Axel felt his eyebrows raise up further in surprise as the princess spoke. For being what looked like a timid girl, her words held a surprising amount of strength in them. Of course, she had calmed the king down earlier too, with just a few words....so maybe he shouldn't be too surprised over that.

"Is that so," he noted, cocking his head slightly "Do tell me how I'm supposed to do anything from in here and how you could possibly help me," he added, curious but not entirely willing to show it. For now, he'd stay cocky. It was an armor of sorts. One he was used to hiding behind.

Though, when she quoted his words from the teil back at him, he let out a soft breath, but stayed quiet while she spoke. Part of him knew she was right, but the other part didn't really care. He was quiet for a few moments longer once she'd stopped talking, before letting out a sigh.

"Death is just one step into another adventure," he noted quietly. "It's inescapable...so you may as well be alright with it," he added with a shrug. "Death comes for everyone sooner or later. The only question is how peaceful or violent your passing will be."

He shook his head then, meeting her gaze. "I applaud what you're trying to do here....but frankly, I don't care who wins this thing. I don't care who does," he informed her with a casual shrug. "None of you are my people, and the kingdom I was born in has kept me in a barrack unless I'm being told to kill something or someone. Not exactly peachy with them, either."

He sat back then, crossing his arms across his chest as he watched her. "Besides, your father was about to order my execution. What makes you think he'd agree to work with me, even if I decided I wanted to work with him?" He was a little curious....if it got him out of the dungeons that was good at least. For now though, he'd play hard to get.

Lorelai's brows popped up with interest at his revelation, that he was essentially a prisoner when he was in his own kingdom. That posed a question in her mind:

Did they even care that he'd been captured?

This situation was getting more complex that she initially believed, especially now that she had to deal with the stubborn knight. But to be fair, he didn't owe her anything.

Lorelai would have to work at this harder, then. Change her approach. Just like this man, she wasn't willing to budge either.

She focused back onto the last question he asked her. "Well, seeing as you don't care for your own kingdom, then you should have no problem selling them out, yes?"

She clasped her hands together, prepared to strike another deal. One may wonder how she acquired such a skill, it was simple: observation. She'd seen her father bargain with farmers and merchants whenever he held court.

Even though Lorelai's brother was their father's protégé, she was a quick learner.

"I'm positive that if you gave my father some valuable information that could help him in the war, he could repay the favor by granting you freedom. You wouldn't have to return to the barracks, you could go wherever you please."

Axel hummed in thought as she mentioned he should have no issues selling them out. "Maybe. Long as the people wanting the information don't try and force it out of me," he mused, leaning forward slightly. "I'll tell you things if I decide to, not because a few half-witted guards try to beat it out of me," he added, giving her a pointed look.

He doubted she knew that's what they were doing....unless she'd figured it out by looking at him even though it was dark. He really wasn't sure. But he supposed if he didn't want that to continue, he could cooperate with her. She didn't make him mad, or try to force anything on him. He could cooperate with her, if she was willing to work with him.

That didn't mean that he trusted her, though. But he would work with her if they could agree on some things.

He considered her offer momentarily, before leaning back against the wall behind him with a sigh. "Truth is, I don't know much," he admitted. "Even if I agreed to this....it might not be enough information to warrant your father's cooperation," he noted with a small shake of his head. "They kept us out of the inner kingdom for the most part. Our barracks were outside the main walls," he added with a shrug.

The movement pulled a wince from him, though he quickly stifled it. He wasn't quite willing to show her how much pain he was actually in. How much this was all starting to get to him. Because the truth was he'd rather be executed than just rot in here. It just made more sense. It was quicker too.

But if this could work out....it could be a good thing. For more people than just him, probably.

Lorelai's lips curled into an amused half-smile as the man insulted the guards' intelligence, because truthfully, she agreed. His resolve to divulge information on his own terms was something admirable, as well. It also made her question the type of training he must've endured.

Clearly, this knight was someone tough, not just physically, but mentally. He wasn't a brute, because he had wit. If she wanted to get him to cooperate, she would have to be just as sharp, and not have one lapse in her reasoning. If she made a single error in her logic, he might stop talking to her altogether.

He was a worthy opponent.

After he revealed that really, he was kept in the dark of the kingdom's inner-workings, Lorelai only responded with a hum of acknowledgement. If she was deterred, she didn't show it, but her eyes darkened thoughtfully. His reason for being here was even more pointless now.

However, she was present enough to notice that his slight movement caused his face to twist in... pain? It was so dark here, that Lorelai second-guessed what she saw. But it wasn't far-fetched that he could've been injured from the battle or hurt by the guards.

For now, she ignored that, and became ready to persaude him again. "Seeing as you're here, and my father tried to attack a village, he must be desperate to win this war. Any information you can give, no matter how small, would be very helpful to him."

"Also, if you tell us what you know, I'll personally order the guards to leave you be. Do we have an agreement?" She thought that presenting an instant reward if he gave intel would go over well with him. He seemed to be a what's in it for me? type of guy. Not that she blamed him, perhaps that was the only way to get by in his life.

