Page 16 of Unkindness of Crimson Ravens (The Crimson Duet #1)
Thieves and Wine
T he dark green sheets of my bedding were cool on my skin. The fear of sleeping through my only chance to leave unnoticed barely allowed me any rest. For my plan to work I had to leave the moment the sun hid behind the horizon, before anyone got a chance to wake.
This was madness.
Moving the black curtains that blocked any light from coming into my room, I peeked out of the window. The twilight sky was covered in dark gray clouds, protecting me from the sun rays that were rapidly disappearing from my view. It was time.
I grabbed the old map from my nightstand, studying it for the hundredth time. Spending the last couple of days secretly searching their library for that map was the easiest part of this plan: from this point forward nothing would be this simple. Yet I was determined to succeed.
The map was not very detailed, but at least it showed the direction of the palace. South.
To my big disappointment, the trip would take longer than I wished. A full night’s ride. A full night in foreign woods all by myself. Had Francis really carried me all the way here the night I’d been bitten?
Putting my new cloak on, I hid my hair under the hood. Anxiety rushed through my veins, my heart beat faster.
For Sandra, for Eleanor and Frederik, I could do this.
Making my way down to the stables, I checked every corner of the castle for unwanted eyes. The castle was still asleep, longing for the lively conversations of its residents. Bright moonlight intruded the empty rooms, indicating the start of a new day. I had to hurry.
One of the many useful skills my Royal life had taught me was to walk silent. Though, hiding from trained Royal knights for some privacy had been somehow easier than leaving a castle full of vampires undetected. Nevertheless, I managed to make my way down to the stables without anyone spotting me.
The weather was colder than before, as though the winter itself warned me to stay away from the insanity I was about to walk into.
Should I go back before it is too late? The unwelcome thought crossed my mind.
For Sandra, for Frederik, for Eleanor. I repeated the words, forcing my legs farther into the stables.
My trembling hands blindly fought with the straps of the saddle; too afraid of being caught, I had not taken a candle from my room: a decision I deeply regretted now.
“Going for another run, Your Highness?” The voice froze my body in place.
Damnation. I was so close!
Forcing my hands to obey, I slowly managed to get the straps in the right place, aware of the gaze on the back of my head. I swallowed the lump in my throat, slowly turning toward my intruder. “For a ride,” I shrugged innocently, taking my seat in the saddle.
I could only hope the saddle would not fall down during my journey, but that would be a problem for later. Right now I just needed to get rid of Francis: who now grinned at me as though he’d found a naughty child stealing sweets from the kitchen.
“Is that so?” Francis smiled, crooking his head to the side. “Did no one teach you proper manners, Princess? Lying is rude.” He frowned at me. “Let's try this again, shall we? Where are you going?”
My mind wandered, trying to come up with some kind of believable excuse. Why hadn’t I thought of this earlier? My planning skills surely needed some practice.
“Save me the trouble, and just tell the truth, Princess.”
Groaning at my own foolishness, I gave up. “I am going to get the proof you need.”
My honest answer made Francis’ brows frown in confusion.
I rolled my eyes at him. “I will get the documentation my mother keeps in her study about all of the attacks. Roxanne said you need proof for the nobles. I know where to get it.” Getting comfortable on the saddle, I tried to adjust my dress.
For a moment Francis just stared at me, pure disbelief written on his face. “Are you out of your mind?” he whispered at last. “That is not your responsibility.”
“I thought you wanted me out of my room,” I countered. “I know where the Queen keeps them, I can do it.”
Francis laughed so hard that, for a moment, I wished to run him over with my horse. “What?” He finally said. “You think you can just knock on the front door, and kindly ask them to let you in for old times’ sake?” His teasing tone challenged me to act upon my wish.
Did he think me a fool? Ridiculous.
“No,” I groaned. “I know every hidden passage in the palace. If you would move out of the way, by the time I get there everyone will be going to rest. No one would even know I took a step inside.”
Francis massaged the bridge of his nose.
“Moon, please help me,” he murmured, as if actually praying.
“And where are you going to hide when the sun is out?” He did not give up.
To be frank I had not thought about this part yet, but surely I would’ve found shelter.
Francis narrowed his eyes on me when I didn’t reply.
