The two Evers, with no clue where they were going, hurtled up Mischief stairs. They emerged onto a landing that diverged into two craggy stone paths. It would make sense for the pair to split up and search both paths individually and regroup but with voices echoing from the left they decided to just head down to the right. Onlookers could say they weren't the most efficient of searchers but nevertheless they headed down the right path, which was down a short hall.
And led to a dead end of sooty walls.
Tedros groaned in frustration at the seemingly dead end but Agatha covered his mouth. She was getting increasingly anxious at the sounds of the voices from the left slowly approaching. They shrank back against the wall, almost as if the more they shrunk back the less likely they were to be found. Tedros nudged Agatha upon hearing the 'wall' they were leaning on creak. 'It's a door!' He mouthed and mimed opening the door.
Carefully, Agatha wiped the ash-covered door with her dress (to Tedros' utter shock) to reveal red letters underneath which spelt:
THE EXHIBITION OF EVIL
Without hesitation, the pair went in, Tedros quietly closing the door behind them with a soft click!
It was pitch black in The Exhibition of Evil and to a certain Prince's delight Tedros and Agatha were walking in a very close proximity with the occasional grip of a sleeve so as to not lose each other in the darkness.
Coughing from the doom and gloom of the whole place, Agatha lit a match to reveal what the Exhibition of Evil had to offer - which turns out, wasn't a lot. Evil's exhibition was as small as Good's Gallery was large, Good's Gallery pristine and vast whereas Evil's was merely the size of a sparse broom closet, reflecting its 200-year losing streak.
Her eyes skimmed over the room: the faded uniform of Rumpelstiltskin, a broken-framed essay on "Morality of Murder" by a future witch, a few stuffed cows hanging off the crumbled walls (Agathan shuddered - they looked worse every time she saw them) and a rotted vine of thorns labelled Vera of Woods Beyond. Agatha had remembered seeing her face on the 'Missing' posters in Gavaldon. Now presumably SHE was the one with a 'Missing' poster back in Gavaldon.
Tedros took the lit match from Agatha's hand and she would have reprimanded him had he not cast light over flecks of colour on the wall. In panels pieced together to form a mural were Giant letters set aflame:
NEVERMORE
"A world of solitude and power that Nevers chase after instead of true love and eternal happiness that Evers always dream of." Callis' words echoed in Agatha's mind. Agatha felt the truth run through her.
Her sister was indeed an Ever. Agatha couldn't let Sophie see this because if she did, Sophie would refuse to go home and Gavaldon would be doomed to the fate in Sader's painting.
In the shadows of her lit match, she saw a snout then another, then a third enter into the background -
Agatha whipped Vera's vines into the Wolve's faces and ran. Tedros yelled in surprise but followed Agatha, throwing open the doors and exiting the Exhibition. The wolves roared as they gave chase.
Tedros would have been caught by then had it not been for Agatha (he had not noticed the wolves enter) but this was where Tedros came in. Yes, whilst it had been Agatha's quick-witted mind that successfully bought them time, it would be Tedros' speed and athleticism that would lead them a safe distance away.
He ran, adrenaline pumping from the high-speed chase and in the heat of the moment he grabbed Agatha's hand, when he noticed her slowing down. Agatha flashed him a grateful look which sent Tedros' heart into overdrive and together the pair kept running.
YOU ARE READING
Beauty that lies Within
FanfictionWhat if Agatha was believed she was beautiful from the start? What if Vanessa decided to keep Agatha from birth when she was born? How would SGE play out? Would Tedros still fall for Sophie the first time... or would he fall for AGATHA? Started: 11...
