Reconnaissance and Rendezvous
1117 Words
It wasn’t too much longer. I closed my eyes and breathed evenly. It felt silly, like I was a child waiting for my parents to go to sleep so I could sneak around. I guess it wasn’t too far from the truth. The door knob turned slowly, and Sheli peaked in, lantern in hand. It was late, and most of the castle was submerged in darkness to prepare for the night. I counted the seconds that Sheli stood there. Almost two minutes passed before she was convinced I was asleep. She turned and closed the door quietly, locking it behind her. I gave her five more minutes before I threw the covers back and slid quietly onto the floor.
Propping up some pillows under the covers, just in case, I headed for the door, and locked it behind me. I made my way down the stairs and towards the servants quarters like I had 100 times before. The secret was to go through the kitchen and follow the back hall, instead of going down the main stairs.
I only saw guards once, and I slipped behind a plant. I held my breath till they passed, cursing myself for not waiting till it was later in the night or perhaps early morning. I was only one hallway over from Oberyn’s room, but ahead of me was a maid with a food cart, bringing a late dinner to all the cleaning maidens. She would surely recognize me.
Biting my lip, I chewed over my options. I only needed her to look away for a second so I could dart across the hall, but she was headed my way, stopping only to drop a tray down in front of one of the servant's doors. Finally, a thought occurred to me.
I took a deep breath and summoned my light magic. Little balls of light lit up at my fingertips. It was always followed by a tingly, tickling sensation. Thrusting my hand forward I cast them out into one fist-sized ball.
Weaving carefully around the hall, I zig zagged the ball of light quickly across the maids field of vision. She saw it zip by and turned around, and by the time she dismissed it as a trick of the light, I was already across the hall.
Turns out, my Sheli plan worked perfectly. The chambermaid was there already, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed coyly. The guard seemed reluctantly charmed.
I stayed hidden under a stairwell, watching and waiting. It wasn't too long before Sheli was pulling on his sleeve and whispering "You can see his room from mine. We'll only be a few minutes."
I doubted that, but a few minutes was all I needed. I darted in behind them as they left. Crouching, I pressed myself up against the door. I had practiced using a smaller version of the magician's fist to unlock doors. It took me two tries to calm down enough to focus, but the door was unlocked.
My hand hovered over the knob. This was my last chance. I could choose an easy life, with Elson, and unite our kingdoms. We would be prosperous. My parents would be proud. The kingdom would flourish. I'd have a beautiful Orthodox family.
But if I chose Oberyn… well, mixed races typically were infertile. With both of us half blood, we could probably never have kids. Not to mention he could never be king. Life would be a struggle for us.
I took a deep breath, and grabbed the knob. I'd trade everything for Oberyn. My kingdom, my family, a whole life of luxury, I would leave it all in a heartbeat if it meant I could be with him.
"Who-" Oberyn gasped out. "Aire?" His eyes widened in the dim light. His hair was down, a rare site. He pushed a strand behind his pointed ear, and my heart leapt at his familiar horned silhouette. I had seen it standing at my door hundreds of thousands of times, with a book or a bear, a flower or a meal. My faithful, loving steward. I hurriedly shut the door behind me and shushed him.
He pulled me into his chest. "Are you all right? I've been so worried about you."
I laughed awkwardly, despite how nice his hug felt. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"
Oberyn shrugged and sighed. "I don't know. I just want to be able to keep you safe. I've been by your side for so long-"
"It feels like something's missing when I'm not around?" I offered him a soft, knowing smile. "Listen, I came to tell you something."
I pulled him over to the bed and sat next to him awkwardly. I felt nervous, like I was about to confess to a petty crime. I wrung my hands together, and Oberyn frowned.
"Aire, you don't have to explain yourself to me." He grabbed my hand and offered a small, sad smile. "Whatever decision you make, I'll support. I only want you to be happy and make your own choices. I’m just glad for the time I had with you."
I lost my train of thought completely. "What?" I asked, confused.
He shrugged. "I know we shared a few moments and you feel guilty-"
"You think I feel guilty?" I asked, in clear disbelief.
Oberyn opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. "Guilty for… leading me on? You had feelings for me but they're not-" he paused, realizing he misspoke.
"Not what?" I asked, sharply.
"Not like my feelings… for you." He fidgeted and looked at the bed. His quarters seemed so small now, and sparse, with only a dresser and a nightstand other than the bed. "I've spent every day loving you more and more. You’ve been my sole focus for years. I KNOW my feelings. But I can't expect that from you. It's easy to grow attached to someone you're around so much, and it's easy to mistake friendship for romance-"
I covered his mouth with my hand, and I was leaning over him slightly. "Oberyn I love you more than anything. There is not a single thing in this world, or any other, that could keep me from you. I would give my life for yours.”
His eyes scanned mine, and the room was so silent for a moment. There was a flicker of hope in his eyes, and I watched as he tried to squash it. As if me loving him was something so unbelievable that his mind rejected it. I moved my hand from his mouth, and he looked so vulnerable. Tears made his eyes glassy, but they didn’t spill.
“Don’t…” His voice cracked. “Please don’t say that if you don’t mean it.” his voice was a crumbling whisper.
“I wouldn’t.” And with that, I leaned forward and cushioned my lips to his.
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