The Heiress and the Charlatan

She was the only heir to a multi-million-dollar cooperation. She went to the best schools, been all over the world, and could have everything she wanted…or almost everything. She was not allowed to have freedom of choice; her schools, vacations, and even the person she was to marry were all decided for her. Despite her lack of choice, she still lived a life many would die for.

           He was a nobody, an orphan abandoned on the streets. He went days without knowing where his next meal would come from, wore clothes coming apart at the seams, and school was only a dream. His life was unbelievably hard, but he never showed it. His smile and smooth tongue hid everything and allowed him a freedom she could only dream of.

           Those two should have never met, but fate had decided otherwise. She joined a Robin Hood Thieving guild in a shallow attempt to rebel. With her knowledge about the upper class the guild was able to thrive. Being such a vital member made her feel so powerful and smug.

           He joined later than her but became a thorn in her side. His way with words always turned heads in his direction and her attention was slowly being taken away. Her knowledge, which had been once vital, was now secondary to the fool that could talk his way into anything.

           For the life of her, she could not understand why the capable guild leader would allow such an incompetent man to join. Sure, he had a way with words, but if the work required any more than that then he was completely useless. He took an idiotic pride in how lazy he could be. While her intentions might not have been the purest for such a righteous guild, they were far better than his, he was incredibly selfish to a fault, and she could not fathom why he would join such a guild.

           He was beyond irritating, and yet so infuriatingly charismatic. Knowing all the right words, he could easily charm an entire room, with the greatest of ease. She was no stranger to sweet talking to get what she wanted but she failed in comparison to him. Contrary to what he claimed the guild was immune to his allure, or at least that’s what she wanted to believe, but despite his bad attitude no one could stay mad at him for very long; except for her.

           All his bewitching tempts were wasted on her. Every one of his seductive words directed at her was met with harsh criticism. Only she could knock that sickening-sweet smile off his face, and she always felt a deep satisfaction whenever she did.

           It wasn’t long after their introductions that she learned he was more than just some pretty words. When he dropped the act, he could match all her sarcastic remarks. Whenever they had to have an unpleasant meeting together it was filled with insults that the rest of the guild members had learned to ignore.

           For a woman, who nearly had everything, he had the one thing that illuded her grasp and he wasted it. He was almost freedom incarnate, able to go anywhere he wanted, and didn’t have to answer anyone. His seductive words allowed him to get into the bed of anyone foolish enough to fall for his charm, and no one was there to judge him and proclaim him as the tramp he was. Such wonderful freedom was wasted on him as he did not appreciate its value.

           As for him, she had everything he wanted. She could go to bed in a safe place and with a full stomach. She never had to check her bank account before spending anything, while he struggled just enough to afford a terrible apartment. He found it laughable that she could not see that she was the same as all the ones they robbed from.

           Neither of them realized when the change happened. Did it happen during a heist against a particularly vile man? Or did it happen because they shared a mutual disgust over a single meal they had at a restaurant, during a mission? Either way, the two started to see eye to eye. The two from clashing worlds eventually discovered that they had a lot in common.

           Their once vicious remarks for each other turned into playful mockery. Their cynical wit, which was once a weapon to only be used against each other, soon became an unprotected blade that no one was safe from. With their cooperation heists became a lot easier. They made for a frustrating duo that annoyed their fellow members, but their value could not be ignored, much to the chagrin of everyone.

           The two became inseparable. The heiress found her true self when he helped to guide her out of the cage that her parents had built for her. Some would say he led her down a life of debauchery with the smoking and drinking she took up, but she didn’t care. She was free, and each decision was her own. It was also through his guidance that she was able to experience this newfound life safely.

           While over time the charlatan’s masks fell away. His words, which had been a crutch for so long, had stopped being so carefully selected, and he was able to say whatever he wanted; whether she wanted to hear it or not. For the first time in his life, he had found the thing he had longed for the most in her, a safe place. Though he never completely opened up to her, she could take comfort in knowing that she was the only person with whom he had ever been so vulnerable, and never used that against him, outside of playful teasing.

           Over their time at the guild there had been plenty of rumors about them being together; the rumors were only ever granted credence because of his inessive flirting. Despite their closeness, they never took it a step further; they were very much satisfied with just being friends. Their bond never weakened even when a significant other joined their mix.

           As the years passed their friendship remained. With his encouragement, she was able to live the life she wanted. She became a scientist, not the businesswoman her family wanted, and she married a man of her choosing. He continued to be as free as a bird, coming and going whenever he pleased. No matter how long they were apart he would always come to visit her and break up the mundane of her life with his tall tales and she would always listen to them, no matter how unbelievable they may be.

           They might have come from vastly different walks of life, but they were the missing piece in each other’s life.