Slim wrist suddenly shoves themselves out, revealing the golden band tight around each one, "Take them off!" she demands instantly.
He hesitates, his eyes unsure and scared.
"Magic is the only thing that can help us right now! I can save us both, but I need complete access to my power," She explains in agitation, glancing back at the hidden entrance they just came through.
"Bu-"
"Do it!" She snaps, cutting him off.
His hand responds even as his eyes remain unconvinced. He removes a ring on his own finger and hands it to her before his hands hover above her wrist.
There was only one way to break the bands once they were placed. A user had to be powerful enough to overwhelm them with a quick surge of raw, untapped power. Many wouldn't even risk it. It would drain them to dangerous levels or outright kill them, and even then, the bond would remain firmly in place.
Once encased in them, even the most potent of magic users couldn't escape instantly. It was the pure gold, the element worked against them, along with the curse and corruption it was drenched in.
It was no easy task.
Even still, she had found a loophole.
Alchemy.
She had been slowly changing gold into silver over the course of a few months. She had been able to access a sliver of her magic for weeks now. It exhausted her, and did more harm than good, but she had deemed it worth it. Now, she simply didn't have the time.
She watches impatiently as he gathers his magic.
He was completely untrained.
Of course, he was.
Everyone in the Empire was.
The moment they were born, they all had sealed off their magic with a rune tattooed into their skin. He has such a rune on him, much fancier and elaborate to mirror his station, but it did little good. His magic was too wild, it refused to be contained. That was what the ring was for. The band was made out of a black diamond while the square jewel was a rare dragon scale. It was the only thing that sealed off his magic entirely, as was custom of the land.
He was powerful.
If anyone could break the bands in one go, it was him.
"Brace y-yourself," He says, his eyes filled to the brim in concern.
She did, but she couldn't stop her grunt of pain at the lick of fire around her wrist before the thin brands snap like a twig and fall into lush grass.
Her magic rushes forward undaunted. She staggers forward, her vision spinning, and he catches her.
"We must hurry. They will be here soon," He says gently, but she can feel how his body trembles, how his voice wobbles over the words.
She doesn't thank him. Instead she nods, and straighten herself, ignoring how his arms remain up to catch her again if she was to fall. She grabs his hand and leads the way to the exit.
The garden was small but still shaped like a maze. He brought her here often though, so she knows the way. They would leave the palace and wander around the edge of The Lost Forest. He would speak about all the monsters that live in the forest, and tell her about the stories that had been passed down for centuries about the forest. He was never brave enough to go deeper, not without his guards, but his curiosity about the world beyond the palace was always obvious.
Her hand tightens around his.
She whispers protection spells under her breath, her hand placed over her stomach.
She had been on her way to tell him when the first scream hit the air, and the palace trembled around her. It had been an entirely baffling and unpleasant discovery. It had been a wrench thrown in her carefully laid out plans.
She had almost extinguished it the moment she realized what nestled inside of her. It was a burden she didn't need, much less ask for. It was slow her down and even hinder her. But she had stopped herself.
She hadn't thought about it again until now.
Her magic would need time to properly recover itself. It was shaky and very unstable, slipping out of her grasp like a sleek snake. She could do little with it, but she tried anyway. She directed another protection spell to him.
They make it to the center of the garden. A beautiful fountain spouts out water the color of the rainbow and seating lined the edges.
She remembers telling him of her sister. She never mentions her life before she arrived to anyone. She had thought it was none of their business, but on one quiet morning, she had told him.
They re-enter the maze. His pants are loud in her ears, while she is barely out of breath.
This time, he doesn't complain about her moving too fast. He doesn't whine for her to slow down.
The exit is hidden behind expertly trimmed shrubbery by large white blooming roses.
She sees the pearly flowers first.
"There!" He says behind her, loud and full of excitement. She nods in agreement and yanks him forward none too gently. Her fingers were just skimming over vibrant leaves when a harsh slash of wind slams her forward.
His scream of pain and the sound of his body hitting the floor happens a second later.
Livia rolls to her feet, her eyes quickly trying to find him.
The whole maze was gone. Cut down by a single swing of a monstrous sword. Standing by the fountain they passed only moments before was a tall imposing figure.
A white-gloved hand raised the sword once again, as the figure strolled forward casually, walking into better lighting. Hair as red as blood and eyes the color of a soulless moon.
Saer had made his appearance.