CHAPTER FOUR: DIONE
I'M NOT DOING WELL, BUT THANKS FOR ASKING

They'd never be able to fix her dress. That was all Dione could think about as she sat on the bench in her room, eyes trained down on the large bloodstain across the skirts of her dress. She'd seen the cleaners work wonders on her dresses before but this stain was so large and so soaked into the fabric, surely the dress was ruined beyond repair. It was her favourite gown yet and she'd never get to wear it again. Her mother would be furious.

Except she wouldn't.

She'd never be furious again.

A fresh wave of tears welled up in Dione's eyes and she was sobbing again before she could stop herself. As soon as she heard the crying, Oriole rushed over from where she was looking through Dione's closet for something for her to change into and sat down next to her, wrapping her arms around her and letting her fall into her embrace as she cried.

"I ruined my dress and it'll never be able to be fixed and she'll never get to be mad at me again, I just want my mom to be mad at me again," Dione babbled.

"Shh," Oriole told her, "it's okay, just breathe, Dione, just breathe."

She took a stuttering breath in but the tears just wouldn't stop and she continued to cry. Oriole seemed unsure of how to help her, so helped her up to a standing position instead, immediately moving to stand behind her, where she started to unlace her dress. Her nimble fingers worked quickly at the laces and as soon as it was undone, the dress fell and Oriole helped Dione to step out of it before she quickly swept the dress away, somewhere she could no longer see it.

Remaining just in her slip, Dione nearly fell back to a sitting position on the bench. Her sobs had tapered out again by this point to just sniffles and she wiped her eyes as she felt Oriole's hands on her shoulders, announcing her presence before she started to gently take out the pins keeping her hair up. It was a cathartic process, sitting in silence with Oriole while the wood elf worked the pins and braids out of her blonde hair until it was hanging loose around her shoulders once again. By the time Oriole was done, Dione's breathing had evened out.

"There you go," Oriole announced as she finished. "Let's get you into a nightgown."

"Would you go get Sirius for me?" Dione asked.

Oriole's hands stiffened for a moment on her shoulders before relaxing again. "You should really get some rest, princess."

"I... I just don't want to sleep alone," Dione admitted.

"How about I go get your siblings instead?" she offered, rounding the bench so Dione could see her face again. "It would be much more appropriate than sleeping with your betrothed, no matter what I said this afternoon."

It was a joke, Dione realized dimly. Oriole was trying to joke with her, make her smile or laugh to show she was all right. She didn't know why she just didn't have the energy to even fake a smile for her friend's sake.

"I would like that," Dione said instead.

"All right then."

Oriole stood and moved to the door, opening it and speaking to Leva in what she probably thought was hushed tones. Dione could hear them clear as day, though. Leva asked how she was doing and she wanted to be mad they were talking about her like she wasn't right there but she also knew she wouldn't have known how to respond if the question had actually been posed to her.

She wasn't okay, she knew that much for certain. Her parents had been murdered in front of her while she was frozen in place by some spell or potion slipped in her drink. No one would be okay after seeing that. She should have been able to stop them, she had the magic to do it and the skill to use it properly. Which is exactly why they took you out of play, a voice in her head sounding suspiciously like Oriole said. All her magic tutors said she had the strongest magic in the Aquila family in generations. Of course the assassins had wanted to take her out of play.

But she was raised her whole life as a princess. She was raised to smile and curtsey and hide her true feelings. Her face was to be a mask so that none would know her true feelings on any subject. She had been taught for years to hone the skill of keeping a smile even as political opponents threw thinly veiled insults at her. Even when things were less than ideal behind the scenes, she knew how to keep a smile when they addressed their people so they didn't have reason to suspect something was wrong. It was one of the first things she'd learned about being a leader. If the people believed something was wrong, they'd get uneasy and worried, which would lead to actual problems. Unless there was something actually and truly wrong, they had to always appear as if everything was fine. A petty argument between siblings or parent and child could not be allowed to negatively influence the people they served.

A moment later, after answering Leva's question in a hushed tone and then requesting she get Jacira and Aries to come to the room, Oriole came back into the room. She went right to her closet and retrieved a nightgown, then brought it back to Dione and helped her put it on. By the time she was all dressed for bed, the door was opening and Jacira and Aries were coming into the room.

The three of them embraced in the middle of the room, holding each other tightly. It was a comfort to be able to hold her younger siblings after what they'd all seen. They were still here, still safe, still alive. She still had them.

With her face buried in her siblings' embrace, she didn't see the methodical way Oriole checked the room. She didn't see the way she checked the door to her balcony or the balcony itself, she didn't see her checking the windows and the other dark corners of the room for ways in. It didn't matter that the room had been checked before allowing the princess in, it didn't even matter that the room had been routinely checked for years.

Finally, Dione and her siblings pulled away from their embrace and began making their way towards the large bed where they would make themselves comfortable for the night, content and secure knowing they were all together and safe. As they started heading that way, Dione caught sight of Oriole trying to sneak past them and out the door, so caught her arm before she could.

"Thank you," she said when she saw her friend's confused expression.

"Of course, princess. Someone will be stationed at all entrances to your room for the entire night," Oriole assured her. "You will be safe."

