In my other Rivella story His Undoing I mentioned that Riven sneaks into Stella's room through the maids' passages at night. This story recounts the first time he uses the passageways.

The story is set after the events of Apocalypse but before His Undoing and Rapture. It's not necessary to have read any of these stories but they provide a good background. And if you're a Rivella fan, you may want to check them out.

Happy reading.

Her Light

Riven had known about the maidservants' passageways that ran throughout the palace since he had come to Solaria, but he had never thought to use them until earlier that night, when he'd been lying in bed, craving Stella's presence, her light.

The passageways were built inside the walls, narrow interconnecting tunnels that were accessible from almost every room through a hidden doorway. They allowed the servants to move freely around the palace without being seen by the nobles, who considered them eyesores. It had been on guard duty that Riven had first seen the servants access the passages, slipping past doors that blended perfectly into the ornate palace walls.

It was impossible to know where the doorways were unless you were a servant or had a palace map. Fortunately, there was only a single doorway that led to the passageways in the barracks and it didn't blend into the wall like those in the palace. It was door-less arch, set into the wall by the kitchen.

Riven stood in front of the doorway, peering into the darkness. A set of stairs led underground to a tunnel that ran under the royal gardens, connecting the barracks and the palace. Riven had never used the passageway before but he knew the maids used it to come change the soldiers' bedding and restock the kitchen supplies. He didn't know exactly where the passageway would end but he knew he would wind up somewhere in the palace if he used it. He'd figure out how to get to Stella's room from there.

Usually he walked through the gardens to get to Stella's room but it was past midnight now, meaning the night guards would be on duty, and they were not as widely dispersed around the royal gardens as the guards who had the day shift. The night guards stood at every bend, monitoring every path, every hiding place. If Riven did go through the gardens, he was sure the guards would question him, and it wasn't like he could put on his own uniform and pretend to be on guard too since the night-guard wore different uniforms, in darker hues to help them blend better into the shadows.

If he wanted to see Stella, his only option was to use the passageways.

Drawing out the flashlight he'd brought from his room, Riven started down the stairs beyond the doorway; his footsteps echoed in the pin-drop silence. The walls and stairs were made of pale stone, worn smooth from years of the servants' passing. The air was close, clammy, and as Riven drew further down the stairs, the smell of mildew assaulted his nose, growing stronger with each step. Water leaked between the stones in the ceiling, sliding down the walls. He realised he must have been walking under one of the fountains in the gardens above the passage.

At the bottom of the staircase, a tunnel carved of earth stretched out into the darkness. Riven raised his flashlight higher and hurried down it, swatting away straggling roots that hung from the ceiling, roots that belonged to the plants in the garden over ground. Sconces burned with magic light at intervals along the tunnel but it was still dim – there was no reason for the maids to use the tunnel at night after all.

The earth walls soon gave way to stone again as Riven reached the other side of the tunnel. A staircase similar to the one on the other side led upwards to the palace. Riven took the steps slowly, keeping his footfalls light. Several tunnels forked in different directions off the landing, all of them glowing with light. Stella's room was located in the west wing, but which tunnel led west?

Riven took a breath and pictured the layout of the palace in his mind. The tunnel under the gardens had been straight, no bends or curves, which meant he had to be somewhere beneath the south wing of the palace, the point directly opposite the barracks. West would be to the left. Keeping close to the wall, he went down the left most tunnel, switching off his flashlight; there was plenty of light now, sconces fitted to every other stone in the wall.

The tunnel was long, curving every now and then. Riven paused at each bend, peering around the corner to make sure the path was clear, before hurrying down the straight parts of the path. He encountered no one, but as he drew further into the tunnel, he heard noises in the distance. Shuffling feet, clatters of wood, stone grinding against stone. He came to another intersection and saw that the tunnel in front opened into a large circular chamber. Wooden tables lined the walls, atop which lay an assortment of tools, vials and boxes. The scent of herbs hung in the air, cloying and medicinal. The healers' chamber, Riven realised with some surprise. He had always assumed the healers were based somewhere in the palace, not in the catacombs beneath it.

He was staring so intently into the chamber that he noticed too late that one of the healers had spotted him. He ducked to the side anyway, but the healer appeared in front of him a heartbeat later, wielding a pestle in defence. "Who goes there?" she demanded, her voice echoing in the passage.

Riven raised his arms. "I mean no harm."

The healer was a young woman, wearing the standard muted-orange healer attire. She had a pleasant face, framed with thick auburn hair. Her green eyes were sharp as she glared at Riven, but then they softened, recognition sparking.

Riven lowered his arms, looking at her more closely under the light from the sconces. His fellow guard Durin's girlfriend. Erlina. Being one of the healers assigned to the guards, she had often healed him and he remembered meeting her at a party Durin had thrown a few weeks ago, where he had introduced her.

"Riven?" Erlina said, finally lowering the pestle she wielded. "What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night. Are you injured?" Her eyes widened. "Is Durin injured?"

Riven huffed in exasperation. "No, no one's injured. Especially not your beloved Durin."

