The Things We Do

Chapter VI: Four Narrators Mashup

Aurora picked up the candle and blew it out as she walked over to her bed. She removed its covers and climbed in. She laid there in the silence, still thinking about Perdido regardless of the years that had passed. What am I even doing here without him? He went to the woods last I saw, who's to say he hasn't been there for this whole time? Aurora went back and forth on this idea, and eventually made her decision. A life without him was no life worth living, the past years had made that clear, so she thought that she would follow suit to Perdido. She needed closure, and that had not yet been granted. She sprung out of her bed, changed into clothing more suited for the woods, and ran into the wilderness. She would've hoped that in ten years he would have tried to backtrack by now, but she didn't try to get her hopes up. She knew that if she too stayed here that it would hurt many people, not just those close to her, but she didn't care. She was doing nothing but driving herself mad every day for the past ten years, why not drive herself mad in the woods?

     Soren ran behind his parents. They had broken him and Scheven out of prison, and were now taking them to their home. When they got there, Soleil immediately offered warm food and drink while Luna berated them. "What were you thinking! You can't just go around clumsily killing whoever you want! These things take time, especially when your target is a powerful Queen! Assassinations aren't something you just do on a whim! You also don't do these things without consulting me. You know I could've helped! Your cause is right, she's hurt more than she's helped since the war. You know I know what I'm doing!" she was yelling at Sorren and Scheven. Soleil tried to calm down her wife, but to no avail. "We would have consulted you Luna, but there was no time. We had to get it done now. Which is why I'm trying again tomorrow night, by myself." Scheven claimed. Soren and his parents looked down into Scheven's bloodthirsty eyes, concerned not just for him and True Queen, but for themselves.
     "Scheven, I don't think you should go alone." Soleil said, breaking the silence with her voice of reason. "Soleil, you know well of my personal demon. Be thankful it is no longer targeting your wife." Scheven said, slamming his fists on the table. Sorren's parent's faces dimmed as they looked at one another. "It was a frightening time. We were younger than Sorren is now. New love is dangerous." Luna said, grabbing her wife's hands.
     "I know how you once felt, Scheven. I felt that blood lust for all Zellaridians once. Then this one showed me not all of them are bad. But True Queen? She's locked us here. We barely managed to escape to break you two free." they all looked around at each other and thought of all the ways the war could've gone differently. Luna finally spoke once more. "Be careful, Scheven. Make her pay."

     Selene couldn't sleep. She had barely gotten any rest ever since she had moved here. Her mind was still of Soren, and her betrayal of him. She loved him dearly, but was too shy to ever say anything. Now, he sat rotting in a jail cell. She didn't know how to feel. The assassination plot had been forced upon the both of them by Scheven, so she didn't know his true feelings on the matter.
     Selene got up and found herself wandering the halls. She came to a section of the castle she hadn't seen before, she saw a broken door lie on the ground ahead, though a table blocked the path to it. Selene climbed over and went towards the door opening, where she saw a large empty tank sitting in one corner of the room. The circular tower was made of stones, and had a few gaps to which starlight poured in. There was a window through which one could see the dead garden, for the amazing gardener that Luna had always used was long dead now.
     A strong wind blew into her face as she wondered what this room had once been used for in Luna's time. Selene walked around its perimeter, running her hand on the wall, before she finally felt tired. She climbed over the table again and went to sleep, but in her dreams she was stuck in that room once more, dancing with Soren.

     Tage ran out of the jail frantically. He woke other members of the guard and explained the situation before they ran around the Capital town frantically. He sent some across the bridge and others to the woods, while he himself went to guard his parents should they try to attack them again. He burst into their home, flew up the stairs and shook his mother awake. "Tage! What's going on?" she yelled, waking True Lover. "Chloe stood watch with me. She was going home when I heard her scream. I followed her, someone had stabbed her in the stomach. I took her to the hospital. But while I was there, Soren and Scheven broke out."
     Even in the dark Tage felt the disapproving glare from his mother. "How could you let this happen! Go back to Chloe. She shouldn't have even been there with you. Go be with her, let us handle this. Try to get some description out of her as to who stabbed her, they likely helped with the escape. Go!" she yelled.
     Tage reluctantly went back to the hospital, waking Charlotte and Chloe up. "Why are you back already?" Charlotte asked. "Soren and Scheven broke out. We think whoever stabbed Chloe helped them break out. Chloe, were you able to recognise anything about the person?" he asked, desperate. "It was two people. One was a bit short, the other tall. They were wearing dark cloaks so I couldn't see them that well. I think they were women, but I could be wrong. The taller one had some small weapon, and I think that the shorter one was unarmed. That's all I remember." Tage nodded, bid farewell again, and ran to wake more people to help with the search. They looked all night, but found no suspects. True Queen, upon hearing these descriptions, immediately thought of Luna and Soleil. However, when Tage went there to investigate, they acted normal and the locks on the doors and windows were still latched perfectly.