After that… encounter at the begging of the night the rest was actually very uneventful, filled with high pitch laughter and small talk all night long, and only far in the party I finally manage to escape to "go to the bathroom".The side corridors; especially the ones in the back for the servants; were quite empty, probably because they weren"t the luxury part of the castle, made of wood and stone structures without much of a furniture around.
Once I made sure we were alone I bring Leo out of my Shadow Dimension, his figure forming as if my shadow was bubbling up and foaming.
He was sitting, meditating with his eyes closed, so I gave him little slaps on the shoulder to catch his attention. Once he opens his eyes, getting used to the light once more after been in the dark for so long, I point with my chin to the corridor, convening that we needed to move on, in silence.
These corridors weren"t large, tall, and not even ventilated, the lights dim with a few torches here and there, not having fire crystals as the main area that held the party had.
The servants got the short side of the stick uhm…
With Leo guiding we enter another place where the clothes were sent to be washed, hearing a few servants chattering here and there as they scrubbed the dirt off.
No slaking off even in party day uhm, why I"m not surprised?
Leo was already dressed for the occasion, with guard clothes on, starting with an iron mesh under a light silver armor, with square divisions painted over the metal in red and blue, a total of four put together on the front, forming a plus sine in between, as well as the helmet that hide his face, adding a trail of red hair to it on the back like a high ponytail.
I, however, had to improvise since I couldn"t find a good enough clothe in time, only a so-so black simple mask, as most were already sold out to, quote, the "real people who needed it, not some plebes".
No remorse from stealing their clothes anymore, humf… not, not that I had it in the first place.
I found some good clothes already washed and went out of there, Leo right beside me until we found somewhere where I could change.
Closing the door behind me I start to pull the tunic off when I realized something was off, and quickly learned what by looking beside me.
"Oi, what are you still doing here, go wait outside or something."
"That would be suspicious, even more if I want to act as your guard."
That… that made some sense, but still I needed to make up something to take him off from here, ho-how could I simply change in front of him?!
"O-Ok, but you need to turn around then."
A moment of tense silence follows as he looks at me in the dim light of this private room, his golden eyes glinting like cat eyes between the opening of his helmet, the intensity of his look making me almost s.h.i.+ver, licking my dry lips.
"I swear you will be the death of me…" He whispers, smirking before turning his back to me, facing the wall.
I start to loosen my clothes off, the silence making every sound ten times louder.
"You know that this way is far worst than simply looking right? It gives s.p.a.ce to my imagination…"
I gulp at that and hurry up.
"Well, you can keep that imagination all to yourself." I said, trying to sound mad but been more fl.u.s.tered. He chuckles.
"Oh no, that would be a waste, I want to share all I have in mind with you…"
I almost trip on the skirt I was taking off. This-This guy! He was getting a little bold now wasn"t he?! Just because I didn"t run away the moment he confessed to me doesn"t mean I gave him the liberty!
But… well, two can play this game.
I take the skirt I just took off and throw it on the wall beside the door, a place that he clearly can see, and move my tunic up ever so slowly, making as much sound as possible with the cloth, and doing the same over the wall, hearing his heartbeat speed up as I kept throwing the pieces of clothing over, clearly showing my state of undress.
I take my mask off and discard it, the clangoring resonating in the empty room as I lower my voice, getting closer to his broad back, saying:
"You can turn back now."
His back visibly tenses as he turns, scowling once he finds out that I"m already totally dressed.
I arch an eyebrow at that, saying: "Perk of having control over my shadows, I can dress up very quickly"
He narrows his eyes, disappointed with the blocked view, making me giggle on the inside but staying unfazed by it as I c.o.c.kily ask, making pose:
"How do I look?"
I choose well, considering the seconds I had to; a white s.h.i.+rt bellow with the collar running in waves until the middle, a black pants and a black overcoat that curved over my b.u.t.t with details made in silver; or maybe with silver?
I think I did a really good match.
"Wait."
Leo"s reaches for my back, turning me to mess around with my hair; again; making a loose ribbon with a silver lace over my high ponytail.
"There. Let"s go."
We walk out into the halls, quickly pa.s.sing the servants area, entering my shadow every time we encounter someone as we went straight to the "not allow strangers" area, and once we were close to the main hall of the royal castle I pull us in one last time as some guards pa.s.s by, holding Leo"s hand in the completely dark environment of my Shadow Dimension.
In the end I have to slowly move my shadow away, entering other things/people shadows to camouflage as the guards stood close and didn"t leave. As someone with higher presence detection could sense me I needed to go slowly and smoothly, avoiding these stronger individuals.
The more time I pa.s.sed inside, however, the more I got anxious; and surprisingly, not from the fact that I was moving my hound shadow form around a castle full of people, nor even because I was using up my mana; but from the fact that I could feel Leo so close, in this private, quiet, and dark place, his breath tickling my perched up ears on top of my head, his hand getting warmer by the second.
G.o.dd.a.m.nit brain, give me a break! He wasn"t doing anything odd, he was just standing there! Standing very, very close… but still!
I feel him lean forward, just to help out my inner turmoil, his lips slightly touching my ear.
"Oh, sorry, I can see where I am very well here." He whispers, but doesn"t step back, instead inclining his head further down and breathing in my scent, his partially parted lips touching the top of my head and brus.h.i.+ng my hair slowly.
