Traitor of the crown

Thanks, mom

I felt Violet's hand on my shoulder in the middle of the night. It was time to sneak out. Wordlessly I climbed out of my bed and followed the brunette out of the room. "Are you okay? You just climbed into your bed and didn't say a thing" Violet whispered worried. "I don't know. I don't know what's going on with Bodhi and me and that's messing with my head" I whispered back. The hallways were dark and empty. With the exception of my little friend group other people actually cared about curfew.

"I'm an idiot."

"No, you're not" Violet immediately protested without even knowing what I did. "I confronted him about Riorson. Asked him whether he spied on me or if this was real." Violet's eyes widened and she winced slightly. "I mean, your concerns are valid. Do you want it to be real?" She had warned me not to get to attached to Bodhi. "If it's real, one day he's going to look at me with betrayal in his eyes." But I also didn't want this to be a plot of Riorson. "It's messed up" I whispered and Violet hummed.

We arrived at the board we had been checking for the last two weeks. Tomorrow was another match and my stomach sank when I read the name on the list. "Fuck," Violet's eyes switched to the name next to mine. "He's good. One of the best actually. But you can win if you poison him-"

"No" I whispered and shook my head. Violet's head snapped into my direction and she looked at me as if I had just told her I planned to jump from a balcony. "What do you mean, no? He's going to kill you!" she all but almost shouted through the dark. "He didn't kill someone during the previous matches and V, he's one of them," One of the marked ones. "Remember what Riorson said when we were up in that tree? How every Navarrian would try to make them fail? I don't want his words to be true."

"You feel guilty and responsible for what your father did to them."

"You don't?" I asked and stared at the name. "They have all reason to hate us. I won't give them another." I could handle some bruises or even broken bones. "Alright, it's your decision. I'm just worried about you" Violet squeezed my hand and I smiled slightly at her before we continued our way back to our dorm. That was until we heard footsteps approaching us. I pulled Violet with me into the shadows and listened. Two pairs, men. Violet and I held our breaths as we pressed our backs into the wall behind us. They missed us, taking a hallway next to ours.

Violet and I exchanged a relieved glance and sneaked back out. I glanced in the direction the two men had disappeared to and recognized Bodhi's back even in the darkness. "Go, I'll follow you in five minutes" I signed to Violet. Her expression displayed her discomfort very clearly but she still nodded and left me alone. I didn't think she recognized Bodhi and maybe it was for the better. I sneaked after the two men and made sure to keep near the shadows of the hallway.

At the end of the hallway I saw them meet up with another pair. I creeped closer and recognized all of them. Xaden, Garrick, Imogen and Bodhi. Shit, what were they doing out here so late after curfew. Footsteps followed from my end of the hallway and I spun around quickly. Double shit. That was Dain Aetos coming our way. If he were to spot all of them together he would report them. "Dain!" I shouted and quickly stepped out of the shadows to rush towards him. No way the others didn't hear my warning. "Dain, thanks the gods, here you are! I've been looking for you! I can't find Violet! Something must be wrong!" I rambled while running towards him.

I knew he would forget everything else if I mentioned Violet. "Violet? What do you mean she's missing?" he asked and stopped in front of me. "She didn't come back to our room. I've been looking for her but I can't find her!" This was going to be the performance of my life and it worked. Dain's face stretched into worry and he didn't even scold me for being out here long after curfew. "When did you last spoke with her? Did she-" I started to drag him away from the hallway I last had seen the others in.