Court of Snakes: This Desert Cage

Bewitched - The Tavern | August of the Third Year

"Perseus, I'm not under a spell."

Terran had asked Parisa to blindfold her captain when they started to make their way to The King's hideout. He struggled, and Terran eventually resorted to knocking him out. He wanted to stay on the rooftops and argue all night, and Terran would not risk getting caught. They carried him the rest of the way and Parisa tied him to the table like she had been only a month ago.

Perseus smiled cynically and sneered, "How else could it be this way? You'd never work with The King. You were trained to do otherwise, and what about the blond one? He's a card user, too? You were supposed to arrest him, Parisa, not join him. I bet he made you do it."

"No. I joined them by my own free will," Parisa said. She pulled the blindfold from his eyes and showed him her tattoo. The card had stained her skin blue around the area where the tattoo danced across her neck, and the dark blue lines illustrated an image of a dove drinking from a chalice. "My father is a monster. I... I've known that my whole life. I just didn't want to believe it. We have to stop him. The blond boy is Terran La'Hall, the old Sovereign's son. He's not dead. He's been hiding out with The King all this time."

"You're insane. What did they put on your skin?"

"Listen to me. Terran is Rune. He was a spy, using a disguise. You're much safer here, Perseus. If—"

"Safer?" Perseus frowned. "I've never been safe in my entire life. Growing up, I wasn't safe from starving to death. In training, I wasn't safe from losing my family to disease. As an Elite, I'm not safe from Talbot's wrath. What makes you think I'll be safe here?"

"Lexus is a good man. We're going to get my father off the throne and save the poor, Perseus. Something horrible is going on and I'm almost to the bottom of it. We just need to get him out of the way so we'll—"

"We'll what, Parisa? The only way I can keep my family safe is to make sure I have pay in my pocket. Who's going to pay for their food while the government is in shambles? I can't just abandon them. And what? You want me to become a brainwashed zombie like you?"

Parisa hit him hard. She did not want to, but she did. It made him stop for a moment and she scowled at him. "How dare you. I'm not a zombie. Do you know how terrifying this is for me? I have nightmares that my father comes for me in the night to kill me. You know what I've learned? My father killed my mother. He fed her some sort of poison and put her into the wastes to dehydrate to death."

Perseus looked across Parisa's face, hoping to find truth there.

"He's killed dozens to get into a position of power. He probably didn't even love my mother. He wanted to marry her to get into the Embassy. He'll do whatever it takes. My father is going down, Perseus, and when Terran is Sovereign he'll give money to your family! He'll take money from Talbot's private reserves that he's been hoarding and give it to all the families in Atsa and Dza'ya. It will finally be all right here."

Perseus did not say anything for a long time and Parisa sighed, "I'm sorry I hit you."

He said nothing.

She hugged him tightly as if an earthquake could come at any moment and rip them apart. She whispered, "I don't want to fight you. I'm worried that if you stay with my father, I'll need to kill you, and I don't want that to happen. I just want this city to be fixed. It's humanity's last chance. We can't blow it." Perseus shook underneath her. She kissed him and sat up. "So, what do you say?"

"Parisa... if this doesn't work, I'll be executed. If I'm executed, my family won't eat. I'm the only one holding them up right now. I thought Terran La'Hall was dead. We stopped looking for him months ago."

"I know."

"Good on you for having faith in him, I guess, but Talbot is powerful. If there's even a slight chance that you'll lose, I'm off the team. Once Talbot gets the high ground, I will change sides."

"How could you?"

"I love you, but my family has to come first."

She nodded in response but said nothing.

"You're not bewitched?"

"No," Parisa laughed, sadness in her throat. "I just... woke up."

"What does... what does the tattoo mean?"

Parisa cut his ropes. "The Page of Cups represents me, or something. I don't really understand it all yet, myself. All I know is that magick is real and I blew up a tower. It's... a lot."

"Can everyone do magick? Could I do magick?"

"I could go get Terran to—"

"Already on it." Terran's voice trailed into the room as he opened the door. He jogged down the small flight of stairs holding a brand-new deck of cards. Parisa wondered how long he had been eavesdropping there.

"I don't want them," Perseus refused and put his hands up. "I'm not one of you. You may have convinced Parisa to change sides, but I won't. I'm good with a gun, thanks."

Terran nodded and returned the cards to his pocket. "Are you sure? One touch of these cards will reveal to you the truth if you believe in them."

"No. I don't want them. I won't have the mark of a traitor on my neck."

"Sure. That's fine. I'll go return them. The King's prepared you a room next to Parisa's. You may do as you like around the tavern except leave. The King will brief us tomorrow. Get some sleep."

"You can't order me around. As Captain of the Elite—"

"You're no captain here," Terran laughed. "It's okay. Let your guard down a little. It'll help you clear your head."

"Good night, Terran," Parisa pressed. Terran raised his eyebrows and left the room. Parisa kissed Perseus on the cheek after Terran left. "I love you, Perseus."

Perseus' face turned bright red and he gazed at her, wide-eyed. "Y-You... you what?"

"I said I love you, you dummy."

"T-Thank you, I..."

"You have to trust me. Can you do that?"

"I'm terrified."

"Me too, but we'll get through this together."

"Am I really going to have to take orders from The King? He's weird and theatrical and I hate it."

"He's nice, I promise."

"And I'm a prisoner here?"

"I was for a little while, too. You'll be allowed more freedom as soon as The King feels like you won't betray him."

"I... should get to sleep." Perseus stood and stretched his legs, rubbing his wrists where the rope had restrained him. "I'll see you in the morning, then."

Parisa grabbed Perseus' hand and stopped him before he left the room. "Perseus?"

"Yes?"

She kissed him on the mouth and ran her fingers through his dark hair. When she pulled away, she locked him in a tight embrace. "I love you."

He hugged her as if time no longer mattered. "I love you, too."