Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Are you sure you want to keep trying this today?” Eric asked as he drummed his fingers on a glass of water.

Rae walked across the Cobra’s garden and toward the wrought iron table where he sat. Emer handed her a glass that she promptly chugged, then she let out a very unheroine-like burp. It was probably also out of character for the Beauty Dipped in Blood, but so was the sweat drenching her dress. The old Rahela’s choice of exercise probably involved less clothing and a different sort of acrobatics. Rae couldn’t complain though. Strength and endurance like this came in very handy.

Before she had entered Eyam, she could barely remember the last time she’d been able to do a handstand, let alone walk at a brisk pace without getting nauseous. On top of that, it had been almost an hour of spinning and singing, and there was no threat of her passing out. Her heart was pumping and it wasn’t purely from stress!

Well, maybe there was a little stress. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the freedom of her old cheerleading uniform, and the new variable of her gown was not making the routine any easier. She had tried to go for one with the least layers to keep her from getting weighed down, as well as one that was fitted around her hips and butt. There was no way she was giving everyone a show like that for free. Despite her best efforts, she was still on the brink of shredding the whole thing!

As her thoughts drifted between the return of her athletic abilities and the various ways she could scandalize the court with the length of her skirt, her eyes slid to Key. The previous night flashed across her vision. Key was on his knees, his gloved hand sliding over her bare ankle and-

“Boss, maybe you should stop for now. You’re starting to turn red,” he said as he pulled a chair further into the shade for her.

Rae quickly sat and refilled her glass. Eric’s eyes darted between them. He raised a brow. She could practically hear his next question. So, she shot it down before it could fully form.

“We don’t have a lot of time before the ball. We need to get every second of practice in if we want to avoid a ticket to the ravine.”

“My lady, you don’t have an invitation to the ball,” Emer said as she stabbed another stitch through her needlework.

She waved her off, “Details, details. Lia will come around.”

“And if she doesn’t?”

Rae turned to Key and grinned. He grinned back. For a split second, his head ducked under her hood as the flames of the abyss lit his face. He drew her in by her waist and she tugged at his hair, their lips dancing with one another, determined to explore every inch as if they had all the time in the world.

And like Key shoving a man into the ravine, she shoved the thought from her conscious.

Midnight rendezvouses were vital for the image of a villainess, but detrimental to her survival. A little tryst would be a nice distraction from the looming threat of her failure. But it would be just that. A distraction. If she let that keep her from perfecting the routine, she’d lead them straight to the dungeons, and there was no way she’d rot in prison and wait for death when her real body was already at its doorstep!

“Key can handle the guards. It’s not like we haven’t barged into royal events before.”

“While I admire your dedication to trampling on propriety,” Eric sighed, “Can’t we leave this till tomorrow? I have other matters to attend to, and I’d like some beauty sleep before then.”

Rae crossed her arms, “It’s the middle of the day.”

His gaze moved between her and Key before he continued, “I do my best scheming under the cover of darkness. So, I’m going to need at least half an hour to lay about, if not a whole hour to nap till then!”

Rae chewed on the inside of her cheek. Channeling the Head Bitch Cheerleader wouldn’t do her any good. Eric was already doing her a massive favour by agreeing to help her with the flower. She couldn’t risk pushing him away. He was the only one who understood her desperation to return to the real world. Hell, he was the only one who even knew there was a real world to return to.

Luckily, she had her not so trusty guard. She still doubted that he’d defend her till death once a better offer came along, but for now, his oath would work for a dance or two.

“Fine,” she said as she walked back to the wide lawn, “Key, do you mind standing in?”

“No problem, boss.”

He took up a position behind her and she began to count, concentrating on the immediate steps and not the ones that were ten or more ahead. Sure, she was a little rusty, and sure she was doing it in full fantasy garb, but the process was still the same. She could do it. She would do it.

“One, and two, and three, and four!”

Rae swayed her hips, repeating the part of the dance that led up to their stunt. She pictured Octavian in front of her. Her stomach twisted, and to keep her mouth from doing the same, she deployed her best competition smile. He would be their biggest judge, so she needed to be as pretty and placating as possible to earn points.

“And five, and six- shit, shit, shit!”

She moved into a handstand, but before she could turn and flip herself onto Key’s shoulders, her skirt tangled between her legs and she lost her balance. She tried to right herself and nearly toppled over.

