Roche had never felt such potent terror in her life. Her mind raced as she stared up at Circe, the sound of explosions in the distance complimenting the pounding of her heart.

Tigris had seen her use her inkblood.

Oh gods, she was going to burn.

Roche closed her eyes, sucking in a steadying breath. She glanced over her shoulder, realising with a guilty rush of relief that Tigris had truly succumbed to her wounds and fallen unconscious. An ache filled her, a longing to shake Tigris awake and explain herself, to beg for mercy, to chase away the searing accusation and betrayal that had gleamed in her queen's eyes.

Roche's breath came out in a tinny wheeze as she lowered herself beside Tigris, tucking away a strand of her beautiful, pale hair.

Tigris would never trust her again.

Tigris would burn her.

And Roche deserved to burn for all the treachery, all the lies, all the killing and fighting and sins she'd committed. But she'd done it all so Tigris would stay safe.

And she would protect Tigris, even if Tigris hated her for it.

She'd protect her queen, even if it was the last thing she did.

Circe waited for her patiently, hovering in front of the exit, ebony feathers spread wide to block her from the view of anyone that might be on the beach. Roche gathered herself, her eyes prickling.

"Circe, I need your help," she repeated again, her voice much steadier now, "We need a ride."

Circe clicked their beak. "I'm not a horse, Ala."

"I know," Roche's voice frayed, exhaustion wearing on her. Her legs trembled as she rose, standing in front of Tigris, "I wouldn't call on your help if I didn't need to. And I won't reveal you to Finn either. But I don't have the strength left to protect Tigris, I need to save it to heal her. I just need you to take us to the beach. Moriean can take us to safety from there."

Circe's glowing eyes widened. "Ala... surely you don't intend to bring the Fyra and her brood with you. If they see me..."

"I'm sorry, Circe," Roche apologised earnestly, "I know you don't want to be seen by Romulus' children. I won't force you, but you're all I have left right now. Tigris is in danger."

It was so tempting to exercise her powers as a whisper, to make Circe swoop them away to safety. But she didn't have the heart to do that to the Striga.

Circe sighed deeply, their feathers ruffling with their unease. "I will do what I must to protect the Fyra."

Roche smiled. "Thank you, my friend. I won't forget this."

Circe's eyes seemed to dance with mirth. Footsteps pounded behind Roche, and she turned to find Kai and Aodh running back towards her.

"Aodh was fine," Kai told her breathlessly, "We couldn't get the tunnel to clo..." His words trailed off as he spotted Circe, in all their feathery glory.

Aodh was shoving himself forward, his sword lofted. He charged with a bellow.

"Aodh, don't!" Roche tried to warn him, but the prince either didn't hear her or didn't care.

Circe lifted their wings, flapping hard. A gust of wind tunneled into a vortex, slamming into Aodh's burly chest. His sword went flying, clattering against the ground uselessly as he was thrown into the air, smacking into the wall. He gasped, the air rushing out of him.

"Good, you've met," Roche said drily as Aodh scrambled to pick himself up, "Prince Aodh, Kai, meet Circe. Circe, meet my best friend and an idiot."

Circe clicked their beak.

"The pleasure is mine,"

Aodh scrambled to wrench Kai back, standing in front of him and Tigris.

"That's a Striga," he spat, his sword clutched between his hands again.

"Obviously. He's not very bright, is he?"

"I'm afraid not," Roche chuckled, and Aodh and Kai gaped at her like she'd gone insane. She turned to them, hands splayed. "It's okay. Circe has been living in your walls."

"I don't think that explanation helps nearly as much as you think it does," Kai said faintly.

Roche winced, trying to gather better words. "They lived in the walls of the library for years. I met them while investigating the tunnels. They want to help Tigris."

Aodh's eyes narrowed. He kept his sword raised, levelled at the Striga's wide expanse of a chest.

"It's made of inkblood," he growled, "My father warned me of creatures like the Strigae. Their brethren attacked the city early in his reign, they're nothing but evil brutes."

Circe hissed in consternation, its feathers rising. "How dare you invoke the name of my slain kin in the same sentence as your lecherous father!"

