Page 112 of A Monarch's Fall

“Sorry. Yeah,” he said, and looked around his room before grabbing his coat from the back of his desk chair. “Yeah, I’ll go right now,” he said.

I grabbed his arm.

“Won’t it look suspicious if you go now? There’s a guard downstairs.”

“Oh, yeah. Wait. How did you get past him?” he asked.

“I said I was Edward and lived up the stairs. I’m not sure he believed me until Loki turned up and basically escorted me into the building,” I told him.

“Loki?” he asked.

I nodded.

He laughed.

“That big furball has been bullying every guard they send,” he said and began putting his coat back on.

“It won’t be suspicious. The kitchens have been busy all day and night. The amount of food being prepared and eaten each day in the castle is more than I can even comprehend. I’ve been on constant kitchen shifts, probably because my gran knows she can get away with working me like a dog,” he said.

“But you won’t be going to the kitchen,” I said nervously.

“It’s my excuse if I’m questioned. Don’t worry. I probably won’t even be stopped, and once I’m near the Princess’s wing, I just say that I am reporting to the Princess, and no one will question me further or try to stop me. If they do, I make a scene, the Princess’s personal guard comes running, and one way or another, I inform her of your return,” he explained.

“How are you so confident?” I asked.

“Because I’m certainly going to be head servant when the Princess becomes the Queen,” he told me excitedly. “She’s going to love me for being the one to bring her the news that you’re back.”

I just stared at Edward for a moment.

“Seriously?” I asked and couldn’t help laughing. That was what he was thinking about in the moment, someday being a head servant? “Edward,” I said and took hold of his shoulders, “I need you to fully understand how dangerous this is. Please tell me you understand me when I say that if anyone finds out that I’m here, and you know, before you tell Selene, something really bad —maybe even like dead-bad — could happen to you, or me or both of us. You understand?” I asked.

He placed his hands on my shoulders in return and looked me in the eyes.

“I fully understand the risk involved. There is a guard stationed twenty-four hours per day, every day, outside of the servants' quarters for a reason. I know there is danger. But you can trust me, you can trust Borealis. Stay here.” He walked over to his chest of drawers, pulled out a towel, and threw it at me. “Get cleaned up as much as you can. You can take whatever you want to wear from the drawers. I’ll be back soon. Don’t answer the door to anyone. You can lock it behind me; it’s just a turn lock.”

“Okay,” I said, calming down.

“Oh, and I’m sorry if I didn’t say already or make it clear, but I’m happy you’re home and alive,” he told me.

“Thanks,” I said as I began to wipe drying cold mud from my face, and Edward quietly left.

I changed into a pair of black trousers that I had to roll up at the cuffs, pulled on a Borealis blue jumper that I was surprised to find Edward had multiples of, and took off my old socks and put on two clean, dry pairs.

I sat on Edward’s bed, waiting anxiously for his return and enjoying the warmth returning to my toes and fingers. I tried to imagine the route he might take and how long it would take to walk, to envisage the moment he would return, until I awoke to the sound of the bedroom door unlocking.

I sat up fast and looked to the grey light outside. Hours had to have passed since Edward left. I was angry with myself for falling asleep so unexpectedly. I stood up and turned around to greet Edward or maybe even Selene.

The smile I had tentatively formed fell into surprise when I was greeted by King Nyx.

“Welcome back,” he said.

Chapter twenty-seven

Sometimes You Have to Sacrifice for Love.

Percy Flores

“Ibelieve that you were expecting someone else,” he said as he approached.