Quinn really didn't think she would have ever been in a situation like this, especially considering how controlling her father is with not letting her do anything for fun. It's not very ladylike, she lightly mocks in her head, repeating the words she constantly heard her father say when she tried to do anything. She's meant to be someone's wife and that's it. Why would a princess do anything else? It's no surprise that Quinn hates being a princess, and her father, with a passion. It doesn't help that her father forbids her from reading.

Knowledge is power, and she couldn't have any sort of power according to her father, Russell Fabray, the King of England.

And she, Lucy Quinn Fabray, is his heir. She hates this life. It's boring and she feels trapped constantly.

So, it's surprising when the outside of the castle comes bursting into her room through the window, even more so when it's an individual dressed from head to toe in black and, oddly enough, short from Quinn's seated position. She saw the figure just jump into her cobblestone room like nothing and couldn't help but let out a squeal as she dropped her knitting equipment – another of those stupid activities her father requires her to do.

She never really thought that anyone could just climb the castle wall.

But, by God, a man is here to kill her.

Maybe her father was right in some aspects.

The stranger whips his head to Quinn's direction and she can't help but open her mouth to let out a scream at the intruder.

She would have done it too if it weren't for the source of her scream rushing towards her.

"Shh," the figure says quietly into her ear. "Please keep quiet, you're making this harder than it should be. I just want to steal some of your valuables and be on my way. Can you not scream for me?" the thief softly said.

The voice sounded oddly... feminine? But he – she? – was wearing trousers! Quinn really didn't know what to think, it's not like she was ever prepared for situations like this. She mutely nods to the thief's request. She could hear them let out a sigh of relief from how close they were as their hand slowly left Quinn's mouth. She opens her mouth again to let out a scream again – the possibly female thief must have sensed it because they quickly covered Quinn's mouth once again.

"Okay, it was foolish of me to think you would cooperate. I suppose we must do this the hard way," the thief deadpans. Quinn got scared for a moment when she began to think about what the hard way could possibly be before she felt something sharp poke her back.

Oh, they had a knife. That was lovely.

Quinn sat up straighter in her chair and sort of just froze. The stranger took advantage of this by muzzling Quinn with a piece of cloth from her knitting kit and tightly tied it around her head. Quinn recovered after feeling the taste of cloth on her mouth. Shit, that wasn't good. Any protest from Quinn died as only muffled sounds reached Quinn's ears. This really wasn't good.

"I am not going to kill you," the short thief states. Having them so near to her, Quinn could tell that they were indeed short. She could also tell that the voice was indeed one of a girl. The voice is so close to her ear also made her lose feeling in the rest of her body.

Quinn noticed the thief pick up a discarded bag from by the window. The female thief moved to Quinn's dresser that held her very expensive items. Quinn felt herself calm down as the thief seems to be keeping her word and isn't hurting her.

As time slowly passed, Quinn began to track all the items the thief was taking.

There goes her jewelry.

And her damn expensive fabrics.

The thief continued to stuff her bag with expensive, miscellaneous things.

It's a bit sad that all her possessions were located in her room. She won't ever leave any mark bigger than her room and she knows it.

Her father has yelled that specific remark to her before.

Quinn wishes she had a life like a thief, it seemed way more fun and freeing than her own trapped life. She hangs her head low, what she would give to be finally free.

Wait a damn minute, this could be her chance. That realization awoke something in Quinn.

As her body slowly regained feeling, Quinn finally noticed something. Her arms weren't tied. She quickly pulled on the piece of cloth that covered her mouth. That action filled her with confidence for what she's going to pull right now.

"Wait," Quinn exclaimed as the thief started to move back towards the window and escape.

"How did you—"

"You forget to tie my hands as well," Quinn says as she waves her hands around.

Quinn didn't get an out-loud response, but she can bet that the muttering the thief just did was filled with curses. She approaches the stranger cautiously; she doesn't want her to pull out the knife again.

"I have a proposition," Quinn quickly said. She saw the stranger take a defensive stance but seemed willing to listen to her.

"Oh?"

"Yes, I won't scream to alert the guard or anyone, but that is only if you take me with you," There. Quinn actually managed to say it without her voice quivering.

"You want me to..." the thief trails off for a bit. "Steal you too?"

"Yes?" Quinn answered with a questioning tone before letting out more firmly. "Yes, I want to go with you."

