novelxo Chapter 31
She confessed everything - from how she learned she was capable of both lunar and solar magic to the rigorous work she had been doing with Demir. There was a part of her that was afraid of speaking the words aloud – of what it meant, of the reality that was promised when it was no longer only her secret to bear.
Aurelia knew by telling him this she was officially declaring herself an enemy of the Damaris crown – after all, Dorian had already claimed the prophecy for himself. Though she was engaged to the king, it was still an act of defiance and was sure to merit an execution upon being discovered.
Yet the weight that seemed to have dragged her down for days on end seemed to lift with every passing minute as Ambrose looked at her in the way he always did. Not as an expectation or a threat but as the woman that she was, laid bare for him to understand, to love. With him by her side, she could escape Damaris to save her kingdom and the Continent form Dorian’s rule.
Aurelia awoke the next morning refreshed as if confessing to Ambrose had lightened the heaviness that draped her like a cloak. Yet something was nagging at her, a comment from the day before that refused to escape her mind.
She sat up, the morning light streaking through the windows, and just as always, Cressida burst into the room with a morning tray and gown in hand.
Aurelia eyed the gown disdainfully as she sipped at the tea from the tray. “You know I train in the mornings, Cressida,” She said in a warning tone, beginning to munch on on a piece of toast.
Cressida turned to give her a look. “They aren’t my orders.”
Aurelia’s eyebrows rose in question. “Who’s? I thought Dorian cancelled the festivities for today.” As the words escaped her mouth, her stomach tightened in anxiousness. He would cancel such extravagance for very few things and something regarding Calathis was one of them.
Ambrose burst into the room, a grin upon his face, his hair unruly and loose from its bun. “Me, of course,” He said with a wink, nodding to Cressida in which she moved to the closet, picking out boots and a cloak.
Aurelia gazed back at him, unimpressed, yet her heart fluttered beneath her chest nonetheless. “What of training?” She said, taking another deep sip of the tea in front of her. If she thought about it hard enough, she could imagine it was a piping cup of coffee.
“Not today,” Ambrose said quickly. “Eat, get dressed, and meet me at the stables.”
Aurelia’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “The stables? I’ve work with Demir—“
“Not today,” Ambrose finished, giving her a look that sent a shiver down her spine. “I’ll see you shortly.”
With that, he disappeared as fast as he had come, the door snapping shut behind him. Aurelia’s emotions toyed between each other in her head – on one hand, all she wanted to do was go on an adventure with Ambrose, losing track of time riding horses along the oceanside. Yet another part of her screamed at the thought – for what time did she have for anything but learning lunar magic to save the Continent?
Taking a deep breath, she scarfed down the rest of her meal, hurrying to get dressed to turn down Ambrose’s day of adventure. The dress Cressida had laid out for her was frilly, lined in fur, and not Aurelia’s taste in the lightest sense of the word, but it was definitely one thing: warm.
That was the thing she was most grateful for as she trudged through the heavy snow to the stables behind the castle. Snowflakes coated her eyelashes as she walked through the fresh powder. While the rest of the castle was made of ominous grey stone, the stables were built with wood and emanated a cozy, homey feel. Aurelia hurried inside out of the snow, her gown trailing behind her as the smell of manure greeted her.
“There you are,” A voice said from the far end of the barn, towards the last few stalls of horses. Aurelia stepped out of the sunlight and her eyes distinguished Ambrose’s broad, muscular figure holding the reins of two horses in his hand.
“Ambrose,” Aurelia began, stepping towards him, a soft neigh emitting from one of the horses in the stalls next to her.
“Which horse would you like?” He asked with a grin. “I picked the strongest of the group – other than the ones resting, of course. My own horse certainly deserves a break after our trip across the Continent.” He turned back towards the horses, tightening the saddles before motioning for her to join him.
Aurelia paused, the same nagging feeling returning now but with greater intensity. “Where did Lorcan go last night?”
Ambrose’s hands stilled on the horse, turning back to meet Aurelia’s gaze. “What are you talking about?”
“He came to fetch Dorian, making movement on something.” Aurelia fumbled with her hands. “Where are they going? Where are the Damaris soldiers marching to?”
Ambrose shook his head. “Don’t worry, Aurelia. It’s nothing to concern you about.” He brushed her off easily, almost as if he had expected her to ask.
Aurelia’s smile faded as she stayed unmoving in her spot. “Ambrose...” She said again, biting her lip. “I can’t come.”
Ambrose paused, turning to look at Aurelia. “Oh, come on, Aurelia. What else could you want to be doing?”
Aurelia gave him a knowing look.“You know what. I don’t have time to waste. My grandmother needs me.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest, turning back the way she came.
“Aurelia,” Ambrose said quickly, stepping towards her. “Why else do you think I would take you far away from the castle’s grounds? If anyone hears word of...”
He gestured towards her. “Do you truly realize the consequences? Getting out of here is the best idea I’ve had yet.” He placed his foot into the saddle and pulled himself up onto the white horse, the other as dark as midnight. “Are you coming or not?”
Aurelia pondered his words for a moment, hesitating. He had a point she couldn’t ignore, and she shook her head, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Making a split second decision, she hopped onto the second horse, glancing at Ambrose. “What?” She asked innocently. “What are you waiting for?”
Ambrose grinned and turned to trot out of the stables, Aurelia behind him.
In the next instant, they were galloping along the snowy cliffs of Damaris, the palace fading into the horizon behind them. Arching pine trees littered the land ahead of them and Aurelia urged her horse forward, keeping up with Ambrose’s rapid pace as they went up and down the hills of the oceanside.
