Chapter 13 – Clandestine Meeting
All around Annette was a vast emptiness and unending silence. She didn't know where this place was. In every direction, there was only the pitch blackness that swallowed up everything. She tried to shout, to call for someone. Anyone. The words barely left her mouth before they were snapped up by the darkness.
This was all wrong. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was – what was it? The cave? Yes, the cave! Was this still the rebel base in the mountain? But she escaped from here, right?
In the distance, a dim cone of light shone down from an unknown source. Standing in the pale circle was Felix, proud and tall. He hardly looked like a prisoner and instead seemed his usual self. Minus the scowl.
His arms moved in an odd, languid motion. Annette realized that he was beckoning her over and she gladly raced for him. Or tried to.
Her feet were stuck on the inky black floor, rooting her to it. She jerked her foot and it eventually gave way. She took a giant, wobbly step forward. Then repeated it with her other foot, over and over. If she didn't tarry, her feet didn't seep into the mire as much and she could pull them free easier.
Soon, she was running. The darkness squelched underfoot despite not making a sound and soaked against her heeled shoes. She was closer to Felix and stretched her hand out for him.
Then the light switched off and she watched as Felix sunk quickly into the void, his expression a mixture of surprise and horror. She jumped for him and found herself sinking as well. She kicked and punched at the nothingness, but it surrounded her, choking her, filling her mouth and nose, wriggling down to her lungs.
Annette smacked something firm beneath her and blinked her eyes. The glare of the evening sun through the window stung her eyes and she rolled away from it, burying her face in the soft pillow. Slowly, the memories came back to her. The mountain, finding Felix, and escaping back to Fhirdiad. She wasn't still back there and Felix wasn't missing. He was safe. He was here.
He was here. She sat up straight. I have to see him. With that one and only determined thought occupying her, she hopped out of bed on shaky legs.
"Easy now," Mercedes said, appearing from the side. Annette saw a blanket and pillow on the couch beside the window, along with a small stack of books.
"Have you been here the whole time?"
"I've been trading off with Felix. Your father too. He arrived a couple of days ago. We wanted to make sure you were well."
Annette perked up. "Felix was here?"
"Yes. He couldn't stay for long. He's been helping fill in for Dedue and perform administrative tasks for Dimitri." Mercedes helped her stand straighter. "Give yourself a moment. You've been in bed for a long time."
The sky outside the window was a deep shade of purple and pink, and in the distance, lanterns illuminated the buildings of the surrounding town. "Yeah, I guess after being up for so long, I should've expected to sleep the day away."
"Days," Mercedes corrected her. "You've been in bed for two days. Technically, three I suppose, since it is morning."
"Morning? Three days?!" The lanterns outside confirmed the time, as a lamplighter snuffed them out one by one. She had never slept for three days. She even hated sleeping in, as there was always so much to do. A million questions spewed from her mouth as she held onto her friend's shoulder. "What happened? How are you doing? Are the rebels gone? Where's Felix?"
"Easy, Annie." She tried to guide her back to bed, but Annette refused to rest any longer. She marched for the door and through the halls on a mission, Mercedes in tow. "Everyone made it back safely. I'm fine. The rebels are almost taken care of."
"Almost?"
"Dimitri called a meeting and Felix gave us the locations of their bases. Dedue, Ashe, and Sylvain are on their way now to finish it. Your father is out shoring up the city defenses at the moment. Dimitri is still here in case they come back. Although," she grinned, "that didn't stop him from trying to sneak away and join them."
"Oh, no. What did he do?"
"He hid in the underside of one of the supply carts. I guess his plan was to hold on the whole way to Gideon."
"How long did it take to find him?"
"Half an hour. The guard Dimitri used as his replacement was a very poor actor and Dedue and Felix realized it immediately. They found him shortly after that." Mercedes adopted a stern expression, gazed down at Annette in the same manner as the Duscar bodyguard, and lowered her voice. "Your Majesty, this is unbecoming. Please come out from under there and remain at the castle. For your own sake."
Annette burst out laughing, startling a passing maid. "You're pretty good at that. Benefits of spending so much time together, huh?"
"Yes, well," Mercedes looked out a passing window, "I hope he'll be alright."
She noted the same worry in her friend's eyes that she herself had experienced for Felix so many times. Patting her back, she reassured her, "Don't worry. I've seen these rebels and they're nowhere near as threatening as they're made out to be. Besides, he's not alone. I'm sure they'll be fine."