"Enough!" Roche snapped as Kai grabbed Aodh's shoulder to stop him from charging the Striga again. "Aodh, they've offered to help and we don't have a choice. I trust Circe. I trust them with my life and Tigris'. In case you've forgotten, we've got a horde of inkblood creatures who actually want us dead coming for us. So, can we get a move on?"

Kai nudged Aodh when his nostrils flared with anger. "We don't have much of a choice, Aodh," he murmured gently, placatingly, with a wide eyed glance at Roche that promised she would tell him the whole story when they were safe.

Aodh's gloves squeaked around his sword's hilt for a moment. Then he relented, stabbing a finger towards Roche.

"If that thing makes one wrong move towards Tigris, I'm killing it."

"As if you could," Circe huffed, lowering their body to the ground.

Aodh's jaw tightened, but Roche shot him a warning look. He grunted unhappily and bent to pick up his unconscious sister. Roche let Kai grab Tigris' feet and help haul the queen onto the Striga's back. She moved to Circe's head, anxiety knotting her chest.

"We'll need to go unseen until the shore," she informed the Striga, "Can you keep us hidden for that long?"

Circe clicked their beak. "Do not worry, A- Roche. I have not lived this long without learning how to go unseen."

Aodh muttered something offensive under his breath that Roche and Circe chose to ignore while Kai choked. Roche nodded curtly.

"And you can hold all of us?"

Circe hesitated. "Hopefully."

"Lovely. How reassuring," Aodh groaned. Roche shot him a glare.

"They're doing more than any of us right now, Prince Aodh! Stop discouraging our one ally in this mess!" Roche snapped, turning to Circe, "What about three instead of four?"

Circe blinked at her, concern lighting up their flaming eyes. "That should be manageable. What about you?"

"I'll meet Moriean on the beach. She's already waiting, I'll be fine."

Kai's eyes widened. "Roche, you can't. If you're seen-"

"I won't be seen," she assured them all, "Moriean won't let me be."

"Right," Aodh eyed her distrustfully, "And is Moriean like your friend Circe here?"

"You'll see," Roche said. When Aodh's face turned stormy, she added, "She's fine, the knights have already met her."

"They have?" Kai asked, his brows furrowing. Roche nearly kicked herself for the slip.

"A- Roche," Circe shook their head at the correction, "We do not have time for this."

Roche sucked in a breath, nodding curtly. "Right. Aodh, Kai, we need to do this to get Tigris to safety. Let's not jeopardise her safety."

Aodh still looked uncertain. "Fine," he bit out, dismounting, "I'll walk. Get on that bird."

"You don't know the way," Roche argued, "And between the three of us, you know how to fight the best. You can't leave Tigris' side. And Kai, before you say anything, Tigris will kill me if I let anything happen to you. I'm going."

Aodh remounted Circe, grumbling all the while while Kai protested. Roche didn't let them argue. She could feel the icy cloud of inkblood creatures swarming through the castle, looking for warm bodies to sink their teeth into. Their hunger grated on her senses, ravenous and all encompassing.

They needed to get out of here.

"Go," she ordered Circe, lacing some inkblood into the command. With an ear splitting screech, Circe launched into the air, drawing a shriek from Aodh and a gasp from Kai. Roche would have laughed if the circumstances weren't so dire. She sucked in a breath and walked out into the darkness of night.

Sand stuck to the hem of her gown, whispering as she trudged through, following the weak tug of her inkblood as she walked blindly. She could hear demonic screeches in the background, the uska searching for their prey in the empty castle. They were furious, howling and yelping, the sound sending shivers down Roche's spine. She focused on putting one foot in front of the other, walking towards the sound of waves lapping against the pale shore.

If one of the uska attacked her now, Roche wouldn't be able to defend herself. She had to conserve her strength to heal Tigris.

She swallowed, sucking in shallow breaths to avoid making too much noise as one of the uska's cries pierced the frigid night air. A salty breeze skimmed past her shoulders, making her shiver uncontrollably. Her breaths were coming in a quick rush now, her feet moving faster and faster beneath her. Soon she was running, her pulse booming in her ears like war drums. Her skirts tangled around her legs as she stumbled through the hills of sand, her face going numb with the cold. She ran like the uska were on her heels. A single name pounded through her mind, a goal, a drive, a desire.

Tigris, Tigris, Tigris.

She had so much to tell the queen, so much to explain, so much to beg mercy for. She couldn't die here.

