sparrow and lion

Chapter 13: the final night, Part 1: the desperation

Leo had earned a reputation for mischief over the years. She was the lord's first suspect for every inconvenience. It didn't matter how major or minor. Leo herself couldn't even blame him for that, though she could blame him for a lot. Her reputation, after all, had indeed been earned. Doing so had taken much time and copious amounts of effort.

The lady oft joked that it was Leo's life's work. It was a gentle jest. She did not, of course, genuinely believe that Leo quested for corruption. She had known both her children for quite some time now and always thought the best of them. Leo, the lady insisted, was a free spirit. And free spirits could not be bound to the earth like other mortal creatures.

Leo's air of frivolity was, however, just another of her ruses.

Punishment lacks real consequence when your punishers view your misdeeds as mere foolishness. A silly little girl can escape with a slap on the wrist, after all. And, most importantly, when you're constantly banished to your rooms, no one notices that you haven't left your bed in days. And, if no one notices, no one bothers to ask why not.

It was how she'd made it six years without Wren ever discovering her secret. The lord kept him well and truly occupied during the day. It wasn't until dark that Wren could sneak to Leo's bedside unobserved. And it was only natural, of course, for the candles to be out and the blankets piled high at night. Who would question such a thing?

It wasn't a major secret. Not really. It was simply that Leo was practical. And practical Leo knew that Wren was emotional. And emotional Wren would blame himself. Leo couldn't have that.

But Leo was facing quite a few inconveniences lately. Among them the fact that this could not have come at a worse time. She was on a deadline. She'd created a plan. Her mischief was not even on the schedule for several more days and yet she had been blamed for something that she certainly would have done, but she certainly had not done it.

And while, yes, she did admit that it had been her dog who she had trained who performed this misdeed, the fact remained that the ridiculous canine had done so completely of its own volition. If anyone should be banned from the upcoming festival, it should be the dog. Leo was fairly certain it hadn't been planning to attend anyway.

It was so very difficult to get off the estate these days. She only had a few secret escapes left to choose from. The festival would have prevented her needing to use one up. And how was she going to get Wren out with her? He was getting more law-abiding by the day.

Morning turned to evening. Her room remained unlit. Leo did not rise from her bed. Her head, as it was wont to do, felt as though it would split in half. She screamed into her pillows. She refused to let a single tear fall. And yet, between bouts, she thought deeply on the matter.

She was not surprised when Wren sat on the bed beside her. He had made no sound in entering. That was another inconvenience. He was accidentally getting sneakier. It didn't startle her, of course. She always thought he was there. She was more astonished when she turned and he wasn't at her side. Just the same, though. If someone was going to be guileful, it should be her.

"I want to go to the festival," Leo said. She had thought of no better plan than wrestling him through her last hidden passageway. It was unlikely to be successful. He was almost taller than anyone she'd ever met now. She seemed to have stopped growing long ago. Which would not have been a problem years ago, but Wren was far less obedient these days.

"He said no," Wren said. Which was not a lie, of course, but also not what Leo wanted to hear. She already knew the lord had strictly forbade her from attending the festival. She had been there when he said it.

Wren was so infuriating these days.

"It's not fair," Leo said. "I was really excited. It's not my fault." Which was not strictly true, of course, but Leo was running low on options at this point. If this didn't work, she would have to beg. And Leo had pledged ages ago that she would never, ever beg.

Wren's fingers were in her hair. They immediately got caught in tangles. "Did the maids not come again today?" he asked. He sounded as angry as he ever got.

Pain was pulsating in Leo's temples. This was Wren's reaction to her unbrushed hair. Why did he care more about that than about this? They had to go to the festival. They had to. Was she really going to have to beg? She wanted to slap him. She wanted to hit him until he saw some sense.

"Leo?" Wren asked. Leo realized it was not the first time he'd said her name. She wanted to shake her head, to clear it, but another wave of pain rolled through her skull. This was Wren. Wren was her reason.

Some things, she supposed, were worth begging for. And so she begged. And Wren agreed.