Axel watched the girls expressions closely, though it was too dark to make out very much. The light was still behind her, so she was still mostly just an outline to him....he had the disadvantage there. But he could read her body language, the tone of her voice. He could figure out what she was thinking with decent accuracy that way, at least.

He hadn't expected her to be so good at making deals with prisoners though - that part of her surprised him a little bit. But she had a father who was, for the most part, a good king, so if he taught her well he supposed he shouldn't be too surprised about it all. He just couldn't underestimate her.

As she spoke, he hummed softly in thought, pausing for a few moments as he thought. It was a good deal - but he didn't want to seem to over eager, either.

Eventually he grunted in agreement, offering her a nod. "Fine," he agreed. "But I'll need maps and things ....I can't explain much from in here," he pointed out, eyebrows raising slightly.

He didn't know much, but he could point out guard towards and things like that....things that would help this king to invade. And, if he pointed out where the guards and soldiers were located, it meant less civilians would be harmed in the mix. This wasn't their fight - it was their government's issue. So he didn't want them to be at risk of getting hurt or killed if at all possible.

"Maps!" she suddenly clapped her hands together, a sound that echoed throughout the room. "I can make that happen."

Lorelai grinned, a sliver of white teeth peeking out from underneath her lips. For the first time that day, her heart was light. She now felt as though she could face the dawn of a new day with optimism instead of dread. She was sure that peace would flourish across the lands, that no more innocent lives would be lost.

No matter how intelligent she may be, Lorelai was equal parts the fantastical dreamer who failed to understand the complexities of war, of the haughtiness and stubbornness that only kings could possess.

"You have my word," she spoke up abruptly. "The guards will not lay a finger on you..." she paused for a moment, "And you will be free from those chains."

"I thank you for your cooperation, really, I hope you know that it's much appreciated, sir..."

It was then she realized, she'd been talking with this man but didn't even know who he was.

"Forgive me, I seem to have forgotten my manners, but what is your name?"

Axel couldn't help the twitch of his lips into a smile as she got excited. The clapping was a little loud, but it wasnt gun or cannon loud, so he figured he would survive. Even so, her optimism was a little contagious, and he found his heart to be just a little lighter, the tightness in his chest easing just slightly.

He gave her a small nod when she promised ... probably more than what she should be promising him, but he found himself hoping that her father would continue to listen to her. He would rather help this kingdom than stay in this cell for the rest of his life. Or even for the next week.

When she asked for his name though, he chuckled softly, shifting to get to his feet with a slight wince. "Oh please, I'm no sir," he noted, faint amusement threading through his tone.

He held out his hand to shake though, meeting her gaze as he stepped closer towards the bars separating them. "Axel," he noted quietly. Truthfully. Which, if he was being honest, surprised him a little bit. He normally gave a fake name. "Just Axel. I don't use my old man's last name," he added.

Lorelai squinted as the man, now known as Axel, specifically stated his refusal to use his surname. Perhaps there was a story there, but she knew it wasn't her place to ask.

Instead, she smiled and shook his hand - hers was flimsy and dexterous, the palms surprisingly calloused, which she earned from multiple times where she went riding without gloves.

"Lorelai," she introduced herself. "Formally, it's Lady Lorelai of House Albright, but you can just call me Lorelai," she held slight humor in her tone. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

She allowed a momentary silence, then continued. "You can be sure that I will follow through on everything I promised."

She was probably convincing herself more than anything. What if her father wasn't willing to go along with this? The deep, unsettling idea that the King was just keeping Axel here to let him waste away in the dungeons made Lorelai sick.

And now, she was burdened with delivering on all those things she promised, and it took every last shred of strength she had not to buckle under the pressure.

"I must be on my way," she said, much more subdued than earlier.

Axel shook her hand firmly, his own grip strong despite the entire situation of being tossed into a dungeon and beat up. He found it all vaguely amusing, in all honesty. He was a little nervous about rotting away in here, of course, but mostly he was amused.

"I know who you are," he noted with a soft chuckle and a nod. "You're a princess," he pointed out with a small grin. He hummed in agreement when she said it was nice to meet him, adding a quick "you too," to his response.

When she mentioned her promise he just lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "We both know that will depend on your father, he noted, shifting to cross his arms. "But....thanks," he added, almost sheepishly.

He waved her off when she mentioned needing to go, giving her a slightly mischievous grin. "I take it you're not exactly supposed to be down here, yeah," he noted, amusement threading through his voice. "Go on," he added.

Then, after a moment of thought, he added, "and if you happen to come across a cigarette and a lighter I'd appreciate that too," he added as he shifted to sit back down and lean against the wall behind him.

Lorelai went warm all over, embarrassment washing through her and leaving its unpleasant sting of stifling heat on her cheeks. She'd presented herself as a fool by introducing herself formally to an undoubtedly acute man, though, she reasoned that even a doltish ogre could've figured out that she was a princess.

She let out a bark of laughter that left her lips just as ungracefully.

"Yes, yes, of course! Why wouldn't you know who I am?'

Then, she stilled, face going dark at his words. We both know that will depend on your father. Could she depend on him at all? In days past, she would have thought so unequivocally, with her entire heart and soul put into this single belief. But the trial proved that King Erich wasn't the diplomat she knew him to be.