She knew that whoever it was would most certainly pay with their life. But if they went back, everyone would lose their lives.
"I can," she said, meeting his gaze.
"Alright. Then stay. I want you to stay."
She couldn't believe he was actually saying that. She couldn't believe he wanted her to stay.
She nodded, not looking away. Something about the way he was looking back at her made the air between them thick and deliciously tense. She found it a little hard to breathe. And she felt as if every single nerve in her body caught on fire at that very moment.
He cleared his throat and let go of her hand.
"Go back to your people, tell them what you want. I'm going to my room. I don't think I can face them without doing something violent, so..."
"Okay," she said nodding.
He walked away without another word. She stayed in that spot for a few more minutes, trying to wrap her mind around what had just happened.
Eventually, she made her way back to the throne room.
Grace raised an eyebrow at her, but when she didn't see Lex behind her, understanding washed over the girl, and she got up and left the room.
The others looked to Aria, their expressions ranging from scared to hopeful.
"He's letting us stay," she said. And everyone in the room relaxed at the same time. "But things will be different from now on," she added before leaving.
She made her way up to her room and got in bed. Her spot felt a little sinister after what had happened. But she wouldn't have to be there much longer.
She didn't want to admit it to herself, but she knew exactly who had done it. There was only one person who wanted to leave bad enough to risk all of their lives.
Ben.
But what scared her more than anything was the fact that she'd kept it to herself. If the others found out...If Lex found out that she knew but didn't tell him...
I want you to stay, he'd said.
It was the last thought she had before drifting off to sleep.
The next morning, as Aria headed for breakfast, she immediately noticed the guard standing by her door.
The fact that it was a young female guard only made her feel a little better. He had said that they would be under constant surveillance from now on. And they were.
The guards followed them to the throne room, to the training area, to the bathroom. Everywhere. Even if they wanted to go down to the village.
If they went separate ways, other guards would be called, and they'd each have an escort. Their eyes never left Aria or any of her people.
It drove her a little crazy. It made everyone else feel on edge, too. But every time she wanted to scream at the guards to leave her alone, she decided against it. She had said that she would be okay with it. And the fact that he was letting them stay.... they could deal with the extra security.
A few days after the 'incident,' Aria and Mara decided to stroll through the garden. The sun was setting, and they had to be back in the throne room shortly, but they sat down on the bench and studied the scenery for a few minutes.
"This place is pretty," Mara said, reaching over to pluck a flower from one of the bushes.
Aria nodded in agreement.
Their guard was standing a few feet away from them, his presence making them not comfortable enough to talk about what they actually wanted to talk about.
"Excuse me," Aria said. She figured it was worth a try. "Do you mind...leaving us for a bit? You don't have to go very far, but we'd really like some privacy."
"Of course, my lady," the guard said. Mara and Aria looked at each other. What the hell? Was that all she had to say?
Either way, Aria and Mara took the opportunity to talk. They kept their voices low, almost whispering. This was the first time they'd gotten to speak in private since the night the dagger went missing.
"It was Ben... right," Mara whispered.
Aria nodded. "I think so."
"Have you talked to him?"
"I haven't really had the opportunity. But I'm going to try tonight."
"What are you gonna do, Aria? I mean...if Lex finds out...if he finds out that you knew and didn't say anything..." she doesn't finish the sentence.
Aria swallowed the bile rising in her throat. She knew. If Lex found out that she had known, then he would never trust her again. He'd know she was deceitful, that she was a liar. And he would definitely throw them out or worse.
"Maybe you should tell him," Mara whispered.
"But what about Ben? I mean...he'll get sent back. And that's the best-case scenario," Aria whispered back.
"I know. But he made his bed. Maybe he should lie in it," Mara said. The tone in her voice was cold. Aria couldn't believe she was actually saying that.
"Do you really mean that?" Aria asked, searching Mara's eyes.
Mara sighed. "No...no, I don't mean it. But what if he does something worse next time? And what if Lex gets tired of giving us the benefit of the doubt? Then we're all gonna suffer because of him."
Aria knew that Mara was right. But she at least had to try and talk to Ben.
That night, Lex didn't come to dinner. They hadn't really spoken since the night he told her to stay. She was kind of happy about that. The thought of talking to him made her nervous for a variety of reasons.
A lot of people were drunk. She knew they must be close to the wedding, but she pushed those thoughts aside and grabbed Ben's hand. To his surprise, she led him to the center of the room to dance.
Mara knew what was going on. So she grabbed a few people and joined them so that Aria and Ben wouldn't be the center of attention,
