"Tori!" Josh called.
She hadn't moved, but the lack of light made finding her a difficult task.
"Here," she called back.
He immediately found her, and pulled her into a hug.
"He tell you everything?"
She nodded.
"Good." He pulled out a decently sized knife as if it was normal.
"He didn't say anything about knives though!"
"Bastard," Josh spat when he realized she wasn't joking. "You need to look like you were attacked too."
"Won't that bring attention to Oli?"
"Doesn't matter. He's gone. You'll describe him poorly and so will everyone else. He didn't really look like himself tonight anyway. Now, we've got to hurry."
She winced in pain as Josh ran the knife along her cheek, and held her breath as it scraped a fine line across her neck. She had to remind herself Josh wasn't working for the king anymore, and she hated that she had to. In a bold act of bravery, she gripped the blade of the knife in her right hand and squeezed.
"Bloody hell," Josh whispered, hoping she wouldn't hear.
She noticed he was already bruised up, so when she'd smeared enough blood onto the horridly pink dress, she wrapped Josh's arm around her shoulder and helped him limp his way inside.
It seemed as though the chaos inside had calmed down enough for them to notice she was gone. Guards were filling out of the ballroom as they staggered in, guns immediately aimed at them.
"Lady Victoria!" One guard exclaimed as he lowered his weapon.
The others were apprehensive to do so, especially with Josh still leaning on her, but Astoria's words had them tripping over themselves to follow orders.
"Please help him. He fought off the man who attacked me."
"Are you hurt, my Lady?" someone asked as two guards eased Josh's weight off of her.
That was when she held out her hand, still wrapped around the knife, letting her entire body shake with fear. It clattered to the ground as she finally let go of it, a thick trail of blood following it.
"You," the leader said, pointing to one man. "Alert the king and prince. These two both need treatment now."
Josh and Astoria were lead down the hall and into a smaller room that had turned into a makeshift infirmary. Dozens of injured people were sitting around the room being tended to by the few medics in guard uniforms.
Josh was cast off to the side while Astoria was seated in the nearest armchair.
"She was holding the blade, most likely to prevent herself from having her throat slit," the leader explained as her hand was looked over.
The medic waved several others over and began barking orders. Astoria knew all eyes were on her as they went about treating her minor wounds. She didn't mind those much, but the hand one was very deep. Shed be surprised if she would ever be able to use it again. She had to remind herself it was a small price to pay.
"I don't know how well this is going to heal, Princess," the medic said as he examined her hand closely.
If she hand't been watching him she wouldn't have noticed the subtle wink he gave her. In that moment she knew he was on her side.
"You forget yourself. I'm not a princess."
"Not yet," he said in good nature.
While waiting for the right supplies to be brought over, a little girl toddled her way over. In her hands was a stuffed bear. Astoria could tell it had been well loved by how worn and faded it was.
She smiled at the little girl and didn't hesitate to pull the girl onto her lap when it was apparent that was what the girl wanted. Unfortunately, the small conversation Astoria started with the little girl was ended when the girl's parents scooped her up at the order of the medic, whisking her out the big doors. It was then that Joseph came hurrying in.
"Are you okay?" he asked with genuine concern as he absentmindedly brushed some of her hair out of her face.
Astoria only nodded.
"We'll find the man who did this."
And Astoria hoped they didn't.
All the stitches in the world wouldn't be able to fully heal her, Astoria knew that, but the medic gave her hope that she could possibly have some function of her hand over time. So she walked out of the infirmary that night tucked under Joseph's arm with the little girl's bear held in hers. She wanted to return it, but more than likely she'd never seen the girl again.
They left that next morning, early.
The rest of the tour was to be shorter, less balls, more security, less freedom, more time in the eyesight of those sworn to protect her.
"The wedding has been pushed up," she was informed over dinner one evening near the end of the tour. "That should settle the people."
"It will?" Astoria asked as she fumbled to cut a large piece of broccoli.
It made her feel incredibly young when Joseph leaned over to cut it for her, making her turn red in the cheeks and look anywhere except the plate.
"Yes, it should," the king said with confidence. "Incredibly simple minded, if it looks like we are moving towards new ideas and leadership, they tend to calm down just long enough for power to be transferred. And if there's just enough excitement to keep them sated we could find them and end them."
"Oh." It was all Astoria could say, because it did make sense, but that meant they also had a lead. A solid one.
"The man who attacked you will pay for his crimes, and you'll never have to worry about him or anyone else hurting you," Joseph promised.
"No children or grandchildren of mine will be in danger," the queen said.
Astoria's cheeks were red again, and Jakob was groaning about how his mother should not be talking about grandchildren because that was, in his words, "gross."
