[A/N] Bear with me my lovelies. Slow chapter, fast end.
I was surprised when Veldore left me to take my time with Verity and explore the allowed grounds of the castle. I had expected it to take more convincing than it did indeed take. As it turned out Veldore had plans of his own that day and needed to talk to his guests about business of some sort. If I was honest I was relieved.
Still as I made my way with Verity towards her quarters I was feeling the weight of the guilt that accompanied my intention to sneak out. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew I could not be completely in the wrong yet I couldn't shake how conniving I felt going off behind Veldore's back like this.
"Are you okay?" Verity asked me when I remained silent on our short trip through the halls.
I nodded a little.
Verity raised a brow. I knew she did not like my silence, she was after all quite outspoken herself and liked to keep a conversation going like a good fire.
She needed reassurance I was there and more than anything reassurance that I was still intent on going through with the plan. After all. She was risking more than me by doing this.
If it really came to it and we were found out the most I would get was a couple lashes on my back with a whip and maybe a long while of confinement with my angry mate till I could bring him to trust me again.
I worried that Verity could lose her life trying to help me do this. She was helping the kings mate escape. I knew that if I explained they would not allow this to happen however what if I never got the chance to explain? I never got the chance to explain when the time required it, though I had to admit I carried much of the blame.
She had a mate.
Could I really go through with his? Put her life in danger for something so stupid.
No, I had faith in Veldore. He would never do that to Verity. Not because he was soft but because if I brought up the idea of him executing as a comparison to Verity I know Veldore would never be able to go through with it.
Verity needed reassurance. She was staring at me for it. He steps were slowing. She was scared.
"Why do you wish to come with me? Should I not simply go alone?" I asked.
I knew I would be more afraid on my own yet Verity's life was not one I wanted to risk. She was so welcoming to me when we first met. I would think her to be my one and only friend.
Verity turned to sigh. We had already reached her room. "Would you be okay going alone?"
I shrugged. I could not allow her to see my own fear of the situation. I did not want to discourage her as much as I wanted to call the whole thing off. Was I being selfish? Was what I was doing her just as a result of my own growing ego? I was putting my friend in danger yet still unwilling to take the initiative to simply end it all.
"I want to see the fairies." Verity sighed.
I looked up at her with hopeful eyes. "This is also for your own interest?" I asked. I needed it so.
She nodded. "Sprite's are such an enigma. I must see one for myself. So many speculations fill those books I read, so many differing views. To see a sprite for myself would be a privilege and I cannot deny my chance."
So this was for her too. Not just for me. I felt my lungs start to work again. Started breathing freely again. It was such a relief.
"Come in then." She smiled, urging me forwards and into her room.
I did as requested and found myself in what looked like a study with a medium sized bed oak deep bed in the corner, a desk facing the window with parchment and ink straying the table and a trial of books lying face down on a large shelf beside a cabinet with one door open and scattered clothes falling out
It was actually quite the opposite of what I'd expected.
It made me aware that two were sharing the room because both of their belongings were scattered all over the floor. Since she had told me previously that her mate was an adviser of my mate I'd expected his room to be much more elegant and well furnished. Though the room was obviously nothing like the one I had spent my days in, in my old home, it was clearly nothing like Veldore's chambers.
It made me realize quite what I'd been getting used to. Not that the room made me uncomfortable but that I'd forgotten that rooms in the castle could look any different. Then again. When I thought about living here with Veldore I could see how this could be home.
"How are we going to do this?" I asked her as she made her way over to the bed and sat down. She patted the seat beside me and I followed to sit down beside here.
Reaching under she pulled out a little sachet and pulled from within it the little box she had shown me earlier and a crystal bottle of grey liquid with sharp round edges and a silver nozzle, from which hung a small white cushion.
"Okay first things first you have to take the marble from the sachet and chew on that for just a little while. And then..." She pulled out from her side a small book. "Do you spit it out? I do not remember."
I sighed as I examined the silence. My shoulders hunched forwards. "Do you think I'm being selfish doing this?" I asked.
She shook her head but it gave me little comfort. "You are not. I know Veldore faces issues, yet he should not think to chain you to him. He should trust you to remain by his side."
Unfortunately that only made me more anxious. I wanted to disagree and protect him. I didn't like the idea of anyone attacking him. Veldore was amazing and sweet and kind when he was in a good mood. And I had to be honest. I was most often the reason for his change in mood. I liked that.
"What issues does he face?" I asked as she handed me the marble and I saw it crumble a little in my hands. "This doesn't look very edible." I admitted.
She sighed as she reached for something square and brown from above the mantel piece and pulled it from its square paper packaging.
"Try some chocolate with it." She offered.
I took it from her hands and observed it a little. It was rectangular and flat like a coin going just about inwards towards the top. It was a lovely brown too, it looked soft. I held it in my fingers and put it back in the paper with a start when it started to melt on me."That's chocolate?" I asked.
