Paedyn
Water drips from the ends of my short hair, reflecting its silver color to mimic molten steel when sliding from the strands.
Iรขโฌโขd scrubbed every inch of my body, spending extra time beneath my nails and around the many jagged cuts flecking my skin. It was only when I emerged from the rapidly cooling bath water, skin raw, that Ellie hesitantly broke the news to me.
All it took was a handful of rage-filled moments to throw on thin pants, pair them with a fitted tunic, and stalk to the door. Ellie was wise enough to stay out of my path, only stepping close enough to offer an apologetic smile and a set of slipperlike shoes. They now cling to my feet as I stride down the hallway, the silk soft against my blistered feet.
Faces blur past, but my gaze never strays from that door awaiting me at the end of the corridor. Through my tunneled vision, I see him leaning against it, emanating boredom as he stares pointedly at the shiny boots beneath him.
Several seconds pass before his head jerks up suddenly, having heard my thundering footsteps with that Hyper ability. His red hair stands outย starkly against the crisp Imperial uniform fitted to his body. Even with half of his face partially concealed by the white mask, I can still see those brown eyes widen when they land on me. That is when his gaze crinkles with a mingling of joy and relief.
He straightens, spreading his arms. รขโฌลPrincess, glad to see you somehow made it back in oneรขโฌโรขโฌย
My forearm meets the padded chest of his uniform, pushing him hard against the wall. My voice is a low growl that even I didnรขโฌโขt know I was capable of until this very moment. รขโฌลWhat the hell, Lenny?รขโฌย
รขโฌลWoah,รขโฌย he coos softly, hands raised in innocence. รขโฌลLook, if this is about losing you in Dor, I swear I was ready to turn that city inside out to find you, butรขโฌโรขโฌย
รขโฌลYou know damn well that is not what Iรขโฌโขm talking about,รขโฌย I seethe. This is most definitely not the manner in which a future queen would conduct herself, but fortunately for me, I doubt my reputation could get any worse.
I push away from him to turn toward the door andรขโฌโ
Lenny blocks my path.
รขโฌลMove,รขโฌย I bite out.
รขโฌลWell, someoneรขโฌโขs already growing accustomed to giving orders,รขโฌย he mutters, not budging an inch.
I blow out a breath. รขโฌลGet out of my way, Lenny.รขโฌย
รขโฌลIรขโฌโขm sorry, Princess.รขโฌย He gives me a sympathetic shake of his head. รขโฌลYou know I canรขโฌโขt do that.รขโฌย
I shove him again. รขโฌลLet me inside.รขโฌย
รขโฌลPaedyn, please. Just take a breathรขโฌโรขโฌย
รขโฌลI promised,รขโฌย I choke out, vision suddenly blurry with unshed tears. รขโฌลI promised to avenge Adena.รขโฌย Another shove, this one weaker. รขโฌลSo let me inside this damn room, Lenny.รขโฌย
Sympathy smothers his face, crowding around his features like theย freckles splattering his skin. รขโฌลI have strict orders from the king not to let you see her,รขโฌย he whispers. รขโฌลIรขโฌโขm sorry. Iรขโฌโขm so, so sorry.รขโฌย
I grow suddenly numb, every thought muffled and feeling detached. My fingers uncurl from his uniform, slide from his chest. รขโฌลBlair tore a branch through Adenaรขโฌโขs chest during that final Trial.รขโฌย My voice is distant, as though the words are falling from someone elseรขโฌโขs lips. รขโฌลAnd Iรขโฌโขm going to kill her for it.รขโฌย
Lenny reaches for me, hesitant. His hands cup my shoulders, steadying. รขโฌลI get it. Trust me, I do.รขโฌย He sighs through his nose. รขโฌลBut you canรขโฌโขt kill her on my watch. And Kitt knows you wonรขโฌโขt kill me to get to her. At least,รขโฌย he adds skeptically, รขโฌลI would hope not.รขโฌย
A sound slips past my lips, something like a scoff. Of course Kitt knew I would come after Blair for what she did to Adena. What she did to me. Itรขโฌโขs genius, really, stationing Lenny as her guard. He knows how much I care for himรขโฌโand heรขโฌโขs used that against me. รขโฌลYou canรขโฌโขt be her shield forever.รขโฌย
รขโฌลAnd when Iรขโฌโขm not,รขโฌย he says slowly, รขโฌลyou can do with her as you please. Though I donรขโฌโขt recommend doing anything rash.รขโฌย
รขโฌลRash?รขโฌย I scoff, eyes ablaze. รขโฌลThe thought of killing her is all thatรขโฌโขs kept me going. Iรขโฌโขve given my decision plenty of thought, I assure you.รขโฌย
รขโฌลPaedynรขโฌยฆรขโฌย He shakes his head, red hair rippling with the movement. รขโฌลThat was before all of this. Before you were betrothed to the king.รขโฌย
I wince at his words, feeling the sudden weight of that ring on my finger. He runs a hand down his face before leaning in to murmur, รขโฌลYou canรขโฌโขt justรขโฌยฆ go around killing people anymore.รขโฌย
รขโฌลAnymore?รขโฌย This time, heรขโฌโขs the one wincing at the quiet hurt in my voice. รขโฌลI never wanted to kill anyone. Iรขโฌโขve only ever defended myself. But herรขโฌยฆรขโฌย I jab a finger toward the door beside us. รขโฌลShe is to blame for what Iรขโฌโขve become.รขโฌย
รขโฌลI know,รขโฌย he says softly, wrapping an arm around me. รขโฌลI know, Princess. Iรขโฌโขm sorry.รขโฌย
I step into his embrace, clutching him tightly. My face is buried against his uniform, nose stinging from the starchy scent. รขโฌลIรขโฌโขm scared, Lenny,รขโฌย I admit, my voice muffled.
