You pay a higher cost than you expect

You spend the remainder of the night in bed with Joan, which fills you with a sense of guilt that keeps you from gaining meaningful sleep. She isn't the one your heart is set on after all, but she still becomes the first woman you share a bed with. You had hoped such a time would be with the Princess, and been a special, romantic moment. Instead, it's purely transactional, as if she were a prostitute; or you were. If that wasn't enough, her words rattle in your mind pesteringly. You wish you could ignore her as some petty and unknowing dissident. Drow are known to be hateful of all civilization beyond their own, so she could just be spitting poison into your heart.

And yet, she could also be telling the truth. At least one aspect is the truth, that the comfort of your position has kept you from having to struggle, and left you content to never see the horizon beyond the kingdom. A book about foreign lands was better than going to see it yourself, or so you seem to have been convinced. Could it have also been a means to control and pacify? That feels unlikely. If that were true, why didn't the Intransican Empire simply grant noble titles and land to the orc tribes they've been embattled with since the dawn of the last Age?

Between guilt and doubt, you are able to get at least some rest; enough for Joan to nudge you awake, fully dressed as the sun rises.

"Wake up lover boy, it's time to go." The sudden realization makes you panic and rush to put your clothes on. You race out of the Fore's Kin, but are held back by Joan as she grabs you by the shirt, taking a more discrete, deliberate approach.

"I know you're a musician, but do you want to announce to the world that we're up to no good, racing towards the castle like that?"

"But she could be gone already!"

"If so, than running like a madman will do nothing to change that. We go without bringing attention to ourselves, or we don't go at all."

"Fine" You reply angrily, as you move reluctantly with her plan. You fear this may have all been a cruel setup to deny you your greatest hope for some nefarious purpose, but keep that held in, at least for now.

"You know" You say, walking alongside her "an orc and a drow walking in the market streets kinda brings attention to ourselves, no matter what we do."

"It's the best we can manage, unless you know how to cast an Invisibility Sphere. That we can't completely avoid a wandering eye doesn't mean we should go do the direct opposite thing. Besides, the people here are too busy with their meaningless lives within the hegemony to give a particular thought to either of us." Joan, for all of her seeming contempt of the powerful, appears to much in common with them, including a disdain for commoners. You make a mental note to bring this up to her, should everything go well and you actually survive this hare brained mission of yours.

You make your way through the streets and approach the outer perimeter of the castle walls without incident, or further discussion. You receive a quick nudge, and see Joan swiftly hide herself in the large bushes near the walls. You follow as best you can, finding your larger size hindering your efforts. Having come to a stop, she turns you and whispers.

"Okay Silve, it's make or break time. We're going to hoist over this wall, deal with whoever is in our way, grab the Princess, and rush out. We have to go in blind, so I hope your source is trustworthy."

"Of course, it's the Queen. She said she would do something to delay the guards and the carriage, but didn't say what."

Joan's eyes squint, looking at you "The Queen? But-. Never mind, doesn't matter. On three, start climbing."

At her instruction, you start climbing up the wall, using nothing more than your hands and feet. It's a lot more difficult than using a rope or ladder, but you gain the benefit of surprise. Joan is predictably more adept at this, and reaches the height of the wall before you, hovering there as she waits. Creening your neck over, you see the good news and the bad news simultaneously.

Good news, the princess Trevolia is alive and well, and where you were told, waiting near the stables in the gardens. You let out a small sigh of amusement, reminding yourself that her life was never really in danger, even if you had arrived too late.

Bad news, the delay has gathered more attention than there should be, as the guards and aides of the castle huddle in confoundement.

"I don't understand!" One of the sergeants shouts "How is this possible? There's no way that every carriage we have is broken!"

"But, that's what happened" One of the stablemen replied, meekly.

"I can see that Hayes! But how!? You check this equipment don't you?"

"Yes sir, daily."

"I need answers, and I need solutions, before the Prince gets here. Do whatever you can in order to get one of the carriages mobile, and when you're done, we're going to have a long talk."

The stablemen converge on one another, trying to divine a solution, as two horses wait impatiently unbound in the yolk of a carriage. As you scan around, you lock eyes with Trevolia, who has trouble keeping her emotions and giddiness in check, being overwhelmed by what's going on.

"Oh slag it, she's going to give us away" Joan says as she hops over, drawing a loaded crossbow from her side as she fell. The guards were stunned to see her, allowing her an opportunity to fire, the bolt landing directly into the chest of the guard nearest to the princess. You freeze for a few seconds, watching what's transpiring before hobbling over yourself.

"It's him!" one calls out as you're identified immediately, with the attention now off of the drow and unquestionably on you. Acting on instinct, they failed to focus their eyes on the greater threat, which allows Joan to pierce one of the other guards through the heart with her sword. They struggle to refocus, allowing you the chance to pick up the sword no longer being needed by the dead guard. The swordfight that ensues is chaotic and bloody, causing shouting and whimpering from Trevolia every moment you appear to be in danger. Being the better duelist, you're able to hold your own, even as you're outnumbered. In the chaos, you end up back to back with the Drow

"We can't keep at this forever Silve. We can't kill all the soldiers in this castle."

"Do you have a plan?"

"I might have one, ya." You feel a strong push, causing you to move forward and even past the soldiers that had started to encircle you, and consequently with nobody between you and the princess. Behind you, you hear the guards gasp and ****, as a strange plume of smoke billows from where Joan was. It's too thick to see through, but you quickly see her on one of the free horses, galloping away.

"Come on, we need to go! Now!" You call to Trevolia as you grab her by the arm and pull her along. Just as you get her on the horse, her brother, the Prince Varkileus races outside with his personal guard; expertly trained soldiers. You see utter hatred and rage in his eyes; hatred he no longer has any reason to hide. Knowing that this is your only chance, you quickly mount the horse as well, and speed off with the princess as well. Riding the horse with the two of you and no saddle is awkward, but the steed is a charger through and through, that wants to do nothing more than race off at great speed. What guards were alerted to your presence by Joan are unable to stop you.

You're surprised to find Joan having waited for you for a moment outside the castle gates.

"Good, you've made it." She smiles and nods her head forward slightly towards Trevolia "Your Highness."

"Do you know a safe out of the city?"

"Of course, now follow me."

The two of you speed your way through the crowded and narrow streets until you exit the city walls, galloping at high speed even beyond, not stopping until the roads are quiet and the castle itself is but a dot on the horizon.

"Silve! I never thought I'd see you again!" Trevolia said as she tried to turn around to look at you fully

"Not to interrupt your dramatic and romantic reunions, but we're still not safe, we need to keep on the move."

"Joan is right" you nod in agreement "Your brother has to be burning up trying to find us. Your father too, once he finds out."

"Ya, okay" Trevolia replied, feeling the sudden bite of the two edged sword from this rescue "When do you think they'll give up? When do you think they'll stop chasing us."

"Oh, probably never." Joan piped in, before taking off on her stolen horse.