Without saying another word, the wood elf slipped silently out of the room, allowing another member of the King's Guard, the knight assigned to her brother, Aries, into the room. He wordlessly went to the balcony, stepped outside and closed the doors, taking up his new post in front of them.

You will be safe.

For the first time since feeling her entire body freeze as her father finished his toast, Dione actually believed it.

◈◈◈

Dione was surprised by how well she slept after the horrors she had witnessed. She had been sure she would be plagued by nightmares of watching her parents be murdered while she stood helpless, but with her brother and sister curled up in her bed next to her just like they did when they were children, she slept soundly and woke refreshed.

It didn't take long after waking for her to recall the events of the night before and tears welled up in her eyes, but before she could devolve into tears again, someone squeezed her hand. She looked over at her brother and found him watching her with a soft expression. He'd clearly woken up before her or even at the same time, seen the emotions on her face and, knowing her, had known where it was going to lead. Heart swelling, Dione tucked her head down to rest on her brother's shoulder, smiling to herself when she felt him rest his head atop hers.

They didn't lay there for more than another moment before the door opened and a few servants came into the room, including Dione and Jacira's lady's maids, a clear sign that it was time to get up and face the day. There would be decisions to make. A funeral to plan. They couldn't afford to waste time, not just yet.

Pushing themselves from the bed, Dione bid her siblings goodbye until she would see them again at breakfast and allowed her maids to help her get ready for the day. She was surprised not to see Oriole among the people helping ready her for the day as the dragon rider always liked to check in with her at the start of the day. Unlike with Leva, Dione didn't spend every waking moment with Oriole as she would often have training and other responsibilities as a Captain she would need to attend to so she liked to see her in the mornings to at least have an idea of Dione's plan for the day. This morning, Dione supposed, Oriole's other responsibilities were preventing her from checking in with her in the morning.

As expected, Leva was waiting just outside of the door to Dione's room and after a quick greeting, the knight followed her as she made her way towards the dining hall.

Dione saw all of the looks those she passed gave her as she made her way through the halls, the sorrow and pity. Pity was the worst, it was the one she hated the most. She didn't want to be pitied, but in the face of recent events, what else was she to expect?

She couldn't wait to see Sirius, to melt into his embrace. Hopefully, the Beaumont's would be dining with them for breakfast and she'd be able to see him sooner rather than later. As much as she'd wanted to see him last night, the time since had allowed her to see how right Oriole was to refuse her request. Even if they were to be married in just a few days time, it wouldn't be proper for them to spend the night together, regardless of if there was no intent to do anything other than hold each other. She'd just wanted to fall asleep to the sound of his even breathing and steady heartbeat under her ear.

When Dione finally reached the dining hall, she found her siblings arriving at the same time and they entered together. Wordlessly, they walked to the table and sat down at the places they always did, but as soon as they were settled at the table, they all met each other's eyes and realized what they'd done.

The silence that settled over the room was heavy as all three siblings looked towards the two seats they'd left empty for their parents. They hadn't even been thinking about it, about how they could assume those seats now. Dione realized, with a sadness strong enough to bring tears to her eyes, that soon she would be expected to sit at the head of the table. Sooner than she'd ever expected, Dione was Queen of Astrana.

Not yet, a small, sad voice in the back of her mind said, you aren't queen until you've been coronated.

Before any tears could start falling, the doors from the kitchen opened and a few servants came into the dining room carrying several plates they put down in front of Dione and her siblings. Dione's brow furrowed as she was sure more people should be joining them and food wasn't to be served until everyone had arrived, but she didn't get a chance to voice her concerns, as it was at that moment the doors opened once again and Oriole entered behind General Patrin Fen.

Dione hadn't spent a lot of time around General Fen, but she knew the wood elf was in charge of all the dragon riders outside of their home of Roxforte Forest and working within Astrana. And not just that, he was the dragon rider who had been assigned to guard her father. There was a brief moment of panic in Dione's mind as she wondered if they were going to be changing her guards because of the new position she would be assuming. She didn't want a new knight and dragon rider, not again.

"Good morning, Your Highnesses, Your Majesty," General Fen said, giving a small bow first to her siblings before Dione. She bristled at the title but didn't say anything.

"Is something the matter?" Dione asked. "Why are the Beaumont's not dining with us? They know they're still welcome despite... recent events, right?"

General Fen and Oriole exchanged a look that didn't reassure Dione of anything.

"The Beaumont's are packing their bags and preparing to depart back to the Ironwood Islands," Oriole told her.

"Why would they do that?" Jacira asked.

"They're still welcome here," Dione insisted. "We don't have to put anything off just because of... what happened last night. In fact, I would prefer we don't put the wedding off."

Oriole looked down, not meeting Dione's eye as a guilty look grew on her face. Dione wondered what she could possibly have to feel guilty about despite everything she had done for Dione since last night. She'd done everything she could, what could be wrong?

General Fen cleared his throat and Oriole's jaw tightened before she finally looked back up at her.

"I'm afraid I wasn't entirely honest with you last night, when you asked for Sirius," Oriole said.

"What do you mean?" Dione asked, fear growing in her heart as her mind raced with reasons her friend would have to lie to her.

Oriole opened her mouth to answer, but no words came out. General Fen, seemingly fed up with his officer's demeanour, sighed and spoke up. "Last night, before the assassination, Prince Sirius was kidnapped."