"And what's stopping me from just jumping out from this window?"

"From the time it takes you to climb back down, the guards will have been notified and ready to capture you."

"I'm not sure—" Quinn opened her mouth in preparation to let out a scream before the thief harshly whispered. "Fine! It seems like have no choice," the thief lets out a defeated sigh as she drops the bag back on the ground. "I'll take you with me, but you can't be wearing that."

Quinn looks down at her elegantly designed dress. She holds it up a bit by its fabric. "What's wrong with it?" She questioned.

"What's wrong—what isn't wrong with it! If you truly want to escape, you can't be wearing something so… fancy."

"Oh."

"Yes, don't you have anything more simpler?"

Quinn shakes her head; her family would be in bad social standing if she ever owned anything that wasn't the finest of fabrics. Her father made sure that Quinn was always presented as such the royalty she is, a suitable suitor could be anywhere.

Quinn had to think quickly. "What if you stole something from the servant's quarters?"

The thief scoffs. "And how do you suppose am I going to get past your guards, Princess?"

"There aren't any," Quinn says with a playful smirk. "I lied."

The thief gives Quinn a cold stare with her brown eyes. It was the only feature that could be seen of the other girl but she had never directed her gaze towards Quinn before. If they weren't glaring at her, Quinn might even say that her eyes were a little pretty. It was the only way Quinn wasn't afraid as much anymore.

"Then I guess I could do it then, just give me a layout," Quinn gladly gave the thief the directions to the servant's quarters. She listens attentively as Quinn spoke before heading towards the wooden entrance of her room.

"I'll be back before you know it, princess. Fill the bag for me, would you? I only really stole for one person," Quinn nods at the thief's request. Quinn watched her open the door as slowly as she could before slipping out.

Quinn moves to stuff the bag with things she knew were of value from her dresser. When she was satisfied, she sat on her bed and waited for her new partner in crime to slip back.

The evening turned to the night before a soft knock echoed around the room. Quinn had nodded off a bit as the thief entered the room.

"Here," the thief says. She throws the commoner's clothes to Quinn and Quinn barely managed to catch it before it fell on the ground – not that it would have really mattered. "Get changed, quickly."

Quinn doesn't say a word but follows the thief's instructions and changes into the clothes. As she does so, the thief faces the window. Quinn's curious as to why but she won't ask.

"Done," Quinn signals.

The thief turns back around. "Alright, here's the plan. I'll go down with the bag and wait for you at the bottom. It's in case you fall."

"And how do I know you just won't make a run for it?"

"Because I know you'll scream," Quinn could almost hear the smirk in the thief's voice. "Trust me," the thief continued.

Quinn gives her a look of distrust before sighing. "A mutual trust then."

"Yes, exactly," the thief moves to Quinn's bed and removes the sheets.

"What are you doing?" Quinn questions.

"Well, I can easily climb the stone walls back down, even with this load. But I don't think you can do the same as me," the thief gestures to Quinn's body as if it was self-explanatory.

Quinn supposes that it is but she didn't like the implication.

"I see your point."

The thief didn't really acknowledge Quinn as she started to tie the sheets together. She hums as she does and Quinn can't help but strain to listen.

The thief sounded amazing, even while humming.

"Staring at me isn't going to make me so faster, Princess. Help me ties theses together," the thief teases. Quinn can't help the blush that colors her cheeks. She didn't expect it from her.

"Sure," Quinn whispers in reply.

It was hard to tie the sheets together as the only light to help them was the moonlight, she would have suggested maybe using a candle but being here in the dark with the thief seems weirdly romantic.

Quinn dismisses that thought.

Helping your thief help the both of you escape wasn't a very romantic thought anyway. Not one bit.

They finish tying the sheets together and instead tie it on one of Quinn's bedposts. The thief tests the strength of it by tugging on it harshly. "Well, it should hold just fine."

Now Quinn was a little worried, the other girl seems to have sensed it as she tries to reassure her. "Don't worry, princess. It'll be fine. I'll be at the bottom and ready to catch you if you do fall."

Strangely, it did help Quinn a little bit.

"So, I'm going first," the thud of the bag hitting the ground is heard as the thief drops it first. "Well, the bag is first, then me," the thief has her back facing the window, and leans away from it. She was being held upright by the sheets as she grabs a hold on them to descend.

"Don't get hurt," Quinn says with the worry evident in her voice.