Aurelia’s legs tightened on the horse’s body, its strong muscles carrying them fearlessly through the snow, the icy wind whipping through her auburn hair. Once the castle disappeared from behind them, they slowly made their way down a break in the cliffs, the horses tackling the rocky terrain.
They went down until they arrived on a sandy beach surrounded by the tall, rocky cliffs, not another living being in sight. The horses slowed as the sound of roaring waves filled the air, droplets of water kissing Aurelia’s cheeks.
The view was truly spectacular – the blue-grey ocean fading into the horizon of the grey, wintery sky, the sand fine and black. Ambrose slowly pulled his horse to a stop, turning to Aurelia. “Isn’t it beautiful? I used to come down here as a kid when I didn’t want to be found.” He turned to look back at the horizon.
Aurelia twisted to face the ocean as another gust of wind whipped through her hair, this one much stronger and with the salt from the ocean.
There was something about being at the edge of the ocean that made one feel as if they were on the edge of the world. It was to be reminded of the infinity of the world and its places, of all the things the ocean she could see, as far as she looked out, could lead to.
Gently she hopped off of her horse, taking in the magnificence of the body of water before her and the freeing feeling of not being locked anywhere. For here, on an empty beach miles from anywhere, she was free.
She wasn’t anyone – the answer to a prophecy, the heir to a throne, the princess of anything. She was just Aurelia – a girl who loved to read and sleep until the sun shone through her window. She took a deep breath of the cold, clear air, leaning her head back, her eyes shut, desperate for something, anything, of who she used to be.
There had been a time when she had lost small pieces of herself she never thought she’d get back. She had long learned to live with it.
Yet the possibility of it all; of the world, of Ambrose, of freedom, of being who she was truly and inevitably meant to be...there, deep within, was a small glimmer of hope as the wind swept through her, taking her breath away.
Aurelia’s eyes widened and she turned to him, breathless. “I wasn’t sure I would ever truly feel again.” She rose her arms, feeling the wind sweep through her once more, sprinkles of salt water dotting her face, a rush of adrenaline sweeping through her veins. “I feel alive.”
“I’m alive.” She repeated, tilting her head back and feeling the water droplets land on her face. A smile grew upon her face as another gust of wind whipped through her hair and she rushed forward into the crashing waves, the feeling something she never thought she’d experience ever again.
“Aurelia!” Ambrose called with a chuckle as he hopped off his horse, wading through the icy water to follow her, pulling her body to him. “You’ll freeze out here.”
Aurelia looked up, her eyes blazing, a new fierceness that wasn’t there before. “No,” She said gently as a warm bubble of heat encased them, her skin emanating warmth and fire. “We won’t.” She leaned up to press her lips against his, no longer afraid.
Every kiss felt like fireworks and Aurelia accepted them eagerly, releasing her magic around them as it grew with her own passion and emotion. It was a long, perfect moment, and Aurelia relished in it.
He kissed her back, his skin feeling as if it were on fire from the magic pouring out of her body, her auburn hair flames warming them from the world around them. He held her as she leaned back, her arms spread wide, another gust of wind whipping around her, through her, filling her with another rush of adrenaline, of being Aurelia, of being no one at all.
After a moment Aurelia felt Ambrose tense and she opened her eyes to see him holding onto her tightly, glancing at something behind her.
“What?” Aurelia murmured, trying in vain to turn towards whatever he was staring at. Ambrose didn’t allow her to budge, his grip only tightening around her.
“Aurelia,” He said slowly. “When I tell you to run...” He looked down at her, his eyes wide. “Run. To the horses. Go back to Damaris.”
Aurelia’s smile faded as she took in his panicked demeanor, his knuckles white against her body as one arm slowly reached to his sword on his belt. Aurelia lightly struggled against him as she tried to pull out her dagger, the only weapon she had thought to bring with her. She could’ve cursed herself for her stupidity.
“Run,” Ambrose said suddenly, interrupting her thoughts. Aurelia took off immediately, sprinting through the wet sand as a loud roar sounded behind her. As she got close to their horses, she turned back and her eyes widened at the sight. Ambrose was sparring with a giant with the face of a bull at least three times the size, a sharp spear in its hand.
Aurelia couldn’t help herself – she paused. If she left him right now, there was no doubt he would die.
No.
She turned around and began running back to him, her dagger raised. She watched as the half-man, half-bull creature stuck its spear into Ambrose’s stomach and he groaned, falling to the floor, the edge sticking out the other side of his body.
“NO!” Aurelia cried out as she pulled at her magic, stepping through space and light to appear right in front of Ambrose in protection. Her eyes were dark as she met the gaze of the fearsome creature, his eyes empty, soulless.
“Stop,” She growled, her voice low. In one hand, she held her dagger. In the other, she summoned fire, her eyes reflecting the tall flames that emitted from her hand.
The magical giant paused, its soulless eyes fixated on the fire within her palm. Its gaze turned to look back at her, seemingly contemplating something before it disappeared in a flash of light. The spear disappeared from Ambrose’s abdomen as if the creature had never been there at all, yet blood gushed outwards, staining the water around them.
She fell to her knees next to him, pulling at her golden thread once more to heal his abdomen, pushing her hands onto his body to stop the bleeding. Her magic was more powerful than before, responding to her call in an instant, surrounding the wound and pulsating the healing energy that solar magic was known for.
Yet nothing was happening. Ambrose’s skin was pale from the blood loss and he was breathing rapidly, the wound untouched by her healing magic.
Ambrose looked to her, his eyes bloodshot. “..poison..” He choked out, his body starting to shake in the cold.
“The spear from the minotaur has deadly poison,” He finished, coughing up another fistful of blood. That was the last thing he said before he passed out.