Mercedes turned back to her. "Yes, I'm sure you're right. Now, let's go find Felix. You two have a lot to catch up on."
The past few days were enlightening to Felix as he moved about the castle proper. He had access to almost every area without question, only drawing a few curious glances before soldiers or servants returned to their duties. Dimitri must've taken him in as a close confidant during his time under the spell.
He wished he could remember more. On more than one occasion, he accidentally entered one of the few restricted areas and was forced to concoct some excuse. The latest was when he stumbled onto the king's personal study that a maid happened to be exiting.
"Lord Fraldarius? What are you doing here?"
"Ah, sorry. I thought this was the storeroom. The past few weeks have left me feeling turned around." Then he scurried away before she became too suspicious.
Not that he had much time to explore the castle. Dimitri had him running from one chamber to another, reviewing imperial policies, sending out letters to distant armies about where to proceed next, and general busy work that Dedue usually attended to.
"To help you get back on your feet," Dimitri said as he handed him another stack of letters to review and seal before sending out. "Don't want to push you too hard." The glint in his eye belied the truth. It was a means of revenge for helping Dedue reveal his hiding spot. Felix took it in stride though. He couldn't very well have their main target galivanting off to play hero when he was well within reach.
The rest of his time in the castle, he was drawn to Annette's room. This first night, he passed by it, merely to check that she was well. Mercedes was exiting the room at the time and paused. "Did you want to come see her?"
She left the door open and he assumed she expected him to accept. "Yes, thank you," he said, entering as she closed the door behind him.
Annette was passed out on the bed, a chair pulled up beside her. Felix sat down and checked the door, trying to decide how long was appropriate to stay. Half an hour? The full hour? He supposed it depended on how close they were.
Which begged the question, what had happened between them? The song's healing influence offered no answers, only the same muffled melodious voices. He looked to Annette, at peace in her dreams.
A used washcloth laid on the nightstand beside her and he noticed that she was cleaner, less wild and battle-worn from when he last saw her. Studying her, there was a familiarity to her that went beyond academic acquaintances. We must've been friends, he decided firmly.
Friends. That sounded right. Yet, not quite appropriate. He discarded thinking about the past and pretended to watch her sleep for anyone who happened to enter. For now, he'd concentrate on how to best gather information on Fhirdiad's defenses.
Except as he watched her sleep, he became hypnotized by her soft breathing. The way her chest rose and fell under the blanket. How her faint snores ended in a little whistle, as if she were starting to sing in her sleep. Her eyelids fluttering at points from dreams. Good? Bad? He hoped the former. She didn't deserve bad dreams. Not her.
He blinked. Where did that come from? He realized he was leaned forward in his chair, his head close to hers and drawn in without knowing it. When he looked up at her face, he was struck by the position they were in. It was oddly familiar. He felt like they had been this close before, the surroundings different, but near enough that he could touch her.
No, he thought. Something else. A little puff of air brushed his nose and he turned to her lips. Those sweet, delicate lips that were parted. Could he have-?
The song swelled in his mind and he winced in pain, drawing back. Damn this thing. As soon as Anaximandros arrived, he was going to demand it be removed. He was perfectly fine by now and all this was doing was interfering with his tasks.
He slumped back in his chair, massaging away the pounding in his forehead. Casting a brief glance at Annette, he stood and reached out, brushing aside a few strands of hair. "Get well soon."
During the rest of his time in the castle, he tried to stay away. Made excuses to himself that Dimitri's assigned tasks and gathering intel on Fhirdiad were too important. But two things made him return to Annette's room at least several times a day.
One was to avoid arousing suspicions. Whenever he came by, Mercedes always had an expectant air about her. What she thought was happening, he only guessed.
The other was that Annette wouldn't leave his mind. Wherever he went, whatever he did, she seemed to tug at his chest, pulling him back. This inevitably led to trying to determine the reason, which in turn produced splitting headaches that he suffered through with gritted teeth. But he couldn't leave her alone. In fact, he soon realized he didn't want to leave her alone. He wanted to keep visiting her and it was only Dimitri's tasks and his mission that pulled him away.
However, his mission hit a snag regarding the castle. There was little in the way of evidence of a trap there and the most important chambers were barred from him.
The surrounding city was more accessible, but not any easier to move around in. Many of the citizens recognized him and greeted him with a "Lord Fraldarius." As he suspected, the bulk of Dimitri's trap lied in the town itself. All around the stores and homes, soldiers were dressed simply in plain tunics, blending in with the commoners. They couldn't eliminate the stiff march from their gait and were easy to pick out. Felix quickly adopted their style of clothing, fading into the crowds so he wouldn't be spotted too.
