When The Stars Align

chapter six | it goes downhill from here

"WHAT ARE WE DOING?" I asked as Lysander takes me outside. I returned to my cell the day before, pleasing the king, but he disapproved when Lysander took me back out to "interrogate me" in the morning. Victoria provided me with a spare room where I took a warm shower, scrubbing the dirt and grime out of my hair and skin. For the first time in forever, I felt alive again.

When I emerged from the shower, Victoria tossed something in my direction. I caught it with one hand, wincing at what I was holding. The fabric was soft, but I hated dresses, ever since I was a kid. It was the worst part of living my old, luxurious life. The baby blue fabric was simple enough, but the words that escaped my mouth were; "No, absolutely not."

"Come on, you'll look less like Amelia Covington if you wear the dress. We could probably pass you as a family friend, or something," Victoria countered.

"Are you really going to risk this, Tori?" I asked. She and Lys wanted a normal day full of surprises for me, but obviously that wasn't going to be easy. We had to hide most of it from the king, who was already growing suspicious of the fact that his wife is spending a lot of time with her brother while he was supposedly interrogating me. Plus, both of my siblings were public figures, and their actions wouldn't go unnoticed by many.

Half an hour later, I'm in a dress that goes up to my knees and heels too tall for me. My hair was brushed, my boring curls hanging against my back. Lysander doesn't tell me what we're doing, but I know people can see us. Curious glances are shot in our direction.

"Why can't you just tell me?" I asked again while Lysander refuses to answer my question once more. My ankles were aching as I just stood there in my heels. "Why are you even risking this, Lys? You're gonna lose your job."

"I told Tori not to give you heels to where, yet here you are in exactly those," he said, looking at my feet, for some reason. Maybe he just realised I was now towering him, when I was usually a couple inches shorter. "You've done a lot in heels though, right?"

"Like, I've spied on people and murdered them while I was in heels, yes, but I don't think that is the answer you're looking for, brother."

"Shut up with the formalities."

"If it pisses you off, then no."

He shoots me a dirty look, which was the same one he gave me when he was thirteen, the only difference being the more defined features, sharper jawline and facial hair. In the first time in a long time, I felt like Vera Carmicheal, and not an imposter.

The ring of a bell comes form behind me and I glanced behind me. Victoria was riding the bike, heels on her feet, with two guards behind her trailing with two other bikes. She wasn't going to fast, so her hair didn't flow behind her that much. She had no helmet, and I could tell by the expression of the guards that they didn't approve that for their queen.

"Your Highness, I-"

Victoria swerved around. "How dare you question our motives? My husband said he wasn't worried as long as I was with my brother, who is one of his trusted men. If you could please leave us alone."

"The girl-"

"Is simply a girl," Lysander cut into the conversation. "-and despite her history, my sister and I - who have been most affected by her actions - have decided to give her the chance to do some normal activities as we interrogate her-"

"But Captain-"

Lysander ignored the guard, turning to me. "Red or blue? Careful with the heels, though, because just because someone could do it easily, doesn't mean everyone can."