Chapter Twenty

Aerilyn

After seeing that her companions had survived the first game with minimal injuries, Aerilyn had allowed herself to be led away from the others by a small girl dressed in a maid uniform. She had reddish blonde hair that was forced into a tight bun at the base of her neck and skin that was covered with freckles. She couldn’t have been older than fourteen. Her innocence was written across her young features. It seemed like she hadn’t been exposed to the horrors of the world yet. Aerilyn was almost envious of that. She could only wish to return to the time when her life wasn’t corrupted by fear and death.

The girl led her down the turning corridors of the palace without a word. Aerilyn stayed several paces behind her, hugging her arms around her torso. The exhaustion was overwhelming, making her muscles strain during their walk. She saw the others being led away by servants, leading her to assume they were being taken to their quarters that the king had mentioned. After the first test, he stated that they would receive a bit more hospitality than the dungeons. She didn’t know what exactly that would entail.

“Here we are,” the small girl gave her a little smile before pushing the door open. The room beyond was larger and more beautiful than she could’ve expected. A large bed with four posts sat towering over them with silk sheets that begged for her to curl up in. The walls were painted with intricate art that could only be described as magnificent. Several windows let in the light beyond and gave her a view of the city of Korth. A set of double doors that led to a balcony had been opened to let in more fresh air. She had assumed the living quarters would have consisted of the necessities, not anything as extravagant as the room she now stood within. It made her want to question what the king’s intentions truly were.

“I hope the room is to your liking miss,” she was practically bouncing on her toes in an emotion that Aerilyn couldn’t determine. “It’s perfect, thank you,” she gave the girl a smile which led her to beam in excitement. “The king is hosting a large dinner in your honor. All of you survived the first test and you’re one step closer to becoming a true citizen here. I’m Marianna, I’m assigned to help you with anything you may need during your stay at the palace through the trials. You can ask me as many questions as you’d like, but we need to get you ready for the dinner,” she took Aerilyn’s hand and led her to the door that sat in the corner of the room. It branched off into an overly large bathing chamber. Aerilyn gasped, her mouth opened in surprise at the thought of actually being able to clean her body. She’d spent years washing herself off in a pond, unable to ever truly clean her dirty skin.

Marianna rushed ahead of her, turning a handle that made water flow into the tub. She hadn’t ever experienced warm running water before. She had heard about the royals having the luxury in Orissia, but she’d never been lucky. Aerilyn began to undress, desperate to clean the grime from her skin. The moment the tub was filled halfway with water, she crawled in. An audible groan escaped her as she settled into the warm water. The water around her quickly became dirty, rinsing the rot of the hounds from her skin. She was so deeply lost in the relaxation that she hadn’t noticed Marianna gathering soaps beside the tub, kneeling on the edge beside her. The girl began to lather her hands up before soothingly scrubbing at her scalp. The scent of sweet vanilla reached her, filling up her senses in delight. She hadn’t experienced the luxury of soap since she was just a child. It had been hard to come by and became too expensive for her to afford after her parents were gone.

She stayed silent as Marianna cleaned her skin, scrubbing at any dirt or blood left on her. She had been close to falling asleep when the maid had finished cleaning her off and began to drain the water from the tub. Aerilyn hadn’t realized how badly her body needed true rest until that very moment. The maid helped her out of the bathing chambers, wrapping a fluffy white fabric around her body to soak up the water. She led her back into the bedroom and sat her down before a mirror. Marianna didn’t waste any time, beginning to comb through her messy white waves. She’d never seen the color so vibrant, rid of any dirt that had previously caked it.

“Have you always lived in Korth?” She questioned, surprising the young girl. “Yes. My parents work here in the palace with me. This place is all I’ve ever known and I’m fortunate for that. The king may seem like the villain, but he’s good to his people. You’ll see one day,” she beamed as she began to pull Aerilyn’s hair back into a tight braid. The girl’s words caught her off guard. She could tell the king cared for his people, but that didn’t make him a good person. Every time she thought of the man, she felt her throat closing up as it had when he’d poisoned her meal.

“I’m not sure I could ever view the king as anything besides the villain here,” she admitted honestly, watching Marianna’s expression change in the mirror. “That is your choice, miss. I believe your opinion of him will change one day,” the girl spoke with confidence that Aerilyn didn’t want to shut down. Instead, she went silent and let Marianna work on her appearance. She dusted her eyelids with a black coal and coated her lips in a pink powder. The colors on her face brought out her features and made her feel more beautiful than she’d ever felt. When the maid was done, she rushed to a large wardrobe to find something for her to wear. She returned with a deep red gown that sparkled in the light. Aerilyn had never seen anything like it. She had never worn something so breathtaking.