A pair of arms swept her up, thankfully interrupting her umpteenth crash into the grass. Somewhere in the distance someone- probably Emer- gasped. Meanwhile, another someone - probably Eric- muttered something about heroic timing. Rae ignored it. Now was not the time for delusions of romantic grandeur. She knew her part, and she knew that it didn’t involve being swept off her feet or carried into the sunset. Her story ended with Alice and a car ride away from the hospital.

No one else would save her but herself.

She prepared to tell Key to start over when their eyes locked. His face was mere inches away from her own, and as a cloud shifted above them, she came to the startling realization that nature didn’t limit Key’s use of dramatic lighting to fires or full moons. It turned out that the bright blue skies usually reserved for golden, gallant knights also worked in his favour.

As the cloud drifted past and the sun came back out, Key tilted his head, causing bits of hair to fall across his brow and cast shadows over his eyelashes. In the middle of the day, and in the middle of the Cobra’s candy-coloured flower beds, night had fallen. The stars burned, cutting through darkness and distance till their light landed back on her. A tiny spot in a vast universe.

The echo of drums and stomping feet rang through her ribs. Her blood rushed and practically catapulted her heart out of her chest and into the stratosphere. It leapt higher and higher, spun over and over. To it, gravity was a problem for later.

Though the rest of her hadn’t managed to do a single flip today, her heart seemed to be gunning for a flyer position on the squad.

“Boss?”

“Hm?”

Key nodded to the hand gripping his shoulder. His muscles twitched as he held back a laugh. Another memory popped into her head. An alley. Key’s back to her as he stripped off his uniform. Hard lines flexing as he reached for his casual clothes.

Damn fictional characters for never needing to work out.

“Right. Thanks,” Rae coughed then let go. She planted her feet and willed her heart to stick the landing. It stumbled as it returned to earth.

She glanced at the table and caught Eric’s eye. He nodded toward Key, still stuck to her side, and called, “We can practice again tomorrow! Key needs some energy to maim and murder, too!”

Key snorted, “It would take a lot more than that to tire me out.”

The low rumble of his laugh sent a hum through her body. Rae heaved a sigh, “As much as I’d love to test that out. I don’t think we can get anywhere if my dress keeps getting in the way.”

“Cut it off then,” Key shrugged.

“Are you mad?” Emer interjected, “Lady Rahela is a lady in waiting! She’ll never be let into the ball if she looks like a girl from the Golden Brothel!”

“The Golden Brothel has standards of conduct, too… And it’s not as if we’ve never had to enforce them with the very nobles in this palace,” Eric retorted.

Her maid groaned, “My lady, there has to be another way!”

Rae folded and unfolded her skirt, hoping that a solution would appear scrawled across the silk or in a poof of pixie dust. There had to be a way to modify her dress without attracting attention… Well, more attention than usual that was. Rahela and all her infamous assets would not go unnoticed, but she did need to make sure that she didn’t get hauled off on indecency charges before she even reached the dancefloor.

“I might have an idea, boss,” Key said as he twirled a dagger. Sunlight glinted off the edge and Rae began chewing on the inside of her cheek. It was no magic wand, but she figured that whatever spell he had up his sleeve couldn’t hurt. Besides, she’d practically lifted her skirt for him before. What was a little more skin to him now?

Rae attempted her most casual shrug, “Alright. But don’t think I’m going to let you make a habit of taking my clothes off.”

He smirked, “Will my lady punish me if I do?”

Another groan sounded from the table, but she paid it no mind as she said, “Only if you’re on your worst behaviour.”

He knelt in front of her. Rae swallowed as her heart did several somersaults. She was becoming far too familiar with the sight of him like this.

Key slashed at the side of her skirt and through to her chemise. A breeze greeted her bare legs, cooling her sweaty skin as Key continued to make smaller cuts. Rae was dimly aware of Emer’s protests, and the subsequent argument between her maid and guard, but she couldn’t bring herself to intervene. At least, not while Key tied bits of fabric up and tore other pieces away. And especially not while his fingers were dancing over her skin in the process.

He was concentrating! How could she interrupt that?

“That should work,” he said as he smiled up at her.

A whistle from the table broke Rae out of her stupor. “If murder doesn’t work out, you could always start a career in fashion,” Eric said.

