Ariana looked back and nodded at the guard with a faint smile. To him, it seemed like it was the first time in ages that he had seen Selena smile. He quickly looked away, wiped his eyes, and went back to guarding the empty cell and the hallway.
The two entered the restroom. As soon as Ariana closed the door, Selena looked at her with eyes full of tears, "Lorian... you..."
Lorian patted her head in affection, but Selena writhed and whimpered in pain. Lorian realized her head was injured as well. Suddenly he felt too sad for her, and wanted to hug her tight and say it is all over. But now was not the time for that. He raised her chin to look into her eyes, "Hey, we need to hurry. Can you walk alone?"
Selena made a brave face and nodded quickly, but her tired sleep deprived eyes disagreed with her. Lorian smacked the back of her head gently, "As if you can, idiot. Drink this!"
Before she could react, Lorian took out a flask and shoved it into her mouth. It was a very strong ale. The pungent alcohol jolted her back to her senses. She felt the world spinning, but the sharpest of her pain and weakness began to fade. Lorian took the clothes from his Ariana disguise, along with the straight golden wig, and handed them to her, "Change into these quickly and give me your rags!"
Selena giggled like a drunkard, "You... pervert... I know what you are planning..."
Lorian smacked her head again, a bit harder this time, "Shut up, you dumbo, and do it quickly. I'm going to the other side." He walked to the far end of the room and faced the wall. He shed the Justicar uniform, revealing the common clothes he wore underneath. "Are you done?" he asked in a low voice without looking back.
"Yes!" Selena giggled.
Lorian turned to find Selena perfectly disguised as Ariana. He used his fingers to comb the golden hair over her forehead, dropping the bangs to cover her eyes just as Ariana's had been. "Perfect." Lorian gave a satisfied smile, "Now, let's go."
He walked Selena out of the restroom as she struggled to regain her composure. They walked slowly and silently; Lorian wanted to give her time to regain control of her limbs. Selena did not speak. As she was trying hard to regain her sense, a fear was encroaching her mind slowly like a dark monster. Part of her mind insisted this was not real, but just a dream. Afterall, it was not the first time she had dreamt of escaping the torture she had endured over the last few days. Her mind, desperate for respite, often dreamt such rescues only to find peace in few hours of sleep she was allowed to.
She felt as though this was just another pleasant dream, which was perhaps why her limbs felt so disconnected. Beside her, Lorian was acting strange as well, occasionally pressing his hand to his ear and asking the air, "Everything alright?"
Tears rolled down her throat, choking her. She did not want to wake up to a cruel reality. As they approached the section of the hallway where the four guards were stationed, Lorian whispered in her ear, "From here, you have to walk alone to the guestroom facing the sea. Can you do it?"
She hesitated. Lorian turned to her, cupped her face in his hands, and looked directly into her eyes, "Hey, listen to me. If you can't, tell me. I will make another plan. We are in this together. Trust me."
Selena was overwhelmed by a flood of emotion that overpowered the numbness of the ale. For a moment, she felt that with him by her side, there was nothing she couldn't do. She nodded firmly, "Do not worry, Lorian. I will be fine."
Lorian brought his face close to hers, "You're sure?"
Selena suddenly kissed his cheek and smiled, "I've never been more sure. Have faith in me, silly!"
She started walking toward the hall Lorian had mentioned. Lorian stood stupefied, as if enchanted by the sudden kiss. As she vanished into the dark alley, he came to his senses and whispered into the air again. "She is coming. Jax, receive her without fail. Zara, is everything alright there?"
He heard a response in his ear and quickly took a different path,- one that led to the quarters where the Throne Guards were stationed.
Selena, meanwhile, walked with a slow but steady gait. She kept her right hand on the stone railing, using it as an anchor for a body still dizzy from the ale. She passed the four guards; all of them were now sleeping against the wall, two of them snoring quietly.
However, as she reached the door, Selena froze. Her heart stopped. Standing directly in front of her was none other than Makran Sedar. He was not alone; two guards stood beside him, their hands resting on their sword hilts.
So, it was all part of the nightmare, Selena thought with a bitter internal laugh. It was just another piece of psychological torture- giving her a glimpse of hope only to shatter it and crush her spirit. The cruelest part was that they had made Lorian part of the play.
She realized now that while the guard had mentioned a Veridian delegation, Lorian was not supposed to be among them. It was foolish to believe the man was Lorian; he must have been an actor with an eerie resemblance, or perhaps her desperation had simply made her see what she wanted to see.
Selena steeled her resolve. Accepting her fate, she walked with a confident gait toward Makran.