The Way We Fall

Chapter 120 (Tigris)

It was close to midnight yet Roche hadn't come to Tigris' chambers. The princess was forced to sit on the edge of her bed, weary after a full twenty four hours with no rest, waiting for her fool of a maid to do her damn job. The bed wasn't turned down, Tigris hadn't bathed, and she was stuck in her stupid day gown. Any worry she'd felt for Roche earlier had been replaced by irritation.

"Unbelievable," Tigris grumbled as she contorted in front of her bathroom mirror, trying to unhook the back of the gown. Some of the fragile snaps fell to the floor with loud rips. With a frustrated growl, Tigris found a dagger and used the tip to slice off the rest of the clasps. Roche could fix it in the morning, she thought triumphantly. It would serve the maid right for leaving Tigris to do her job.

A knock sounded at the door, tentative and soft, so unlike the sharp raps of the knights. For a moment, Tigris thought it might be Roche, but she quickly did away with that thought. Roche didn't knock on her doors before barging in.

Tigris still wasn't sure whether it was because of her poor manners or her genuine lack of care for basic decency.

She fumbled to slip on her nightgown, tugging the soft fabric down her chest before pulling open the doors.

"Yes?" she asked bluntly, fighting back a yawn.

In front of her was a trembling, adolescent boy dressed in a variety of mismatching leathers. He gazed up at her fearfully.

"A-are you Princess Tigris?" he asked nervously, fidgeting with his thumbs,

Tigris narrowed her eyes. "Yes, that's me. What are you doing here at this hour?" she replied, crossing her arms over her unbound chest. The boy's cheeks flushed scarlet. He dipped into a low bow.

"I apologise for the interruption, my lady," he gasped out quickly, "B-but I'm a messenger for the Prima Tavern."

"I already have all the mead and wine I need," Tigris snapped, feeling the edge of irritation. Why did the guards let this boy through? "And I'm not interested in a drink."

The boy held out his hands placatingly before Tigris could slam the door shut. "I'm sorry, my lady. But I'm not here to advertise our drinks. I'm afraid you need to come pick up a relation of yours from the tavern. They're quite inebriated and can't be left without supervision."

Tigris' brow furrowed. She gripped the edge of her door. "Aodh knows that if he can't hold his drink, he shouldn't come crying to me."

"It's not the prince, my lady."

Confusion bloomed in Tigris' fatigued mind. Finn was still in the infirmary, sitting with Kai to talk. The knights would never call her to haul them out of the tavern.

Tigris was still racking her mind for possibilities when the messenger put her out of her trouble.

"I'm afraid it's your maid."

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The sound of drunken cheering and rasping, off tune singing filled Tigris' ears as she followed the messenger boy into the tavern. She pulled her cloak's hood low over her face even though the summer heat made her sweat buckets.

Roche was going to pay for making her come all this way at midnight.

"I don't see why I need to be here," Tigris grumbled under her breath as the messenger pulled the door shut behind her, "Roche has always visited the tavern. You've never brought me to pick her up before."

The messenger boy looked at her with a startled expression. "Forgive me, my lady, but your maid has never been to this tavern before."

Tigris frowned. That couldn't be right. Roche had shown up hungover to work more times than she could count. Perhaps Roche frequented another tavern.