Oh, oh boy, oh s.h.i.+t someone almost saw us!
Sensing my momentary state of panic he says: "Focus on the mission…"
He dares to say it, the p.r.i.c.k, being the guilty one for distracting me! I was about to retort when I have to stop my shadow from a surprise patrol, standing curled up in a small vase shadow.
Leo takes this opportunity to slowly wrap his arms over my waist, his hands sliding over my clothes and far too close to my skin for comfort, bringing heat upon my cheeks and warming up my lower belly.
My heart sounded like a solo musician as it beat faster and faster, my sanity slipping away with the feeling of Leo"s back cupping mine as his strong arms embraced me, his mouth and nose still stroking the top of my head, sending s.h.i.+vers down my spine every time he took a deep breath.
Holding in any reaction I stood there like a statue, licking my lips nervously as we finally arrived, making me sigh in relief.
"W-we arrived, can you let go now?"
He chuckles in the darkness, for a moment hardening his grip as if hesitant to let go, making me considerate crus.h.i.+ng his feet with mine, but does as told as we appear out in the open. I take a deep breath, sighing, and only then I have the capability to look around at the fancy inner palace, area exclusive for the Royals, like a second castle inside another.
The hall was made of a complex architecture, with oval doves made with five layers, starting from a square form and opening up to the walls, all with images carved over them, plus the red and gold paints and made by hand carpet.
Personally it was too much to take all at once, almost blurring my vision with too much gold and white mixed together, taking me a full minute to take in all the details; and probably still missing some.
"Well, this is a fancy place uhm."
We walk up to an inner winter garden, symmetrically separated into two pathways with two high dove made of gla.s.s meeting in the middle, filled with low flamboyant trees with red flowers curving as an open umbrella, the beautiful image completed with the sound of many water fountains, the small ones staying on the side over the pillars, their water falling down in small waterfalls.
Those small ones all had different patterns; some formed a lion head with the water falling down from the mouth, others were vases of marble tilted sideways so the water would fall, and there was the sun, the moon, numerous and pretty, but even more was the main statue placed right in the middle of the garden, one more time being a woman holding a vase were the water fell, but this time she was accompanied by many children statues who were stopped forever in the motion of pa.s.sing a vase towards each other, some having reached the fountain and having the same effect as the lady, tilting their vases and making their own smaller waterfalls.
Ok, I have to admit, this place was gorgeous and very calming, the sounds of water plus the vision of the flowers being basket on the moonlight was simply breathtaking, adding the carpet of red petals we walked on top of.
Leo doesn"t pay attention to the place; probably he has been here before; as he goes behind the woman statue were, behind a thick wall, another little waterfall was hidden, strangely dry, were two lion heads stood facing each other.
To my surprise he takes his sword out, making a little wound on the tip of his finger, and pressing it down right at the middle the heads, making a rune symbol appear as the wall startes to shake, revealing a small opening to the darkness beyond, dust rising and making me twist my nose.
"Let"s go." Says Leonel, before walking forward into the dark place.
I soon follow.
~~~~
Thilgon: Leo… We got a situation.
Leo: *Already undressing*
Thilgon: …What the h.e.l.l are you doing? I"m talking about the author!
Leo: *pouting starts dressing back up* What?
Thilgon: Not what! I think so many weeks writing two books nonstop melted her brain up!
Leo: *takes off gla.s.ses and white coat, clicking a pen* What are the symptoms?
Thilgon: Well, first she doesn"t get out of bed anymore, she is walking like a zombie, and is always tired!
Leo: … What"s new?
Thilgon: Leo! This is serious! If she doesn"t get out of it she won"t write and the story won"t progress!
Leo: *Thinking: no writing, no story, no fap fap fap* This is an emergency, where is she?
*Going were the author is, a coc.o.o.n of blankets with her dogs and cats on top*
Leo: How are you feeling?
Author: *eyes poking out*…ok?
Leo: Why are you not writing?
Author: But I"m wr-
Thilgon: Then why you won"t get out of bed?
Author: But I do- Wait, is just because is cold, and I love staying in bed when is co-
Leo: We have to do something about it.
Thilgon: Indeed we have.
Author: Are you two even listening to me?!
*Ignored, they keep whispering to each other*
Thilgon: I don"t know what can we do…
Leo: *panicking, wants the D, thinks harder, haves an idea* I know! Let"s dump enough coffee on her so that she starts working again!
Author: *appears with blankets over her shoulders, all messed up* What are you two planning there?
Thilgon: Ah! A ghost! A zombie! A vampire! Run!!
Author: …
Author: You know you could just have said that I started a Ko-fi donation right? You didn"t need to… you know what, never mind, I"m going back to bed, under warm blankets, with my pets, and hopefully a good hot mug of coffee~~paradise~~
Hehe, all the jokes aside, if you would like to invest/donate it would be really appreciated since unlike youtubers/streamers writers do not earn anything from the platforms they post their books in!
Plus I already received 2 proposes to make my books payable content and I declined in hopes that I could maintain it being free by earning enough on future sales and donations. So… here it goes:
Tda~~ ۹(ÒہÓ)۶
you could always wait for the book to go on sale, as it will have extra chapters ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)