She's a Rebel // Ben Finn x Princess

Chapter 4

The sun was beginning to set, casting a golden haze across a thin strip of my chamber floor. I watched it snake across the room, the dust particles floating across the beams like I was watching clouds on a summer's day. I was struggling to comprehend what Page had told me and I couldn't get the image of Ben escaping out of the back of the Hideout out of my head. It contrasted so viciously with the idea I had previously had, the one of the valiant soldier, my friend. I didn't know how to process it.

I laid my head against my pillow, still fully dressed and bloodstained from the fight. There always seemed to be something. Even if I did take a vacation, I would be there primarily to greet the people, and my Hero nature required me to help whoever needed me, which seemed to be literally everyone. Even in Aurora, the furthest reaches of the kingdom, I would deal with people's relationship drama, or dig up a statue or something. And if I wasn't doing that, I'd be hearing Hobson's ridiculous pleas to raise the tax.

"My queen!" I was startled by the interruption, immediately standing to attention. A servant I didn't know the name of stood in the doorway, panting. "I apologise for the disturbance but an important visitor is here to see you. He says it's about your brother, and he stresses urgency."

Without saying a word, I nodded, dismissing him. About Logan? What could there possibly be to say? Though, I couldn't be sure it actually was about Logan, after the day's events. But I couldn't risk it, not after everything that had happened - since the Crawler. I needed family now more than ever. I removed my jacket, and adorned myself with the crown.

"Your gracious majesty!" I heard the sleazy call before I saw the sleazy man it came from. I sighed, it seemed like today was just a day full of nostalgic visits. I turned the corner to see Reaver, decked out with bling, cane and all, standing in the foyer. "You must forgive me for making house calls; I hardly ever attempt to pursue women in their homes... except on Wednesdays, hm..."

"What is it, Reaver?" I sighed, again. I couldn't help it; it was the automatic reaction to every word he said. It had barely begun but I ached for this interaction to be over. "You say it's about Logan?"

"Well..." He strung the word out and I fought the urge to roll my eyes. "That is, indeed, what I said. May we adjourn to the parlour? I believe your magnificence will want a drink or two before she can fully appreciate the news I have to bring to your attention."

As much as I really didn't want any "news", much less any kind of drink he had to offer, but it appeared I didn't have much of a choice and, after all, Reaver never failed to entertain. I sighed, a third time in the space of three minutes. I gestured left and heard the clack of his cane before I made my way down the stairs. My head started to pound.

"So, are you going to tell me or are you going to have me fight several rounds of some weird game first?" I asked, exasperated, as I saw him pass a glass of an orange liquid across the table. I sat down and pushed it aside. "Not for me, thanks."

"Ah, does being our sovereign mean you can't have a good time? Shame, so unlike your mother." I didn't hold back my eye-roll, but that only seemed to encourage him. He smiled at me, before readjusting his position. "But I digress. I have information that I really couldn't keep to myself, and something I require your help with."

"Just tell me, Reaver, I don't have all the time in the world." I sighed, with more emphasis this time, holding my hand against my forehead in attempt to soothe the pain. He clicked his tongue in response, I readied myself for an inappropriate statement, but thankfully he adopted a serious look.

"Your brother has been spotted on somewhat of a rendezvous with your old friend, Mary Godwin," he leaned in a little close, lowering his tone, "and allegedly, they were doing a little more than just business," the word was given extra syllables and he raised his eyebrows for a moment, and I felt a knot tying itself in my stomach, "which, you cannot disagree, is not a good decision on his part."

Reaver was right. Mary Godwin, or Witchcraft Mary as she was more infamously known, was a prominent scientist and household name within Albion. She had previously conducted many unethical experiments which Logan had actually imprisoned her for, but about four months ago she had been released from psychiatric care, under my orders. She wasn't a danger to anyone other than herself, technically speaking. But if Logan had spent a prolonged amount of time with her, he may have caught some of her more unorthodox thought processes.

"So he has a new friend, that's not a bad thing." I replied, attempting to cover my growing anxiety. "Miss Godwin is an intelligent woman, Logan could do a lot worse in terms of new ventures." I thought to Ben again, his own new path. At least Logan wasn't murdering anyone. Reaver continued to smile at me, and I felt a resurgence of pain break across my forehead.

"I heard from an extremely reliable source, a hand-me-down from my pirating days, if you will, that she is using the Darkness that still resides deep within your brother in conjunction with her outlandish experiments," I couldn't help but question his intentions, he didn't exactly have the track record of benevolence. "And the wholesome gents at the Temple of Avo have experienced all the adverse effects of these discoveries, as well as a few... fortunate ones. Which," his brown eyes flickered with sincerity for a moment as he took a sip of his drink, "is bothering certain friends of mine, and means that I, too, am being entreated to detrimental outcomes from your brother's alliance with one Witchcraft Mary."

And there it was.

"You want me to break Logan and Mary up?" I asked, not truly believing the words that were coming out of my mouth. If he was happy, finally, regardless of what weird things she was using him for, I wasn't going to ruin that. She could be taking advantage of him, of course, he could be out of his depth. A myriad of thoughts ran across my consciousness in the span of a few seconds, a similar speed to how my heart was beating. Reaver just smirked at me, the jewel on his shawl glinting as the candlelight reflected from it. "You're despicable."

"Ah, my radiant queen, I would rather think that the comfortable conclusion of such an... illicit companionship would be beneficial, not only for you and I, but for the good of the kingdom." He stood up, but even that action was theatrical and grandiose. Often the air of arrogance he carried filled the room, leaving little for his huge ego and no space to breathe. As much as it would be ideal to despise him, it was hard to feel anything but admiration. He stood beside the table, tapping his cane, as if announcing his impending departure. "As we all know that Mary Godwin is not the most stable of individuals, we wouldn't want that infecting that precious brother of yours." He turned on his heel, a smooth movement that struck me as rehearsed, but almost definitely wasn't, before heading out of the door. "Think about it, your majesty. I could conjure up a few of my own alternative solutions to our problem, if you'd like, but I doubt they would be to your taste."

A threat. Wonderful. The most dangerous and powerful man in Albion threatening harm against my brother. I remained seated for a while longer, staring at Reaver's empty glass, struggling to think through the searing pain behind my eyes.