Bows, Apples, & Roses

~ 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙴𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗 ~

As the sun dipped out of the horizon the warm glow of street lamps filled the smooth pathways of University Circle.

It was a much quieter place at night compared to other districts, Aria felt safer there. Few shops were open and the occasional scholar would walk by swiftly, hardly paying attention to her. It was better that way, she was going to be inconspicuous tonight and try to find Legend.

After Jacks practically threw her out the door, Aria had decided that before going out she had to at least take a bath.

Surely Jacks had a washroom somewhere, in whatever building he'd brought her to.

After poking around the hallways and looking inside rooms, she had found a small bedroom with a washroom leading off from it.

The room was simple; white sheets and pillows, a dark end table with a pad of paper and quill resting on it, a small glass chandelier and dark red curtains that seemed to lead to a balcony. The washroom was much the same with a porcelain, claw footed tub and assorted salts and creams on the ledge of the window it was up against. A large mirror hung on the wall and Aria looked at her rumpled hair and clothes, not fully realizing till now how much attention both needed.

She twisted the brassy knobs of the tub and crystal, steamy water spilled from it, looking delightfully refreshing. Next she chose a small, light blue bottle and poured a salt that smelled fresh like ocean air into the swirling waters. It began to sud and foam, filling the tub with puffs of bubbles.

After leaving her filthy clothes on the floor and dipping her entire body into the refreshing waters it occurred to her that this was probably Jacks room and washroom.

Aria was sitting in Jacks tub, using his soaps and salts.

She decided that being quick would probably be for the best, but the way the waters soothed her aching muscles from walking and running all day was so tempting to sit there forever..

But if Jacks were to find her she would never be able to look at him again.

And he'd never look at me the same again.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind Aria dunked herself underwater and began washing her hair to take her mind off the thoughts of Jacks finding her.

She scrubbed the dirt from her feet and arms from running through a forest with Legend, and mused as to where he could be now.

Her first thought was to look in a garden, because of course that's where she expected him to be. Where she wanted him to be. But maybe he was avoiding them now because of their split.

The thought crossed her mind that she could ask one of the performers of Caraval to lead her to "Danté", surely they could do that.

Midway through her thoughts she heard the door to the room open.

Slowly she sunk her body below the bubbles and looked through the open doorway of the washroom to see who had entered but all that was there was a midnight blue package sitting in front of the now shut door, no person in sight.

Aria stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around her chest, it hung at her knees. Small drops of water falling from her hair dripped onto the plush carpet as she crept towards the box, it glittered in the chandeliers light.

Ella's Boutique was written in swirling letters on the card atop the box and Aria was slightly disappointed it hadn't been a delivery for Jacks. She wouldn't have minded peaking at whatever he might have ordered. The dissapointment left when she opened it and lifted the heavy dress from the box.