Arianna let out a shaky breath and shook her head. "Not really."

She walked further into the room and sat on the bed, clasping her hands in her lap. Aiden sat back down, facing her.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Arianna said, looking down. "With my father, I mean. I didn't mean to make everyone uncomfortable."

"You don't need to apologize," Aiden said. "You had every right to be upset."

"Did I though?" Arianna looked up at him, her eyes troubled. "He's my father. He's just trying to secure a good future for me. That's what fathers do, isn't it?"

"That doesn't mean he can control your life as he sees fit," Aiden replied.

Arianna's expression crumpled slightly at the word 'piece.' "That's what everyone does though, isn't it? Thamoryn used my body for her schemes. My father wants to use me for his alliances. Sometimes I wonder if I'm actually a person to anyone or just... just a tool to be used."

"You're not a tool," Aiden said firmly. "Not to me. Not to Laela or Kayden or anyone in the guild."

She looked at him, and tears began to well in her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered. "I needed to hear that."

They sat in silence for a moment, then Arianna spoke again.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course." Aiden nodded

"Do I in any way catch your fancy?" She looked at him with eyes that somewhat anticipated a favorable answer.

Aiden was taken by surprise with that question, and was quiet for a moment. "I.. uh.. you…" he was unsure how to go about an answer

Arianna looked away, a sad smile on her face. "Never mind. Forget I asked."

"Arianna—"

"It's fine," she said, standing up. "I should go. Laela and Elena are probably wondering where I am."

She walked toward the door, her hand reaching for the handle. But then she stopped, her shoulders rising and falling with a deep breath.

"For what it's worth, Aiden," she said softly, "when I was dancing with Bran, I wished it was you instead."

Before Aiden could respond, Arianna turned around and walked back to him, closing the distance between them in two quick steps.

She reached up, placed her hands on either side of his face, and pressed her lips against his. The kiss was brief, barely more than a few seconds, but it was enough to leave Aiden completely frozen in shock.

When she pulled back, her cheeks were flushed red. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I just… I needed to do that. Just once."

Then she turned and practically fled from the room, leaving the door to close softly behind her.

Aiden stood there, one hand rising slowly to touch his lips, his mind struggling to process what had just happened.

—-

The next morning came along pretty quickly. Aiden had barely slept, as his mind replayed the events of the previous night over and over.

The feel of Arianna's lips on his, the look in her eyes, the way she fled the room. It all felt surreal.

He and Piers dressed quietly, with Piers chattering about how comfortable the beds were:

When they all gathered in the entrance hall, everyone was geared up and ready to go. The atmosphere was noticeably different from the night before. Less tense, but with an underlying awkwardness.

Arianna descended the stairs with Laela and Elena, back in her guild uniform. Her hair was tied back in its usual style.

When Arianna and Aiden's eyes met, it felt a bit weird. She quickly looked away, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

Aiden opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again, unsure what words would even be appropriate.

Laela noticed the strange moment between them and frowned slightly, though she couldn't quite place what felt off. Maybe it was just her usual paranoia when it came Arianna's relationship with Aiden.

She turned to Aiden with a warm smile. "Good morning, Aiden. Did you sleep well?"

Aiden blinked, pulled from his thoughts. "Oh, uh… yes. Good morning, Laela."

"That's good," Laela replied, though she was still watching him with a curious expression.

Before any more conversation could develop, the sound of footsteps announced the arrival of Lord Cedric, Lady Vivienne, and Martha.

Lord Cedric looked tired, as though he hadn't slept much either. His eyes immediately found his daughter. "Arianna," he began, his voice softer than usual. "Before you go, I need to say something."

Arianna stiffened slightly but didn't turn away.

Cedric stepped closer, his expression looked pained. "I'm sorry. You were right about last night. I shouldn't have used the mission as a pretense to introduce you to the chief's sons without telling you my intentions. That wasn't fair to you, and I apologize."

Arianna's expression softened slightly, though she still seemed guarded. "Thank you for saying that, Father."

"I only want what's best for you," Cedric continued. "But I understand now that I need to let you make your own choices."

Arianna's eyes glistened slightly, and she nodded. "I appreciate that."

Lady Vivienne stepped forward then, placing a gentle hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Remain good, darling. Stay safe at the Academy, and know that we're always here if you need us."

"I will, Mother," Arianna said.

Martha couldn't contain herself any longer and rushed forward, pulling Arianna into a tight embrace. "Oh, my sweet girl. You take care of yourself, you hear? And don't be a stranger. Come visit when you can."

Arianna hugged her back just as tightly. "I will, Martha. I promise."

When they finally separated, Martha wiped at her eyes and turned to the rest of the group. "All of you, take care of our Arianna. She's precious to us."

"We will," Elena assured her with a kind smile.

With final goodbyes exchanged, the group made their way out of the premises and back toward the Guild.

-----

Laela sat beside Aiden, occasionally glancing at him. He seemed lost in thought again, staring out the window at the passing structures of the city. She wanted to ask if something was wrong, but something held her back.

Across from them, Arianna kept her gaze fixed firmly on her hands in her lap, refusing to look in Aiden's direction.

Oliver, who had been quiet most of the morning, finally spoke up. "Well, at least we'll be getting paid well for that mission. Three hundred gold each isn't bad for an evening of standing around."

"Never spoken truer words," Piers said, agreeing with him.

The chatter between them gave rise to different random conversations till they arrived back at the Academy.

-----

As soon as they stepped through the doors into the guild's main room, almost coincidentally, an Academy servant appeared at the entrance. He looked around the room briefly before his eyes settled on Aiden.

"Aiden of Ravens Grave?" the servant called out.

"That's me," Aiden replied, stepping forward.

"You are requested for by Lord Oberon," the servant announced formally. "He asks that you come to the palace immediately."

The room fell silent. Everyone turned to look at Aiden.

The servant waited patiently by the door, hands clasped behind his back.

The time Thamoryn gave him heads up about was here. Aiden glanced at his teammates. Laela looked worried, Arianna finally met his eyes with concern clear in her expression.

The others had a similar look on their face. Deep down they knew it had to do with the war, especially as the Captain had been summoned to the palace much earlier that morning.

"Be careful," Laela said softly.

Aiden nodded to her, then to the rest of the guild, before following the servant out the door and toward the Palace.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.