A Revenge So Bittersweet

XXV: Pyre

I left first.

I awoke first, too, in a tangle of limbs, tucked up into someone's side, though that first part wasn't terribly surprising. Even without another nightmare, my body was unused to sleeping more than a few consecutive hours uninterrupted and catapulted me into alertness for no reason at all.

After carefully extricating my limbs where they tangled with Aurelius's, I located my discarded shift and tugged it over my head, the silky fabric rustling in a wave past my knees. Sore and confused and most of all conflicted, I trailed to a slow stop, uncertain how to escape my current predicament in a dignified manner.

I had a man.

In my bed.

My bed, so I couldn't very well escape into my own rooms. Well, that wasn't entirely true. I could wait him out in the salon adjoining my bedchamber, but, in that moment, a mere wall's separation struck me as far too close.

I sought a place to be lost for awhile and not found until I intended for it, an impossible ask inside the castle. Regardless, grabbing a leaf of paper off my desk, the shadow of an idea coalesced in my mind and I exited into my closet, where I followed the hidden passage towards Aurelius's chambers. At the last second, I doubled back for my dagger - one could never be too careful - and, my movements deliberately slow, I withdrew it from under my pillow, half-expecting to accidentally wake my bed's sleeping occupant. I released a long exhale when he failed to stir.

While in his waking hours Aurelius kept careful reign over his expression, locked into either neutral indifference or otherwise taunting amusement, slumber revealed the troubled mind lurking beneath the surface. The perturbed tilt to eyebrows knitting together in the center of his forehead, the slight frown tugging down on soft lips, and the tense cut of his jaw all painted the picture a far more concerned High King than he let on.

Unthinking, I brushed a dark lock out of his solemn face - and immediately jerked back when my brain caught up with my body. Insane. I had to be going insane to behave so... so frivolously. Not daring a second glance his way, I practically fled through the passage towards his rooms.

As suspected, Aurelius naively kept no guard stationed outside his own quarters, relying on a simple lock and key to keep him from harm. While part of me disapproved of such a lackadaisical approach to his own safety - especially given his high demands for mine - I acknowledged how it currently benefited me and shelved my complaints for future review.

The castle was deserted that time of morning. Select few staff milled about, giving me ample opportunity to scavenge a servant's garb from one of the vacated supply rooms. The dress was meant for someone shorter - thinner, too - someone not provided enough nutrients to grow during their childhood, so it awkwardly hugged my hips and chest, revealing just too much ankle. It was the kind of detail no one would think twice on, unless something came to light at a later time.

I wiped my face and neck clean of smudged Markings and tried not to fidget from so much exposed skin. After I life spent covering my arms, my legs, and as much throat as possible in order to conceal my unmarked skin, I wished I felt free in their absence. Instead, letting my mask fall away in favor of a more human appearance was like robbing me of my armor. This girl without the adornment was a familiar stranger, but certainly not me.

Luckily, none of the guards batted an eyelash when I exited through the lesser gate, the one designated for servant usage. It never occurred to them that preventing their High Queen from sneaking out might be a part of their job description, nor did they expect her to creep around dressed so humbly.

Buildings grew off the castle walls like moss on rocks, spreading forth in every direction. The only true appraisal I had of the city was a brief glance beyond the curtained window from my brother's carriage on the way to Andromeda's coronation, which was admittedly rather limited in scope.