Roxane couldn't sleep. For the next hour or so she was pacing around her room, her thoughts wildly spinning in every which way. She still believed she could escape with Diana. It was only a matter of how she was going to pull it off.
Another hour passed just like that. Roxane was halfway through working out the kinks to her new plan when she heard a low knock on her door. She lunged at the door thinking Diana had somehow snuck past the prince's guards.
She couldn't hide the surprise on her face when she opened her door to reveal a pair of violet and a pair of grey eyes. They were hooded but they still stood out as men were not allowed anywhere near the priestesses' rooms.
"There isn't much time before the wedding. Can we come in?" Thatcher was the first to open his mouth. "We are using magic to mask our presence, but if someone were to really look, we would be spotted. Please Roxane?"
Instead of replying, Roxane wordlessly opened the door and stepped to the side. Once they passed into her room, she closed the door as silently as possible.
She turned to face the two men as they pulled her hoods off, revealing their faces but she felt a change in the atmosphere. She realized the magic was the hoods themselves.
"What's the meaning of this Thatcher?"
"We want to stop the wedding." He said without hesitating. Roxane tried to search his eyes for any hint that he could be lying but she couldn't find any. She scoffed, folding her arms.
"You're the prince's cousin. Why should I believe you?"
"Because I know the royal family. I know my cousin and I know for a fact that what he has planned for the Saint is anything but pleasant." A storm seemed to be brewing inside his eyes as he said confidently. "Believe me when I say that I wouldn't wish that fate upon even my worst enemies."
Her heart sank at his words, imagining Diana's face twisted in pain and agony as she could only guess what the prince had in store for her.
"Diana. Her name is Diana."
"Of course. I'm sorry." Thatcher looked at her with sympathy written on his face.
"Like we said," Kian stepped in, "we don't have much time if we want to rescue Diana." Thatcher nodded at his words.
"We came to you because we have a plan. A plan to rescue Diana, but because the wedding was moved so suddenly, our plan fell apart. Well, some parts of it."
"Why would I want to help you?" Roxane had to ask as she still couldn't quite believe that a solution to her problems would easily appear out of the blue just like that.
"Because we know how much Diana means to you." Roxane froze at the wizard's words. They were the same words she had said to the High Priestess Sabine not so long ago.
"The High Priestess told us you would do anything for your friend." Thatcher explained. "We thought we needed to take the risk since we were running out of options."
"So? Are you going to help us?"
She leveled her hard gaze on the violet-eyed man.
"Alright, what is the plan?"
The two had left a couple of hours later, donning their hoods over their heads once more before they escaped out into the dimly lit corridor.
Roxane closed the door and went to her hiding spot. She grabbed the ruby from its safe place and slipped the gem into her satchel. Then she went around the room and packed only the things she knew she would need as per Thatcher's instructions.
She set the small satchel by the door. Now all that was left was for her to remember not to lock her door when she sets out in the morning. Thatcher said there would someone who would come and pick up her things before the wedding. Her things would be safe, he had reassured her. They would only stash her stuff in a secure location, to be returned to her once they had safely escaped with Diana.
She sat down at the edge of her bed as she kept brooding over all the possible things that could go wrong while she waited on morning to come. She wasn't one to wait, as her plans always involved her actively facing her problems head-on.
Roxane sighed and fell back onto her bed. She wondered what Diana could be doing right about now. Was her friend feeling the same uneasiness as her? Did she still hold hope that Roxane would come rescue her? She hoped she did. When she and Diana were younger, she would always hold unwavering faith in Roxane, even when some days they found themselves without a thing to eat. Without fail, Roxane would find a solution, and that was how things always went.
Did Diana now find Roxane unreliable?
Roxane hid her face in her hands. She dearly hoped that wasn't the case. She was trying her best, and hopefully soon, they would be able to escape.
As there was no way to change the direction of Roxane's thoughts, she was left laying on her bed until the sun rose, bringing in the light into her room. She got up from her bed and went straight to the hall in which morning prayer was always held.