Something icy bit her ankles. Roche stifled a yelp, leaping back until she realised she'd reached the shore. The sea was frigid, pulsing against the bare skin of her ankles. Roche panted raggedly, wading deeper. She focused on her inkblood again, on its weak pulse.

She sensed Moriean nearby.

Where was the nereid?

She was hyperventilating now, her eyes prickling.

"The prophecies did say you'd be a mess today, but I didn't expect you to look like this," sniffed a familiar voice. The words were so sudden, so abrupt, that Roche's heart leapt in her chest. She stifled a surprised scream.

"Moriean?" she whispered, blood rushing in her ears, "Is that you?"

"Of course it is, Ala. You did call for me, after all. Pity, I was about to draw a sailor from his boat. He had a scrumptious looking arm, you see." Moriean continued, prodding Roche's leg with her snout. Roche could barely make out her iridescent grey scales and glistening teeth. She focused on the stream of words, however horrific they were, and was grateful for the distraction from her panic. She suspected that was Moriean's goal too when the sea nymph nudged her again.

"Why have you called me, Ala?"

Roche huffed a breathless laugh. "You sound like you already know."

Moriean's three cobalt eyes gleamed brightly in the darkness, blinking languidly. "The traitor has returned to the castle, I presume? I felt the cursed uska enter this realm. For your sake, I hope your traitor prince has enough control over them."

The solemnity of Moriean's voice took Roche off guard. She swallowed back another thrill of fear.

"My inkblood didn't work on them. And my commands as a whisper barely worked." Roche confessed, trying to focus on Morian's features in the rippling surface of the ocean. "Do you know why?"

Moriean's three eyes narrowed with thought. "They are creatures from the land of the dead. The powers of the mortal world do not apply."

Roche groaned, feeling dizzy. "So I can't fight them?"

"You are the Ala. I would not dare to tell you what you can or cannot do."

Roche growled. "Will you please just give me a straight answer for once!"

Moriean chuckled. "Peace, Ala. I do not know all the answers, I am not a Striga, after all. Perhaps the one in the castle could help."

Roche opened her mouth to argue further when a whistle of air on her right drew her attention. Her heart leapt to her throat as she squinted into the darkness, her weak inkblood bubbling in defense. She was only able to make out the shadowy form of something feline and large before it leapt at her.

A shrill screech rattled out of Roche's mouth before she could stop it, feathers muffling the sound as they pressed against her face. Moriean snarled protectively and a lance of inkblood whipped forward. The creature retreated to Roche's shoulders, clinging on like a backpack with an avian cry.

"Stop! I am not an uskoi!" a melodic voice filtered through the air, "I was summoned!"

Roche sagged to the ground, her shock melting away as the icy water soaked up to her waist. "A little warning next time would be nice!" she grunted, trying to suck in a breath.

Moriean tilted her head, her rubbery lips peeling back. "Ala, just how many creatures of ink have you summoned?"

"Just you two and Circe the Striga," Roche promised, pressing a hand to her chest. She felt faint as her pulse throbbed beneath her palm like a war drum. "Moriean, I need your help to get the Fyra and her allies to the forest. We need to circle around to the southern border, where the uska won't see us coming."

"And I?" the griffin asked with its sweet voice. Moriean rolled her eyes at the sound, and Roche shifted to cover the sea nymph's annoyance as the gentle creature.

"If you can, I need you to wreak havoc while I'm gone. Keep it concentrated around the traitor, do not harm any civilians, please."

"As you wish, Ala. Good luck, we will meet again." the griffin agreed, sauntering off into the darkness.

Moriean sniffed haughtily. "Prancing feathered cat. All they do is sing. If you wanted chaos, you should have come to me."

Roche smiled at the clear resentment simmering in the nereid's tone. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you're jealous, Moriean."

"Of that preening housecat? Please," Moriean scoffed, "Besides. I believe the task you've assigned me is far more important than simple troublemaking, right Ala?"

Roche really didn't want to pick favourites. But Moriean's version of envy usually ended up with bodies splattered against jagged rocks and broken ships, so Roche settled on replying, "Yes, your job is very important."

