Chapter 49 - Forty-Seven

"So, tell me Aeglos, as the only one with a functioning brain in this room, do you have a plan?"

My brother pouts at me, but I ignore him, as I feel Leo resting his arm behind my back on the sofa. Aeglos just smiles weakly, saying:

"Yes, actually, I have."

I turn to Leo then, realizing that he is a little too close for comfort, but I don't let it get under my skin as I make a smug remark by raising my eyebrows as if saying: See Leo how is done, you plaaaan first, you use your braaaain first.

He just smirks again, a mischievous glint in his eyes, probably thinking how to get back at me for it. I gave back one of my own then, saying with my eyes: Didn't like it? And what are you going to do about it?

Our mute conversation was interrupted by Aeglos, who gave a dry cough to get our attention back to the task at hand.

"There is a way to enter the castle as, in the next few weeks, they will be holding a Masquerade, one of the many parties they give for the nobles. My contacts were able to find employment inside the party, and once inside the castle we would be able to reach the treasure. For that, Thilgon, I think you are the most suited one, being able to enter your shadow and all."

I nod. "I agree, though I would need a map or something to find the right place, and if there is a special lock, a safe or something there."

"Yes, for that you have Prince Leonel, I mean, Leonel to guide you. The only problem is how he will get inside as his face is well known in the court."

Leo keeps his face neutral, almost aloof, the kind he used to show me when he had just met me.

"I can carry him in my shadow dimension, no worries."

"Oh, that's a relief. Me and Thor will take care of the escape then, we will make a distraction by attacking another area of the castle, and in the confusing you two can escape."

"You and Thor?"

"Yes, Hunthor."

What's up with the nicknames now oi?!

