A Whisper of Night

3.3 || SCIROCCA 🍃

Scirocca stared at the duo in disbelief. 

"You escaped from Scorvald?"

Luka smiled ruefully. "She broke me out," he said, nodding at Zalyne. "I still don't get how she did it - she ran on fire."

Zalyne swayed again, sweat glistening on her hairline. "Please don't report us," she said, her voice cracking. "We won't bother you."

Scirocca studied the two. Luka was stout, his hair a mob of dark curls, his skin tan but not quite as dark as Zalyne's. Zalyne stood taller and leaner than him. She looked as though she'd swallowed a bow, so sharp were her collarbones.

Luka.... The name sounded familiar. "Luka Jart?" she said slowly. "The singer?"

Luka gave her a tight smile. "The very one. If you help us, I'll compose a song or two about your valiance. The peasant girl who saved two innocent heroes."

I'm not quite a peasant, Scirocca thought, but kept her silence. She sheathed her sword. "You know that Queen Lleona's guards will be after you, right?"

"Yes," Luka said, "but they won't question commoners. You could help us - "

Scirocca sighed. So much for hiding my identity.

"I must warn you," she said slowly, "that I am not a commoner."

She pulled down her hood. 

Atop her brow glittered the gold-and-emerald circlet of Slagvald. 

Scirocca saw Zalyne's eyes widen in recognition, her knees bend instinctively into a curtsy. "Forgive me, Your Highness," she said. "I didn't know – "

"What's going on?" said Luka, confused.

"Please don't curtsy," Scirocca said. She glanced back worriedly at Aitma's walls - she'd need to return soon. "Could I have a look at that wound? I...I know thing or two about healing."

Zalyne nodded, her eyes wide, as Scirocca gingerly touched her shoulder. The serving girl's arm was as thin as a twig, her skin draped like a canvas bag over her bones. The wound, swollen and stinking, looked more pulp than flesh.

"It's infected," she said. "I don't know what I can do about that...there might be herbs out here for it, although you'd need to find a doctor."

Zalyne grimaced, but said nothing.

"Wait." Luka said. He studied her through narrowed eyes. "You're a princess? What are you doing out here?"

"The same as you," she said simply. "Escaping."

She might as well have insulted his mother. Luka raised an eyebrow, his eyes steely. "Escaping from what? There are millions out there who are desperate enough to kill for your name and titles."

Scirocca looked up, surprised. "Desperation reflects ignorance, not desire." Her father had told her that once, but the words felt wrong coming out of her mouth, like an ill-fitted gown. Then again, most gowns were ill-fitted for her. 

"And proverbs reflect privilege, not wisdom." Luka glared at her.

"Luka," Zalyne said. "Can y-you be quiet?" She turned to Scirocca. "Your Highness, could you help us? Could you find a doctor?"

Scirocca hesitated, her eyes flickering from the woman to the man. "I can't," she finally said. "That would mean war for my kingdom."

"Could you at least bring us food?" Luka demanded. "Water? Clean clothes?"

She hesitated. Clothes from Lans' servants, she thought. And food from the kitchens...they'd never notice anything was missing.

But...no. She was the Princess of Slagvald, and she could not - would not - risk her kingdom's and father's wellbeing for the sake of two fugitive slaves.

My father.

Sirok's laughter seemed to flood her ears.

And then rage shot through her, as thick and as bitter as poison.

Since when has Sirok ever cared about you? Blast that, since when has the kingdom cared for you? You're no more than a high-born bull, bred and trained for combat....

Her lips curled into a smile as she imagined disobeying him for the first time in her life. He'll looked stunned, she thought. He won't believe me at first...but then he'll learn, won't he? He'll learn that I'm more than his sword arm, more than a puppet.

She turned to Luka.

"Now that I think of it," she said, "I know an innkeeper...."

~~

This chapter is such a stub, haha, but I didn't really want to (feel like) lengthening it.

So Scirocca finally decides to speak up/rebel! What do you think will happen to her? Will Sirok and Queen Lleona find out? And will Melia, the innkeeper, suffer for this?

Thank you so much for reading! Please vote and comment. :) Next up - Astna again.