The Inner Circle | A Midnight Quartet

Chapter 5 | Aspen Cooper

The night doesn't feel real. Everything is happening too... perfectly. Aspen isn't going to take it for granted, though. She can't even think of the last time she was this happy and free. Miles is here and hasn't taken his attention away from her for almost the entire night. They are currently sitting together on one of the dusty couches by the fireplace. A strand of her hair is being twirled in Miles' fingers while she circles her pointer finger around the small buttons on his vest. His coat jacket has been thrown to the floor somewhere, neither of them caring to place it at least on the back of a chair. They are taking a small break from dancing to watch the other couple stumble around the room. Both Darcy and Carmen are glowing; possibly from the moonlight, maybe just from both of them emanating it themselves. Carmen lets out a big burp and Darcy laughs very unladylike, running away from him just as he catches up to her and tackles her into his arms.

Aspen looks up into Miles' undeniably handsome face, noting how he must've washed his skin before this since there's not even a slight hint of dirt. Her eyes linger a tad bit too long on his rosy lips before looking up at his unruly black hair.

"What are you thinking about?" He whispers to her as she realizes how close she is leaning in towards him. A heavy arm wraps around her shoulders as Miles tucks her small body into his. Neither of them are wearing shoes, now, and Miles is sitting cross-legged to tuck his feet under himself. Aspen pulls her own legs up to her chest, tucking her dress under her to form a tiny ball of warmth.

"You, obviously. It's all I can ever think about nowadays." Aspen meekly looks up into his eyes as his chin rests on the top of her head.

"I'm glad to hear that." He pauses, both of them wanting to save this moment forever like the flowers Aspen preserves in her journals. "I worry about you."

"Whatever do you mean?"

He traces lazy lines and dashes along her arm. "You know how protective I am. We hardly ever get to see each other anymore; I never know if you're getting in trouble or hurt or anything like that. My overactive mind makes up the worst things for what you endure every day." His voice goes even softer. "The Queen just adds a whole new level of worry." They both shiver despite the warmth of the room.

Aspen hates to see him this way. "She hasn't hit me for a few days. I was convinced she was going to today, but I barely avoided it. I know how far I can push her and I stop before it ever gets too out of hand."

"I know you can take care of yourself just fine. But I am obligated to always look out for you no matter what." She starts to protest but he tickles her to silence her argument. Another pause follows as he thinks about what to say next. "I think she knows that there's something between us. Her smiles and almost flirty actions towards me are getting even creepier. What is she, like eighty?" That draws another giggle out of Aspen.

"Oh yeah, I see new wrinkles and gray hairs every day," She can feel his smile by the shift in his jaw that's still buried in her hair. "We'll figure out a way to see each other more, I promise."

Her words cause him to back up a little. "I know what we can do. It's already something we've done before." Aspen sits up and follows his eyes out the windows. Miles stands up, offering his hand to her like she is his personal princess. They both slip their shoes back on as he leads the two of them to a hidden glass door set in the windows. Aspen peeks over her shoulder at Darcy, acknowledging that they will be back soon from... wherever they are going. They walk out to a small balcony Aspen hadn't even noticed was out here and Miles lets go of her hands to walk to the right, pulling aside some vines to reveal a ladder hidden on the stones. Her eyes go wide as she realizes what he intends to do.

They were fortunate to be in a part of the palace that had a lower amount of stories than the rest of the castle. It doesn't take long for both of them to make it to the roof. A steady arm is wrapped around Aspen as they walk away from the edge into the middle, sitting down right beside each other. Late-night lanterns from some of the houses are lit dimly and peek through the canopy of trees that surround the palace. Derowen looks beautiful with the picturesque cabins and dark castle in the middle of the kingdom, a perfect painting of life and order. But as soon as the royal family comes up in a conversation with any local, true colors spill all over the canvas and ruin the artistry. The worker's wages, the taxes, the social hierarchy. No one is happy here. Aspen never had to experience life beyond the castle walls, but Miles made it clear that the world out there was not as perfect as it seemed. And it's no secret that Irving and Odessa are only married because of the treaty that came with their arranged marriage. Of course, they still try to pretend that they love each other. Their children aren't any better. All they do is fight with each other, pulling apart any goodness. Irena tries to be the peacemaker their family needs, but being the youngest makes her siblings and parents disregard her coldly every time she attempts to help. Miles and Aspen witness it every day of their lives along with Carmen, Darcy, and every other servant that works in the palace.