“Do you dislike it?” Marianna questioned with a small frown.

“It’s perfect,” she whispered before allowing the girl to pull the dress over her head. It fit perfectly as if it had been made for her. She felt as if she were being dressed like a trophy to show off, but she attempted to push away any of the negative thoughts.

“You look like a princess. I’ve never seen anyone look so stunning in a gown,” Marianna giggled, clapping her hands in delight. The excitement the young girl provided was enough to make Aerilyn smile. She promised herself at that moment that she would do anything she could to keep the girl’s innocence.

“I almost forgot! The king had this made for you,” Marianna grabbed something from the wardrobe behind her. Aerilyn examined the object, her eyes widening in realization. The set of twin holsters before her were coated in gems that caught the light that remained in the room. They were shaped perfectly to her daggers that had been discarded with the rest of her clothing. The girl ran to retrieve them as Aerilyn secured the holsters around each of her thighs. The dress had enough volume to it to completely conceal anything beneath it. Marianna handed her the daggers which she proceeded to tuck into each of her thighs. She dropped the gown to hide the weapons beneath the fabric, her mind whirling with questions. Why in the hell would the king make these for her? She promised herself to question him later, appreciating his kindness just slightly. She gazed at herself in the mirror, barely recognizing the woman before her. She looked almost too beautiful. She couldn’t help but note that even the most beautiful things were dangerous as she followed Marianna to the dining room with her daggers pressed to her thighs.

The dining hall was much like the one she had met Azazel in the previous day but on a much larger scale. The room was large with a table that stretched the length of it. There were many foreign faces, all turning to face her as she entered. She scanned the crowd sitting at the table, trying to find her companions. Trying to find Everett. Her eyes finally locked with his, watching as his expression changed. His wide eyes seemed to sparkle in the candlelight.

“Enjoy your dinner, miss,” she heard Marianna’s small force before the girl released her arm and left her to stand alone before the strangers. The conversations had gone quiet and many sets of eyes were glued to her. She noticed Blaise, Bastian, and Brinley all sat close to Everett. One seat was left for her near them. The one seat sat to the right of the head of the table. Next to Azazel. Her palms felt slick with anxiety as her eyes locked with the king’s. He had a devious smirk plastered on his pale face, slowly standing.

“Aerilyn, it’s so wonderful you finally joined us,” he clasped his hands together before motioning to the open seat beside him. She forced her feet to move across the room and slide into the seat at the king’s side. All the eyes continued to follow her and she couldn’t understand why until she sat and took note of everyone’s black and white attire. She was the only one in the room that wore color. She looked like a droplet of blood staining a perfectly white shirt.

“The dress is as stunning on you as I hoped,” Azazel commented under his breath, sitting back down as his eyes continued to devour her. “So putting me in something to catch everyone’s attention was your doing?” She challenged the king, her eyes narrowing on her. He leaned towards her, getting close enough that she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. “Precisely, doll. I wanted their eyes to be on you,” he kept his voice quiet so that nobody else could hear their conversation. She scoffed in annoyance, rolling her eyes at the man.

Aerilyn felt a hand on her arm, her attention pulling to Everett who sat at her side. The comfort that single touch brought her made her insides warm in ways she couldn’t quite explain. She couldn’t deny the comfort the man was able to evoke in her. “You look absolutely breathtaking, Aeri,” he gave her a little smile, taking her hand within his. Everett looked as exhausted as she did, but he still looked perfect. His messy hair still laid effortlessly and his charming smile was as bright as ever. “The prince can give compliments, what a surprise!” She gasped before letting out a small laugh. His cheeks turned a bit red at the comment, flushing in embarrassment.

The conversations around them started once more, drowning out their words in the mix of voices. Aerilyn couldn’t stop herself from feeling grateful that all of her companions had survived. She had lost track of the number of days that had gone by since they had left Orissia, but she had found a bond with the group that she hadn’t expected. She had never had many friends after her parents died. She could count on one hand how many people she allowed into her life. Never letting herself care for others after losing her parents in fear of feeling the pain of losing anyone else. Most of all, she hadn’t expected the prince of Orissia to look at her the way he did then. He looked at her as if she was something special, not just some thief who had stolen his scraps of food.

A soft chime collected everyone’s attention as the king stood, tapping his dagger blade against his glass. “Thank you all for joining me tonight to celebrate the success of the first game. I wish you all luck in the next round. All the citizens of Korth are rooting for your survival. Now let's enjoy this meal as your reward,” Azazel spoke with a tone that held every gaze in the room. His consuming presence was nearly impossible to look away from. Nobody spoke as the servant began to file into the room and cover the table with a variety of dishes.