Moriean looked partially satisfied by that answer. She parted her rubbery lips and blew on the tide. Immediately, the topmost layer of water froze into a solid sheet of ice, a large raft that was similar to the one Roche had been on when she'd met the nymph.

She climbed on and Moriean slithered on as well. With a lazy twitch of the nymph's curled tail, their ice float was propelled along the coast. With Moriean keeping watch for uska, Roche finally let herself sink back and breathe, her fatigue tugging at her senses. It didn't take long until a large, flying silhouette hovered overhead.

Circe swooped down, displacing the frigid, salty air. Roche shivered as they landed, regarding Moriean with slitted, glowing eyes.

"Nereid," Circe greeted, bowing their head.

Moriean's pointed teeth glinted. "Striga."

"Roche!" Aodh growled, practically rolling off Circe' back. Even in the darkness, Roche could tell that his face was a pale shade of green. "Where the hell have you been? We've been flying over the ocean for ages!"

"It was only a few minutes, Aodh," Kai grunted, tugging Tigris' limp, unconscious body down with him.

A glimmering orb of light spawned to life, the same cobalt shade as Moriean's eyes. Roche turned to the nymph in surprise, finding that Moriean held the light in her palms and had transformed into the form of a woman with alluring curves, two eyes instead of her usual three, and inky black hair. She raked her eyes over Aodh's form.

"And who might you be?" the nymph purred, her raspy, ravenous voice sending shivers down Roche's spine. She grabbed the nereid by the shoulder as she leaned forward to inspect the stunned, infuriated prince further.

"Nope! You're not eating any of them, Moriean!" Roche snapped, "You're here to get us to safety, remember? A very important job?"

"Eat me?" Aodh growled, his hand drifting to his sword belt.

In response, Moriean rolled her eyes, shifting back into her usual reptilian form.

Kai let out a squeal as Aodh flinched back in revulsion.

"That's rude," Moriean huffed. Roche shrugged, glancing at Aodh and Kai apologetically.

"This is Moriean. The knights know her as Mori. She's a sea nymph. A nereid."

Aodh's eyes darkened. "Another creature of ink," he growled, his eyes darting to the still floating ball of light hovering above their wobbling ice float.

Moriean's smile turned mirthless, the points of her teeth gleaming. "Is that so terrible, little prince?"

Aodh stared back flatly, impressively unmoved by the clear threat. "Yes."

"Moriean has agreed to get us to the southern border where we can cross into the forest," Roche explained hastily when everyone's hackles began to rise, "She saved my life, Aodh. And she's sworn to protect Tigris'."

Aodh looked unconvinced. Circe clicked their beak.

"At peace, son of Romulus. All true creatures of inkblood only want the Fyra to prevail."

"The Fyra?" Kai asked, hesitantly, "What's that?"

"It's what they call Tigris. They all believe she's the flame in the prophecy," Roche explained, smiling at Moriean and Circe, "It's actually how we met. They saved my life when I told them who I served."

Aodh's eyes narrowed. "They saved your life?"

"That is neither here nor there," Circe insisted, flapping their wings to push the float faster, "Roche, you must be swift. The civilians are safe in the forest for now, but the uska will hunt them like dogs on a hunt."

Goosebumps rose on Roche's skin. "How can we stop them?" she asked.

"How else?" Circe asked, almost wryly, "Defeat the traitor prince. With his death, the creatures will be unbound and banished back to the land of the dead."

Great. How simple.

Aodh snorted aloud. "We'll get right on that."

Circe cast him a pointed look. "You must. Or all hope is lost." With that, the Striga let out an earsplitting screech and took off into the night, favour fulfilled. Roche thanked them through her inkblood as Kai turned to her, his brown eyes wide and concerned.

"Roche, how on earth did you meet all these..." he hesitated, his eyes darting to the nereid present. Moriean huffed slightly.

"It's alright. We prefer to be called creatures of ink. We wouldn't want to be lumped with you mortals either."

"R-right," Kai stammered. Roche cast him a sympathetic look.

"It's a long story. Remember when Sir Harold was replaced with a copy?" she asked, feeling weary when Aodh and Kai's eyes nodded at the memory. "Well, Circe and Moriean helped me figure out who he was. They were concerned about Tigris' wellbeing and reached out. Circe was in the library's walls at the time and helped me out."