This time, the hall that was normally silent, was ablaze with excited murmurs and fervent believers as they praised the Goddess for sending the next Saint. She felt her stomach churning as she heard her friend being spoken about in such a way. To Roxane, the woman she called her friend will forever be the same little girl in the alleyway who offered her a piece of bread all those years ago.
"Roxane." She opened her eyes at the sound of her name being uttered. She was in the midst of fake praying but she still slowly lifted her head and looked in surprise at the High Priest. He did not seem too pleased with her.
"High Priest." Roxane immediately felt a string of nervousness pelt her as she spoke to the old man. "Good morning. To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"Come with me child." The High Priest didn't let her say anything else as he gripped onto her upper arm. She had no choice to follow him out of the prayer hall.
"High Priest. I don't believe I have done anything wrong to be treated this way." Roxane opened her mouth as they made their way to the High Priest's study, a place Roxane was all too familiar with because of the constant sessions of scolding she would receive from him.
"I believe you know what you have done." He said sternly, digging his fingers into her arm, something he did often when he wanted her to repent. "I suggest you don't speak until you're spoken to, and whatever you do, do not make him angry. You must do everything he asks."
Before Roxane could open her mouth, she felt herself be pushed into the priest's study.
"I've brought her your Highness." The High Priest said into the room. He himself was all too ready to please the man who sat tall in the priest's seat in his own study.
"Well done High Priest. You may leave now."
The prince excused the old man with a wave of his hand and the priest left the room, closing the doors to his study. Roxane heard his hurried steps in the hallway as he was ushered away by the prince's guards that were posted outside the door of the study.
"Priestess Roxane greets this kingdom's sun." She curtsied in front of the study's desk where the prince sat.
"Do you know why I have brought you here Roxane?" The prince's voice cut through the air between them. Her blood slowly drained from her face.
"I'm afraid I'm at a lost your Highness." With wary eyes, she watched as the prince got up from his seat and slowly approached her. Her golden eyes noticed the sword at his side and she feared that their plans had already gotten leaked.
The prince stalked towards her and she remembered that during times like these she should outwardly show how remorseful she was. She got on her knees and bent her head.
"I sincerely apologize for my wrongs your Highness."
"Oh? Then you do know what you did wrong?" The prince said with amusement in his voice. She was finally understanding the vast differences in their stations. He was a prince after all, and she, a lowly priestess from some backwater temple.
"It's good you aren't playing coy anymore. I was rather displeased with your last performance." The prince continued as Roxane kept her head bent. It was for the better since she couldn't hide the flash of annoyance that had passed through her eyes.
She was confused. Roxane then felt relief as realization washed over her. The prince still hadn't figured out their plans to escape.
"It's best you know your place as you are nothing to me."
Roxane frowned but she lifted up her head at the prince's behest, he roughly placed his fingers underneath her chin.
"I was told you are one of the priestesses leaving with Diana after the wedding. Perfect. We'll have so much fun you and I." His eyes shone dangerously as he felt like himself again. This was the power that came from being a part of the royal family. No one could go against his wishes, not even the untamable golden eyed Roxane. Soon, she would be hers whether she liked it or not.
"No more playing hard to get Roxane dear. It's beneath me." He released her to walk away from her, his hands clasped behind his back.
"Unless you want to spend your better days imprisoned for damaging the future king's image, I suggest you prepare yourself. I've forgiven you for ignoring my request to visit my room, but you must know that is the last time I do such a thing." In one swift motion, he unsheathes his sword from its place beside his hip, and aims it at Roxane. He seemed to enjoy Roxane's face full of horror as she put on a most splendid act, not in the least bit concerned for the decorative piece of metal he held to her neck.
"Once we are at the palace you will immediately prepare to be mine. Not as a consort but as a common wh*re. Do you understand?"
She bowed her head, if only to hide her cracking expression.
"Yes your Highness. I understand."
She left the study when she was excused. Roxane was happy that the prince hadn't attempted to do anything else to her. She didn't know if she would have been able to hold herself back otherwise.
All she needed to do now was to be by Diana's side, and hopefully, everything in their plan would progress smoothly. At least, she hoped Kara would take pity on her Saint and help them. She promised that only then would she be willing to acknowledge the divine.