II - Sigh of Smoke

Chapter 31 - A Matter of Women

-Lucan Worshire-

He had watched them leave. Both women he was acquainted with were to speak of something private, and although he believed they deserved that privacy, he could tell that it didn't have to do with women-specific issues. Such as the monthly blood he'd only ever heard of and never seen, even from among his fellow female knights back in Wyvengard.

Thus he decided to eavesdrop.

After he was sure they were ahead enough to not be aware of his following presence, he pursued them. Hovering in the cold stairwell, he overheard their entire conversation. From aqueduct to Aleksandra's question, and then to her reveal of information about King Cragon that made him want to flinch.

"He wanted you dead." Aleksandra left no space for any other interpretation.

Shuffle. "What?"

"He ordered that all the remaining Zarkarians be killed before the raid, right?"

Silence.

"He meant every last one. Even... Even you."

Lucan strained to listen, brows furrowing as he only heard their breaths from the other side of the curtain. Step. Grinding of teeth.

"Liar," spat the voice of Atlanta's. Although she spoke with such conviction, Lucan could tell there was doubt stirring in her tone.

"I'm not lying." Aleksandra tried to say firmly, though it came out shaky and hesitant. "Palarra told me herself. I know you killed off the remaining Zarkarians in Wyvengard. The command King Cragon gave you must've went along the lines of 'every last one', or something like that."

"... Why are you telling me this?"

"Because... Because I know what it's like when a King you love lies to you and wants you gone."

Smack!

"Don't you dare compare me to you, ever! There is no chance King Cragon would try to rid himself of me. I did nothing to anger him, nothing to make him despise me."

Lucan felt a twinge in his chest as a sigh escaped his lips. Perhaps he shouldn't have listened in on this conversation.

"Ooh," a voice cooed from the bottom of the stairs, making Lucan turn in alarm to the sudden company. Piper's tilted head looked back up at him, a curious smirk taking up his expression in the shadow. He whispered, "what could possibly be going on up there?"

Lucan's black eyes narrowed as he raised a finger to his lips. Piper merely scoffed.

At the top of the stairs the curtain was roughly pushed to the side, a pair of cold, blue eyes framed by silvery hair staring at them with fury. Aleksandra stood behind Atlanta, head bowed and fists at her sides.

The older girl's voice was sharp. "What are you doing?"

Lucan swallowed dryly, but Piper merely shrugged, ascending the stairs with his hands in the pockets of his vest. He said with a nonchalant tone, "I'm here to retrieve the gremlin. It seems upstairs Madam Ba-ava's returned with good news."

"And that would be?"

"She's found us a medicine witch."

Her eyes narrowed. "There are none here."

Piper actually laughed, but this time humourlessly. This time, he sounded annoyed. "You know what's amusing there, blue-eyes? That you believe you know every fuckin' corner and ditch in this kingdom like it's the back of your hand and your pretty fingernails, when you really have no clue at all. Have you been listening, or did you decide to go deaf? This kingdom is as different as a virgin and a whore if you compare to how you knew it, to how it is now. You may know the terrain, but not the kingdom. So stop playin' pretend and accept the reality as it is. It's not going to comfort you for much longer, especially when the gremlin speaks the truth." He sidestepped both Lucan and Atlanta with ease, shoulders relazing as he wrapped an arm around Aleksandra's. "C'mere, Gremlin, we'll get that Mark of yours fixed."