She stared at me. "I'm sorry, I thought it looked a little different." She just continued to stare and me and I felt my cheeks begin to flare up. "I'm sorry." I blushed as I looked down and found interest in my nervous fingers. She must think me an idiot.
"How could you have never had chocolate before?" She asked me.
I blushed, glancing up at her. "I have, not in that form... I mean I never ate it. I was cooking with it. It was in a block, a much darker shade than this."
An eyebrow rose. "You taste nothing you cook?"
I shrugged a little and squirmed under the inquisitive eye. "Rarely. My father did not allow me to."
"To taste what you cooked?"
"To eat their food."
"Surely if you cook it is just as well yours!"
My hand shrugged my blond hair out of my eyes. "A cook would not have such notions."
She growled. "Yet you were no cook."
"No. I was a slave."
I did not turn too look at her face. I knew she was staring at me I could just about feel the discomfort in the air and could not decipher from whom it came. I shuddered at the feeling of rage sweeping the room. Was that Verity? I looked over at her, she was seemingly deep in thought. Face in pained surrender. She did not seem angry.
"No one looked over my shoulder like that. When I was young I too cooked in the kitchens. I loved it there. I could sneak the food off the floor away from company to eat. When it fell no one had the time or patience to pick it up. They just made another dish and made me clean."
"They never scolded you for it?"
"Oh yes, punished if I was caught. I was not allowed the eat off the floor. Sometimes the chef would ask me to taste some of the food though."
I smiled. "Same woman as now?"
She nodded.
"She seemed lovely. Maybe loud. She trusted me though, I like that." I grinned. Verity agreed.
***
The marble tasted like milk with the texture of soil. It did not feel edible and I did finally spit it out after maybe five minutes of chewing. A noticeable effect was none, maybe I was a little more drowsy... Then again at times I felt more awake than the norm.
We both sprayed as much lateo odos on ourselves before we went. It would serve to disguise our scent which was not a side effect of the marble.
We left through the servants hallways. They were special corridors in the walls. They allowed the workers to cross through from one room to another incognito so the guests of the castle would not see. It seemed almost made for the occasion. One of the hallways led straight into the direction of the market and a quick detour took us all the way into the forest.
Unfortunately I really did not know my way from the direction we were in and I was forced to allow Verity to guide me.
We decided to go to Aventine Hill. I would figure out were we where from there. Even though dark it was I was sure I knew the rough selected area.
We were quite far into the woods when it became near lunchtime. I was not hungry because I was not used to eating much food yet Verity brought her own little lunch with her, offering me some which I politely declined.
The leaves crunched underfoot and the trees grew taller and thinner than the outer woods. It seemed to be growing darker as clouds began to shelter the sun and I realized quite how uncomfortable it felt walking this stretch with only Verity. No one to protect me. Then again I had felt the same on my first trip to Aventine hill.
"We're nearly there." She smiled.
I grinned in return, my expression much braver than I myself felt. I would get it over with. I was not weak I knew that yet I required the comfort Veldore provided me. Somehow being out here, so vulnerable. I just needed some of his blistering heat and I would be reeling to go.
I winced as she picked up a couple of the leaves and threw them in my face. They were green tinged red, obvious signs of autumn following us. I loved autumn. I wanted to be with Veldore when autumn came.
Autumn was beautiful but so cold to work in. Collecting firewood was hell when everything was partially wet or frosted over. Firewood needed to be dry. If I had Veldore by my side I would be warm and we could enjoy it all together.
This I told Verity as I walked.
"This is your vision of you two?" She asked.
I nodded. "Us under the red leaves of autumn just taking it all in, his heat one with mine. It would be so beautiful."
"Yet he does not allow you to leave."
Oh yes. There was still that. That I had not thought of. Suddenly my mood soured. I had not thought of all I would be missing out on with Veldore keeping me locked up inside the castle. And like Verity had told me before. I would be alone once work came to retrieve the king from his mate.
It would be just me, alone in the palace. Even Verity could not be there for me always, she too had her own work to take care of, chores, a mate to please and coddle with attention. It made me wonder what she was even doing with someone like me. Surely I could not make for great company.
"He will. Soon. I am sure... At least... Someday he will trust me." And yet my words held no conviction though I tried so hard to believe my self.
Suddenly we both shrieked as heavy steel arms stole us from our little world of peace, serenity and crunching leaves.
I gasped, all my breath drowning in my lungs as I looked up to find the mans hand on my bicep was a guard. I struggled to breath. My blood pooling at my feet as my face turned white. I grabbed for Verity's hand and held her tightly and she squeezed back.
"Well well well." The guard shouted. His voice, though nothing compared to my mates, was once of steel that only drove home how much trouble we would be in. "The kings mate is far from HOME!"
Verity trembled. I could not comfort her because I had frozen so still I could do nothing but hold onto her hand tighter, my nails were surely clawing at her skin. I was clutching at her with all the force of life and death.
Breath Cinde, breath.
[A/N] Hahaha... Cliffhanger.