Chapter 12 #2
If Leukos had managed to put it all together, there was no reason Theron couldn’t.
Was it worth the humiliation of giving him another chance?
In public, he shamed her and questioned her sanity, encouraging others to do so.
What would he do in private now that his betrayal had been revealed?
She didn’t like to think that he would be violent with her, but she’d seen him turn violence on others.
If he preferred not to lay hands on her, merely use his words to spread doubts about her, what then?
Did she have the power to take on both Batea and Theron with her limited resources? Probably not.
It made her sick at heart, but this was simply one more wound to bear.
Once the beasts were slain, she would ask Hyllus to help train her magic to send her home—to Phaedra.
The future might be transformed into a world as strange to her as this one once Drakon’s cyclical destruction was ended, but it was a chance she would be glad to take.
“I will…try to convince him.” Her shoulders drooped.
“If he proves difficult, call for me in three days and we’ll do what we must.”
“Why three days?”
If possible, she wanted to kill the beasts within the hour. The sooner, the better. Every moment Drakon breathed was one too many.
“Because while I am quite capable, it would be best to have the full force of the Viridian soldiers at our disposal.”
She’d forgotten that the remainder marched even now towards Altanus.
Aurora fought a sigh. If in every cycle of calamity, the hero of the holy sword was needed to slay Drakon, she couldn’t very well expect a handful of soldiers and nobles to manage it, especially when not one of them possessed divine magic.
Three days. She could wait that long. Surely nothing catastrophic would go wrong in that short time, right?
“Alright.”
“Is there anything else you need from me, Your Highness?”
“No, and…thank you for believing me,” she said, suddenly feeling very much like a small, wounded animal in need of kindness.
“It is I who should be grateful. Thank you for seeing the merit in saving us, Your Highness. We have given you precious few reasons to. If that is all, I will bid you good luck in your endeavours.”
“And I in yours.”
Leukos left, and Aurora was alone. It was mid-afternoon now.
When would she have the chance to speak with Theron?
As much as she would have liked never to see him again, her desires were no match for the needs of Trisia.
When she thought of all that a true princess like Epicasta had suffered for love of Hyllus, Aurora was ashamed of her reticence.
Was her love for Phaedra so shallow that she couldn’t face her betrayer in one last attempt to get him to see reason?
She propelled herself from her seat and opened the outer door of her rooms. A small army of palace staff awaited her orders outside.
“I wish to speak with His Majesty.”
“His Majesty will be busy until late in the evening, Your Highness.”
“Then arrange a meeting for me with him later this evening.”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
It would be hours yet until she was forced to face him. No doubt her anger and anxiety would gnaw on her very bones the whole while. What she needed was a proper distraction.
“In the meantime, bring me the most recent census records, royal tax documents, and court cases for the past three months.”
If she were to go home, she would do so armed with knowledge even the most senior scholars would kill to know. When she stepped back into the world she was born to, Aurora would make herself the expert scholar on all things ancient Aurean. If she must suffer, she would make it so very worthwhile.
As she whiled away the hours poring over tax documents showing the staggering wealth of even the average merchant, delved into court cases about ancient con artists and bickering families, and marvelled at how populous the ancient capital was, the sun retreated over the western horizon.
She almost didn’t realize someone had been calling her name until one of the staff broke her trance by touching her shoulder.
“Your Highness?”
Aurora gasped. Dusk had nearly given way to night, the barest hints of the sun’s rays clinging to the encroaching dark.
She hadn’t even noticed that lamps had been lit all around her, allowing her to read well into the evening.
Shame heated the back of her neck. She’d never thought she could be someone who ignored the presence of attendants and palace staff, but she supposed not even her discomfort was a match for being absorbed in her work.
It was some comfort that she could still lose herself in what she loved, no matter her circumstances.
Maybe Theron hadn’t ruined everything after all.
Dread swirled in her gut at the thought of him. The time to confront her husband had come.
“His Majesty has agreed to see you to his rooms. Would you like to change into more appropriate attire?”
She blinked owlishly up at the attendant and then down at her gown. It was a perfectly fine gown—better than fine, really. The material alone was of the highest quality, as was the exquisite embroidery.
