She awoke the next morning feeling better than she had in, well, three years. She chose a breakfast of bacon and eggs and sat down at her table. She was excited today. It was the first time she would check the crates and she couldn't wait. She really hoped there was a message waiting for her.

She decided to check at noon since that would give Maxon time to put a letter there if he chose to. If not she had her own ready, but she needed something to occupy herself with for four hours beforehand.

She got dressed and walked outside. She would go to her favorite dress shop, a place in town owned by two young women named Creel and Marta. Creel made the most amazing patterns and was becoming more known around Westerin as one of the best designers in their little kingdom.

As she walked inside the shop, Marta walked up, recognizing her. "Alina, where have you been? It's been three years since I last saw you!" she asked, pulling the ex-assassin into a hug.

Keep in mind that Marta didn't know who she truly was. She used the last name Screave with people who didn't know her identity, which was almost everyone. She couldn't tell the girl the truth. "I've been with my grandmother," she said. "She hadn't been doing well, and I went to help her."

"Well, I'm glad you're back! Creel will be so excited to see you, and you probably want a new dress, so we'll get started on that right away, and maybe we could get some lunch later!" Marta tended to be excitable and bubbly on her calmest day.

"Well I have something to do at noon, but how about we can eat at 1:00 at the place down the street?" she asked. "Perfect!" Marta exclaimed. "Now, what kind of dress are you thinking about getting today?" she asked, leading her to the back.

She tried on dresses for quite a while before finally getting out of the store. It was now 11:45, so she started walking in the direction of the house she was caught in. It wasn't a far walk, so she got there rather quickly. Making sure she wasn't being watched, she ducked into the alley with the crates. Going to their chosen crate, she lifted it and saw an envelope there. She picked it up excitedly and opened it. Inside was a slip of paper with a time and a place written on it.

***

Alina was to meet Maxon in the empty theater on Market Street at 5:00. She had gone to lunch with Creel and Marta at 1:00 and had a good time. They talked about various topics, including Creel's increasing popularity in fashion designing.

After lunch, Alina went back to her apartment to pick out the perfect outfit for meeting the prince, though she didn't know why she cared so much. It's not like she needed to impress him. But she still did, as she wanted to look good.

She tried on several items and finally settled on a satin shirt that matched her green eyes and yellow pants. She didn't want to seem like she cared too much by wearing a skirt or dress, even though she obviously did.

Finally deciding she looked okay, she headed to their meeting place. On the way there she noticed people staring at her. At the time she brushed it off, thinking it was just a few people who were new in town and didn't recognize her.

That's when she looked down and realized she had her dagger in her belt. The one with the horse head hilt. It had been a gift from her father a few days before he was killed. She had probably grabbed it on instinct.

She then realized something. She had dropped this dagger at her last job, the one where she was caught. Which meant someone had returned it to her house and... knew who she was.

She also couldn't show up at the theater with the dagger on her. It was known what the blade she killed with looked like. If Maxon saw he would know who she was in a heartbeat. She had to hide it before she arrived. She chose the bushes outside the theater, as no one would be hanging in them.

She didn't see him as soon as she walked in, but it didn't take long for her to spot her prince. He was up in the balcony in which the king would sit if he came to watch a show. She climbed up to him and sat in the next seat.

There was an awkward moment before they both started grinning. "I wasn't sure you were even going to show up," he said. "Why wouldn't I?" she asked. "You're my best friend," she stated. "Really?" he asked.

"Well yeah. Assassins don't make many friends, and the ones I do make don't know the real me. They only know whatever fake name I give them and the parts of my personality I choose to show. No one knows the real me except for you." Of course, that wasn't completely true, but it was close enough for her.

"Why did you become an assassin in the first place?" he asked.

"When I was a teenager, my father was killed by an assassin. I trained for years to be one in order to get revenge on both the person who killed him and the one who hired the assassin in the first place. I became so good that I decided to make a living out of it. And I did eventually avenge my father."

"How are you going to make money if you aren't an assassin anymore?"

"I'm thinking about doing something with music. I've always loved playing the piano. Maybe I can become a famous pianist and play all across the kingdom."

"Well, I think you'd be amazing at that. But sadly I have to go. Dinner will start soon in the palace and I wouldn't want anyone to get suspicious."

"It was wonderful talking to you outside the bars of my cell. I hope we see each other again soon." They hugged each other and he walked out.

She gave him a ten-minute head start. They couldn't be seen leaving together. So after ten minutes was up she got out of her seat and left. After a few minutes of walking, she realized she left her dagger in the bushes and went back for it. But it wasn't there.