It was exhausting trying to put together a story that didn't implicate her on such a short notice. Thankfully, Kai and Aodh seemed placated. They turned to Tigris, still unconscious and bleeding.

"We'll be at the southern tip in a few moments," Moriean promised. Aodh's eyes narrowed.

"How? We were at the central coastline a minute ago?" he demanded. Moriean winked one of her eyes.

"Inkblood does wonders, my lord."

Aodh looked like he was going to blow a vessel. Roche placed a hand on his shoulder and he spun around, throwing his hands in the air. As promised, Moriean got them to the forest in a matter of minutes. They carefully loaded Tigris off the melting ice raft and onto the patchy sand that transitioned into mud a few feet away.

"Thank you, Moriean," Roche said earnestly when Kai and Aodh were out of earshot, carrying Tigris away, "I'm in your debt."

Moriean blinked lazily at her, snout dipped into the sea. "You should be careful saying such things to a nereid, Ala," she replied, tilting her head so droplets of water slid down her grey scales, "You are lucky that all creatures of ink are in your debt. You have your work cut out for you. I sense a shift in the Fyra. She knows about you now, does she not?"

Roche sighed, a headache beginning to throb behind her eyes. "She does. She'll never forgive me."

Moriean's eyes flickered. "If she does not, then we are all doomed. Good luck, Ala." Moriean cautioned, sinking back into the waves.

Roche stared after her, her mind spinning. Her hands shook. She knew that Moriean was right. There was a very good chance that Tigris would lump her with her inkblood. There was a very good chance that she would be sentenced to death upon the queen's waking. And then, Tigris would have no one to protect her.

Her eyes burned. She took a large lungful of the salty air, nostrils tingling at the scent.

"Roche, come on!" Aodh called, and she turned, trembling all over as she moved to help lift Tigris. Aodh didn't say much, exhausted from the day. He let Roche guide them deep into the forest, following her mental map to the place she knew best.

Medea's grove was lit like a beacon, a safe harbour. The ethereal, restorative light of Medea's gleaming tree was a sight that nearly brought tears to Roche's eyes. She sighed in relish, setting down Tigris by the roots of the tree.

"We'll be safe here," she insisted, quickly casting out her inkblood. There was no uska nearby, and the protective border around the grove was holding strong.

Aodh set down Tigris' shoulders carefully. His face was lined and shadowed, making him look nearly as old as his father had been. He pinched the bridge of his nose, sweeping his gaze across the grove. "The knights will never find this place on their own. They're sitting ducks out there."

Kai sighed. "We'll have to find them in the morning. We have to guard Tigris tonight." He cast an almost apologetic look at Roche before adding, "We haven't faced a threat like the uska before. We don't know if this place remains unknown to them."

Roche nodded. "And Tigris needs medical attention. We can't move until then."

Aodh rubbed his temples, glancing at his unconscious sister. Tigris' breathing had evened out, remaining at a steady rate. "How bad is she?" he asked quietly. Roche winced, kneeling by her lady's side.

"Maybe a concussion. Finn hit her pretty hard. Other than that... she'll be alright." Roche replied, neglecting to mention the many broken bones that Tigris probably faced. She'd have to heal those tonight, and she wouldn't be able to explain the miraculous recovery to Aodh.

The prince crossed his arms. "Her legs look broken," he pointed out flatly. Roche shook her head.

"I've felt for breaks," she lied, shifting to cover the fact that one of Tigris' feet was bent completely the wrong way, "At most, she has a sprained ankle. I'll tend to her, but I'll need a watch to be set up while I do so."

Just as she'd hoped, Aodh and Kai leapt at the distraction, walking over to the opposite side of the grove to discuss shifts, plans, and probably some shocked exclamations about the nature of Roche's friends.

Roche tuned them out, hunching over Tigris' body. She turned the queen's foot the right way, pressing her hand against the many snapped tendons and crushed bones, rallying her weak inkblood.

"Llanosus,"

There was a faint crunching sound, and Tigris' body shuddered. Roche felt a swell of nausea as her strength flagged, dark spots dancing in front of her eyes. She pressed on, spreading the enchantment across the queen's body. The breaks healed instantly, as did the concussion.

She sat back, her head spinning and inkblood nearly depleted. She'd have to heal the rest the good old fashioned way.

