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“The castle is a work of mystical arts, Princess,” he replied with glee. “The architect was an ingenious Human, and the builders were Faes. It’s designed to respond to my will.”
“Why would they design an infuriating castle like this?!”
“To trap anyone trying to escape, of course,” he said as if it was obvious.
“I’m not trying to escape!” She shouted.
He smirked. “What would you need your bedchambers for while it’s still light outside?”
“To rest!”
“You may rest in the lounge room.”
Mierna scoffed in frustration, and Travus wondered if perhaps he was playing a little too much. Yet, for some reason, he found pleasure in witnessing the effect he had on her. Never before had he seen anyone become so helplessly needy against his touch.
Then again, he’d never felt so much yearning for a woman quite like this either.
She reappeared after slamming yet another door on a floor just below his, grabbing at the railings until her knuckles went white.
“Travus!” she hissed up at him with a glare. “Let me go to my room.Please.”
Something about the way she’d said his name made the back of his neck tingle. Though she’d called out to him with much anger, it was still a rare occurrence for him to be addressed so directly. It was almost affectionate andbrought back memories from when she first arrived at the castle.
With his chin in hand as he rested his elbows on the railing, he looked down at her almost tenderly. The fire in her eyes, the way her chest and shoulders heaved with exasperation, and how her disheveled hair framed her face; it was all very endearing.
“The only way to get to it is by being in mygood books,” he reasoned. “I promised that your stay would be filled with tests. This is one of them.”
“Enduring your existence is a test of its own!”
“I’m flattered,” he chuckled. “You know…if you ask nicely, I could relieve you of this frustration.”
She glared at him, then smiled at him sarcastically. “Alas, you’re immortal. My request is impossible to fulfill.”
Travus scoffed. “You wish for me to end my life?”
“It would save the realm a whole lot of trouble, wouldn’t it?”
He rolled his eyes, although it stung him a bit. “I’ll have you know that if it was possible, I would’ve done so without you having to wish it upon me. It’s quite a miserable life.”
Mierna immediately looked guilty along with a little confusion. He turned away from her as a guard came up to him to whisper in his ear.
“The Council requests your appearance,” he said. “It’s about the mines.”
It was enough to snap Travus out of his mood. Creaks and odd sounds suddenly echoed throughout the tower they were in, and he watched Mierna run to the door that originally held her bed chambers. She disappeared inside and slammed the door shut. He was no longer attuned to the castle, but instead confused and worried about the news that his Council had in store for him.
He quickly made his way to the Council Hall, passing through the interior garden where he and Mierna had grappled only an hour ago. Their imprints in the snow stood out to him, and he paused.
For the very first time, he realized that the place was beginning to look like people lived in it. Footprints, clean windows, trimmed hedges, pruned vines on the walls. It looked welcoming despite the heavy blanket of snow.
It looked beautiful.
His eyes rose up the walls and caught sight of a window he’d long learned to ignore, surprised to see the warm sunset reflecting off a familiar face that had left him long ago.
“She had that cleaned as well?” he muttered, a slight sting choking his throat. The guard assured him that the Princess didn’t climb up the tower and left well before the window was completely cleaned. He wondered if Aria might’ve had any questions. Then again, those were questions that no longer mattered to be answered.
Not unless he wanted to relive his heartache all over again.
Snapping himself out of his thoughts, he marched to his destination and threw open the large double doors, eyeing the Council members as they interrogated the small troop that they’d sent in some days ago.
