The ride back to the castle was uneventful. There was only so much one could do when riding at the back of a horse. Serena held onto Darius tightly as the animal galloped.
By the ti the towering silhouette of the castle ca into view, her legs ached and her hands were stiff from gripping the saddle. She swayed slightly before regaining her balance.
Soone had appeared from nowhere and taken the horse from Darius, presumably to the stables.
Serena clasped her hands in front of her while she waited for Darius to finish firing off the commands he was giving to the stable hand.
He turned, crossing his arms. "That was an excellent speech, far from what Silas had written."
Serena nodded. Everything had been a blur right after. Ryker had already sent a horse for them, urging their return to the castle as soon as possible.
Serena felt bad for the warriors she had to turn away because of ti. She only got a glimpse of the general’s face, it was a mix of shock and sothing else she couldn’t quite put her finger on.
It ward her heart to tear a bit of the ’incompetent fool’ and perhaps ’temptress’ persona they had labelled her with. Maybe he thought she couldn’t read, or was poorly articulated.
Serena clenched her fists. It felt nice, even. She looked at Darius and smiled. "I’m glad you and everyone liked it."
"I rember you ntioned that you travelled a lot."
A lie to explain her accent and knowledge on things, all non-issues to her. To Serena, they were too insignificant to be investigated. Ironshade had other worries than trying to pick apart the words of an exile.
"Yes, I did," she replied easily. "Mostly from the East, but the harsh weather conditions forced here."
Serena always wondered how the few packs in the East survived the constant snow, how they got food. From what she knew, they mostly ate at.
"I couldn’t imagine that," Darius said.
He gestured for her to join him, and they began ascending the stone steps. His hand hovered near hers for a fraction of a second before he pulled it back. He thought of it, yes, the castle was almost vacant, but there were still many prying eyes. It wasn’t worth the risk.
His mind went back to the speech Serena delivered. If it weren’t for the fact that Emtt had detailed where she lived and how small it was, he would have almost been convinced that Serena was lying about being a rogue from birth. She spoke like soone raised on books.
He would still have to ask more about what living in the wild was like. Darius cast her a sidelong glance as they walked up the stairs.
"It’s really terrible," Serena said quietly, catching his look before he could turn away.
A few rogues would normally band together to form pseudo-packs, having makeshift ranks within themselves to mimic a proper pack. The last biggest set of these rogue factions was cleared out by his father so many years ago, his mother was still alive at the ti.
Serena was far too unlike those wolves that had tornted Ironshade. He sighed, pushing the thoughts out of his head.
"Serena, would you join for early dinner?" he asked as they reached the final step.
She glanced sideways at him, the corners of her lips twitching into the faintest smile. She wasn’t particularly hungry, but she found herself reluctant to leave his side just yet.
"I will," she replied.
"All right. Let escort you to your room," Darius offered.
"Thank you."
—
Serena pulled apart the curtains and stared at the setting sun, yet another day survived. It had been a little over a month and a half since she had landed here. And still, she sotis expected to wake up in the cold woods, alone.
She turned around and stared at Darius, who looked like a puppy waiting for its command. Serena leaned onto the wide windowsill, hitching herself up to sit on it.
"Careful, you might fall," Darius warned, taking a step closer with an outstretched hand.
She tilted her head, lips curving. "If I fall, will you catch ?"
Darius gave a crooked grin, the kind that actually reached his eyes. "I will. Always."
Serena adjusted her collar. If she had a scarf tied over her head, she would have pulled it down over her face.
"Would you catch if I fell?" Darius asked.
"Yes, I would. But I’d let you slip a bit to see if you trusted ."
Darius sat on her bed, moving to the very edge of it. His eyes never left hers. The orange light of the dipping sun cast her face in a warm glow.
"Well, do you trust ?" Serena asked.
Darius pondered the question briefly. It was a situation of wondering if she would save him from a fall. Save him... He blinked slowly. He trusted those green eyes, Serena would pull him off a cliff if he accidentally fell.
"I do," he said softly.
Serena nodded. She looked out the window. She recognized the bird that flew around, dark blue-black head, cream underbelly, a long forked tail trailing behind it like ribbons. A swallow. Chirpy little birds that were free.
When she turned her head again, Darius was standing beside her, so close she could see the flecks of amber in his irises. Without a word, she drew her legs up slightly, making room for him beside her on the wide sill.
He shook his head and took her hand in his, tilting his head. "Do you trust ?"
Serena looked down briefly, her slender fingers encircling his. She squeezed them unconsciously, then looked into his expectant eyes.
She had noticed his interjections whenever any of his subordinates mocked her in a slighting way. In her peripheral vision, the room was decorated in her favourite colour. But would it be enough to eventually save her?
Still, she could not ignore the feeling that his arms were the safest place for her in this unsafe world.
"I do."
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