The thief stopped moving and stared at her. Quinn couldn't tell what expression she was wearing. "I'll try not to," she softly replies.

And with that, the thief began to climb down backwards.

Quinn waits for a few seconds before looking out the window and seeing the thief at the bottom. The thief gives Quinn a thumbs up, it was now her turn to come down. She swallows the heavy feeling in her throat and takes a deep breath.

It was now or never.

With her boot covered feet at the edge of the window, Quinn slowly climbs down as the thief did.

It's going fine, Quinn thinks to herself. It helps that she stops every couple of seconds to take a deep breath to calm her nerves.

She never really thought herself to be someone who was afraid of heights, but here she was, slightly freaking out.

Quinn shrieks as she starts to fall. She continued screaming as she felt a pair of arms wrap around her.

"Princess!" the harsh whisper of her rescuer brings Quinn back into her sense and she looks around herself. She isn't a splat on the ground and for that, she's even more grateful for the thief.

"Princess, we have to bolt out of here. I'm pretty sure you've just alerted any guards nearby," Quinn's eyes widen in surprise. Damn. Forgive her God but times like these require a little swearing. She jumps out of the other girl's arms.

"Where do we go?" Quinn has a slight panic in her voice.

The thief had a twinkle in her eye that Quinn could barely make out. "The same way I came in," she said as if stating the obvious. "Follow me, Princess."

Quinn dutifully nods and follows the girl as they both run along the castle wall.

It's until they cross a small plain that she notices a small horse-drawn carriage waiting for them. The thief ushers Quinn into the carriage and proceeds to jump and take command of the horse. Quinn opens the sliding windows that separated the passenger and driver.

"How could you afford this?" Quinn exclaimed.

The thief had a smug voice as she directed the horse away from the castle. "Like most things, my dear Princess. I stole it."

"I've never really known a female thief before," Quinn asks curiously.

"We're everywhere, you just don't see us."

"Just you," Quinn teases.

"Yup, just me. How lucky of me and you," the thief teases back.

Seconds pass before Quinn asks another question.

"I want to see you."

Well, it was more of a request, really.

The thief raises an eyebrow. "I think I've done enough for you, Princess."

"You know, now that you've stolen me away, I'm not a princess anymore."

"I'm sorry, your majesty. What should I refer to you ask now?" the thief playfully mocks.

"Quinn, just Quinn is fine," Quinn replies.

"Rachel."

"Huh?"

"My name, it's Rachel. You never asked for it," Rachel cheekily says.

"You're much more different than I expected, Rachel," Quinn likes the feel of Rachel's name on her lips.

Rachel lays back to be closer to the sliding window. "Oh? How so?"

"For one, you're actually helping me escape, and you didn't kill me."

"I think I should be insulted that you gave me a terrible characterization."

Quinn couldn't help but giggle. "Really? You're a thief."

"I like to think I'm an honorable one," Rachel retorts. "I'm still insulted. I think you hurt my feelings. Maybe I should drop you off," she continued with a playfulness to her voice.

Quinn relents and gives Rachel a small smile she knows the other girl can't see. "I hope you could excuse me for insulting you so, Rachel."

"You're excused," Rachel replied.

And the conversation ended there.

For a bit anyway, Quinn couldn't help but ask Rachel something again before they went any further.

"May I see you?" Quinn asks timidly.

Rachel doesn't answer, only the sound of the horse's horseshoes hitting the cobbled ground could be heard. That's when Quinn sees Rachel slowly removed her mask; it was just a long piece of cloth that was wrapped around Rachel's head, and the first thing that came out of it was Rachel's long but unruly, curly hair. Quinn lets out a small gasp as Rachel turns to show her full face.

And God, her face was practically the most beautiful one Quinn had ever seen, and Quinn had seen hundreds of noble faces who claimed to have renowned beauty.

None of them could compare to the girl sitting in front of her.

Quinn could feel her pale skin gain a very intense reddening. She can tell Rachel noticed her because Rachels lips curved into a smirk. It doesn't help stop Quinn from blushing, it intensified instead. Quinn could even see Rachel's eyes sparkle. She can't help but be captured by them, she loves it. She especially loves Rachel's nose.

She kind of likes Rachel.

The girl who basically stole her from her father's castle and has given her freedom.

Quinn knew this was the start of a beautiful friendship.

Maybe something more.