“Why do you care anyway? It is not like you care about the well being of our kind. And human villages were never in the interest of a royal .” He spat out the last word.
Did he truly think that simply because I’d been born Royal, I cared not for humans?
Of course I do! I wanted to scream at him, yet perhaps he wasn’t completely wrong.
The only reason I’d decided on this dangerous adventure was the thought of my siblings suffering.
Perhaps I was the egocentric Royal he painted me to be.
Nevertheless I wanted to help, even if it were selfish motives enticing me to act.
“I will not stand aside while my siblings are in danger,” I admitted.
Sighing, he put a saddle on the brown horse beside Annabelle. “All right then,” he said after a long pause.
“What are you doing?” I narrowed my eyes.
“You think I am cruel enough to let you go straight into a death mission without my protection?”
“I do not need protection!” I absolutely did.
“‘Tis not for you, Princess. The documents you are about to carry cost a fortune, someone must be there in case of trouble. We don’t want your little adventure to be in vain, now do we?”
My lips turned into a thin line. “Fine,” I agreed reluctantly, preparing for the longest night ahead of me.
A few hours into our very awkwardly quiet trip Francis took out a glass flask filled with some clear liquid: as though he’d been prepared for the trip. Or perhaps he always had a bottle with him no matter where he was: something told me it’s the latter.
“Would you like some?” he asked me, catching my gaze.
I shook my head in reply. Whatever he drank, I certainly would not share with him.
Turning away from him, I tried to focus on the pathway that was now barely visible as the night fully settled down.
“So tell me, what exactly is our plan?” Francis asked me, intruding on my quiet night I became accustomed to.
The truth was I had no real plan, but I was not about to let Francis know that—he would turn me back around and lock me in his castle forever.
“Where is the entrance to the passage?” he persisted, not accepting silence as a suitable response. “Does it lead directly to where your mother keeps the documents?”
My eyebrows flew up in question. Did he really expect me to give him the most secret information about the Royal palace? What did he intend to do with all the information he was about to learn? I had to be careful if I wanted to keep my family safe.
“I suppose I could just be your guard dog then.” Francis rolled his eyes at me, growing tired of my distance.
I was not opposed to the idea. Perhaps it would be good for Francis’ arrogance to follow someone around for once.
“So tell me...” He crooked his eyes at me. “What is it like to live in our humble community after consorting with royalty ?” Francis did not allow me the luxury of a peaceful night.
What was the purpose of this disruption? I let him come with me for protection, not to make my night miserable.
I took a deep breath. Francis knew all too well that the castle he resided in was far more luxurious than one any Royal family could afford. As if I cared how expensive the art I owned was. Arrogant, rude man.
“I am starting to think I might be the problem here,” he continued despite my clear lack of interest. “You don’t seem to struggle chatting with anyone but me.
Why is that, Princess?” Francis looked at me before taking a sip of his drink.
“You even managed to befriend Roxanne of all people, surely that took a lot of effort,” he smirked.
Befriend was an exaggeration, but he was right: he was the problem here. How did he expect me to talk to him, when we both knew he was the one responsible for the destruction of my life?
“You cannot ignore me forever,” Francis didn’t give up. “We have a long night ahead of us.”
This man truly loved the sound of his own voice, didn't he? Fine, he wanted me to talk. I would talk.
“Who is Issac?” I asked, expecting the question would finally grant me the quiet night I’d been hoping for.
He took another sip of his drink, starting straight ahead.
A triumphant smile spread across my face, though it was short-lived for Francis’ low voice reached my ears once again.
“Issac is my younger brother—” he trailed off.
“Well, he was my brother. Issac died at the end of the Crimson War, fighting alongside human soldiers.”
My brows shot up, I wondered if I heard him right. His brother had fought in the war against his own kind? I stared at him waiting for more, yet he didn't spare another word. Had Francis fought in that war?
“Is that why you are doing all of this?” I asked him instead.
“I have an eternity to spare,” Francis shrugged. “It gets boring eventually.”
Obviously. He risked his life because he was bored. “How did you end up here?” I dared asking him.
“Roxanne already told you,” the annoyance in his voice was unmistakable. “We were arrogant—”
“ Were ?” I laughed at Francis, making him roll his eyes.