The Princess's Servant

66. The Mask

After hurling a few times behind a potted plant, Holden found his mind alight with pressing questions, such as

How could Thomas kill thousands of people over one incident?

And

Why did it feel like it was on him to save Lailoy?

And

How did he consistently find himself surrounded by the craziest people on the face of the Earth?

Holden wiped his mouth, replaced his mask and felt his spirits lower as he saw Sebastian approach.

Speaking of the craziest people...

"How're you holding up, kiddo?" The fox-masked servant asked.

Holden let out a breath. "Fine," he lied.

"You know your bride's looking for you." Sebastian tossed a thumb over to the nearby crowd where Sybil searched.

"Yeah, I noticed." Holden prayed the servant would leave him alone. His stomach was doing knots again. He stepped closer to the potted plant just in case.

"You know, you really gave me a run for my money tonight. Pickpocketing Sybil... Stalking her to keep her safe... I tried all evening to ruin her reputation, and you wouldn't let me tarnish it even once."

"Mhmm." Holden felt his stomach lurch but he managed to keep it down.

"I wanted to frame her but you wouldn't let me. Now I have blue balls but for ruining someone's night."

"Gross," Holden replied.

Sebastian stared out at the crowd. Holden did the same.

And then, without warning Sebastian grabbed Holden's mask and ripped it off his face. "Whoa! Hey!" Sebastian shouted. "Aren't you that guy the princess is looking for?" And he chucked the deer mask as far as he could. It shattered in some dark corner.

The crowd looked to two of them and the music quieted. Princess Sybil took notice.

"Wardian!" She called, and Holden's eyes went wide as their faces met.

That voice. That word. It rang in his ears like funeral bells. The prince turned tail and ran as the little white figure moved closer to him through the crowd.

He ran and ran and ran through the revelries, around the decorations and out the backdoor. The cool night air enveloped him, but in the stillness of the evening, he could hear her footsteps behind him.

"Wardian!" She called again, but he didn't listen. He dashed across the cobblestone and ducked through a small gate that led out to the garden.

He listened as her footsteps traded stone for soil. She was close behind him, now. Too close. But Holden could see the forest line. All he had to do was make it in there, and then...

"Wardian!" She called a third time, her voice very near him. Holden felt a surge of adrenaline and he kicked his legs as hard as he could, closer and closer to the trees. The princess reached out behind him to grab the hem of his robe, but just her fingers brushed the soft cotton, she stumbled on a tree root and fell with a yelp. Holden narrowly escaped into the brush.

"Wardian?" She called again, her voice more strained this time. But Holden wouldn't fall for it. He hoisted himself high into a tree where he knew he would be safe. His breath heaved in his chest, and his cheeks were aflush with warmth, but a smile dawned on Holden's face. He'd actually done it. He'd actually beaten her. He could see her little pale figure kneeling in the moonlight and it felt good. It felt amazing to finally — finally — get one up on the woman who'd so long had one up on him.

"Wardian!" She cried. Her voice was starting to sound almost a little desperate. "Get out here!" She yelled.

"No!" Holden replied.

"Please! They may attack Lailoy!"

"I don't care!" He said, which wasn't even close to true, but Holden really didn't want to go down there.

"I know that's not the case!" Sybil replied. "Just please come out! I just want to talk!"

Holden held his back against the trunk and stayed as silent as he could.

"Wardian!" Sybil cried again.

Silence from the brush. She couldn't even hear the sound of breathing.

"Wardian..."

Sybil knelt in the grass and stared up at the woods. It was a clear night out, and the very-near-full moon shone down on her. She gripped the grass blades with her hands and felt hot tears streak her face. Her hands trembled. She stared down at the dirt.

This. This was all her fault. Sybil didn't know much, but she knew what Ward did to kingdoms they didn't like. She imagined Prince Thomas riding on her mother, her father, her sister; her cousins. Everyone she'd ever loved, everyone she'd ever known at best subjugated, and at worse extinguished. The little shops and homes she knew and cherished, lit aflame with Wardian fire. And she, the one who was meant to protect it, watching it burn.

"Please..." Her tears watered the grass. Sybil choked back sobs as her body trembled under the weight of her sorrow. She didn't understand. She knew what she'd done was wrong, but was it this wrong? Was it rip apart an entire kingdom wrong? She couldn't believe that was true. "Forgive me..." Sybil whispered.

And as she gripped the grass, she felt footsteps behind her. She didn't dare look, but she knew it was him. And like magic, she watched as a white handkerchief appeared in front of water dappled eyes. Sybil reached out shaking fingers and took it.

Holden gave a long sigh. "How do you do that?"

The princess wiped her tears and sat up in the grass. Her white dress pooled around her legs and the moonlight shimmered off her damp cheeks. "Do what?" She asked.

"Get me care to about you?" Holden said. "It's not right."

Sybil sniffled and dabbed at her tears.

Holden kicked the ground. "If anything happens to Lailoy, it will be Thomas's fault, you know. Not yours."

Sybil clenched the handkerchief tight in her thin fingers. "That's not true," she said.

"It is." Holden tucked his hands into his dark robe. "I— I'll talk with him," he said. "But Sybil, you should know..."

Sybil stared up at him, tears welling in her eyes.

"I don't like how you treated me. I didn't deserve it."

Sybil shifted her gaze to the blades of grass and listened as a cool breeze rustled the canopy. "I... I know," she said.

Holden turned from her. "Your trial date has been set," he said. "We can talk about it more then." And he went to leave.

"Wardian," Sybil called.

He stopped.

"I... I really am sorry," she said.

Holden turned towards her again. "I don't know that you are," he said. "But I think... I think you will be." The prince faced away from her once more. "Get some sleep, Princess. Tomorrow will be... a lot."

And with those words, Holden trekked back towards the garden gate and ultimately towards home, leaving the little teary-eyed princess with nothing but her thoughts.

A/N: Thanks for reading!! Please remember to vote!!