Roche moved to tear the edge of her damp gown to strips, using the wet edge to wipe away the clotted blood from one of the larger gashes on Tigris' head.

A hand clamped around her forearm, yanking her sleeve up. Roche blinked back at the pale fingers curled around her skin, surprise filtering through her as she saw Tigris peering intently at her skin. The princess' forest green eyes roved, widening when she saw no telltale swirls of inkblood carved into Roche's skin.

"You've hidden it," Tigris murmured, accusation laced in her words.

Roche yanked her arm away, continuing to dab at Tigris' wound. "No, I didn't." she answered, the words sticking in her throat. Panic bleated in her chest, but she fought to keep her face still.

Tigris' lips curled into an ugly sneer. "Don't even think about trying to fool me. I know what I saw."

There was no warmth in her voice, nothing to suggest that she'd ever held any affection for Roche. Roche heard her heart break like a pane of shattered glass.

"I'm not," she mumbled, her stomach churning. She bound Tigris' leg wound tightly, trying to focus her energy, "It's always been that way. It never showed itself."

Tigris' gaze raked over her face, searching for any sign of deceit. The queen's features slackened when she found none. "You're telling the truth."

Roche nodded, hating how unsure Tigris sounded, as if she didn't even know Roche anymore. Roche swallowed a fresh, painful swell of tears. "Of course I am. I wouldn't lie to you."

Tigris' eyes glistened with simmering anger. "You already did," Tigris' voice was flat and cool, lacking any sign of familiarity or pity. "How long? How long have you been betraying me?"

The words were like a fiery poker to Roche's chest. The worst part was that she had lied. She'd lied and lied and lied. Now Tigris was seeing her for who she truly was: a monster that even Finn despised.

"Since the day we met," Roche answered, her voice hollow and empty to her own ears. Tigris' flinch was visceral, stirring the dirt in the ground and flicking it into her hair. Roche moved on instinct to brush it away, but Tigris caught her arm with a hiss.

"Don't touch me."

A sob scraped the walls of Roche's throat. She nodded slowly, choking back the sound. "As you wish, Tigris," she managed to choke out.

Tigris pinned her with a harsh, affronted look. "Don't call me that. You don't have the right." she seethed. Her anger, her blame, it scraped at Roche's face like razor sharp claws, tearing away her fragile veneer of neutrality. She twisted out of Tigris' grip, turning away before Tigris could see the burning tears forming in her eyes.

"Alright, my lady," Roche said softly instead.

Roche hid her tears by ripping up more of her gown into bandages. She was so focused that she nearly missed the soft rasp of Tigris' voice piercing the air.

"If you're with the Council, then surely you must know that we will thwart you and whatever foul plan you've concocted. I do not take kindly to traitors in my court."

Roche swallowed several times to ensure her voice came out even. "I'm not with the Council," she said weakly.

Tigris snorted loudly. "How else did you get your inkblood, then?" she asked.

Roche looked up frantically, noticing with a rush of relief that Kai and Aodh were out of earshot. She turned to Tigris, holding up the bandages she'd made.

"It was bestowed to me by the universe. I didn't inject it. It just... appeared. I couldn't get rid of it, no matter how much I tried." Roche confessed.

Tigris faltered, doubt appearing in her eyes. "You're lying," she insisted accusingly.

Roche laughed sadly. "I wish," she mumbled, moving to wrap a wound on Tigris' shoulder. The queen flinched at the contact like she'd been burned.

"What are you doing?" Tigris hissed, but she looked more perplexed than angry.

Roche paused, holding up the bandages as hurt ripped through her. "It's... bandages. You need them, you're bleeding."

Tigris' brows furrowed, a terrible blend of confusion and suspicion swirling on her face.

"Why?" Tigris repeated the question that she'd asked before she'd fallen unconscious, "Why are you doing this? Why are you here? Why are you sitting here and ripping up your gown?"

For me. The words went unsaid.

Roche bit her cheek hard enough to draw blood. "Because you're my friend," she whispered with every ounce of tenderness and care and devotion that she felt for her queen.

Something vulnerable flashed across Tigris' face, softening the harsh planes of her face into something innocent and surprised. For a moment, Roche let herself believe that she'd been forgiven, that Tigris would see past her lies.

