Chapter 41 - And So It Begins...

The guild has been in a state of panic ever since Eleanor turned herself in, to the Prince, three days ago. It was never supposed to happen, he knew that, but what could he have done in that moment? It was the power of the royal family against him, and he should be considered lucky because he was even able to walk away without a scratch. He could not say the same for Eleanor.

She consumed his thoughts every minute of every hour. He wondered if she was ok. Did the Prince hurt her? Did he try to take advantage of her? He could have hurt her if Eleanor did not agree with what he wanted. She was stubborn and would definitely fight against him. She could get herself in trouble with that attitude of hers.

The royal family were not people Eleanor could mess with. He just hoped that she knew that much at least.

Aside from the fact that Rowan worried about Eleanor's well-being, a bigger question floated around in his brain.

Why did she give herself up for him?

Even if she liked him and was growing fond of Rowan, it did not make sense for her to give up her freedom just for him. It was something she never had, and she had finally gotten a taste. Eleanor would not have given it up for anything. Or so he thought.

She had jumped into the decision because she thought she could save Rowan. The thought made Rowan's heart squeeze and stomach turn at the same time. Eleanor had put her happiness on the line for him, and although Rowan wished that his feelings were taking the biggest impact from her decision, they weren't.

"We don't have time to be complaining right now!" Donn waved his arms at his fellow guild mates to try and calm them down. "We have the numbers and we have the plan, all we have to do is act! It may be sooner than we anticipated, but it does not mean that we can't do it!"

Ever since Rowan had shown up at the Goldenshroud guild hall and explained what had happened, their entire operation was turned on its side. They needed Eleanor for their plan to work, and she had just handed herself over to their biggest threat.

Eleanor's actions shockedeveryone. No one thought the Princess of the Universe would sacrifice herself for a mere commoner, but it happened, and they had to deal with it.

"She acted so high and mighty when she came here to tell us what happened and that was her plan? Just makes things harder for us." one of the guild members grumbled.

"This is what happens when self-entitled people get a savior complex. They go and mess up everything."

Once again, Eleanor Louis was a surprise to Rowan, she acted unpredictably and that was what he didn't like about her. Because he would have *never* allowed her to go to Amsey to try and get help for him. It was hard for Rowan to believe when his guild mates first told him, but Eleanor had actually traveled all the way here because she thought she could help.

Eleanor could have gone into Amsey and never come back out. She surely knew all of that, but she still went. Despite her constant complaints about how dirty commoners are and that she would never be caught dead in the slums. The thought had Rowan's neck heating up. She really went to such lengths, just for him.

It had Rowan wishing that things were different. The guilt he only felt worsened. Things should not have ended up like this. He was so focused on trying to get Eleanor to like him, that he ended up liking her instead.

Eleanor thought that Rowan had participated in The Coming of Age Trials for the Louis family's money. But that wasn't true. He wished it were. He had participated for her. Because he needed her. The guild needed her. For reasons beyond money and status.

Rowan wanted this to be it. Eleanor was out of reach, so they would just have to give up. But he knew that was the last thing that would happen. If only he could leave her there. It would be better than her ever coming back to him.

"We're sending out the groups ASAP, all the other guilds have been notified that this is happening so I need you all to stay calm and work with me!" Donn's voice projected around the guild hall.

The plan was being put into action early because of the severity of Eleanor's actions. They needed to move fast before the Prince was able to marry her and take control of the Louis family. And seeing as how desperate they were, they might already be.

The thought nearly burned a hole in Rowan's stomach.

The oil mines in Otari, the ports and infrastructure in Inas, and the crops of Deane; all major sources of income and provision for the country. Haespia was like a treasure trove of natural minerals and perfect soil for growing about anything. Countries around the world struck up some expensive deals to get their hands on them and those deals were what kept the rich and noble happy. It was the foundation of life for them, the reason they were all where they were today.

So, take away someone's comfort, and they are sure to do whatever it takes to get it back.

And they were planning to take control of that. To throw the country into a panic and use that panic to get what they wanted. They wanted fairness, they wanted justice, they wanted to help others like them, and make sure that no one suffered ever again. They wanted to bring the nobility to their knees and make them beg for forgiveness. And, they wanted to completely erase any trace of the Tudor family.

They were the reason for this in the first place.

And while everyone's attention would be on that. Rowan's attention would be on Eleanor. He'd sneak into the castle and rescue her. It was supposed to be the other way around with his guild rescuing him. But obviously, that wasn't happening. That damn brat.

"I'm not sure how much damage the royal family can do in a few days, but it will take that long to get the ball rolling, to have the news be spread wide enough and to have the Tudor's attention," Donn spoke only to him. The guild was breaking off into their groups and departing for their posts.

"I'll get her back. Don't worry."

The older man sighed. "I'm not worried about that... I just... I just wish things would have been different. Turns out the Princess of the Universe isn't so horrible after all."

Rowan traveled back to Arune later that night. He took his time, not looking forward to his empty house. Eleanor wasn't there, but the memories of her seemed to fill the void. The moments they shared were on a constant loop in Rowan's mind. Especially their last moment together.

After being denied a kiss before the Prince arrested him, he finally got to kiss her again. The kiss was for them that time. It was for him. There were no spectators and no royals to irritate. It was a kiss of relief and gratitude. He could still feel her warmth and smell her perfume. A gentle floral scent that made Rowan lull every time she was near.

Eleanor was supposed to be his mission but she had turned into much more than that. Rowan was starting to fall for her. It was something he'd *never* thought would happen, and for Eleanor Louis of all people. If he did fall for someone he supposed that it would have been a good thing. But this time it wasn't. And it was all the more bitter knowing that he was going to break her heart the next time they met.