Chapter 13- Survival and Leather

[CW- References to marital abuse (physical). Please look after yourself while reading.]

Ariadne woke to the sound of Kurnich thundering through the castle. Someone had pissed him off. For once, it wasn’t her. His bad moods were legendary in all the wrong ways. She sat up and pulled North from his crib into her arms. She glanced down at him. His big eyes were focused on the door, and her heart cracked. He was hardly a sentient being and yet already aware of his father’s temper.

“What do you think upset him this time?” Song whispered in her mind.

“It could be anything…” Ariadne responded softly. “You know he gets fractious for any number of reasons…”

“Still, this early?” Song said.

“It is unusual for him,” Ariadne sighed. “He usually has the decency to wait until noon…”

“Mmm…” Song replied.

There was a pause, and then Song seemed to become aware of something, drawing Ariadne’s attention to the window.

“I don’t hear the knights training,” Song said, her hackles raising. Ariadne nodded, standing and walking to the window. Song was right. The courtyard was empty.

“Bets on the possibility that this is related to my darling husband’s foul mood?” Ariadne said sarcastically.

“I’d put money on it,” Song sighed. Ariadne nodded and glanced over at North who was laying on her bed, silent.

“... Something is deeply wrong,” Ariadne sighed before going back to the bed and scooping North into her arms. She could feel her little boy relaxing against her warm skin.

“Poor pup…” Song whimpered.

“He doesn’t deserve this,” Ariadne said. “Neither of us do…”

“So, we need to get ready, right?” Song asked.

“Yeah…” Ariadne glanced at the door. “Maybe we can use today to our advantage.”

“Meaning?”

“Kurnich is going to be pissed off all day; he won’t want to see us,” Ariadne replied, walking over to her wardrobe. “That means our actions won’t be monitored.”

“Oh, I do like where this is going,” Song cooed.

“So, let’s pick out some essentials that we know we can hide ready to go,” Ariadne said.

“Problem,” Song sighed. “We need a bag or something.”

Ariadne nodded. Kurnich had been very careful over the years not to give her anything that could be used for escape. Her dresses were made of silks and satins, terrible choices for traveling. She needed at minimum some sturdier clothes…

“I wonder,” Ariadne murmured. She glanced back out the window again. “Think we can leave North with Thea and sneak down to the barracks?”

“I can see a world where that’s possible,” Song said.

“Good,” Ariadne nodded. She walked over to her bellpull and rang for Thea.

A few minutes later, her lycan maid ran in, tense and anxious.

“Your majesty?” Thea asked.

“I need to go for a walk-”

“Now?!” Thea spluttered before composing herself. “I’m sorry, your majesty. I just…”

“I know he’s in a dreadful mood,” Ariadne said, handing North to Thea before picking up one of her royal overdresses. “You know I would not ask if it were not important.”

"Your majesty, if he finds you've left your chambers…" Thea's voice dropped to barely a whisper. "Last time he was this angry, he broke a servant's arm for looking at him wrong."

“I will do my best to avoid him.”

“Yes, but-” Thea protested.

“Just fifteen minutes?” Ariadne asked plaintively. Thea hesitated, looking between North and Ariadne, before relenting.

“Ok, be careful though…” Thea whispered. Ariadne nodded, pulling the overdress over her nightgown and walking out of her room.

The castle air was thick with tension. Ariadne could hear the echoes of Kurnichs anger coming from the east wing…

The exit through the west wing it was.

She snuck down quietly, passing servants who knew to keep their mouths shut when Kurnich was in a mood.

The courtyard was silent aside from the sound of her heels clicking against the decorative stone that made up the area. The garrison was just on the other side of it.

“Halt,” a deep voice came. Ariadne winced as she recognised the deep voice of the lycan knight commander. She turned to face him, her expression neutral and regal.

“Commander Ruiz, how are you doing today?” she asked.

“Your highness,” the grey lycan said with a sigh. “You should not be out here right now.”

“Well, it is certainly safer than inside the castle with his majesty in a deeply unhappy mood,” she said. Commander Ruiz tensed, his wolf features suddenly looking uncomfortable. “And you didn’t answer my question.”

“... I am well,” he relented. “But there has been an… Incident.”

“I had guessed as much, and yet nobody has thought to tell me what is happening,” Ariadne replied. Commander Ruiz hesitated and glanced at the castle.

“... Come,” he said, gesturing a paw to come with him.

Song let out a happy yip in Ariadne’s head as they followed the commander toward the garrison. At first, all seemed normal…

Then the smell of blood reached up Ariadne's nose.