The Way We Fall

Chapter 102 (Roche)

Tigris only spoke once. She sat, shivering in the snow, furs and cloak abandoned. Her reddish hair was soaked with something that smelled suspiciously like alcohol and dripped down her snowy skin like tears. She drew her empty gaze up to Roche, her eyes so filled with pain that it cut into Roche's heart like a jagged piece of glass.

"I failed the test," Tigris croaked, "I failed the kingdom."

The words were damning. The princess didn't say anymore, so Roche turned to the man standing a few paces in front of her.

"What happened?" Roche demanded, holding Orpheus tight, "What did you see? What did she face? What-"

The man chuckled. "I can barely hear a word you're saying." he slurred his words ever so slightly, tapping left ear, "Say that again."

Roche's cheeks flushed, and she repeated her questions, wheedling out the story of the test from this man named Brom. Tigris stared blankly at the forest throughout the whole ordeal, like she was hoping Tarak would somehow come back.

With every new detail, Roche's heart sank. She moved forward, slipping the fur back over Tigris' shoulders.

"Come on," she whispered to the princess, helping her into her cloak, "We need to get back to the city."

Tigris nodded reluctantly. They both dreaded what they would find waiting.

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Roche smuggled Orpheus in through the front gates of the castle, lumping him under Tigris' ruined furs. She carried him back to Finn's room, warning him not to move or make a sound. Finn's face was haggard when he opened his door, his skin going ghostly pale when Roche handed him Orpheus again.

"I thought he was supposed to go home?" Finn whispered. Roche repressed a sigh and shook her head.

"Keep him for a few hours, please? I'll pick him up." she pleaded, "I need to check on Tigris."

Finn nodded, his brow creased with worry. Roche joined Tigris in the throne room. The king was currently ranting to her about her inopportune hunting trip.

"Did you catch anything, at least?" he snapped. Tigris mutely shook her head and Romulus growled, running a hand through his hair.

"The rest of the food has gone bad. The grain has rotted. And half the damn pipes are frozen in this city!" he snapped.

Roche, as part of the serving staff in the castle, went to check on the food reserves. There was nearly nothing left. All the vegetables, fruits, grains, and meats had rotted into a fetid, nauseating pile in a manner of hours. The lower town was in chaos.

Water was becoming scarce as well. With the pipes frozen, many from the lower town were venturing into the forest to shovel snow to melt. They became ill in a matter of hours. Leinos was so swamped with cases that he enlisted Roche, Kai, and Verita's help. It wasn't enough. People were filling up the infirmary left and right.

"I've never seen a winter this bad," the physician muttered.

"We've always had something to work with," the cook grumbled, staring at her depleted store of foodstuffs.

"This is all my fault," Tigris whispered hoarsely as Roche brought her a meagre dinner of dried, rubbery meat. Roche sat across from her, leg bouncing as her mind whirled. This couldn't be it. They couldn't give up.

"Roche, stop. You're giving me a headache." Tigris muttered. Roche jumped at the sudden sound of her lady's voice, raising her brow. Tigris tilted her head towards her jumping leg with a scowl. Roche rolled her eyes, stomach growling. She and Verita had a thin broth for the night.