his sister's hair. "She's the only family I have left."

Marina gave Belle a gentle smile when she met her eyes, and sighed seeing how the girl looked shy. ''I think I understand... I only have father as a family. I lost mom when I was younger, and I don't have grandparents either... It's just me and dad'', she sighed and pursed her lips... ''But I don't want to talk about sad things anymore... I want to have some fun'', she grinned. ''Do you know any game? We could swim at the river...'', she suggested.

John kissed the top of Belle's head before looking back towards Marina. "I would love to play a game," He said quietly, though he knew none. He hadn't ever been allowed to play games. That was against his father's rules. "I... Don't know how to swim," He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck shyly.

''You don't know how to swim?'', Marina murmured, ''Well, we could try, and maybe you could learn how to swim... Or we could play and prentend that Belle and I are princesses, and you are a shinning knight, who is going to protect us from the evil and dangerous dagron'', she grinned.

John looked down to Belle when she tugged on his sleeve. He leaned down and let her get close to his ear as she whispered to him. He smiled sadly and kissed her cheek. "Belle doesn't know how to be a princess," He murmured, shaking his head. "Why don't we play the game where we hide and one of us finds the others?" He recommended. "Belle's good at that game," He said softly.

''Because I could get lost in the woods?'', she pointed out... ''I don't know this place very well, John'', she pouted, looking up to him with doe eyes. ''I could teach Belle how to be a princess...'', she mumbled.

John smiled shyly, forgetting that not everyone lived in the woods. He scratched at his neck and sighed, looking down to Belle at the suggestion. She looked up at him and hugged closer to him, indicating she did not want to go anywhere away from him, even just to learn something two feet from him. He shook his head and looked to Marina with a sheepish smile. "How about... We go to the Castle? My mentor works there... There's some sort of Knight thing going on... It might be interesting," He pointed out. "Unless you would get in trouble... I don't want that," He said softly.

Marina rose an eyebrow and bit on her lip softly before giggling, ''You are so shy, John'', she teased lightly. She looked around, she knew if she followed the river she would find the way to the sea, but that would take a long time, and perhaps she would make to the harbor after the sunset. John knew the way to the castle, and she remembered the way from the castle to the harbor. ''I would love to go to the castle with you, John'', she smiled, ''May I hold your hand?'', she asked, already lacing her hand with his.

John smiled a bit and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. He looked to her hand and blushed slightly. He nodded and looked back to her. "I need to... Go get a new shirt," He pointed out. "Come with me," He murmured and walked with both her and Belle back to the cabin he was still working on building. He was young, but he was stronger than most. He went into the little bedroom he had built for himself and Belle. He pulled on a new shirt and then looked towards her. "Would you rather we ride a horse? I have one..." He mumbled.

Marina smiled seeing his blushing... He looked pretty cute, even for a boy. ''Sure'', Marina chimed, holding his hand while they walked further into the woods. She smiled every now and then, enjoying the walk to the unfinished cabin. The house was small, but cozy, and she liked it, it was refreshing since she lived in luxurious mansions, and fine ships. She waited into the living room, looking absently to the books on the little shelf. ''It's up to you. I don't have to be back to daddy till sunset'', she said softly, hiding the fact she wasn't supposed to wander alone in Nirethia.

John looked back towards her and grinned, smiling a bit. He walked outside to the horse and helped Belle up first before getting on for himself. He then reached down and took Marina's hand, pulling her up and on the horse behind him. "Hold on, okay," He murmured and got the horse to go off towards the castle. 

When they reached the castle, he brought it over to the stable and looked around for one of the attendants.

Marina grinned back and followed them outside. She climbed on the horse with ease, and wrapped her arms around his middle, seating upon the horse like a boy, with each leg on the sides. She giggled when the animal went off, and held on John as they rode to the castle.

She looked amazed when they reached the royal gates... She wasn't surprised by the castle, but by all the knights and horses around. She never saw an event like that. Eric peeked from his corner when he heard someone near. He imagined it was the Lord he was sent with, but he frowned seeing the three children upon the horse... ''Er... Can I help you?'', he asked shyly.

John got down from the horse and smiled to the boy. "Hello. We just need to get our horse into the stable so we can go inside," He said quietly. Belle got down from the hose easily and hid behind John, not liking all of the people. She tugged on John's arm and got his attention as he leaned down to hear her speak into his ear. John pursed his lips. "Belle, Marina and I want to go inside and see the knights... If you didn't want to go in there, why did you want to come? " He sighed. Of course, he knew it was because she didn't like being far from him. "Maybe... You could stay out here. You like horses, right?" He questioned. She nodded, her head still ducked and eyes downcast. John then looked to Marina and helped her down from the horse before turning his emerald hues back onto Eric. "You could help with the horse, right? And, possibly keep an eye on my sister? She's timid about older men... Is there somewhere she could go where she would be away from people and near the horses?" He asked quietly.

Eric pused his lips... He could get in trouble if he did that. He was meant to take care of the Lord's horses only, but he could hide the foreign animal for a couple of hours. He frowned seeing the girl tugging the boy's shirt, not exactly sure of what to think about her. ''Sure, I can keep your horse protected here'', he nodded, ''And I know a place where I can keep this little girl far from the others'', he smiled, thinking of his corner.

Marina leaned upon the horse and caressed his mane while John took care of the rest, she looked up, and smiled excitely. She looked down and met John's gaze, she smiled and placed her hands upon his shoulders as he helped her down. She held herself back from running again, she had just made a friend, and she didn't want to lose him. She ignored the other boy and looked up to John, ''Cannot we just go off??... I want to see the knights, I've never seen a joust before!'', Marina almost bounced on her feet.