Celestine, squinting in the dark to check if her sister is still awake, slowly slides the sheets and duvet from above her body. Roux doesn't stir, a mercy for what she plans to do, and as her cold, bare feet hit the floorboards, all is silent.
After winning another fight in the pits, one that took much longer than any other fight Roux has been in, there isn't much chance of her waking. Celestine is still careful as she slides on a pair of wool slippers and carefully steps over the rug where she knows her movements won't make a sound. Roux sleeps with her back to the room and to the door, nearly pressed against the stone.
The door doesn't creak. Celestine complained for hours to one of the servants, claiming the hinges needed to be oiled for being too loud. It had been an easy lie to create, she barely noticed the obnoxious shriek of the hinges until she needed to sneak out in the first place. But it was taken care of, the hinges don't make a sound, and Celestine slips through the small gap and out into the hall.
She waits, listening for Roux to stir, but finds only silence on the other side of the wall. On light feet, in slippers that hug her toes with warmed efficiency, Celestine runs her hand down the wall and carefully walks up the stairs, all the way to the top of the tower.
The guards at the bottom of Silas's stairs don't stop her, a clear reminder of what he does with many women in this castle and something she had wanted to do when she first got here, as well. That longing slowly faded once Celestine witnessed the bond between Hallie and the prince. Although they appear to hate each other; that is clearly not the case. Anyone can recognize how much they care for each other.
Celestine doesn't want to impede on what could be a very strong relationship. Putting her feelings aside, she allows the two of them to blossom what they could have, even if it takes years before they figure out the truth hidden underneath the skin. They're both too stubborn to admit it.
Checking down the hall one last time for Roux, Celestine quietly knocks on Silas's door and peeks her head in. The prince is up at late hours, often sitting in his chaise, reading a book, or sitting at his desk and signing off on the deaths of soldiers from the battlefield. The thought alone makes Celestine sick—she can't imagine Roux going there.
She tried to convince Roux to stay, but the king's orders held sway in a mind that's corrupted. To avoid another argument, Celestine backed off and promised not to say another word about Roux's new mission. She will fight in a war that started long before their existence and possibly end it for a king that plans to turn more soldiers into mindless assassins.
Silas cocks his head to the side upon seeing Celestine poke her head in. He lounges in the chaise near the open window, a book spread out in his lap. "What are you doing here?" He asks quietly, a bit of awareness to keep his voice down.
"We need to talk," Celestine says. She shuts the door behind her and steps into the dark room, stopping just short of where he sits.
Passing any boundaries tonight wouldn't bode well for what she has in mind. When she came up here, she hadn't worried about doing anything, but seeing him shirtless and his hair pulled back, two strands framing his face, Celestine isn't certain she can hold back, nor will she want to.
The night of the engagement celebration plays back in her mind, their close encounter to kissing before Silas backed off—he knew she was drunk. He hadn't wanted to take advantage, Celestine appreciated that at the time, and still does. But in the back of her mind, she wishes he would've tried the next day, only because the temptation to do so kept nagging at him.
Silas shuts the book in his lap. Exhaustion drags his every step, including when he stands and moves past her without another word to pull a shirt over his head. Celestine bites down the urge to apologize, there was nothing she did wrong, yet she doesn't want to make the prince wear clothes in how own chambers. The thought is foolish and Celestine pushes it out.
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Aligning the Forgotten ✓
Fantasy[Book 3 of the Grounding the Storm series] Renit's worst nightmare has come true. Roux isn't at his side, and he's banished from his throne and his crown, leaving him nameless and on the run. While trying to escape his father's cruel reign, he has t...
