The sound of the morning bell no longer frightened August. In fact she hadn't been asleep in the first place to be awoken by it. She looked down, seeing the loose blonde curls of the princess hair fallen across her chest along with the thin arm of Izzy herself. The two used every last ounce of their energy through the night with each other. And so the princess had completely worn herself out. August had as well, but she couldn't find the will to sleep. Sleep meant that the time would go by without her realizing it and the last thing she wanted was to lose time with Izzy.
But the morning bell meant that dawn was upon them, and dawn meant that the Queen was waiting for her. The thought of having to say goodbye to the palace and the girl she was beginning to feel unspeakable things for, crushed her heart. She couldn't face the princess and say goodbye. Goodbyes were too permanent and her life had already been full of enough of them. But the Queen had a good point, the only way August could ever make sure that the princess would be safe would be to leave Aldham.
She swiftly rolled out of the princesses grasp, watching silently as her body acclimated to the bed beneath her. Everything inside of August's body felt sadness as she picked up her clothes from the floor and quietly got dressed. The queen wouldn't wait much longer before she would come and surely wake them both. August stood for a moment, fastening her dagger back to her thigh while taking in the room one last time, finally letting her eyes fall to her lover asleep in front of her. Izzy's nose twitched slightly but she never woke. Without thinking twice, she ripped off her dagger and set it on the small white night stand next to the bed. It had protected her long through her days, now it was time for it to be passed on to someone she loved. Someone who August believed deserved to live more than anyone else.
Lastly before leaving she stepped forward to the bed and let her lips lightly lay a kiss on the princess's forehead. August backed away as her tears began to fall. She knew that she was doing the right thing, she had to save the princess and this was the only way. So, without looking back she slipped out of the door and began the descent to find Queen Nadia.
...
"I was beginning to think you were going to disobey me." The queens voice echoed through the halls as August first saw her.
"You know that I only want to protect Izzy. I would do anything to keep her safe."
Nadia began looking the girl up and down, more thoroughly than she had been able to the night before. "Isadora has always been fairly independent when it came to her affairs. In fact it became a burden when it was time to try to find her someone to marry. She was seemingly uninterested with everyone we chose, so the king and I finally settled on Sir. Louis to be the chosen one. But even then she seemed to care nearly not at all." The Queen paused, choosing her next words carefully. "But you." She pointed into the center of August's chest, "are something I have never seen before. A monster in the flesh. Someone who should be feared, and yet she looks at you unlike I have ever seen her look at another. Why is that?"
August contemplated her words for a moment, "I think it's because, unlike everyone else in her life, I'm the only one being honest with her."
"Excuse me?" The queens voice began to grow in volume, "And what reason would I have to lie to my own daughter. My own blood."
"Because you're a rhyle."
Nadia grew quiet. She could feel her heart begin to speed up in her chest. Together the two stood in silence.
August watched the stunned Queen and her loss for words. "You thought I wouldn't know?" she finally questioned, "From the moment I stepped in your room last night I could feel it. I could feel the energy coming from you. When the royal family sought out to destroy your village, it wasn't just to keep you here, it was because someone found out that magic lived there. So yes, I know what you are, and you know what that means for your daughter."
"My daughter is not like us!" Nadia forcefully interrupted. "She will never know the truth about my past and if you truly care about my daughter than you will continue that."
August caught her breath. She had no intention of exposing the queen but she was also one who would kill for the safety of the princess.
"You know she's one of us," August finally whispered, her eyes raising to meet the Queens. She could see the specks of darkness in her eyes as anger rose within her.
"How dare you!" The Queen couldn't hide her look of disgust.
"You feel it too. Just as I feel it with you, I feel it a million times over with her. Your daughter is powerful. Powerful enough to end whatever this war is that your husband is planning."
"My daughter," she corrected, "Is too young to stop wars. She will never know what she is because the moment she knows the truth she becomes a danger to us all. You see how my husband deals with Rhyles on the outside. How do you think he would handle the news that his own daughter is one."
"Does he know that you are?" August finally worked up the courage to ask.
The Queen sat in silence, finally wheeling her chair past the girl and towards the open doorway in front of them. "Your ride is here. I trust you will have a safe journey, as long as you keep your personal affairs to yourself." She coldly announced.
"Does he know?" She firmly reasked. Tired of being treated as less than compared to everyone else in the palace.
"Of course he knows!" Nadia spun around quickly. The forceful motion threw her into an inevitable coughing fit. August watched as she clutched at her chest and slowly tried to retrieve air for her lungs. "How the hell do you think I ended up like this?" she managed to choke out in between gasps.
For once, August was the one caught off guard. It didn't make any sense, but then again considering everything she had seen and heard the last few days it had made perfect sense.
"I can stop him!" She finally knelt down beneath the queen, looking up into her eyes. "I can stop his wrath, I can save you and the rest of the kingdom. I can-"
"You will leave." Nadia lifted her hand, silencing the girl. "You will travel back to where you came, where you will be safe. And you will never set foot within the gates of Aldham again. If the bridge is going to fall, then you cannot be on this side of it when it does. "
"But I love her!" The words left August's lips before she had a chance to catch them.
The queen lowered her head, "I know" she quietly replied, "Which is exactly why you cannot stay. Your love fuels a fire inside of you that you have never known before. You're dangerous, August. And I can't have my daughter finding out you have been killed by the same people who protect her every day, by her own father at that!" She reached out and took the girls hands in hers. August felt just how delicate the Queen had become. "At least if you live, you have a chance. So please. If you love my daughter, you need to go."
August felt the tears running down her cheeks as the carriage pulled around to the doorway. It was the only way. She nodded and stepped back from the Queen.
"Your Majesty?" she finally asked.
The queen lifted her head, her own eyes dotted with tears.
"Promise me you'll keep her safe," she glanced towards the Queen's hands before back into her darkened eyes, "No matter what you have to do."
Nadia marveled for a moment at the bravery of the young warrior in front of her. The girl had risked her identity, her entire life for her daughter. The words she said were true about herself, about Isadora.
"I promise." She spoke.
The queen watched as the girl turned and disappeared onto the carriage that would take her back to the outside world. She thought about the promise that she had just made and for a moment, just a moment she let the walls down that for so long had been locked up. The energy swirled, taking her by surprise at it's strength. She gasped as it filled her. Looking down, the queen smiled as she saw her hands in her lap glowing brightly.