I fume at that, literally, narrowing my eyes, but before I can complain Leo intervenes, talking about the layout of the castle, and time passes as we discuss the plan, looking at a map, with the castle addend, handmade, by Leo, covering any problems that may happen, as well as the meeting place after the attack.

~~~~

Well, the plan seemed perfect… with a slight problem, one small detail…

The staff for the party… there was only vacancy for women.

"No-way that I'm going to wear that!"

"Come on, you don't care on wearing those almost n.a.k.e.d desert clothes and now you don't want to wear a simple servant dress?!"

I was discussing with Aeglos on the change room since I only discovered this simple fact once we were at the employment agency, going to a private chamber where they would show the ways of the job, our accomplice sweating on the corner as we fight.

"Really? Just a dress?! Then why don't you wear it?!"

"And how could why? It would look very weird because of my broad shoulders and my heigh-"

He stops in the middle of the word, a little too late, when my gaze tries to make holes in his pretty freaking elf face.

"What? Because I'm not tall? Because I have the height of a woman?! You little bastard!"

"No, that's not what I-"

I kept venting my anger on him as he kept trying to make me wear the servant women clothes, but once my anger was fumed out Aeglos tried to reason with me, and damn he had a lot of patience and time to do so; and to many good arguments too.

So yeah… I ended up having a brilliant afternoon wearing woman clothes; nothing too shabby though, just a skirt that went all the way down, and some undergarments to hide my lack of b.r.e.a.s.t.

Worst was the high-heels. God I hate them, even more than dragons; something I never thought that would be beaten in my rank of worst things; as I had to walk straight while holding a tray and serving fake consumers here and there, not looking in the eyes, head down, blablabla.

This was worse than working out; women earned my respect after that, geez.

Aeglos ran away once the training started, what a good friend he was really letting me on my own to go back to the new inn, a nice house with a winter garden right in the middle, having, instead of walls in the corridors, an open space to it.

Tired I went to my room to call my brother for dinner, but when I was about to enter Leo appears beside me, saying:

"Your brother is not there, he went out with Aeglos."

That popped a vein on my forehead. Sneaky bastard, taking advantage of the time I wasn't home uhm… Tsk tsk tsk.

"Let's dinner together."

Leo said, turning and walking away without giving me a chance to protest. Sighing I went after him, I was really hungry after all.

We settle down in the dining hall that the inn had, exclusive for users, making it very empty and private. We asked for your dishes when an unsettling silence felt down over our table, making me think on how to start a conversation.

Out of nowhere, Leo breaks the ice with a serious topic:

"You don't believe we can make it, do you? The city…" Leo asks me, his face serene. I sigh, looking outside once it starts raining, chilling the night, and saying without sugar coating:

"No, I don't. Really, Leo, a country? And even if we make one physically, the mind and thinking of people are the real problems, and thinking we can stop all the anger between species and keep it as a safe heaven and an equal place for all is a childish illusion. The moment we put people in, they will bring their hatred with them."

"And yet, you stayed here, helping, giving ideas. Why?"

Yeah, why really? I have been asking myself the same question, over and over, feeding the illusion that once we were done with this robbery I would simply move on. But I know I won't. I sigh again.

"Uhm, I wonder myself… But we share the same ideal, with different methods, and no harm is done in joining with people with the same ambitious I suppose."

He leans back, absorbing what I just said as our food arrives. This time I didn't even pay attention to the meal, tired as I was, but once again Leo catches my attention by saying, after we were done:

" Do you… want to know what happened at that dungeon?"

Many things happened at the dungeon, but I was almost sure what he meant by that.

"You mean your change of personality and strength?" He nods. "Hell yeah I do!" He gives a small smile, looking down, as if thinking or pondering if this was the right choice, but then he gives a dry cough, saying:

"Well, I…I did not change my personality back there, I actually just took my indifferent mask off in front of you, I couldn't hold it any longer, though my treatment with others did not change, only with you."

He takes a sip of the wine to clear his throat, licking the red liquid off his lips and attracting my attention towards the action.

"I… remember of a time that is not like this one, and it is all the same, like if I already lived through this all and was rebirth upon my death to my very birth…"

He gives me time to process the new information, but since, shocked, I didn't say nor did anything, he continues:

"In that life I took things much worst; I was still a child, and as such did not understand the hatred throw towards me, eager for my father's love and approval. Different from now, I chose to stay in the castle with the royal family, only to suffer greatly, but I won't deepen into that any further, I don't want any pity, I only want to make you understand."

He eyes soften, a distant look to them, as if reminiscence of those lost forgotten times.

"I learned too late that I was prey under their eyes, and any apparent weakness would be and was explored by them, so I hid it all under a mask, like a statue, as if nothing could reach me, making me indifferent and cold in the eyes of others."

"This is when I met you back then, and you were very, very different from what you are right now. I wasn't there to save your brother that day, so he did not make it, which made you bitter in early ages, fuelling your hatred for humans. And yet, despised all of that anger in you, you still found mercy enough to save me once my family tried to dispose of me in the forest."

"You save me in many ways more than just that day in the forest, you showed me what path to follow, and guided me but… your heart never had space for me, filled with all that hate you held in… But I didn't remember all of it until later, only having feelings, instincts upon it, and once I saw your human face in the dungeon all those dormant memories surfaced, making me unable to hide myself from you any longer, it felt like I was lying to you, betraying you…That's why, Thilgon." At that he reaches over the table and laid his hand over mine, cupping it as his golden eyes seemed to melt with emotion. "That's why I hold you very dear to me, even if you don't remember, and was scared that, if I told you the truth, you would run away."

How much cost him to admit that he was scared? It was not an easy feat… and yet I was too bewildered by the… information and by the intensity of his gaze when I ended up asking: "What made you change your mind?"

He smiles and looks down at your intertwined fingers. "It wasn't fair not telling you, you had the right to know... Plus I feel like you are not running away anymore, because you are not denying, because I believe that, now, I may have a chance and that's all I ask for, little hound." I blink at that, lost at words.

"I-…"

At that my noisy brother appears, making me withdraw my hand quickly as they approach, sitting down beside us.

They started talking but I didn't pay them any attention, the conversation we just had replaying over and over in my head, making me question… was I really getting used to his presence? I'm really not running away from him anymore?

And more importantly, denied, run, from what really? Is that all for what I really think it is?

Is golden eyes, always staring me down, confirmed my suspicions, but that could be... right?

And, worst of all, I didn't know how to react to that, neither how I felt about him, about all of it.

In the end, I had a restless night with my head filled with thoughts that night, but I couldn't find a solution, not understand my own feelings for him.

I woke as confused as I was the night before, with a slight guilt of not opening up either about my reincarnation.

But that could wait another day.

~~~~

Ohhh, how many of you guessed Leo's story???

BTW, many of you complained about the dungeon when he changed, but now, knowing the reason, does that part makes more sense?

Seriously, give me your constructive opinions, I may change once I edit (and spare us all of the "is trash" comments because, seriously, no one wants or cares to know.)

And my dog is doing fine, biggest thanks for all the support and kind words!!

See ya on Friday!!