To Be Determined

Chapter Eighteen: Peril in the Palace

Standing outside of the palace is more daunting than standing in front of the gallows. Even then I anticipated Iliad would pull some sort of shenanigan to make a last-minute getaway. Standing in front of these doors, I know that the party is over. It takes Asha leading my hand to usher me through the door, if he were not there I would stand still, indefinitely on the cusp of change. I do not even need to think about where I wander. Like an invisible thread tethered to my waist, muscle memory guides me to the parlor where I have more good memories than bad. I open the royal door and freeze. Sitting on that familiar couch, the Empress and Iliad, alive and well. They look casual, like friends catching up after a period of absence. Iliad looks over at me and gives a little wave.

"Greetings and salutations, my dearest Olyvia." I am unable to respond, only stare blankly at him. He stands up rather dramatically, walking forward until he is right in front of me. "What is wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

I reach my hand up to touch his cheek, afraid that he will shatter like glass. His skin is firm under my gloves, his face is free of imperfections. Both eyes shine, sclera's white as snow. His nose is straight and his face is free of old scars from the fights. Not only that, but the wounds from his interrogation have also vanished. All of the wrinkles from his last 30 years are missing, crows feet, worry lines, even his laugh lines are gone. He looks young again. Now the only imperfection is the rope burns around his neck.

I took a step back, away from him, terror saturated the vibration exiting my throat. "Who are you and where is my husband?"

"It's me Lyvia. I know that I have innumerable things to explain but it's me."

"You look porcelain, like a photoshopped version of my Ily."

"Looking good right? Nothing but the best for you my dear, well for me too if it's a package deal."

"I mean, sure you look great, but there was nothing wrong with you before."

"Of course there was. I was hideous. Scars everywhere, hiding behind an eyepatch, facial bones broke so repeatedly that I looked off. You focus on the good so much that you tricked yourself into falling in love with a monster. Now I am perfect." He closes the gap between us, tucks a stray hair behind my ear and tilts my chin up, looking down at me lovingly. "Now we are both beautiful."

After staring up at him, devoid of emotions, he moved his hand to my shoulder and whispered into my ear, covering me in goosebumps. "If you don't believe it's me you can always take off those gloves."

"That won't be enough."

"No?"

"I haven't been able to feel anything but fire under my skin since you left."

His face goes blank and he steps away from me, putting his hands up in the air. Panic bubbles into his confident voice. "You know that you are supposed to tell me if I ever hurt you Lyvia. That's how it's been for the last ten years."

I blink a little at him, a bit curious. "If you're alive then why do I still feel like I'm suffocating?"

I feel Asha's hand gently touch my shoulder, pulling me out of whatever trance supernatural forces enveloped me in. "Olive, I think it's time that we all sit down and figure out what is going on here."

"Yeah, that's a good idea." As the three of them find seats on the lofty sofa, I opt to sit on the ground, across from the three of them. My eyes keep drifting to Iliad. I am uncertain how I should feel at the moment, my emotions cloud my proper judgment. I fell in love just looking at him, I need to stop this. I jerked my head away, shaking his face out of my eyes. I grab my headscarf and wrap it around my eyes, I blindfolded myself.