The courtyard breaks into chaos. Guards go down left and right, some attempting to flee before they're cut down, bodies arching into the weapon, and go down a second later. What once had been white stone is now a splattered mess of red over the cleanliness and perfection of the castle.
Due to the diligence of the arrows, not a single guard made it through to warn those on the inside. Their shouts might have been heard, but that's the least of it. Anyone that got close to making their way down the stairs in an attempt to flee was shot down.
Renit doesn't have the time to admire his skill or Tesha's as he drops the bow without care and strides for the front gates. He slithers through, as silent as a ghost, and orders Bren to remain by the front gates. If anyone is to come by and ask where the other guard is, the witch of flame will either have to kill them for being suspicious or make up a story about a wandering prostitute—whatever is right at the moment, Renit wants to say, is his best solution.
The doors to an entrance open, revealing an indoor guard, and he looks around suspiciously. The hell they caused was merely a matter of seconds, the screams couldn't have been enough to warrant any suspicion—this guard is thorough.
Renit crouches low and watches the guard look left and right, scanning the dark embrasures for any sign of movement. When he doesn't see anything, he calls out to someone on either side, only to receive no answer. Renit is too far away to hear his muttering about foolish men not paying attention during the night, but the threat of reporting that information to the king is loud and clear. Renit hopes that'll wait until sunrise.
Clearly, this guard isn't a thorough as Renit initially thought. He disappears back into the castle and shuts the door behind him without a proper examination. So far, things are looking better than expected, then Renit reminds himself this happened a hundred years ago with no problem at all; the rebels managed to take the life of a princess and a possible heir to the throne without trouble.
Things may look good now, but there's no telling when the tables will turn. Renit hopes he's on the right side of that fiasco.
Some of the hits towards the guards weren't kill shots. Moans and groans sound from behind the embrasures, but Renit has no time to kill them. If Tesha is smart, she'll finish off the job.
Renit is nothing more than a shadow as he makes his way across the dark courtyard and hides in the castle's darkness. His palms press flat against the cold surface, and he slides along, passing underneath windows with candles lit or peeking into them to find a servant finishing the late night tasks that no one else is willing to do.
He makes his way through bushes and bats away cobwebs without a problem, until finally, he reaches an old wooden door that's long been overgrown by vines. No one has used this passageway in years, the vines keep their grip and Renit is forced to cut through them with a knife. Even then, that leaves little to no room to yank open the door without creating such a ruckus that everyone in the castle comes running.
The vines peel away, slowly, one by one, until the door is cleaned of its hideout and the pale wood presents. Renit tugs on the rusted handle, careful not to yank too hard, and finds himself met with a door that won't budge. His efforts don't stop there, he forces himself to keep trying, and finally, the door peels away from where it's been sealed shut. Dirt and mold come off with it and scrape against the stone frame of this cutout doorway.
On the other side, Renit finds that crates are stacked against it—the reason these servants haven't used it. That only means he'll be in a more isolated part of the castle, no one will see or hear his attempts at getting inside.
As quickly and quietly as he possibly can, still listening to what is going on in the courtyard, Renit pulls one crate down after the other. Most are filled with fruits and vegetables, others are for spices or cooking supplies. Renit realizes very quickly which hallway he's about to be part of—it has to deal with Mills, no one else would have this volume of supplies stored down in the servant passageways; neatly stacked and untouched until future days.
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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...
