There and Back Again

The carriage ride back home occurred in complete silence. The entire ride, my scattered mind flipped between, like, twenty different anxious thoughts on repeat.

Why didn’t I talk to anyone? Well, ‘cause there was nobody to talk to. It was just me and the gruff Sir Robert the entire way back. I guess I could’ve talked to him, but I didn’t exactly feel like spilling all my problems out to Margot’s knight friend. Though, to be fair, he didn’t seem too jazzed about getting called back so soon, either.

Apparently, for some extra motivation to get me back, Margot and Marie’s carriage went as fast as possible, without knights. We never met up with them on the way, our own caravan containing the rest of the Luminesusian party (mostly a bunch of confused knights).

The trip back took two days. As King Gaspard Lumineuse had promised, the Cernnos Woods were entirely clear of Scourge. Guess those regiments really do work, I thought as Sir Robert and I rode back the other way on the path.

When we passed by the site where Finley and Diana had so explosively introduced themselves, my mind drifted back to the man I temporarily left behind. I recalled our fight, the awful churning in my stomach returning once more.

I never got to tell him I was sorry. I had to just… go. But I went for Marie. I’m going to come right back. I’ll come right back and fix everything. Yeah.

The forest around us shimmered, specks of sunlight streaming in through the canopy. It was hard to believe it was the site of that misty battle shrouded in darkness, the first time I saw Scourge. I remembered how Margot had reacted to the twins, then. She had never liked Finley, not from the very beginning when he had saved us from certain death by the hands (paws?) of those gnarly monsters.

The twins had really shown off some spectacular skills with their casting. I guess Margot really hated magic.

Magic… Wait! I never got to pick up my magic tool!

It wasn’t as if I had incredible power like the twins anyway, but that realization deflated my spirit. I was alone. There wasn’t even a chance of magic saving the day this time.

Just me and this book.

Can I really do it on my own?

…Was it really the right call to put everything on the line like this? I’m riding right back into the Deighsel’s hands, after all. What if I can’t fix it?

What if I never see Finley again?

I shook my head violently at the thought, eliciting a confused stare from my knightly companion.

There’s no point in falling into despair. I’ve just gotta do it.

Please wait for me, Finley. I’ll fix it all. I promise.

Seeking a distraction, I opened the book on my lap to a random page. Oh, great. The first thing I saw was another freaking hallucination: starvingArtist21: did he really abandon him?

Stop that! It’s getting annoying misreading everything all the time!

I rubbed my eyes furiously, angry at their betrayal, and looked again. Yep. “Starving, Arlent did realign to the abattoir, his…” Just some stupid random snippet of Lumineusian history. My mind really just wouldn’t stop messing with me, reminding me of every poor decision I had made.

All this stress really was getting to me, huh?

~~~~~~

Darkness had overtaken the view outside the window by the time we arrived at the Lumineuse Palace. Every step after disembarking from the royal carriage filled me with dread.

How would they even know I decided to come? What if they hurt Marie? How is Margot so powerful?

I stepped into an empty foyer. It felt like years ago that I had first sat at the end of the hall with my father, awaiting the arrival of the Duke and his son. The palace around me felt far more foreign than that of Bridd. Ironic, considering this is supposed to be my home.

I wasn’t just going to grab Marie and one-eighty back to Andraste. No, I was mad. I honestly didn’t even care if escaping with Marie would solve everything. I was done having no control.

The plan, which I had refined during the trip, was to find Marie, tell her about the information in the book, and then use that to bring ruin to the Deighsels before there was any hope of completing the nuptials.

Alone, I walked through the foyer, dark and foreboding. By my estimation, it had to be well past midnight. No palace employees waited to take me back to a bright and happy guest room; no royal twins accompanied me to show me around. It steeled my resolve further.

The vague memory of the path back to my own room resurfaced. My footsteps, though light in weight, were laden with meaning. I was here of my own accord, not because of anyone else. I marched back to the room in which I took my first breath in this world, stopping in front of the door.

Of course. Door’s closed. I tried the knob. Unlocked, though. Hmm.

I flung it open and was greeted by a view of Marie-

Wait. No.

“Margot.”

“Hello, Your Highness. I’m so glad you decided to do the right thing.” She was sitting in a chair. Had she been waiting for me?

I didn’t care. The only question on my mind was: “Where’s Marie?” I tried to have as intimidating and threatening an aura as possible.

“She’s being… punished for her insubordination.”

“What!?” I stormed into the room from the threshold.

Margot simply smiled, though it was empty, bare. Cold.

It took all I had to not stomp over and slap her. “Margot, I command you, as your princess, to explain!”

“What, you thought there would be no consequences? A maid of the kingdom, meeting in secret with a foreign military official…” she tutted. “Quite the foolish thing.”

My heart dropped. “You mean… with…”

“Perhaps you are in a less concerning position, with your convenient bloodline. However, Marie is naught but a lowly maid. The same grace does not extend to her.” She stood up.

She was not just a “lowly maid,” you monster. I’ll show you.

“Where is she!?”

“Considering her actions, in the dungeon.” Margot began to leave, walking past me out to the double doors of my room, still open from my entrance. As she passed me, she whispered, “A place where you two may have a happy reunion, depending on what His Majesty decides tomorrow morning.”

“I’m going to see her now,” I started, but Margot blocked my exit.

“Oh, I don’t think that would be a wise decision, Elisabeth. You can’t see her now. Besides,” she sneered, “you will want to get as much rest as possible for tomorrow morning. It will certainly be… a show.”

“You! Don’t you-” But she had already closed the doors with a slam. I heard the click of the lock, and something… wooden?

I ran over to leave, but the door was… well, it was locked this time. But that wasn’t all. I turned the lock back, and tried to pull, but something physically blocked my way. It was jammed shut.

Falling to my knees, I stared at the ground.

I had fallen right into her trap.