Michael sat in bed, wrists, and ankles bound to the metal frame. He looked up under his lashes and then doubled back in shock, at the sight of her. His armor lay by the foot of the bed, but the heap lacked his weapons.
"Have they been treating you alright?" Aurelie asked.
He laughed out loud at her response and put a hand on his chest. Lines formed around his mouth, and she thought that he might possibly be the most attractive man in the kingdom. His white shirt hung on him like a hanger, his hair shone, and the room had a citrusy aroma. At least, they kept him clean, and by the looks of the uneaten plate of stew by his bedside table, attempted to keep him fed.
He shrugged uncomfortably and lifted his hand to show the restraints. "I didn't tell them anythingâbut," he frowned, looking to the side in thought, "truth be told, they really didn't ask much."
"Yes, that's because they had another here to tell them all they needed to know."
"Not one of my men," he said, resolute with his answer.
"No, one of my women." She smiled and closed the door behind her. The little wizard from Halbrook hovered outside the door, but she heard his footsteps about a minute later and came to sit down by Michael's bed.
"What deal did you make for our release?"
Aurelie tugged at the rope around his wrists. His skin was blistered and scabbed. "Did you even try to escape?" she asked, her lip twitching.
"Well, yes, but then I thought maybe you'd come to rescue us and I'd have a moment with you before you were a married woman, and being with you ended up with my head stuffed on display in your husband's chamber."
Aurelie set fire to her hand and forced the other through the rope so that Michael's skin avoided the flame. The rope turned black where the fire touched it, and the strands snapped bit by bit until his hands were free. He rubbed at them and looked at her dress.
"Don't suppose you dressed up for me?" He smirked.
Aurelie shook her head and moved to burn the rope binding his ankles. "I'm a married woman now, and a queen."
Michael's face went blank. "Married?"
Aurelie kept quiet for a moment, wondering whether he'd catch on to what she really intended to tell him.
His eyes widened for a second as the shock set in.
"Did youâ"
The look she gave him stopped him from saying another word. "They attacked the castle while we were at the cathedral. He was late to attend because of a council meeting. I believe it concerned the location of King Lukas, Kaiden heard some of it, so we have the gist, but he had to leave to hand me over to the husband."
"How did they know he'd be up there?" Michael frowned.
Red rings had formed around his ankles, they looked far worse than his wrists. Aurelie rubbed at the skin absently and shrugged.
"I don't know if it's anything but a coincidence. Everyone expected the family to be in the cathedral. Unless, one of the council members was in on it and the catapults awaited the King's arrivalâeven then, I just don't see how anyone could have planned it. He should have been at the wedding."
"He was a good man, your father."
Aurelie swung her legs onto the bed and crossed them. "That's what everyone says of the dead."
"You seem strange," he observed, and reached to a little box of tobacco the witches had left for him, they must have sat with him while he smoked because there was nothing around him that could make a fire.
"How so?"
"Like you're dreaming and not totally here," he said while packing tangled strands of tobacco onto a block of thin parchment.
"I'm waiting for it to sink it." Her eyes were focused on his hands as the folded the paper into a tube. He brought it up to his mouth and licked along the loose end, then folded it. Aurelie held out a finger and set it alight.
"Are you really?"
"No," she said and waited for his reaction. She wondered if he'd think her heartless, but he just shook his head. "Someone told me something earlier today that made me rethink everything."
"About your father?"
"No. Is that horrible?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
Michael looked at her differently suddenly, and it had little to do with the fact that he served her now. He touched her hand, nodded and then shook his head; a clear debate went on in his head. She wanted to ask what he thought about but enjoyed the silent company.
Halbrook broke out into a celebration. A violinist started playing a jolly melody, and it sounded as if he stood right outside their window. A woman laughed, loudly and did not stop, but instead, the laughter grew farther away. Aurelie found herself smiling too while listening to her. She declined to join the feast, and asked to be left alone by the others, and asked nobody to bother them.
Michael jumped off the bed. "Wait here."
"What? Where are you going?"
"I know where they keep the wine."
He left the room without waiting for a response. Aurelie moved toward the window and swept the dusty, maroon curtain to the side. Long tables were being carried out into a little plaza which opened up past the narrow passageway between two blocks of black stone houses.
The violinist sat on a little bench, looking rather lonely. A woman with a tiny guitar peeked around the corner from the side of the plaza, and shouted something Aurelie couldn't hear over the sound of the music. The man stopped playing and stood up to follow her.
Every windowsill had a flower pot on it and one, a bigger window of a bigger house, had a cucumber plant vining up along a net, with yellow flowers clinging onto tiny cucumbers.
"Maybe that'll help you tell me what's on your mind," Michael said and walked to set the three jugs of wine he'd stolen onto the table.
"Have you ever worn a corset?" she asked him, changing the subject. "I've been getting so little air in my lungs that I'm surprised I can still think straight."
