"My dearest Mireya..." His cold hand wraps around her wrist and guides the blade away from her heart.
"...Do you believe your death is something I want?"
***
Aitháli was an empire known for its lush for...
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"You will need to gain his trust. Find him at his lowest and weakest, then you strike."
Ariel's words broke through the raging storm in Mireya's mind. Just moments ago, they had been standing in the clearing, going over the plan, and now Mireya was making her way back to the castle.
Ariel guided her there with the faint glowing mushrooms, and this time, she followed without hesitation. Every step she took solidified her trust in him. She was walking straight into the lion's den, but she knew no harm would come her way.
"Gaining his trust would be easy. He already asked you to stay with him, meaning he is not bothered by your presence. Ask him questions, learn more about him, but do not push for answers he will not give. He might become suspicious of you."
Mireya reviewed the steps of Ariel's plan in her mind. It was fairly easy when he had been speaking, but even she knew she had the potential of messing things up. She knew she wasn't clumsy or naïve, but she did have a habit of finding herself in trouble.
"Once he has let his guard down, figure out his weakness. This would be the hardest task, but I believe you can find it. Once his weakness is revealed, everything will be easier from there."
A weakness? Can someone like him even have a weakness?
She knew everyone had a weakness of some sort. Some just hide their weaknesses better than others.
Did Mireya know what her weakness was? Certainly not, but she knew it would be revealed to her when she would least expect it.
The castle came into view, making Mireya's heart pound just a little faster. In just a few moments she would be face to face with him again.
Walking through the walls of rose bushes that encircled the castle felt less haunting than it did before. Every few steps, one of the blood red roses would be entirely drained of its color and appear as white as snow. A sign that Ariel was still nearby.
When the roses had stopped changing color, Mireya knew it was all up to her from there. That was as far as Ariel could go without being detected.
She took a deep breath, and put on a brave face. She took determined steps towards the big castle doors that croaked as it opened. The last part of Ariel's plan played through her mind.
"Once he is aware of my existence, he will no longer trust you. I will do everything in my power to defeat him once his weakness is revealed, but if I fail, you must be the one to do it. If not, I fear he may do much worse than just send you back into the nightmare."
She rounded the corner and found him waiting with his hands behind his back, as if he was expecting her to return.
His eyes traced over her as Mireya walked up to him. She hoped her face didn't show the fear or deceit in her eyes. Once Mireya was close enough, she looked him straight in the eyes, hoping to not seem intimidated by him.
He said something to her, but she hadn't been paying attention. His presence short-circuited her brain for that one moment. Whatever was pulling Mireya towards him before seemed to reappear and felt even stronger when they were this close.
"I need to wake up, and you say you'll find a way for me." She spoke the words she practiced with Ariel. "I'll give you one chance to find a way out for me. If there isn't, then you take me back to my dream and let me fend for myself."
Going back to the nightmare was less terrifying, knowing that Ariel would most definitely be there to interfere and save her, even if it would potentially come at the cost of her sanity.
The man in front of her frowned. No matter how subtle the movement was, she was close enough to see his eyebrows tilt downwards at her words.
Why is he upset? He really expects me to stay here with him? Forever? I would rather take my chances with the demon.
Mireya's expression doesn't waver until he agreed to the deal. Her heart lept in joy. The easy part of getting back into the castle is done.
Now the real work must begin.
He waited a moment before turning back into the castle. Mireya followed while keeping a safe distance away. Once she walked in, the big castle doors groaned before closed behind her, sealing her back into her temporary prison.
They both stopped in the foyer and look at one another. He clearly wanted to say something, but instead he kept his thoughts to himself. His eyes swept over her once again, and Mireya feared he might see through her intentions and kill her on the spot. She was waiting for the moment the far away look in his eyes would sharpen and turn into something sinister.
"I shall show you back to your room." He finally spoke after his assessment of her. His voice echoed off of the empty castle hall, surrounding her with the deep, reverberating sound.
"Unless... you would prefer another?" He asked, snapping Mireya out of whatever trance his voice had put her into.
The heaviness she felt before had returned, that must've been it.
"No, the previous room was fine." She replied to him as normally as she could. Her voice threatened to wobble with every word she spoke to him.
The fear of who he is, the power he holds, and what he might do with it never wandered from her thoughts. It made her nervous. Mireya considered herself lucky to be on his good side.
At least... for now.
He let out a small hum in response and started their trek to her room. Like before, he stood a few feet in front of her and led the way while she followed.
Mireya, now feeling much better than before, took the moment of silence to look around each path they took. She saved everything to memory. Every turn, the shattered windows, and any clue or sign that might help her was saved to her memory for later.
Mireya's eyes often strayed away from the chipped pillars and lingered on his back. She wondered how long it would take for him to find a way out for her. If he did, would he let her leave?
Would I just leave without finishing the plan? Ariel would be devastated... If I have a chance I should take it. Right?
The more she thought about the plan and the outcome, the more she questioned how far she would need to go to gain his trust. It seemed plain and simple, now that she was near him at all times, but how would she go about it?
How would she, a person who was never really appreciated by her village, gain his trust and have the courage to rip it away when the time came.
Would she be able to handle knowing she had a hand in his undoing?
He's killed many others before. Ruben was one of them. He may not have been the one delivering the final blow, but he surely sat back and watched. He did nothing to stop the demons. That was just as bad.
Mireya remembered him saying he had his reasons for what he's done, and she wondered if there was ever a good reason to take someone's life?
She hoped to find an answer before it was her turn to do the same.
