The Way We Fall

Chapter 190 (Roche)

TW: Bl00d, g0re, racism, h0m0phobia, coarse language

It took hours for Roche to stop screaming. Her throat was dry, all of her spit absorbed by Tigris' gag. Her skin was slick with sweat as she weakly heaved her weight against her bonds for the millionth time.

It had been hours since Tigris had left her tied in her chambers. It had been hours since she'd heard any noise from the courtyard. The last of the army had left. Only the healers and the knights who would be guarding them were left behind.

Roche sagged, her eyes aching. She would have cried if she had any tears left. She reached for her inkblood again, desperately hoping that something would answer her. There was nothing that answered her summons, nothing to free her or save her queen.

The doors to Tigris' chambers burst open.

"And there she is," Aodh said dryly, rehooking his keys onto his belt. He met Roche's eyes emotionlessly as Verita and Leinos rushed in, gasping at the sight of her tied up.

"Roche!" Verita murmured, scrambling to the Ala's side. Roche waited patiently for the librarian to unknot the bonds on her hands and feet while Leinos worked on the knots of her gag. The moment the spit soaked rag was lowered from her mouth, she lifted her gaze to meet Aodh's cold eyes.

"Is she gone?" Roche demanded.

His lips thinned. "Yes," he replied flatly. For a moment, he looked as cold and empty as his father, like he was a man with nothing left to lose. He tilted his head at her. "She asked me to promise not to let you follow her."

"That idiotic royal brat!" Roche groaned, rubbing her chafed wrists. Leinos and Verita quietly moved to the side as she stalked up to the motionless prince. "And you! How could you agree to this? I should be with her, protecting her-"

"You have no inkblood!" Aodh bellowed, so suddenly that Roche actually flinched. His eyes blazed with heat suddenly as he jabbed a finger at her. "You can't protect her any more than I can now. So stop being stupid before this kingdom loses you too!"

Roche blinked at him, her shock fading away. "You know what, Prince Aodh? It kind of sounds like you care."

"Don't flatter yourself," Aodh snorted, his eyes hardening, "I wouldn't have had to do this if you weren't an idiot who stopped to think every once in a while."

"I'm not-"

"Well?" he interrupted, arching his brow, "Have you done it?"

"Done what?" Roche asked when he didn't say anything else.

"Cooled down from your panic and found a way to save my sister," Aodh explained slowly, like she was a fool. When she blinked at him in surprise, he rolled his eyes. "I can tie you up again if you need a few more minutes."

Roche stumbled away from him reflexively in case he made good on his threat. "No! I have a plan!" she replied quickly.

Aodh scowled. "If it's something stupid like running after her-"

"No," Roche interrupted. When he arched a brow disbelievingly, she added, "I swear. Really, I have a plan."

And she did. Being bound in Tigris' chambers gave her time to actually think through the cloud of panic in her mind.

Roche straightened, sweeping her gaze towards the anticipating trio in the queen's chambers.

"I," Roche announced grandly, "Am going to get inkblood."

Aodh and the castle elders blinked at her in stunned silence. Then Aodh snorted loudly, grabbing Tigris' discarded nightgown.

"I'm tying you up again," he muttered, stepping towards her, "You already tried that!"