Aerilyn was hesitant to eat any of it after her last experience eating the king’s meal. Azazel took notice of her not loading up her plate as everyone else did. “I promise that there’s no poison involved this time. I would never use the same trick twice,” he winked at her before grabbing a slab of meat and placing it on the plate before her. He used his fork to peel off a piece, shoving it into his mouth. “See? It's safe. Now eat up for me, doll,” he pointed at the food with his fork before starting his meal.

She made her best attempt to keep her attention focused away from Azazel. The man pissed her off every time he even looked at her. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing too. She cut into the meat and began to scarf down the food before her desperately. She hadn’t been able to enjoy the meal that she’d had with Azazel previously as the poison had disrupted the whole thing. She needed food in her system more than she wanted to admit. She didn’t want to rely on Azazel to provide her with anything, including the meals.

A group of people that sat towards the end of the table were huddled close together speaking in low voices. Their eyes glared in Everett’s direction, taking in the man as if he were abusing a child. Her eyes scanned each of them, her brow raising in a silent challenge. Their hushed tones told her that they were speaking of something that would probably piss her off. Even when meeting her glare, they didn’t stop their taunting gazes.

“Aerilyn?” Everett’s voice pulled her attention back to him. When their eyes met, she let out a small breath that she had been holding. He glanced once to where her gaze had been before, biting down on his lower lip. “They’ve been giving me death glares all night. I’m sure they’re very unhappy about my presence. Word seems to travel fast about their enemy kingdom’s prince being here,” he tried to shrug the words off but she could see the worry in his expression. She clenched her jaw, trying to ignore the gazes that were being shot in their direction. Part of her understood their fear. Their enemy was sitting at their dining table sharing a meal with them. She wouldn’t have been very happy had the roles been reversed.

“Ignore them, little thief,” he cupped a hand over her cheek, forcing her attention back to him completely. His warm chocolate eyes seemed to eat her alive as she gazed into them. Everything about Everett was consuming in the best ways. She’d never let a male touch her the way she allowed Everett to do. His touch felt so natural like their skin was meant to touch. “I’m sorry, I’m just imagining all the ways I could spill their blood on this table for even looking at you like that,” she spoke with a smile pulling at her lips. “Such a devious little thing,” he teased in return, running his thumb over the corner of her mouth.

“And one of them is the prince’s little whore,” one of the voices from the end of the table got loud enough to reach her ears but she didn’t let them continue to speak. She slid one of the daggers free from her thigh and threw it towards the man who had spoken. The dagger embedded itself into the table beside the man’s hand that had stopped reaching for his glass the moment the dagger flew towards him. “I suggest you watch your mouth. You know nothing about any of us. Next time you have something negative to say about us, my dagger won’t miss,” her words were cruel and vile, but she wanted to get her point across. The man’s eyes were wide with fear, no words leaving him. She forced a smile on her face as she stood, pushing her chair back. She made her way around the table, pulling the dagger to its spot near the man’s still unmoving hand. “I am no one’s whore,” she growled before heading to the set of doors she had entered through.

“Play with the viper and you’ll get bitten,” Azazel chuckled from behind her as she exited the dining hall. She didn’t stop as she stormed through the hallway, attempting to remember which direction she had come from. During her walk she had counted the number of turns she and Marianna had taken, making it slightly easier for her to know where she was going. She only got around a few corners before she heard footsteps behind her. She turned quickly, her dagger already perfectly positioned in her palm, ready to fight whoever was following her. Her eyes met the familiar chocolate ones as Everett took a quick step back with his hands up in surrender. “Woah there, darling,” he laughed softly, shaking his head at her. “Damnit Everett, I would’ve stabbed you,” she swore, letting the hand containing the knife fall to her side. “It’s not the first time you’ve pointed a dagger at me and honestly, I find it so sexy,” he teased, finally taking a confident step towards her when he saw her lower the dagger.

“Don’t make me use it on you, princey.”

“I wouldn’t mind that little thief,” he slowly slid a hand over her waist and tugged her towards him. “That scene back there might’ve been a turn-on. To think you were defending me,” he hummed, slowly twirling a strand of her hair around his pointer finger. “Don’t flatter yourself, it wasn’t all for you,” she whispered, struggling to form the right words when he was this close to her. He only smirked at her, his grip on her waist tightening. The presence of Everett had been so consuming ever since they had shared the moment in the lake. He had awoken something inside of her.