รขโฌลYouรขโฌโขre allowed to be. You know that, right?รขโฌย He ducks his head, resting his chin atop my hair. รขโฌลNo one was expecting this. But Iรขโฌโขm here to help you in any way I can.รขโฌย
I lift my face, suddenly concerned. รขโฌลWhy are you back? What about your mother? The Mixes? Finn and Leena?รขโฌย
รขโฌลThey are all fine,รขโฌย Lenny reassures me. รขโฌลMa needed some help anyway, so Finn and Leena are staying with her. Besides, itรขโฌโขs safer there for them.รขโฌย Unraveling his long arms from our embrace, he gives me that sly look of his. รขโฌลI came back for you, Princess. And being slammed against the wall was certainly not how I figured Iรขโฌโขd be thanked for it. But I suppose violence is one of your love languages.รขโฌย
I smile sheepishly, warmed by his effort to find me. รขโฌลI didnรขโฌโขt think you would come back to Ilya.รขโฌย
รขโฌลWhen you and the Enforcer were captured from the Mixes base, we didnรขโฌโขt even know where to start looking for you.รขโฌย He begins pacing then. รขโฌลSo my mother, Leena, and Finnรขโฌโshockingly enoughรขโฌโconvinced me that I was more help to you here at the castle than I was aimlessly wandering Dor.รขโฌย His eyes sweep over the hallway and each Imperial that marches through it. Voice low, he adds, รขโฌลWe knew you would end up here at some point, and Iรขโฌโขm not marked as one of the Resistance members, remember? I never even made it into the Bowl because I was down in those tunnels guiding people through.
รขโฌลAnd with Calum in the kingรขโฌโขs good graces, he ensured that no one would bat an eye when I fell back into rank as an Imperial.รขโฌย He grins,ย and I donรขโฌโขt miss the triumphant gleam in his eyes. รขโฌลSo, Iรขโฌโขm here to help in any way I can. You, Ilya, and Calum.รขโฌย
I nod. Smile. Try to grip the shambles of myself tight enough to sound okay. รขโฌลIรขโฌโขm glad youรขโฌโขre here. I may need you to force me down the aisle.รขโฌย
His grin fades. รขโฌลI know this is hard. But we are so close, P. So close to finally getting the freedom that the Resistance has fought so fiercely for, even if it is in a roundabout way. And I know that a marriage is not what you wanted. Hell, even becoming a queen. Butรขโฌยฆรขโฌย He swallows. รขโฌลYouรขโฌโขre alive, Paedyn. And I didnรขโฌโขt know if Iรขโฌโขd make it back in time to ever see you again.รขโฌย
I smile, sad and full of understanding. รขโฌลI thought Iรขโฌโขd never get to see you again either.รขโฌย
Iรขโฌโขm just as surprised as he is when a laugh manages to escape me. His growing look of concern only spurs on the sound as I struggle to spit out, รขโฌลI canรขโฌโขt seem to die, can I?รขโฌย I wipe a loose tear from my eye. รขโฌลWhat was it you called me?รขโฌย
I can see the exact moment recognition lights his face. รขโฌลA cockroach,รขโฌย he chuckles, head shaking. รขโฌลYouรขโฌโขre a damn cockroach, Princess.รขโฌย
