Songbird's Cage

Chapter 10

Lark stared out the window. The lateness of night was passing into the cold early of the morning. She hadn't been able to sleep, pacing her quarters until the guard she'd ordered to her antechamber had come in to see if she was alright. The image of Rory, bare, beaten, and shivering kept coming to her in the dark. Her heart would break, tears would bite her eyes, and then she would see the tattoo on his shoulder and the tears would turn to anger.

She knew the pain of being marked – it was a Hidelen custom to receive a tattoo when coming of age, and hers was in the small of her back – and the idea that he could be decorated with the ensign without his knowledge was laughable, unbelievable, a ridiculous lie.

But his face, how he had begged her to believe him, his kindness, his desperate plea not to be left to die made her chest ache. She wanted him to be telling her the truth, wanted more than anything in the world for him to be innocent.

But he'd known what had been used to poison her, hadn't been there when she'd been attacked in the streets of Caershire.

Crying out in frustration, Lark rose from the window seat, pulling on silk robe overtop her nightgown. Padding across the floor, she passed into her antechamber. The guard there looked up, bowing slightly.

"My lady," he said. "It's very late."

"I can't sleep," she replied, chaffing warmth into her arms – her chambers were cold. "I want to walk alone."

The man shook his head apologetically. "I can't let you leave alone. Even being out here is violating my orders."

"I order you to stay."

"Forgive me, Your Majesty, but my orders come from Duke Silas."

Lark sighed. "Then come walking with me."

He bowed, and fell into step beside her.

"What's your name?" Lark asked. His boots were loud compared to her bare feet on the floor.

"Khenji, my lady," he replied. She looked up at him.

"You're Hidelen," she said. He nodded.

"I served your father while he was in the Maharani's court," Khenji said. "He's a good man."

"I miss it. I miss the heat and the sand."

"As do I. Although I don't long to return to the snakes."

Lark laughed. "That's true."

They paced for a time, moving through the dim hallways of the sleeping castle.

"Princess," Khenji asked. "Where are we going?"

Lark slowed, sighing. The windows of the corridor were casting evenly spaced, watery pools of moonlight on the floor, and she paused in one.

"I need to see my husband," she murmured. "I need... Aspen. We're going to his quarters."

Khenji shook his head. "He won't be there. He spends most nights with his brother. I used to be posted outside of his rooms."

Chewing her bottom lip, she thought of Silas, of the last time she'd been to his chambers. He'd told her of feelings he had that she hadn't ever wanted to know. The thought of going to him now, with Aspen there, made her very uncomfortable, especially in the light of the emotions she had towards Rory.

Kenji walked beside her, curbing his pace so as match her.

"Are you happy here, my lady?" His gentle question caught her off guard.

"I spent much of my time here as a child."

"Yes, but are you happy here?"

Lark paused. They were outside of Silas's rooms.