Liam had stiffened in place at her words, but did as she asked.
Aloysia on the other hand couldn't hear their hour long conversation... yes.. a whole god dam hour.
As for the twins, they were out cold and had no intention of waking even with Aloysia shaking them. Thankfully, she couldn't find any issues with them except for small needle marks on their necks. She almost laughed at her situation, the overbearing side of her cracking. Perhaps it was because sleep was creeping up on her, or the fact that she hadn't eaten in what felt like forever.
The room she had entered was a small box room, the double bed taking up most of its space. She had found the twins lying on the floor, hair, cloaks, arms sprawled over the sandstone.
Sighing tiredly, she lifted one sibling at a time, hoisting them on the bed to sleep the drug off. Nothing smelt out of the ordinary from the mark, nor were there any symptoms of poison. It certainly worried her mind less at the revelation, and she did not have the energy to focus on anything else.
Dragging her droopy body, Aloysia trudged through the open arch leading to the side to find bathing quarters that made her aching limbs tingle. It was all compact in the minimal space left for it, just like the previous room. Granted, it wouldn't be an issue for one person, but by her maths... there were now 5 people who had to stay here... marvellous.
She internally groaned but refused to dwell on it.
Pulling her cloak off, she hung it over the arch, acting as a wall of privacy. Moving with a drained expression, she removed the items of clothing weighing her down and discarded them. Her skin even bare was warm, the light of hung candles calming to her senses. The scars were still there. Of course they were... still prominent marks that decorated her body like a carved statue.
~
She didn't know how long she had bathed for, the absence of worry and filth on her skin lulled her to finally relax. That was, until the hour later that Aloysia heard a knock at the chamber door. Exhausted, she grumbled through the echo, "I'm bathing, do not go through the covered arch"
"Um... ok" She heard him cough. She rolled her eyes at him through the walls.
What she would give for a moments privacy was astounding.
Liam however tried to be as discreet as possible, allowing the words Belinda had spoken to him to settle...
That being said, he wiped his face with his palms, trying to not let the sleepiness take over. He was also exhausted to the bone. Constant running, a screwed sleeping schedule and heightened stakes was a perfect combination to get no rest.
So, he walked up to the foot of the bed, spying the twins, and without a care in the world, collapsed face first into the sheen softness. There, he let his exasperated mind finally sleep upon what felt like clouds compared to the harsh grounds he were used too.
~
It had been longer than an hour before Aloysia emerged from the bath, dressed in clothing fit for any one in the west, even royalty. As such, the thin material was lightweight, cooling to the touch and barely covered. When she had put them on, she wanted to scream. No way in hell would she wear that. Although her mind yelled at her to change, her body couldn't handle it, shutting the mind off and walked through a closed door back to the main room. She was thankful at least the bathing quarters had an alternative exit.
Viper was sat with a smug look on her face behind her desk, she had clearly been waiting there; eyes falling to the sofa once she spotted the assassin. "As there are three in that room, you may want to sleep here" she whispered, reaching for a key hooked under her desk. Aloysia's tired eyes didn't register any of it; instead, she nodded in thanks and sauntered to the sofa, toppling onto the cushions and laying down with the intent to sleep.
Viper smiled, her golden gaze looking upon the assassin with warmth. It wasn't her fault she ended up the way she did...
Snapping out of her daydream state, Belinda arose, walking to the entrance of her office and stepped outside. By now, the sun had dipped almost below the horizon, a honey coloured hue glazing the sky, and the bustle below had calmed.
She breathed the fresh, humid air. Turning back to look at the assassin, she whispered, "Of course I'll help you"
And with that, she quietly shut the doors, clicking the lock in place and began descending the multitude of steps to join the people of her kingdom, looking for the nearest inn to accommodate her.
~
Morning came all too fast.
Liam jolted awake, his spread arms aching at the position he had fallen asleep in. Half his face was squashed in the material he lay in, grunting through tired lips.
Squeezing his eyes half-open, the hazy Prince slowly pushed himself up, limbs sloppy as he did, but not without stiffening. Rubbing his eyes, he stared. The twins were no longer there; their outlines did not indent the sheets, nothing but a flat, neat fabric...
Opening his eyes further and pushing the spell of fogginess over his eyes to leave, he looked upon himself.
He was wearing different clothes...
"How in the...?" he muttered to himself, grabbing the smooth silk items that draped on him. "Did I sleep through this...?"
Someone must have changed him while his mind laid with the clouds; so incredibly deep that a thunderstorm could've struck the roof and he would've remained slumbering without a care in the world.
"Who's doing was this...?"
His cheeks sparked at a name... could she have done it? Gosh did Aloysia, Zillah or Belinda change him like a child? To think they could have seen him without clothing made him shudder, instinctively hugging himself in embarrassment. If it was Zelek... that would be a much better option...
He begged for that to be the case...
Stretching slightly with a yawn, Liam stood from the bed, feet warm against the sun-kissed sandstone and stepped into the main room through the door. Since he awoke, he had heard absolutely nothing through the other side, wondering where they all where.
It was empty.
No soul in sight, no sign of activity mind the crease in the sofa. That must've been where Aloysia slept. Ruffling his hair, Liam trudged to the main entrance, spying through the gap. No guards.
What was going on? Where was everybody? Did they leave him?
His breathing without him realising began to quicken... the thoughts he dread seeped in.
He spoke to himself, "They couldn't have left me right?"
Frantically, Liam dashed back into the bedchambers, noticing a note was left atop a pile of fresh clothes. It was above a dresser tucked in the corner, easy to miss.
He sighed, reaching for the scribbled note that read:
Liam,
I noticed the clothes you came in needed an upgrade, so to help you blend in and stay cool from this heat, I have bought you some fresh garments locally made that should fit you nicely.
Once you have them on, meet us on the floor beneath you, there, I will tell you what is going to happen.
-Viper
He internally groaned, scrunching the letter and tossing it aside. With two hands he brought the clothes down and spread them on the bed.
The intricate detail blew his mind... the colours were beautiful in all shades of brown and gold. The only down side to it all was that he was practically topless with a sheen, transparent material draping his shoulders; a belt holding a gold cloth that would act as a folded skirt. No trousers...
This was out of his comfort zone...
In western culture, this was a normal everyday look that suited people of this kingdom. But him? Did he suit a traditional outfit?
He sighed, there was only one way to find out... and that was to try it on.