Watching the soldiers' routines led him to an abandoned building that they frequented. An old seamstress shop by all appearances on the outside, the windows were boarded up and it had been out of business for a long time. When he snuck in late one evening once the soldiers were through, he discovered a stockpile of weapons in one of the rooms.
Clever. Uses himself as bait to draw the enemy in to attack him, expecting him to be weak. Then he springs the trap.
By his estimate, there was a small-sized army hidden in the town itself. Not enough to repel a full invasion force, but enough to hold off any attackers until reinforcements arrived. The same reinforcements he had sent off with Sylvain on a wild goose chase to the middle of nowhere.
After gathering sufficient information on the number of hidden soldiers and the general plan, it was time to contact his forces. Anaximandros had sent Dolofonos ahead of the incoming rebel force to meet with Felix and relay any information. According to their planning, they were to meet today behind the tavern by the city gates.
Felix wrapped his cloak around him and stowed a scroll deep in one of the inner pockets. All the information, rough diagrams of the weapons' storage, and suggested plan of attack he'd carefully detailed. With the scroll in hand, Anaximandros would make short work of Fhirdiad.
When he stepped out of his room though, he heard a light voice calling nearby. "Felix! There you are!"
Mercedes. Damn it. He couldn't afford to be late. Dolofonos wouldn't wait around for long. Felix himself wanted to be out of this castle right away.
Forcing a neutral expression, he turned around. And immediately felt all the air leave his body as if he had been thrown from a horse.
"Look who's up," Mercedes said, stepping aside for her friend.
Annette approached Felix, those luminous eyes meeting his and he felt himself falling into them. How had he not noticed those eyes before? In fact, how had he never realized how beautiful she was? All that time spent together in the academy, whether he was spying or not, and he never fully saw this ravishing beauty before him? How was that possible?
The way she daintily ran up to him made her seem so small and delicate. He had a sudden urge to scoop her up in his arms and run off with her. He clamped his hands to his side, resisting that temptation.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Better," she said. "What about you?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Thanks to you." He couldn't help smiling, earning one from her in return.
"Going out somewhere?" Mercedes asked, reminding him of her presence.
Immediately, his face dropped and he remembered the scroll. "Yes. I need to run an errand."
"May I come along?" Annette asked.
He almost agreed without thinking, until he reminded himself about Dolofonos. He couldn't refuse though, as that wouldn't be in character for him. "Yes." This complicates matters.
"Want to come with us?" Annette asked Mercedes.
"I'd love to, but sadly I can't. I have some business in the chapel." She bid them farewell and hurried off. A little too quickly, in Felix's estimation.
Annette turned to Felix and wrapped her arm around his. "Shall we?"
The castle suddenly felt very warm. "Yes, let's."
Once they were through the gates and on the short road to the surrounding town, Annette spoke up. "I-I'm sorry. For what I said before." He raised an eyebrow, unsure what she meant. "Before we were attacked. I didn't mean to take it all out on you."
Just what he needed. Some private argument they had had and that he now had to puzzle over. He tried to dismiss her concerns with a simple nod. "It's alright."
She wouldn't let it go though. "No, it's not. You hurt me and I meant what I said to you. We aren't back to where we were." She took a deep breath, preparing herself. "But I would like to be again."
Felix stared ahead, completely bewildered. What was he supposed to make of that? So his suspicions were right that they were close. The when and how eluded him though and naturally, he immediately tried to piece together any possible memories he had on their time together. Only to be hit with a wave of pain.
"Are you alright?" she asked, slowing down.
"Fine." He barely heard her over that blasted melody. "Only a headache. Nothing to worry about. Please continue."
"After you were taken, I was so worried I'd never see you again. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized how much you mean to me. It's what kept me going and looking for you these past weeks. You can ask Ingrid. She kept dragging me back to my tent to rest each night. But I stayed up most of the time, wondering if you were okay and where you were."
That explained why she was so disheveled when she found him in the cell. Unlike the rest of the king's lackeys, pretending to be concerned, she genuinely cared for him.
Anaximandros warned you about this, he reminded himself.
Yes, but he surely knew there were some good people, he argued. After all, not everyone in Fhirdiad is evil. That's why we have to liberate them.
But am I saying that because I believe it? Or, Annette latched onto Felix with her other arm as well and his tunic seemed to constrict his throat. Or is it because I want it to be true?