But then Tigris' face hardened again, shadows darkening her features.

"We," Tigris enunciated harshly, "Are not friends. Give me a better reason."

It would have been less painful to be stabbed. Roche absorbed the words, letting the agony melt into numbness that spread within her, like ice forming over a lake. She folded her hands in her lap, fidgeting with the bandages.

"Because I am your maid," she answered instead, the words empty, "And taking care of you is my duty. Inkblood or not."

This time when she leaned over to wrap up Tigris' wound, the queen let her, albeit stiffly. Roche worked quickly, her hands shaking as she moved. She felt robotic as she leaned back, the hollow void within her yawning as she noticed Tigris peering at her with a blank expression. Something pierced the numbness of Roche's chest. Moriean's words came flooding back to her.

She'll never forgive me.

If she does not, then we are all doomed.

Roche had to make Tigris see sense. She needed to protect her, she couldn't do that if she was dead.

"I'm still the same woman you knew," she murmured gently, "I've only ever used my inkblood for you-"

"Shut up."

The words were so soft, barely a puff of air. Roche couldn't miss them, not with the careful, gentle rage that simmered behind the words. Tigris' eyes flashed dangerously as Roche slowly dragged her gaze up to her.

"You don't get to sit there and pretend that you were my friend," Tigris spat the last word like a curse, "After you've lied to my face for five years. You don't get to pretend that you did this all for me. I can't trust a word out of your mouth."

The world seemed to shatter around them. Roche scrambled forward, mulch squelching between her nails and staining the ragged remains of her gown. She didn't care.

"I did. I did it all for you!" she insisted, her voice growing louder and louder. Her face grew hot at the blatant desperation in her voice.

Tigris' cheeks flushed a furious red. "God, just shut up!" she screamed, drawing confused glances from across the grove. Roche's blood went cold at the primal rage behind that shout. Tigris levered herself up, pressing her face up to Roche's. The air between them turned fiery with her fury.

"I never asked for a lying inkblood to serve me," Tigris seethed, "If I'd known what you were, I would have never let you into my service. My father would have killed you!"

Roche felt herself blanch distantly, the sensation leaving her body. She could only sit there and endure the weight of Tigris fury.

Tigris' jaw set, her eyes inquisitive like she was waiting for Roche to say something.

But what could Roche say to this?

"Tigris-"

"Don't call me that!"

"Your Majesty," the title felt wrong and awkward on Roche's lips, but she endured. She would endure anything for Tigris. "Will you kill me?

Tigris stared at her like she was a stranger, chest heaving. She licked her lips, tasting the words she was about to say.

"You're banished," Tigris said flatly after a moment.

Roche's heart sank to the depths of hell. "No," she breathed in horror. Tigris closed her eyes like the word was a blade.

"Leave me," Tigris murmured, "You are no longer in my service. You are no longer to use your ink in my name. You are to leave my kingdom and never return."

Roche was shaking. The world was shaking. Roche braced her hands against the ground, needing something solid to keep her attached to her life.

To her destiny.

To her queen.

"Tigris," she gasped, "My lady, please-"

"Don't you dare beg." Tigris stated coldly, her face so impressively passive that Roche thought it to be made of stone. "If you are the woman you claim you are, then you wouldn't beg. Go."

"But-"

"GO!" Tigris' roar shook the trees. Roche leapt to her feet instinctually, her eyes burning with hurt. She backed away into the trees, ignoring Aodh and Kai's confused shouts as she disappeared into the shadows, praying that one of them would drag her into the land of the dead.

Such a torture was preferable to this life.

A/N: Gosh, this chapter hurt to write. Hopefully it hurt to read as well! Did anything seem too OOC? I think this was the most believable way for Tigris to react considering her pride issues. She's worked on those over the years, but I still think her default for a huge 'betrayal' would be anger or resignation. I also, shamelessly, took a lot of inspo from the Merlin finale. Apologies if this is super reminiscent of that, I am woefully uncreative 😅

Also, apologies for the late chapter 💀 Exams are in a week, so updates will probably be inconsistent until them. Sorry again! Hopefully these chapters make up for the time delay!

Any other thoughts about this chapter? Any improvements or things you'd like to see changed? Or any things you'd like to see in upcoming chapters 👀?

As always, happy reading!