Erlina crossed her arms. "Then why are you here?"

"Why are you here?" Riven countered, not wanting to admit he was going to see Stella. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"I have a night-shift. We healers often do – to prepare medicine, to be available if someone from the palace calls – " Erlina broke off, her lips twisting into a knowing grin. "You avoided my question, changed the subject. That can only mean one thing: you're going to visit Princess Stella. A middle of the night rendezvous, huh? How romantic, or maybe something else..." She wiggled her brows suggestively.

Riven glared at her. "You will tell no one about this," he said, a slight edge to his tone. "Or I'll give you a reason to heal Durin."

Erlina smirked, but dropped the teasing. "Alright," she said. "But at least let me point you in the right direction."

"Why?" Riven eyed her, incredulous.

"Because if I don't," Erlina said, "you'll be running around through these passages all night. And because I believe every heart's desire should be granted." She winked and gave him an elfin grin.

Riven schooled his features into neutrality. "Which way?" he demanded flatly.

Erlina pointed down the tunnel nearest to the healers' chamber. "Take that tunnel to its end, then turn right. You'll find a crossroads eventually. One of the paths will have a set of stairs leading up; take that one. There will be two openings along the wall of the stairwell; for Stella's room, you want the second one." She paused to look at him seriously. "The door isn't easy to find," she continued. "Try not to break the wall when you try to open it. It'll be obvious that it wasn't a maid who used the passage if you do, and I'll sell you out if they come and question me about it."

Riven smirked. "I don't doubt it."

"Glad we're on the same page," Erlina said, then smiled mischievously as Riven began down the tunnel. "Is there anything else I can help you with?" she called after him. "Maybe a contraceptive potion?"

Riven glanced over his shoulder, cutting a glare at her. Erlina stood laughing, bracing herself against the wall. He turned back without a retort and continued down the tunnel, following her directions.

The door was indeed not easy to find.

The end of the tunnel leading off the stairwell appeared to be nothing more than a dead-end. The pale stones looked like those of any other wall, rough and immovable. Riven pressed his hand against the middle stone, then tapped on it. A hollow sound. He moved to tap on one of the stones at the edge of the wall, but there was no hollow sound this time, just the flat echo of actual rock. He continued tapping against the wall, moving towards the middle stone. Eventually he came upon the section that marked the transition from real rock to the hollow sounding material. The edge of the door.

Riven skimmed his fingers over the area, fumbling for purchase. Halfway down the length of the wall, his fingers caught in an almost imperceptible opening between two stone bricks. He smirked in triumph, then pulled the door open, carefully, slowly, heeding to Erlina's warning not to break anything.

Darkness lay beyond the doorway, so complete that Riven could not even make out the shape of furniture in the room. Still, he knew that it was Stella's bedroom; her smell hung in the air, a subtle fragrance of grapefruit and lime. Keeping his steps quiet, he crept into the room, shutting the door behind him.

He had been in Stella's room often enough that the darkness was not an obstacle. He could've walked over to her bed with his eyes shut. What was an obstacle was her myriad of shoes and clothes on the floor. Riven tripped twice before he reached her bed.

The gauzy curtains attached to the four posters of her bed were drawn, hiding Stella from view. But as his eyes adjusted to the dark, Riven made out her sleeping form. She lay curled in on herself, the blankets tucked under her chin. Riven took off his shoes and climbed into the bed to lay next to her.

The moment he put his arm around her, he felt filled with light. The restlessness he had been feeling lying awake in his own bed in the barracks vanished. He felt warm now, felt like it was easier to breathe somehow.

Stella stirred. Riven turned his head towards her and found her blinking up at him sleepily. For a moment, she just stared at him, looking as if she couldn't quite figure out if she was dreaming or not.

"Hey," Riven whispered, reaching to brush back her hair.

Stella sat up, rubbing at her eyelids. "Riven?" she mumbled, her voice hoarse and brimming with disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

"I – " Riven hesitated, trying to find words that wouldn't make him seem desperate or obsessed, but then gave up. He was both those things: desperate to be with her, obsessed with her light, her laugh, her mere presence. "I wanted to see you," he said truthfully. "I couldn't sleep and I thought…" The words got stuck in his throat, and he looked away, embarrassed and angry.

Stella placed her hand on his cheek, turning his face towards her again. Her eyes gleamed with affection and she smiled. "I understand," she said softly.

Riven didn't know whether she meant that she understood that he found it difficult to admit his feelings or that she understood that he needed to be in her presence. Maybe it was both. He placed his hands atop hers, pressing it into his cheek, and closed his eyes.

"How did you get in here?" Stella asked. "I locked both the main door and the balcony doors."

Riven dropped her hand and nodded in the direction of the entrance to the passageway. "I came through the passages the maids use."

A look of surprise and amusement crossed Stella's face. "What?" She shook her head. "How did you even access them? And how did you know the way to my room?"

"It doesn't matter," Riven said, before pushing Stella onto her back. He gave her a smirk and then bent down and captured her lips in a heated kiss.

