Nocturne

☾ Chapter Twenty-One ~ Nocturne ☽

The cell was cold and damp.

They hadn't been able to take her sword away. Even those wearing gloves were scalded with ice and cold. So they left it, lying on the floor in the throne room where it had been knocked from her hand. Nocturne could still feel it there, worried and alone.

Just like she was.

She had only wanted to restore Artemis. She hadn't meant to hurt anyone, especially not the king. But she had, and now she was locked up in an underground cell, stinking with mould and vomit and the foul stench of death and rotting blood. She deserved it. She deserved every bit of it.

When they threw Asa in, blindfolded and with her hands tied behind her back, Nocturne only felt worse. Not only had her attempt gotten herself locked up for execution, but she had also gotten Asa into that situation as well. Asa, through no fault of her own, would die in three days time. Just because she had been brave.

At least Aurora was okay.

She hoped.

The guards hadn't bothered to untie Asa's hands, so Nocturne slouched over and fumbled with the knots. "Diurne?" Asa asked, blind but still so strong. "Is that you?"

Nocturne didn't have the energy to correct her. She could barely get out more than a grunt and nod of acknowledgement.

Asa shook her hands free and rubbed them. "Thanks," she said as she reached up to pull off her blindfold. She cast a glance over Nocturne. "Are you okay?"

Nocturne let out a dry, sarcastic laugh. "Me? Are you okay? I got you into this mess. I'm sorry."

Asa frowned, her dark eyebrows scrunching together. "Well, I can't say I was surprised when they came and arrested me. I'm surprised it took them that long, really. Why, what did you do?"

"Ran away, found a ruined Lunar city, came back, asked for help restoring and populating it, and accidentally attacked the king," Nocturne said in a deadpan voice. Her empty eyes seemed to take some of the weight away from her statement, and Asa had trouble processing.

"You did what? How do you accidentally attack someone? You found a ruined Lunar city? And is it still running away if you come back?"

Nocturne only nodded, eyes still dull and emotionless. She lacked the energy to feel or think, much less speak.

The axe would come down.

Perhaps a sword, if they were lucky. Or unlucky.

"You don't deserve this!" she cried out, so abruptly she surprised even herself.

Asa raised an eyebrow. "And you do?"

Nocturne shook her head, frantic and confused. "You were brave, and strong, and kind! You could have led us Lunars, rebuilt our home, reclaimed our city. But no! I had to come and screw everything up!"

Asa lay a hand on Nocturne's shoulder. "No," she said, firmly but gently. "Perhaps I could have led. But leadership has two sides. Perhaps I could have been queen. But we always would have needed a High Priestess too. And no one, no one, could have been anywhere near as good as you are."

Nocturne's face cracked, a smile almost falling through. "Thank you... my queen."

Asa stood and tapped the bars. "Well then. Now that's settled, I think we need a plan."

Nocturne gazed up at her, hopelessness holding on to its anchor even as its foundations shook. "What kind of plan could possibly save us?"

Asa smiled. "A plan to help our momentum continue, even if we die. Perhaps we can find a way to save our Goddess... and our city."

"But first," said Asa, "I think you need to tell me more about your little adventure."

"Well, first, my name is Nocturne."