“If your heart wasn’t beating so fast, I might believe those words,” he lowered his face to hers, their eyes completely locked. She parted her lips to quip a snarky reply but found no words rolling off her tongue. “That's what I thought,” he winked before releasing her strand of hair from his finger. “Let's get you back to your room before I do something we’ll both regret,” he let out a sigh before squeezing her hip once. His words made a pit form in her stomach, her legs feeling like jello. She only nodded, not trusting herself to speak as she followed him down the dark hallways back to where her quarters were.

They walked in silence, standing less than a foot from each other. Every few steps she felt their hands brush or their shoulders touch one another. His closeness was enough to suffocate her. She wasn’t sure how much more of him she could take. She had to remind herself over and over who he was. Azazel’s words pulled at the back of her mind, reminding her of the biggest question she kept thinking. She hated that she’d let the king get into her head. She didn’t want him to help her with anything, but she felt like she didn’t have much of a choice. He held her life in the palm of his hand and she wasn’t ready to die now.

“Did you know Korth existed?” She blurted out, causing Everett to stop his pace. “I knew as much as you did. I didn’t know anyone had survived beyond the walls of Orissia. If I had known, I wouldn’t have led us in this direction and put all of our lives in this type of danger,” he frowned, unmoving as he attempted to explain himself to her. His expression seemed genuine and he made a good point. Aerilyn didn’t have much trust for anyone, but she truly believed that Everett was just as clueless as the rest of them.

“Do you think your father knew?”

“As much as I hate my father, I don’t think he knows about this place. If he did, he’d be a better liar than anyone I’ve ever met. He’s been desperate to do good for the kingdom as much as I hate to admit it. I truly don’t think he could keep a secret this large,” Everett explained, running a hand over his face. “Why are you suddenly questioning everything? You’re not letting that asshole get in your head, are you?” He slid a hand over her cheek, forcing her to meet his gaze. “No, Ev. I just want to understand what is going on. It’s obvious that this kingdom knows about us, I’m trying to make sense of it all. Someone is lying to us and I want to find out who,” she allowed herself to tilt her face into his palm, enjoying the physical touch. “I promise, Aerilyn, I’m telling you everything I know. If there were more, you’d be the only person I’d trust to tell,” he spoke softly as his thumb began to rub on her cheek. As much as she hated to admit it, she was finding some trust in the man. He hadn’t given her a reason not to trust him. Azazel had only spoken those words to put a wall between her and Everett. He had wanted to isolate her from her companions so that she was easier prey.

Aerilyn couldn’t break her gaze from Everett’s, letting herself get lost in his eyes. “I trust you, Everett. Don’t make me regret it,” she whispered, grabbing a fistful of his button-up in her palm. “I won’t, little thief. Don’t let me regret this either,” he trailed off before she felt his lips close over hers. Aerilyn had only been kissed once when she was much too young. She’d been too curious for her good when she had seen two adults kissing in the town square. One of her only childhood friends had been with her when she saw the kiss, both of them agreeing to test what the motion felt like. Her parents had caught the two of them and she’d been too afraid to show affection to anyone else again.

The feeling of Everett’s lips against her own made her legs threaten to melt beneath her. They were soft and warm, moving against hers with obvious experience. After several seconds, she relaxed and allowed herself to kiss him back. He tasted sweet and salty at the same time, it was a foreign taste that she couldn’t quite explain. She loved every second of it, trying to savor all of him. He pulled away slightly, his wide eyes locked on hers. “I’m sorry, I-” he began but she cut him off by forcing her lips back on his. She grabbed onto his face, not letting him pull away this time. She felt his hand slide to the back of her head, tilting his face slightly to deepen the kiss. His tongue dragged over her lower lip causing her to gasp. He took advantage of her parted lips and slipped his tongue into her mouth. All she could feel or see was Everett as if he corrupted every thought in her mind.

“You two are disgusting,” a voice broke the two of them apart, moving away from each other. Blaise laughed, shaking his head at them as Bastian and Brinley rounded the corner not much further behind him. Aerilyn felt her cheeks get hot at the comment, wiping the back of her hand over her mouth as she looked between Everett and her companions. “Way to ruin the moment,” Everett rolled his eyes, jabbing an elbow into Blaise’s ribs. “I’m sorry, next time you two are tongue fucking I’ll stay quiet and watch,” he shrugged making Brinley burst into a fit of giggles.

Aerilyn couldn’t help but appreciate the small moment that they all shared. They had all faced death and survived. Even with the horrors that were to come, at least they had each other. At the end of the day, they’d have each other’s backs in the foreign kingdom. That thought was the one Aerilyn carried with her as she made her way to the door that led to her bedroom. She glanced back at the others doing the same, smiling to herself as she realized how grateful she was for the small family she’d found with them.