The Starry Maiden

Escapes

Astraea

He hasn't even been able to look at me...

What should I do?

You would think this is something that I of all people could figure out... But... I just don't know how to approach him.

"Morning, Raea." Emmett says as I come into the kitchen area looking for something small to eat. Spotting an apple just waiting to be eaten, I grab it and wash it off quick.

"Good afternoon, Emmett." Which causes him to look up from his book at the time surprised, "What're you up to?" I ask him as I sit down at the table with my apple.

"Waiting to hear back from the higher powers." He flips the page of the book in his hand, ever the librarian I suppose...

"For reassignment now that you've delivered me to my family?" I guess.

"You got it." He points a finger gun at me and laughs a little.

"You're so weird." I say to him.

"You're one to talk." Zephyr says as he comes into the kitchen.

"Heyy, you must be reading my mind because you are so right." Emmett says, as the two team up on me completely. They are a nice distraction from the impending doom on the horizon with Aquilo.

"Also... Raea?" Zeph says as he comes right up to me and takes both my hands in his, looking deeply into my eyes.

"Uhh... Yes?" I ask him, "You are getting dangerously close to being called weird yourself Zeph."

"I am deeply sorry." He says with a concerningly deep sincerity.

"Oh? About what exactly?" I narrow my eyes with suspicion.

"If we hadn't kept all of this from you, then you wouldn't have let happen what you did in Venice." What? In Venice? I think back to what he could mean... Then it hits me like a freight train.

"No... Did Aquilo go through all of Ezio's memories of me in Venice?" I ask desperately, as Emmett is getting increasingly interested.

"Yes. He did." Oh my god... "Again, Raea. I am so deeply sorry. I know if you had known, you wouldn't have done that."

"No kidding! But you don't understand! Ezio was a very charming man! And handsome! And maybe I was hoping that something like that would have a similar effect to getting back to drawing..." I desperately try to explain from my position.

"And did it?" Zephyr asks.

"Well... No. Not really." I candidly answer.

"Sweet Jesus." Emmett exclaims, "Did you have sex with Ezio Auditore?"

"Agh... I can't believe that Aquilo went through that memory... I was already having trouble facing him... This just keeps getting better and better. I'm going outside." I snap bitterly as I take the apple with one bite out of it outside to sit under the tree in the courtyard and finish it by aggressively chomping bites out of the poor innocent apple.

I sit under the tree for a while, daydreaming of easier times when all I had to do was don a false name and live a false life. Lives where no one knew me, where no matter what happened I could just up and disappear and no one would be the wiser. I would travel to wherever I felt like going and no one would tell me I'm not who I am.

"Hey." I open my eyes to see Zeph approach and sit against the tree next to me.

"What's up?" I ask him.

"I know the whole thing with Aquilo didn't really work out like I had hoped... And I'm sorry. I didn't think that he would react like that..."

"Well... That's maybe a little bit my fault." I confess.