Chapter 40
I got back to my room with my shoulders slumped. Martha had the day off, and I was ninety-nine percent sure she was down at the festival. She'd tried to act all professional and indifferent about it, but she hadn't fooled me for a second.
I faceplanted onto my bed and groaned.
Boom.
Another firework painted the sky. I rolled my head toward the window, watching the silver sparks bleed into the dark. The faint thumping of festival music drifted up the hill, mocking me.
This was actual torture.
I rolled onto my back. Okay, let's look at the facts. Theo was out of the kingdom. Rhaevan was stuck playing bodyguard at the palace. The Tower was practically a ghost town.
A terrible, wonderful idea started cooking in my brain.
I sat up slowly. Maybe... just maybe, I could sneak out for one tiny hour? I'd watch a few fireworks, grab some street food, and sprint right back. Rhaevan would never know. By the time he got back, I'd be tucked into bed, peacefully pretending I'd been a model citizen all night.
It was a foolproof plan. A public service to myself, really.
I hopped off the bed, found my dark cloak, grabbed my satchel with what little cash I had, and slipped out. Navigating the Tower corridors with my abysmal sense of direction was a miracle in itself, but I made it to the trail.
Halfway down the mountain, my legs began staging a protest.
"I have made a massive mistake," I muttered, wheezing into my cloak.
But then, the trees cleared, I saw the town, and my complaints vanished.
The place was electric. Golden lanterns stretched across the streets, bright banners hung between buildings, and the air smelled like fried dough and magic. People were laughing, kids were darting through the crowds, and musicians were playing beats that practically made the ground vibrate.
I just stood there like a gaping tourist, soaking it in. "Okay," I whispered. "Totally worth the leg cramps."
My stomach gave a loud growl, reminding me that I'd skipped lunch in my era of sulking. Right. Priorities first. I marched over to a stall and bought a loaf of warm, sweet bread. It was soft, sugary, and absolute perfection.
I was happily stuffing my face and wandering down a quieter alley when I heard it: a tiny, whining sound.
I paused, looked behind a stack of wooden crates, and found a puppy. It was a little brown-and-white ball of fluff that looked equal parts starving and deeply offended by its current life circumstances.
"Well," I said, crouching down and scooping it up into my lap. "You're having an even worse night than I am." I stroked its fur. "Don't panic. I'm mostly harmless."
The puppy stared at me. Skeptically.
"Fair point," I murmured. "Hungry?"
I ripped off a piece of my sweet bread and held it out. It sniffed it once, then inhaled it. I grinned. "Good choice. You have excellent taste."
The puppy looked up at me again, its suspicion meter dropping significantly.
"Cute," I muttered, booping its nose.
"Talking to animals now, are we?"
My soul briefly left my body.
Of course. I knew that voice.
I pasted on a fake, polite smile and turned around. "Your Highness," I said to Prince Lucien. "Did your kingdom ban you, or do you just have a magical radar that tells you whenever I'm trying to have some personal time?"
Lucien laughed, putting a hand over his heart. "Ouch. For your information, I'm here as an official representative of Viremont." He smirked, glancing at the puppy, then back at me. "And also for the snacks. Mind if I walk with you?"
I sighed. "Like you'd actually go away if I said no."
"I'll take that as a passionate yes," he said, falling into step beside me as I stood up with the puppy cradled in my arms.
"So," he asked casually, "how's the magic training going?"
"If you mean the amount of property damage I am causing, I'm a natural," I replied.
He let out a genuine laugh. "Are you here alone, or do you have a royal army hiding in the bushes?" I asked, looking around.
"They're nearby," he admitted. "But I asked for some space. Honestly, I'd really love the company. If you don't mind."
"Ah... sure," I said, letting out an awkward little chuckle.
We walked for a bit, the vibe surprisingly chill. "Do you come to this festival a lot?" I asked.
"Haven't missed it in years," he said, looking up at the lights. "Viremont is great, but the Moonlight Festival has something special. I wouldn't miss it for the world."
I hummed, looking at him sideways. Wait a minute. According to the original book layout, Lucien and Lysenne were supposed to be the end-game.
But Rhaevan was always hovering around her too. What exactly was the playbook here? Was my dear sister secretly collecting men? How do you even ask that politely?
I decided to go for subtle. "So... is it the festival that brings you back every year, or a special someone?"
He blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, nothing," I said, giving him my best innocent angel face. "Just wondering if there was... another attraction."
He looked completely, genuinely clueless. "I don't think I follow."
Internal facepalm. Men in these novels were completely oblivious.
"The festival," he continued, oblivious to my mental crisis, "is just beautiful. It's different every year, but familiar. Is this your first time?"
I nodded a little sheepishly.
"Yeah."
He looked shocked. "And you came completely by yourself?"
I suddenly found the puppy's ears very interesting to look at. "...Define 'by yourself'."
Lucien stared at me for a second, and then a massive grin split his face. "Did you sneak out, Cass?"
I shifted my satchel nervously. "Heh... look, I am technically under house arrest right now."
Instead of lecturing me, Lucien threw his head back and laughed. "Then you ran into the right guy. Don't worry. Your secret is totally safe with me. Let me show you around."
I narrowed my eyes. "You are suspiciously supportive of my bad life choices."
"I just recognize talent when I see it," he shot back.
I couldn't help but laugh. For the next hour, it was actual fun. We visited food stalls, listened to street musicians, and watched performers juggle flaming orbs. The puppy was fast asleep in my arms, totally convinced it had scored a permanent upgrade.
At one point, we stopped by a jewelry stall. A specific bracelet caught my eye immediately. It was a delicate silver chain studded with tiny blue stones that looked like pieces of the night sky, glittering beautifully under the lanterns.
"Pretty, right?" the vendor smiled.
I nodded. "How much?"
"Four silver coins."
I winced internally, slowly setting it back down. That was exactly four silver coins more than I had in my budget. "It's gorgeous," I sighed, "but way out of my price range."
I turned to walk away, but Lucien stepped right up to the counter and dropped four silver pieces. "I'll take it."
I blinked. The vendor happily handed it over, and Lucien turned around, holding it out to me. "For you."
"What?! no, no," I said, waving my hands. "I can't take that."
"Why not?"
"Because it's expensive!"
"It's four silver, Cass."
"Exactly! That's a lot!"
A smirk tugged at his lips. "Please, just take it. Think of it as a welcome gift."
I hesitated. It really was beautiful. And he was looking at me with these puppy-dog eyes that rivaled the actual puppy in my arms. With a heavy sigh, I relented. "Fine. Thank you."
"May I?" he asked gently.
I held out my wrist, and he carefully fastened the clasp. The blue stones shimmered against my skin. I stared at it, a weird warmth blooming in my chest. "Thanks, Lucien. It's... actually the first gift anyone has ever given me. I'll keep it safe."
His eyes went incredibly soft. "I hope you do."
A few minutes later, the crowd started surging toward the center of the square. "Fireworks are starting," Lucien said, pointing up.
My inner child completely took over. "Really?!"
He chuckled. "You sound more excited than the children here."
"Hey, I've never seen magical fireworks before!"
Right on cue, a massive CRACK split the air. Silver light exploded across the dark sky, followed by waves of brilliant blue and shimmering gold. They bloomed like giant cosmic flowers, showering the town in sparkles. The crowd gasped and cheered, and I realized I was grinning like an idiot.
"They're so beautiful," I whispered, looking up.
"Yeah," Lucien murmured. "They are."
I glanced over at him, but he wasn't looking at the sky.
He was looking straight at me. I blinked, caught off guard, and he immediately snapped his gaze back to the front, coughing into his hand.
Before I could process the weirdness of that moment, he cleared his throat.
"Cass, stay for dinner? There's a place just ahead that serves-"
And suddenly, out of nowhere -
A horrifying, blood-curdling roar ripped through the square.
The music violently stopped. The laughter died instantly.
Then came the screaming.
The entire crowd panicked, stampeding in every direction. Parents were grabbing their kids, stalls were getting smashed, and lanterns crashed to the cobblestones, catching fire.
And tearing right through the middle of the chaos-
Something massive was moving. Fast.
It was a giant, mutated beast, its eyes glowing with an unstable, erratic magic that made the air feel heavy and suffocating.
I stared at the monster, then at the screaming crowd, my stomach dropping through the floor.
"Oh," I swallowed hard, hugging the puppy tighter. "This is bad. Very, very, very bad."
And just like that, the fun was over. Doom, had officially found me.