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Spoilers: none
☽ ⋆･ﾟ:⋆･ﾟ:⠀ ⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆･ﾟ: .⋆ ☾
The festival was in full flow by the time he got there. Colourful lanterns hung from trees and stalls, delicious smells wafted from carts, children giggled, chasing harmless illusions made of light. A happy scene.
A party trick.
These people weren't what they seemed.
There was nothing he'd have wanted more than to turn back and leave — go back to the cottage where he'd left Theo in a magical slumber, safe in the slivers of moonlight. To sneak into bed next to him, press closer, and stay. To be nothing but Hugh and Theo, merchant and guard, lovers. Together.
But Hugh had never existed, and Theo was better off without the man he'd allowed in his bed.
It was easy to get lost in the crowd. The Light Festival provided many opportunities for a Shadow Wanderer to hide in. There could be no shadow without light, after all.
It'd be harder once he got closer to the actual palace, but he had Theo's uniform and helmet on. They wouldn't know it wasn't him until it was too late. The magical residue he'd been careful to leave behind would leave no doubts as to Theo's innocence in the entire endeavour. They'd know he'd been tricked, but that couldn't be helped. At least they wouldn't hang him for a traitor.
The sounds of the festival faded with every step, memories of the last few months refusing to fade with the same grace. Theo hadn't been just a guard, just a mark, a means to an end. Theo had been everything.
It wasn't harder when he got to the palace. The other guards nodded in his direction and never even thought to question him as he walked in. He'd chosen Theo for his easy access to the vault, after all.
Confidence, in excess, would one day prove to be his downfall, his mother often said.
The room he'd walked into wasn't the vault at all. Trapped, surrounded by guards on all sides, nowhere close enough to his prize, he made his peace with his fate. "Throw him in the dungeon," someone said; "Get the king," another voice insisted.
The king. That accursed, thrice-damned thief of a thrice-damned line. Why they couldn't execute him without forcing him to look at the man's face, he didn't know.
Minutes ticked by. The room fell silent as the king entered, a cloak hiding his features. His last hopes died that moment, and his thoughts turned to Theo once more. Forgive me. It was all for nothing. I wish I could have stayed.
The guards scrambled to leave at the twist of a gloved hand. Had there been a single weapon in the room, the king's arrogance would have cost him his life. The door closed behind the last guard with an audible click and they were alone.