He turned away while she struggled with the strings of her corset.
"Do you mind helping?" she asked.
He stood reluctantly, and she turned so that he faced her back. The action of undressing in front of a man seemed much more attractive according to the descriptions of it Aurelie read in the books her mother possessed but said were not for young eyes. Michael's lumpy fingers struggled with the strings. He pulled harder than Aurelie anticipated and she tumbled back. The sound that came out of her mouth was something between a huff and a burp and had been the least attractive sound she'd ever heard in her life. He caught her and pushed her back up while she laughed at herself.
The top of the dress hung loosely over her legs, and she stepped out of the skirt, standing in her cage crinoline, corset, and pantaloons.
"This too?"
"Yes."
The pressure on her chest slowly released as Michael untied the strings of the corset. "Turn around," she told him sternly and heard him move. Aurelie released a heavy sigh, and pulled it off.
"Oh, that's so much better." She rubbed her back and walked to pick the robe off the closet door.
Michael sat on the bed and propped open a jug of wine, taking a swig. His cheeks had colored during the exchanged, and Aurelie laughed once she saw it.
"Have I made you uncomfortable?"
"No . . . not uncomfortable."
Aurelie bit her lip, and swung the robe over her shoulders, then sat down on the bed. She took the jug from his hands and tipped it over her mouth, taking three large quaffs.
"Quite the old drunk, are we?"
Aurelie wiggled her eyebrows. "Long day."
Michael's cupped her face in his hand and then slid his fingers down her cheek. It happened so abruptly that Aurelie barely had any time to react and so she just sat there looking at him. "Don't do that again," she said sterly.
"Why did you marry him?" he asked, not looking even a little scorned by what just happened between them. Aurelie thought about leaving the room but she didn't want to run into anyone or put her dress on again. Tonight, she didn't care. Besides, he brought wine and getting drunk was possibly the only thing that would keep her from gathering the shadow walkers and making them take her back to the castle so that she could find Deborah.
She turned to him. "I wanted to break him."
"Why?"
"He betrayed Kirin."
He worked with Nina and Victor before, though she had not been sure he knew very much about the relationship. Nobody knew very much but everyone seemed to know enough.
"I knew him a little, but we never served at the same place. Emile used me to travelâto seek you mostlyâwhile Kirin remained at the castle. Good lad."
Aurelie took a long breath. "One of the people I met in the Icelands found me this afternoon. She told me they found him. I keep," her voice broke and she paused for a moment trying to compose herself, "I keep thinking he's dead."
"He's not," he said so certainly that it turned Aurelie stone cold.
Aurelie looked at him until her eyes began to blur. She was debating whether he said it in that particular tone because he was trying to comfort her or because he actually knew that Kirin was, for a fact, alive. He opened and closed his mouth and she got off the bed, with the biggest knot in her throat.
"How far is he from here?" she asked him. A single tear ran down her cheek and she wiped it off with her fingers.
"He's at the Manor is Redayrah."
"How long have you known?"
"Before I left."
Aurelie pursed her lips, keeping more tears from coming. "So it's been weeks. Who else knew?"
"Does it matter?" he asked.
Her eyes ignited. The tear sizzled at it escaped her eye. "I asked you a question."
"The council, your father, the old wizard. Everyone but the curly-haired friend of yours and the necromancer."
The betrayal felt like an itch somewhere in her chest that she just couldn't scratch. "Why was the news kept from me?"
"I . . ." He sighed.
"Answer me."
"Because you're emotional. The wedding was coming up, they didn't want you storming the bloody gates on your own with your future husband's head in your hands. You're wild and unpredictable. You attacked a man at breakfast. People are more frightened of you now than they were of your father. You've made him look normal."
Her chest flickered with hot embarrassment. A witty remark came and went from her mind but in truth, that sounded just like the thing she'd do. "Did they even have a plan to get him back?"
"Yes, getting him out was our missing."
"Well, good job, commander." She rolled her eyes. "I hope you know you're in the wrong bloody place."
He rolled his eyes.
"Out!" She stood irritably and pointed at the door. "I'm taking this room tonight."
"You can't be left alone."
She squinted at him. "If I need a group of guards to get lost for me, I'll call upon you. Until then, out."
"Don't do anything stupid. Wait for the council."
"Ah yes, because judging by your successful mission, they're the ones with all the un-stupid ideas. Get. Out."
Michael left. Sitting back on the bed, Aurelie closed her eyes, wondering whether the general knew about any of it. How could they have been so careless with Kirin's life? They've known weeks. What if the Redayran's decided to get rid of him after the wedding?
Kirin would not have been sane when it came to her. He risked his life to save her and now he was captured for loving her. Her bones ached for him. Every passing day she missed him. Enough now, she said to herself. If she knew she'd get to Redayrah any time soon, she would have left by foot already.