Princess of Roses

Chapter 2: Rest for Now

Astri

So it didn't go as well as I would have liked. I should have known it wouldn't have. That ritual was deceptively easy. And that hag has always been more persistent than necessary. It was wishful thinking breaking the curse would be the end of it.

Running a hand down my face, I move to walk out of the crowded room. I can't do much for them right now. My muscles ache with every step and a spark of anger lights within as I remember how they'd been talking to Theo. As justified as it may have been.

Sighing at the thought, I move up the stairs, my feet automatically heading to the room at the end of the corridor. On the way, my steps slow as I take in the picture frames hanging on the wall. My fingers brush over one of myself as a child.

A smile pulls up my lips, some of the exhaustion falling off my shoulders. I remember this picture. It was before they sent me off to that mountain academy. They swung me between their arms as we made our way towards the lake. It was nice.

Turning slightly, I turn my head down to look at the people huddled near the stairs. My lips thin as I see some of them are crying. I don't know if I have the energy to do something for them. I might have overdone it with the fighting and exhausted my magic.

You don't have to. Your parents have got this.

That's right they do. The words make a feeling of warmth trail up my chest. I have my parents. It's nice.

Opening the door, I only spare a few seconds to take in the way it looks exactly as I left it before plopping down on the bed. Hm. It's still soft. I wonder if the magic remade it or if its a new one. I might have to find out.

Later. After my body doesn't feel like it's been run over. I turn as I feel Storm Cleaver digging into my stomach as the scabbard moves up. I groan, shifting myself so it's not poking my ribs. Taking it off would be a stupid choice with a room full of frightened civilians.

Briefly, a glimmer of amusement goes through me as I remember Gem's face when she handed it back to me. My lips turn up. That's a conversation I know is coming, and will most likely be anything but calm. Knowing my cousin as I do, it'll probably be nothing short of an interrogation.

And that's without having seen the look in her eyes before we were interrupted by members of the panicked crowd. She had just about enough time to demand why I hadn't told her the sword could shoot fire on its own and shove it at me before she'd been pulled away. Truthfully, it hadn't really seemed important.

Cylen is with her, so I'm not worried about her getting attacked. Not that she should even be in danger of such, but you never know with people. I have no doubt that a frightened, desperate person would be irrational enough to attack a Lady of the realm.

My hands come up to cover my face when that thought brings another with it. Where the hell is Theo? I swear he was right beside me. I remember the smugness I felt when my idea to tie the magic to the manor itself had worked, and gloating about it to him.

But as soon as I turned around after Mira was taken away, he'd simply vanished. I don't like it. It makes a sense of unease fill me to not know where he is. If this was before, I could simply teleport after him, however that's not an option now.

It would both be too suspicious and too strenuous right now. I severely underestimated my exhaustion. Even with the spell upholding the shield over the town being passive and seperate from our magic, the strain the back-to-back fights have had on me is catching up.

I'm pretty sure I've been doing a shit job of hiding it too. At least, I think that's why my parents gave me a "go to your room and rest" look the second they had a moment to spare. Clearly, my expressions are more transparent than I thought if they can read me that easily.