She knew there was no point in trying to fight it. It hurt, but she felt like it'd do them more harm than good.
Her resolve almost broke when she saw the two women from the kitchen, leading the sleepy orphans from their rooms. She thought about how cold it was.
Aria had to remind herself that the village below them would offer food, shelter. That was enough, for now. But right then and there, she silently vowed to get them all home. She'd die before she let their home be taken from them for good
They waited in the throne room for hours. The sun had started to rise before all the people made their way back. Katy, Hunt, and Warren, along with a few others, asked what had happened to them. Aria didn't feel like talking, so she let the others repeat the story over and over.
We were taken hostage by the Terra; they brought us here. Lex, let us stay. No, we weren't tortured, no, he didn't kill anyone. Yes, we're okay.
A few things stood out to her, though.
Like the fact that Martinez had been reunited with his father. A man who actually apologized to the group about what had happened. About how this was all a big misunderstanding.
Brent and his mother reunited as well, but she was Warren's second in command. And she wasn't sorry. Not at all.
Aria noticed that Brent avoided his mother's gaze the entire time like he was ashamed of her actions.
Katy tried to explain things to Aria. About how she and Hunt fought Warren's rise to power. But they had been vastly outnumbered by the others.
She told them about what they heard, how Aria and her friends had been captured by an evil king and taken to his land.
"Obviously, we were very wrong. But...no one convinced us otherwise until we found you," Katy said.
She didn't say it, but Aria knew. She'd pieced the puzzle together.
Her people had heard about this place; they'd met Lex's guards all those months ago. But they chose not to believe. It was easier for them to understand and accept the story that Aria and her friends had taken by an evil man. They decided to believe that story.
And when they got here, the first one of Aria’s friends they'd encountered didn't bother to tell them any different.
Aria knew who that friend was.
Ben.
And he must have been spying on them. He knew that Lex had sent another party. All he had to do was wait.
And he must have been watching for the guards to get ready to leave. Once he saw them, he must have come to the palace to steal the weapons and meet their people.
And he must have let them all believe that they really were being held captive here. He brought them here and told them about all the entrances to take out all the guards at the same time. He led them to the throne room.
Katy didn't say it. But Aria knew.
Ben had the decency to look away, to look ashamed when he noticed Aria and the others staring daggers at him for being such a monster.
Not today...not tomorrow...but one day, one day, you will pay for this, Aria silently vowed. She'd make sure of it.
"We've secured the palace," Warren said from the front of the room. Half of the people in the room cheered. "Let's rest up. If you aren't on guard duty, I suggest you get some sleep. We have a long few days ahead of us. We need to prepare the palace. As soon as everything is ready, we'll send some of our guards back for the remainder of our people."
Aria tried to understand. Tried to believe that at least half of the people here were good. That some of them didn't agree with this. That some of them just wanted to find their kids.
She could see a few of them scattered throughout the room, happily holding their loved ones.
As for the other half...
Aria had no words. She couldn't believe that these many people were okay with this. That they'd chosen Warren as their chancellor and agreed to this. Maybe the Terra had been right all along. They were invaders. Intruders. Monsters.
What good did it do? Trying to see the good in people? Aria thought. Lex had said that it was one of the things he liked about her. But in the end, it only left her disappointed and full of regret. She tried to see the good in Ben, the good in her people.
That's how they ended up in this situation.
She knew there was no way that she'd be able to fall asleep, despite how worn out she was, without knowing that Lex was okay first.
She made her way down to the dungeon, some medical supplies in her hands.
"Let me through," she said to the guard standing in front of the door.
"I don't think so," he said, shrugging.
"That man down there, that's the king. And Warren wants him alive. The people here will never accept Warren, accept us if he dies. He was shot. I need to take a look at his wound," Aria said.
"Do you have an order for that?" the guard asked, now sounding a little unsure.
"I don't have a piece of fucking paper with the order on it if that's what you want. I was told to tend to the king.
"Fine," the guard huffed. "Don't take too long."
"I won't," Aria said.
Chapter 39
She made her way down the stairs that led to the dungeon, a little afraid of what she might find.
Lex was the only person there, slumped in a corner.
She ran to his side.
"Lex," she said, taking his face into her hands.
"Hey," he said, looking more worn down than she'd ever seen him.
"I need to take a look at your wound," she said, pushing her personal feelings aside. He was a patient, and he needed to be treated.
"Where's Grace?"
"She's safe. She wouldn't leave, so we hid