Her arms came up and circled his neck, pulling him closer. The moan that escaped him made her tingle, made her feel dizzy. His tongue grazed her lower lip and she opened her mouth under his. His tongue brushed against her own, over the roof of her mouth, against her teeth. She was filled with the intoxicating taste of him and she wanted to stay kissing him forever.

Riven pulled away for air, then trailed a path of kisses down the side of her neck. He was careful not to leave a mark, knowing that King Radius's keen gaze would spot it and Stella would wind up in trouble. Reaching her collarbone, he skimmed along its delicate curve before kissing back up her neck. Stella sighed breathily, tilting her head back. Her fingers were in his hair, stroking gently; he revelled in the feel of her fingertips against his scalp, more of her light filling him.

He kissed her lips again, this time lazily, savouring the movement of her mouth on his own. After a long moment, he pulled back and propped himself up next to her.

Stella turned to face him, running her fingers over the side of his face. "You said you couldn't sleep," she said, breaking the silence. "Is it Solaria, that it's so different? Do you not like it here?"

"No," Riven said, "it's not that. I just – I just wanted to be with you tonight."

Stella smiled in relief. "I'm glad it's not Solaria. I don't want you going away."

Riven ran his thumb along her jawline. "I'm not going anywhere. I couldn't bear leaving you." He dropped his hand and sighed. "I'll admit that it's been difficult adjusting after everything that happened, but I'm getting used to it. It's only been a few months. And if I remember correctly, you convinced me to come to Solaria by telling me there was a vacancy for the role of your personal body-guard."

Stella laughed. "Maybe I'll speak to my father about it, have you promoted."

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Riven said, a smirk playing on his lips. "I don't think I'd be able to protect you very well. I'd be too busy trying to keep my hands off you."

Stella didn't smile; she had become serious. "When do you think I should tell him about us?" she asked. "My father, I mean."

Riven paled. "Not yet," he said. "He would never accept us. I'm nothing but a lowly palace guard. I don't even have a respectable rank. Let me work my way up, then you can consider telling him."

"But he's already looking for suitors – "

"We'll figure it out," Riven said firmly, cutting her off. "Like I said, I'm not going to lose you."

Stella slumped, her seriousness melting away. She lay back on the bed, pulling her hair free of its bun, and smiled up at him playfully. "And how exactly do you plan to keep me from choosing some prince or duke over you?"

Riven's gaze darkened and he moved to hover over her, his hands snaking up her nightdress. "Let me show you."

A flurry of wings outside the windows roused Riven from sleep. He propped himself up and squinted through the curtains drawn over the balcony doors. White shapes darted up into the sky, their wings beating too loudly in the still morning air. King Radius's beloved doves.

He fell back onto the bed, groaning. Stella lay next to him, already awake. She kissed him on the cheek and sat up, covering her bare chest with the sheets.

Riven stared at the way the sunlight played on her bare back and the way it made her hair shine like gold. He wanted to lay there and memorise every inch of her, but he had to be on duty soon. He sat up and reached to gather his clothes from the floor. "I have to go," he said, pulling on his jeans.

Stella smiled at him. "I know. We can meet later in the afternoon. Back of the stables."

Riven turned to her and brushed his lips over her brow. Then he pulled on the rest of his clothes and made for the passage door blended into the wall. Though he knew roughly where it was, it took a while to find the small gap where he could fit his fingers.

He turned to look at Stella once again before hurrying down the tunnel.

The sconces on the walls had burned out during the night, so Riven had to navigate in the dimness. The stone of the stairs dipped in the middle, worn away by the maids' footsteps. He moved slowly, taking the steps one at a time for fear of slipping.

Halfway down the stairs, he heard another set of feet and the clinking of china. He froze.

Through the dimness he peered down the stairwell. A maid was coming up the stairs, carrying a tea service. Her gaze was trained on the steps below her but Riven knew she would soon glance up and see him.

Panicked, he grappled for an excuse, a reason why he would be in the stairwell that led to the princess's room. He came up with nothing plausible and there was nowhere to hide.

The maid looked up then and her eyes widened in shock. Thinking fast, Riven sprinted down the stairs past her, tipping over the tea service she balanced on her arms to stop her from getting a good look at him.

The crash of china hitting the floor and breaking into hundreds of pieces echoed through the passage, the maid's cruses following, rising over the sound.

Riven sprinted harder.

This was the portion of His Undoing that inspired this (if anyone's curious): ...Sneaking into her chambers through the maidservants' passageway and then hurrying out the same way at the crack of dawn before the maids came to dress the princess. One time, he hadn't been quick enough leaving and had bumped into a servant girl bringing Stella her morning tea. To escape, Riven had tipped over the tea service the maid had been holding and sprinted off down the passage, her curses echoing down the corridor after him.

Please leave a review and tell me what you thought. Do you like/have you warmed to Stella and Riven together? Guest reviews welcome.

P.S. This is likely my last Rivella story for a while. I shall be going back to M&R and I'm also working on a S&B oneshot. Sorry to all you Rivella fans!

Until next time,

xxxMusarockz