Aeon waited impatiently for Maxim to arrive. He should have been back by now. Maxim had left to speak to the queen after dinner over an hour ago, and now the sun had set.
Aeon had tried to entertain himself by staring out the window, but ended up pacing in front of it instead. He resolved to sit still, but ended up tapping his foot and annoying himself. When Maxim finally arrived, Aeon was on the brink of madness.
“Well?” Aeon asked before Maxim even had the chance to shut the door. Maxim looked exhausted as he dragged himself into the room and flopped into the chair.
“The queen has agreed,” Maxim sighed, “provided I become her consort.” He wrinkled his nose at the thought.
“Stop your shuddering, Max,” Aeon scolded, “This ruse will only last a bit longer. You will not have to become her consort. When will it be?”
“Day after tomorrow,” Max replied, “It seems she’s eager to rid herself of such a nuisance and is pleased that I have given her a solution.”
“That only means that we won’t be here much longer,” Aeon said. He was already making lists in his head of what needed to be done before they left. They would need to leave very quickly before the queen caught on to their ruse.
“Thank heavens!” Max exhaled, “Where are you going?” Aeon was already partway out the door.
“To talk to the men. Make preparations,” he replied.
“Would you like me to come with you?” Maxim offered. Aeon could tell it was an empty offer. Maxim was already pulling off his boots. Aeon waved him away and shut the door behind him.
Just as he closed it, the door next to him opened. He stayed back in the shadows as a pretty dark-haired girl stuck her head out. Deanna looked around before tiptoeing out and quietly shutting the door behind her. Where was she stealing off to in the cover of night, Aeon wondered.
Before Aeon could think better of it, he followed her down the stairs and through the castle. She snuck through the kitchens where only a poor watchdog slept. She paused to pat it. It looked up at her with sweet eyes and thumped its tail on the ground, before falling back asleep.
As Aeon passed it, it merely looked up at him expectantly. He patted the dog as well and slipped outside. Some watchdog, he thought as he followed Deanna outside. He watched her travel past her precious gardens and pass what looked like a training area for the royal knights.
They walked along a hedged path for a few long minutes. Aeon prayed that Deanna didn’t look behind her because there was nowhere for him to hide.
After a few minutes, she finally stopped at a corner. Around the corner, Aeon could see a mean-looking guard standing watch in front of an old stone building. Behind the guard, there was a heavy metal door presumably heavily locked. It must have been the dungeons.
What was Deanna doing here? Instead of walking up to the guard though, she scuttled across the path while the guard briefly checked his surroundings. She dived into some bushes. Aeon, not wanting to lose track of her, followed her lead and also ducked into the bushes.
He crouched and walked forward, wondering where she went, when he spotted her pressed up against a wall just behind the guard. Aeon couldn’t leave the bushes without being seen by either her or the guard. She followed the wall until she came to a crack just big enough to squeeze through. Aeon sighed. With his large frame, there was no way he could fit through that crack which meant he could follow her no further.
Aeon waited a few minutes to see if she’d come back out. And indeed she did. She kept her eyes on the guard who still had her back to her as she motioned to someone. Out of the crack came the girl who had attacked her earlier. She waved to the girl to follow. They dived back into the bushes just as the guard was about to spot them.
Aeon could still see them though as they crawled through the bushes until they made it to the outer wall surrounding the castle grounds.
“Why would you do this, Princess?” the girl asked once she was sure no one was listening. Of course, Aeon was, hidden behind a large leafy tree.
“You did not mean it,” Deanna said. The girl burst into tears.
“You were always so kind to me. You were my friend,” she sobbed, “I deserve such a punishment.”
“You do not deserve death,” Deanna scolded, “I know you would never hurt me unless you were forced to. Now…” Deanna pulled off her dark cloak and draped it over the girl, covering her bright red hair with the hood, “There is food and money in the pockets. You must flee as far as you can before day breaks and they notice you’re gone.”
