Red's Wolves

Chapter Nine

With most of the castle's attention focused on the celebration and reception of the Prince from Abignor, Alera had no issues making her way through the barren hallways and corridors until she was able to sneak into her room without issue or detection. First things first—to remove the ridiculous dress and return her hair to a much more natural state. She threw the brocade conglomeration into the bottom of her closet, changing into the only hunting gear and one pair of pants her father ever allowed her to own.

Braiding her hair behind her head, she surveyed her room for the few necessary items she could bring with her that would leave the least bit noticed. But most importantly, her mother's necklace, which she clasped around her neck, and the music box which she wrapped before she put it into her satchel.

When her boots were laced and she was finally ready, she retreated to the balcony and was just about to toss her things over the rail into the hedges below when she heard the knock. With a gasp and a quick breath, Alera looked around and in a panic knew there was nowhere to hide on that balcony undetected. So, with her satchel in hand, she pressed herself against the floor of her room and crawled underneath her bed. She listened and hoped that if no one answered, whoever it was would go away.

She was wrong.

"Princess? Are you here?"

Brigette's voice sounded throughout her empty bedroom and Alera cursed to herself. There was no reason for the maid to be there, let alone check on her. She told her she needed air, that she needed time—

"Are you sure you saw her enter?" Brigette asked out behind her to something standing in the hallway, as if she wasn't alone.

Alera had to dare a glance from her hiding spot to see who she was speaking to, and it made Alera hold her breath—she knew them well enough. Xavier, her father's most trusted advisor, was there with Brigette? He was always so pompous and full of himself. He would never allow himself to be caught with the servants, especially one who was supposed to be sworn to assist Alera and her canny blood.

From her vantage point, she watched as Xavier entered her room, walking past Brigette, who remained at the door, and together the two of them moved around her quarters. As they were about to approach the balcony, Alera debated jumping out from beneath the other side of the bed right then and there, racing towards her open door. But Xavier stopped right by her bed, blocking any chance to escape, and he turned back to Brigette.

"I could swear it, my love. I saw her, plain as my name day."

She felt the bile rise in her throat.

"The only way we can ensure that we rise into this new Prince's good graces is to make sure no one makes waves. With the Princess sent off, there will be no more room here for you and I. And then what would we do?"

Alera could hear the seduction in her voice.

"You act as though the King would dare replace me."

"He would if Abignor requested it. You and I both know it to be true, my love."

"We could convince him otherwise."

"How? I am but a lowly maid, and the King hasn't spoken to you since the prince started pouring honey in his ear."

"You are more than a lowly maid."

"And I can show you what honey I can pour."

Alera wanted them to leave. She needed to leave. But not—quite the opposite.

She heard their kiss at first, the moans of pleasure and satisfaction that left them, and then felt as the weight on her mattress shifted and moved and Alera felt like she was in a nightmare worse than her own making. She would never be able to erase the sounds of their clandestine pleasure from her ears, and she didn't want to consider that this may have been the first time they had used her bed for their copulation.

She was going to be sick.

And when they didn't stop for what felt like hours on end, Alera panicked. She was going to miss her meeting with Jere. She was going to be left behind and never able to forget about this place and remain with the mental image of Brigette and Xavier having secret sex on her bed and—

Finally, the mattress stopped moving and two pairs of feet returned to the floor. There was the shifting of bodies and the adjusting of clothes and not even a farewell or goodbye between the couple as they exited her room.

She gave it a minute. Two. Three before she allowed herself to breathe again. And then she was moving.

Crawling out from underneath the bed, then ran to the balcony, making one final look below to ensure no one was looking up for her. When the coast was clear, she tossed her satchel into the hedges below, and then with practiced skill, agile care and experience of having done the same hundreds of times, she climbed over the balcony railing and down to the hedges below.

Jumping to the ground with barely enough time to brush herself off, she grabbed her satchel and ran back to the stables where Jere and his father waited for her. No sooner than the moon began to rise in the darkening night sky.