“More appropriate?”
Another attendant came bearing a much more revealing gown—one of nearly transparent material. It shimmered golden, as radiant as the sun. Bile rose in her throat.
“No. That’s not necessary,” she replied quickly.
“Are you certain? It is made from Aurean sea silk, as exquisite as it is rare. His Majesty commanded you wear only the finest.”
A material she’d only read about in ancient sources. One that never lost its lustre or faded. Being from a family of cloth merchants and dyers, it was like seeing a legend come to life. She almost reached out to touch it.
“I’m certain.”
“As you wish, Your Highness,” the attendant replied lightly.
Aurora frowned. Were they…mocking her? Triad, she didn’t have it in her to deal with that right now. She stood from her seat, mentally collecting herself, and motioned for them to guide her to Theron’s rooms.
For good or ill, his rooms were nearby, giving her precious little time to compose herself and organise her thoughts.
Perhaps she should have spent the day figuring out just what she wanted to say to him…
aside from wishing him a slow, painful demise and cursing his name to all the deities likely to listen.
Her magic rose like a tide in tandem with her anxiety as she was ushered into Theron’s rooms. They were similarly appointed to her own—the same warm hues, the same richness and quality of the decorations, though this room’s marble had veins that sparkled like gold in the firelight.
At least he hadn’t decided to mock her by giving her what he might consider shabby accommodations.
Maybe Leukos had the right of it. It still didn’t excuse what Theron had done in his court today, or that he’d refused to kill Drakon, but perhaps her worst fears could be put to rest. Maybe there was a chance, however slim, that he could be persuaded to do the right thing.
“Your Majesty, Princess Aurora has arrived,” the attendant nearest Theron said.
“See her settled, then leave us,” Theron commanded.
Even the sound of his smooth, deep voice felt like a dagger to her heart. What if she wasn’t strong enough to do this?
She was brought to a table laid out with tall glasses of wine and a veritable feast. Aurora did her best not to look him in the eye, or at all for that matter. She’d woken that morning in his arms, spent most of the day riding in his lap, kissed and teased him before the midday meal.
What a difference half a day made.
Now she was a great fool, betrayed not once but twice by her fated, humiliated in front of his people, her magic and her sanity called into question for all to see.
By rights, she should be sobbing in her bed, breaking precious vases in rage, or scheming to put an end to his lies and cruelty with something sharp.
Instead, she had to swallow the toxic brew of her pain in the hope she could convince him not to doom the whole of Trisia.
But then, courage was not born of fearlessness, was it?
When the last of the attendants left, Aurora steeled herself to gaze upon the veritable monster she’d wed. But his gaze wasn’t mocking. Nor was it cruel or smug. His golden gaze was almost…gentle. Her hands fisted in the soft fabric of her gown, her heart hammering in her chest.
“Have you had anything to eat?” he asked.
She shook her head, not trusting her words just yet. What game was he playing?
“Please, eat. I had the cooks prepare all the delicacies of Aureum.”
“Is it poisoned?” she asked, the words slipping from her lips before she could stop herself.
Instead of getting angry at her accusation, he took small portions of nearly everything and ate them as she watched. Heat crept up her ears. Fine, so it might not be poisoned. Maybe.
“You could probably just heal yourself if you ate poison,” Aurora muttered.
“Not necessarily. And coughing up blood or foaming at the mouth would give it away fairly quickly.” He winked.
Winking now? After everything? She clenched her jaw.
Well, at least he seemed to be in a good mood.
But then, why wouldn’t he be? He had a pet oracle, a pet monster, and was now safely ensconced in his palace where he was master of all he surveyed.
Of course he felt at ease. Everyone here was his ally.
Aurora tried to force herself to nibble on something, but dread leached all taste from her tongue.
“We need to talk about what happened to you in your homeland, Aurora,” Theron said gently.
She looked up at him as though he’d grown a second head.
“You already know what happened to me. I showed you! Twice! And you…” She bit her tongue. She didn’t come here to sour things. There was so much at stake.
He stood, grabbed his seat and went to sit directly beside her.