"So while we may not be able to pick up exactly where we left off, I'd like to try it all again. If you still want to." She looked up at him, waiting for his answer.
Felix turned ahead as they entered the town. This was ridiculous. He had a mission to complete and here he was, entertaining the notions of some summer love from when he was under the evil king's spell. It was foolish and if he pursued it, he risked giving himself away and ruining the plan.
All that was for naught, as when he opened his mouth, he said, "Yes. I do want to."
She beamed and leaned her head on his arm, flooding him with a warmth he happily soaked in.
Being in her presence was pleasant and if there wasn't a looming deadline hanging above him, he would've enjoyed it completely. After all, he'd hardly had any downtime since his rescue. It was either the dank dark of the mountain and planning the king's downfall, or sneaking around in enemy territory on full alert.
But Annette pressed into his arm was wonderful. When she looked up at him, his heart beat faster and all worry and anger dissolved like smoke into the air.
As they turned the corner, heading for the city gates, they passed by some food stalls and Felix heard a strange noise like a muffled dog whining for food. He checked behind them, then noticed Annette burying her face into his sleeve. "Sorry," she said sheepishly and he realized it was her stomach. "I haven't eaten for the past few days."
The city gates weren't far ahead and the tavern was right beside it. Felix dug some coins out of his moneybag and handed it to Annette. "Why don't you get us something to eat?" he said. "I have to run that errand. Should only take a minute."
"Oh," she accepted the coins and seemed bewildered as he placed her in line at one of the stalls. "Okay, what do you-"
But he was already off, making a beeline for the tavern. The whole time, he scolded and berated his foolishness. What am I doing? The king is so close and this plan hangs on the edge of a knife. And as soon as a pretty girl bats her eyes at me, I fall apart! He gripped his hair, tugging on it and scaring a couple of bystanders at his intense internal tirade.
He stole behind the tavern and searched for Dolofonos, checking the narrow alley for anything aside from sealed crates and spilled rubbish. Get it together. Do you want to be under the king's spell again and not even know what's going on? All because of Annette. Annette. Yes, Annette. The gorgeous Annette.
He smacked his forehead, willing the image of her to leave, but it clung stubbornly to his mind like the healing melody.
"That's not going to do you any favors in the long run," a quiet voice whispered in his ear. Felix jumped and spun around, reaching for his sword.
Dolofonos raised his hands, his cloak's hood pulled low over his eyes. "Easy. Little jumpy, aren't we?"
"You would be too if you were alone behind enemy lines."
"I do it all the time," Dolofonos said. Some loud patrons stumbled out of the tavern, evidently drinking a little too early in the day, and sauntered off to the city gates. Felix and Dolofonos moved closer to the shadows and out of their view. "What have you found out?"
"The whole city is a trap," Felix said, producing his scroll and handing it over. "They've disguised soldiers as commoners for an ambush and stored their weapons in the house marked on the map."
Dolofonos unfurled the scroll and examined it. "Should've known. Reinforcements?"
"Taken care of. I sent their forces to the 'main base' between Ordelia and Goneril. The rest are beyond Rowe."
"Perfect. The castle itself?"
"Lightly guarded, but soldiers are hiding amongst the servants." Felix checked the streets, hoping Annette didn't come searching for him. "The king is presenting himself as an open target. He's anticipating an attack, but he shouldn't have the numbers for a real force. You need to attack now."
"We will." Dolofonos rolled up the scroll and stowed it in his cloak. "In two days' time."
Felix scoffed. "Two days? You need to attack now. Why wait?"
"Anaximandros is still setting his troops in position. It's only two days."
"I won't last that long," Felix said. "Everyone in the castle keeps referencing events and people I don't remember. And the infernal song in my head is a hinderance more than anything at this point. I need it removed if I'm to be effective."
Dolofonos studied him and a frown appeared to pass across his face. It was gone before Felix could properly see it and he assumed it might be a stray shadow. "I'll check with the others and see what they say. Do your best in the meantime. Now, was there anything else?"
Annette. Then he thought better of it. No, I should speak directly to Anaximandros about her. "No."
Dolofonos nodded. "We're almost there. Don't lose heart now."
"I won't." Felix set his face as the other man slunk around the buildings and disappeared into the crowd. He was committed to his mission. And nothing would get in his way. Not fear, not the soldiers, and, even if it pained him, not even Annette. Dimitri would die and Fodlan would be freed. One way or another.