It felt like waking up from a painfully long dream. But I hadn't been dreaming, it was reality through and through. I almost got killed by a monster because of my carelessness.
I stirred, rising with a groan. When I opened my eyes, I saw Lira staring at me with a flat look on her face.
"How was your beauty sleep, Your Highness?" she asked sarcastically.
"You know that was far from a beauty sleep, Lira." I shot her an equally impassive expression. "But thanks for asking anyway."
I leaned my back on the headboard, discovering that we weren't in the townhouse I rented for us months ago. We were supposed to live there in hiding from my parents, in a small city on the corners of Orion. Obviously, this place was not it. And I couldn't have slept for that many days for the whole duration of the travel, so there was that.
"Where in the Goddess' name did you take us?" I asked the maid, taking in the tiny room with its walls made of grey stone. It was empty aside from a wooden table, chairs, a cabinet and this bed I was currently on.
"I did not take us 'here', Rosie. They did. Or at least, he did." She sighed, flicking the ends of her short almond brown hair to the back. Lira was used to calling me by my nickname because she was a childhood friend of mine, the daughter of a countess that was very close to my mother.
My brows scrunched due to the confusion. "Who…?"
Ah, I vaguely remembered it. My savior. I had been slowly falling into unconsciousness so the image of him had been hazy, but there was no mistaking those dark eyes that glinted even against the shadows.
My hand subconsciously flew to my side, feeling it and finding that it was perfectly fine. I could have sworn I heard a rib crack last night.
"They had a healer fix you up. The Ravens, I mean. They're a group of mercenaries living here in the Evernight Forest." Lira stood, crossing her arms. "The plan failed, Rosie. We messed up. I think we should go back."
"Wait, what? We're in the Evernight Forest? This place is teeming with beasts! How could anyone live here?" I said, pretending I didn't hear the last part.
"I told you, didn't I? They're mercenaries, and I think they're here to keep those beasts in control or whatever. You unknowingly stepped in the territory of the orcs, that's what they told me when they found me in the area, looking for you. The both of us could have been dinner for those monsters if they had not found us, Rosie. That was a really close call." Lira's emerald eyes fixed at me warmly then. "Now, can we just go home? I knew it from the first time you told me that you'd leave, we wouldn't survive out here for long. Outside the palace walls… it's not a place for girls like us, Rosie."
My hands bunched on the sheets as I glanced at my gown, once a soft yellow decorated with pearls, it was now nothing like it used to be—smudged with dirt and grass, with dried blood crusting on my side.
I can't even imagine how I looked like at the moment.
But I clenched my jaw, looked up at Lira in defiance. "No. It was a loophole in the plan, I admit that. I didn't mean to stray too far that I'd reach the parts of Evernight, it was a mistake. But mistakes can be undone, and I don't intend to give up this early. We'll leave this place at daytime where it's safer, or we'll pay those mercenaries and have them escort us out of the forest. We'll reach that townhouse in no time for sure, Lira. I can't go home. I can't let them marry me off to that prince. I don't want to live a life led by the strings I don't control."
Lira's emerald gaze wavered as she blew out a breath. She smiled, sweet and gentle. "All you had to say was no and I would still have stayed with you."
My shoulders dropped, tears welling up. "I know that."
There's a knock on the door, and a male's voice that said, "Hey there, mind if I come in?"
My pulse quickened. Was it him, the man who'd saved me? Though I didn't know why my stomach was fluttering at the thought of seeing him properly at last. I was probably nervous.
As I was too busy coming up with different ways to express my gratitude, I didn't realize that Lira had already made her way for the door and opened it.
My stomach dropped when I saw that it wasn't him. This one, he was sweet-faced, with bright hazel eyes and a short, shaggy hair the color of sand. I'd say he was right about Lira's and my age. He was grinning, too much for this early in the morning.
I could almost compare him to cinnamon, but he was built tall and lean. Beside him, Lira seemed more petite than usual.
"What is it?" Lira asked, her tone deprived of any pleasantness. If anything, she sounded annoyed. Well, she'd always had an irritable nature. "And good morning to you, whoever you are."
"Breakfast is ready, girlies, you're being called downstairs," he proclaimed happily, turning to Lira for a moment to say, "oh, good morning to you too, lovely maiden."
I saw how Lira was taken aback, masking her surprise from the sudden compliment by instantly going back to her cold demeanor.
"And you are?" I could not stop myself from asking. "You're not the person who saved me last night."
He started, shrinking inwardly as if he was embarrassed of himself. Scratching the back of his head, he said, "Oh, sorry about that. I think I forgot my manners in the dining hall. I'm Ashton, and you're right, I wasn't the one who rescued you from that orc. I mean I could have, if I was there instead of the Captain."
"The Captain?" I blurted out.
"Yes, if you want to meet him he's right downstairs. Not sure if you'd catch up to him though, he's always in a rush."
I jolted from the bed, rising quicker than lightning. "We'll be there. In a blink."
Ashton shrugged. "Sure."
And he was off. I moved to follow him outside, but Lira grabbed hold of my wrist. "Not looking like that, you aren't."
Lira threw her chin at a mirror on the wall, allowing me to witness how utterly horrible I looked. Right, I was too busy trying not to get eaten by an orc that I didn't have time to care about my appearance after. Had I known I'd look like a piece of cake that fell on the ground, I would have just ran for dear life.