The Promise of the Dawn

Chapter Thirty-Five: The Retribution of a Reputation

The next morning, I wake up with the early morning rays of light streaming through my window.

"Deliver this resignation letter to the front desk signed with your fake name. A carriage will be awaiting you at approximately seven am outside the front walkway of the Estate."

I slide out of bed, grabbing the letter Aurora sent me with and beginning to sign it. I feel horrible as I loop the letters of my name prettily, knowing how Brianna will react when she realizes the maid she just told her darkest secret has resigned after only a day, but I refuse to think about it as I follow the instructions and place the letter at the front desk, quickly gathering my stuff and heading out towards the pick up point.

I should've known this would've been the start of all my troubles.

I don't look back at the Estate as I catch a glimpse of the black carriage before me, and keep my eyes fixated on the carriage until I climb inside it, keeping my gaze forward as I sit down within it.

"Do have any information that could be of value to us?" A familiar voice asks me from the front of the carriage.

I don't need to see her face to recognize her.

Aurora.

"All you need to know is in this letter" I reply, handing her a handwritten copy of what Brianna had told me.

Aurora glances over it briefly before responding.

"Good work. I'll send Samael to you with your reward" Aurora replies, signaling for the coachman to set off towards Arden.

I knew something was wrong when Samael didn't show up when I went to meet him in the woods that night.

"Samael?" I question, walking deeper into the woods to see if he's anywhere in sight.

Instead, a voice echoes through the shadows.

"I know your secret. You and Samael's" The voice says.

I jump as a figure begins to emerge from the shadows of the woods, but am surprised to see Arthur emerge.

"Arthur?" I question, confused.

"I heard you two that night. I heard all of it" He says.

Shivers shoot down my spine as I realize what he's talking about.

I'd never seen him this way before.

He continues walking towards me until I'm trapped between him and a nearby tree. My breath has become ragged.

"Arthur, you don't understand..." I start.

"On the contrary, I think I understand perfectly well. He asked you to join them, didn't he? You're one of them" He says, practically snarling.

"You don't understand. I wasn't getting the training I deserved here-"

"You know what they do, right? They expose people's deepest secrets for fun."

"I know, I-"

"Brianna came crying to me today. She came all the way from Lancaster. She said she was being blackmailed. That her family had received an anonymous letter threatening to expose certain information about her virtue, if they didn't meet somewhere and pay a bounty for the information. Tell me, Amaris. How would anyone have found that out, had they not gone undercover. Perhaps a certain... spy?" Arthur interrogates, drawing his sword.

"Arthur... lets just talk about this-" I suggest.

"I'm done talking Amaris. And you lost that right the second you went behind Brianna's back"

"You're overreacting..."

"I'm overreacting? Really? Because last I checked, I wasn't the one exposing information that's not my own" Arthur says, swinging his sword at me angrily.

I draw my dagger and block him, which angers him even more, and we're soon engaged in a full on duel. My small dagger is no match for his larger sword, especially with his movements getting progressively more aggressive.

"Arthur, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to go the way it did" I say as we fight, beginning to sob.

"Yeah, well that doesn't change the fact that it did. Does it?" He interrogates with an angry tone.

"Arthur, stop this, please. This isn't you" I sob as I fight him.

"And you aren't yourself either. The Amaris I knew would never betray a friend"

"I promise, I'll never go on another mission again, and I won't hang out with Samael. Just please stop" I cry.

"You're right. You won't. Because I already told the Duke about him and he sent Samael away. To a prison where you'll never find him again." Arthur replies.

"Why are you doing this?" I sob.

"Why? Because I loved her Amaris. You helped me figure that out yourself. And then you went and ruined her. And for what? Your jealousy drove you to choose revenge. And now she's never going to recover thanks to you" He says.

"You're acting like she's dead" I reply.

"Not dead. But she might as well be. Her reputation is all but destroyed. And along with it, the future she's trained for her whole life"

"I said I'm sorry. Can we please work this out some other way?" I plead.

Arthur replies by swinging at me even harder, and I'm forced to continue.

"This fighting won't land us anywhere except the infirmary. Please Arthur. Please. I'm begging you, let's find another way" I reply.

He says nothing, and continues on in response, and I'm forced to face the reality of what I have to do. I hold back my tears, summoning all my strength for my next task, and continue the fight.

This was to the death.

There was a moment when I believed I would be the one buried beneath the ground, but then I remembered The Duke's words.

I was a weapon. For better or for worse.

And the thought gave me the strength for what I had to do next, despite how much I hated it. I drive Arthur towards a tree, until he's backed up against it, disarming him, and looking into his eyes as tears fill up my own.

"I'm sorry" I sob.

"I'm so sorry" I finish, closing my eyes as I drive my dagger into his side.

He releases a pained noise as I do so, and I know it's finally over. His body slides down the trunk of the tree, and I go along with it, touching my forehead to his as I release a pained cry, the tears now running down my cheeks in streams.

And that's when I promised myself. I would never be affiliated with the people of the dawn ever again.