“Thank you, Princess,” the girl cried. Deanna gave her a quick hug before helping her up a tall tree resting against the wall. The girl was up and over the wall in no time. Deanna smiled to herself and wiped a tear from her eyes. Aeon came out from his hiding place.
“You set free your would-be assassin?” Aeon questioned. Deanna jumped.
“Who’s there?” she snapped, whirling around to face him.
“Tis only me,” Aeon said as he came nearer to her, out of the shadows. Deanna could now see that it was Aeon, but it did not cause her breathing to even out.
“You followed me?” Deanna questioned. Her eyes were wide. She glanced back at the wall.
“Relax. I will not tell anyone,” Aeon assured her. Deanna relaxed a bit but she still looked at him sternly with her arms crossed over her chest.
“I just wanted to know what a princess was doing out so late past her bedtime,” he smiled. Deanna glared at him and walked past him.
“Why did you let her go?” Aeon asked as he fell in step next to her.
“She was not an assassin,” Deanna said directly.
“I saw her myself, Princess. She was merely a hair’s length away from spilling your blood.” He noticed the color drain from Deanna’s face.
“Be that as it may, she was not the one who wanted me dead,” she argued.
“Then who is it that wants you dead?” Aeon asked. She paused in walking and stared at his face quizzically.
“Tis no secret who hates me so,” Deanna said low. Indeed it would not be hard for Aeon to guess who.
“Why not run away with that girl then?” Aeon questioned. Deanna looked at him briefly before continuing on.
“I loved my father. I love my little brother and sisters and Helena. I love the people. I love my home. There are only two who I do not love and those two are not enough to scare me off no matter the hardships.” Aeon looked down at her. There were two? One was surely the queen, but who was the other? Regardless, she was indeed someone to admire. That or she was just plain dumb.
“You sound like a woman with much honor and duty,” he remarked. She looked at him surprised.
“You are mistaken sir,” she replied, “I was not born out of honor nor duty. I was born simply out of love, and that is how I will live and die.”
“This is not a world of love, Princess,” Aeon said, “Love is for poems and sonnets.”
“I choose not to live in your world then,” Deanna shrugged. She quickly hid her face and linked her arm through Aeon’s as they walked past the guard who still stood watch unaware of his missing prisoner. She released his arm and stepped away when they were out of eyesight. Aeon frowned slightly at the action.
“What world will you live in then,” Aeon questioned once they turned around the corner to head back toward the kitchens.
“I do not know,” Deanna replied.
“Who will live in your world with you?” Aeon watched her pat the dog’s head again as they entered the kitchen.
“No one I imagine,” Deanna said in a soft voice.
“That sounds rather lonely,” Aeon whispered after her as they lightly stepped through the halls and up the stairs.
“Not for long,” Deanna replied with a shrug.
“What do you mean?” Aeon questioned. Deanna looked back at him and gave him a sad smile as if to pity him.
“I told you tis no secret who hates me, and I imagine that it will not be long until they get their way,” she sighed as they reached the top of the stairs.
“You have no hope for yourself?” Aeon said, genuinely shocked by her revelation.
“I hope and I dream,” she replied, “But I am not dim. I know the reality of my situation, and I find it less fearsome if I accept it, though I hope that it does not end up so.”
“You do not deserve this, Deanna,” Aeon said, breaking the formalities. Deanna smiled.
“How do you know,” she almost laughed, “You have only just met me. I could be a wretched girl deserving of such hate.”
Aeon grabbed her hand and squeezed. “You do not deserve this, Deanna.”
Deanna’s smile dropped. Tears started to flood her eyes.
She snatched her hand away. “Yes, well…” she scrambled to get back to the formality of strangers they had somehow lost. “Good night, Sir Aeon. Pleasant dreams.”
She rushed into her room, barely hearing Aeon say, “Sweet dreams, Princess,” before shutting the door.
