Because I Love You✔️

Chapter 138: Reunited at Last

She tied the knots as tightly as she could, then smoothed what was left of the skirt down and took the dagger out of her mouth.

"Slide your arms through those loops," she said quietly. "It'll help keep you safely on my back if we're attacked and I have to fight, okay?"

"O-okay," he mumbled, jerkily sliding his clawed hands through the silken cuffs she'd made; his arms settled back into their previous position. "Thank you."

Ella nodded, then looked at his arms.

Remembering the time that Xaphile had been carried on Sinmir's back, she cut one more piece of cloth from her remaining skirt and used it to tie his hands together. He quivered, but said nothing, and Ella winced since the fabric dug into his chafed, scabbed wrists.

She examined herself. Her skirt was now so short that it stopped near the upper part of her thighs. If she so much as bent over, her underwear would be on full display.

No time to worry about something like that, she told herself. Worry about it later.

"Here we go," she said quietly. "Don't make a sound, okay?"

"Okay," Adariel mumbled. "I won't."

Taking a deep breath, Ella cut the laces on her other boot and removed it, taking the sheathe to her dagger and shoving it down the front of her dress so it could rest with the ring in her sad excuse for a cleavage. Then she tore her stockings off and bounced on her toes.

Her bad leg still had mobility issues when it came to bending a certain way.

But she'd always had that problem.

Picking up her discarded clothing, she moved forward, using her ears to track the voices down.

She passed a door with a golden toilet inside of it, glancing only momentarily.

She peeked around the first corner she came to with more than a little caution. Luckily for her, someone had set a huge pot with a small, live tree right on the other side of said corner, and she was able to sidle up against it and peer through the thick leaves to see the hallway beyond.

Two men wearing pristine silver knight armor stood on either side of a closed door, a large one made of dark wood that had been gouged with symbols she didn't recognize. The grates on the plumed helmets had been pushed back to reveal their bearded faces. The first one was short, around her own height, she was surprised to realize, and the second was taller.

They were both passing a large bottle between them, taking pulls from it and grimacing when the liquid hit their throats.

"So, how long're we gonna have to stand here?" the one closest to Ella asked as he took a swig from the bottle. His voice was high pitched, almost like a girl's.

"Dunno," said the other. A ring with three keys hung from his belt.

"Seriously, though," said the first one as he stood on tiptoe to peer inside the door. "I'm glad they're chained up. The big one with the grey eyes is pretty intimidating."

That'd be Sinmir, Ella thought with a smirk.

"The sooner the duke kills 'em off, the better," the first guard sighed, taking the bottle back from his friend. "Heh, spies from Adanac... who'da thought? No match for the duke, though, right?"

"Yep."

"Yeah, we were right to join the rebellion," the first man hiccuped, obviously tipsy, and he stared at the bottle in his hand with a wry smile. "Look at us, drinkin' on the job. We're gonna get thrown in the stocks and lose our knighthood if we get caught."