With his initial cut, Key had created a slit that ran up one side and stopped a few inches above her knee. There was still enough fabric to keep majority of her legs covered if she chose to do so when she wasn’t dancing. If she wanted more freedom though, she could sweep the excess up and tie it to the opposite side of her skirt with the help of a few smaller slices he’d made. Admittedly, it was pretty rough, but it wasn’t anything Emer couldn’t perfect once she altered her actual gown for the ball.

Rae drew in a deep breath, “Let’s take it from the top!”

Eric counted them in. She breezed through the steps leading up to the stunt, relishing the way her skirt flared out like flower petals when she spun. As she moved into another handstand, her heart leapt pre-emptively.

Rae put all her weight onto her hands, balancing herself for a second, before pushing herself off the ground. A small gust flew through her skirt as she flipped, head over heels and into Key’s waiting hands. He lifted her onto his shoulders with ease, gripping her legs as she straightened above him. As she caught her breath and reveled in her view of the gardens, his leather clad fingers loosened ever so slightly. A constant, if a little more subtle, reminder that he was there if she fell.

“Hell yeah!” Rae yelled as she pumped her fist.

“Maybe we should let you handle more of the details for our schemes, Key!” Eric added as he clapped.

“You’re a genius!” Rae continued as she jumped down and into Key’s arms.

He shrugged, “All I did was ruin your dress. We still need to get you into the ball and in front of the king-“

“Whatever!” she interrupted as she threw her arms around him, “I still couldn’t have done that without you”

Key rested his hands on her waist as he tried to keep them from falling onto the grass. He laughed, the sound of it more melodic than the last. It was the sort of laugh found while dancing through rain storms. The sort of laugh found between movie marathons and flimsy pillow fort walls. The sort of laugh that made your stomach and cheeks ache because it was so real and so unabashed in its joy.

Another hum ran through her body as she laughed with him. It was from the adrenaline of the flip of course. The two of them- no, their whole group of vipers- were just glad that they’d finally managed to execute the stunt. That was all.

At least, that was what Rae told herself when she pulled away.

“You should go take a break. I think we’re good for today.”

“You sure? You said yourself that we need all the practice we can get,” Key replied, rolling his shoulders in anticipation.

She nodded, “I’M SURE. Besides, what kind of boss would I be if I didn’t let my minions get some proper rest?”

“A very common one unfortunately,” Eric said, strolling up to them, “Rahela, could I talk to you for a minute? Key, you should get yourself a drink. You’ve been standing in the sun all day.”

Her guard didn’t budge. Rae and the blood oath seemed to be the only form of authority he followed… For the time being. Once her weight in gold could be counted, he would be off to the Cauldron, or even off to defend a damsel in distress.

She nodded again and he headed toward the table, softly singing all the while. She tucked the memory away for later. It was a shame that he’d been given such a small role in the story. How anyone could ever relegate Key to the background or flat out forget him was beyond insane.

She turned back to Eric. The sharp look he’d leveled her with earlier had disappeared. He gave her a half-hearted smile and shook his head. She bristled. Good news never followed a look like that. A look like that was meant to soften the blow that followed. She’d faced many similar looks when she’d learned about her parents’ divorce and her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend’s betrayal.

Eric lowered his voice to a nearly imperceptible whisper, “Your version of the book must’ve been pretty different, huh?”

Rae tilted her head, “Yeah, I thought we’ve been over that with the whole Cobra thing. Why?”

“It’s just the way Key is with you…”

“What about us?”

He crossed his arms, “What about you two? I don’t think I have to be the Oracle to see what’s going on. You need to be more careful. It’s not just the plot, but their lives you’re affecting.”

Rae huffed. She wasn’t some cruel god building her sims a pool, only to take the ladder away and watch them drown once they were in. She’d make sure that Key was safe from the narrative before she left. A minor change for a minor part. No one but the Cobra would know.

And if the two of them decided to flirt in the mean time, what was the harm? The Harlet of the Tower already had her reputation, and Key’s offer in the Cauldron meant he was already familiar with what happened when scenes faded to black.

“Trust me, Key will move on fast,” she said.

She glanced at the table. Her guard lounged in a chair, one elbow propped up as he examined something small between his fingers. It caught the light and gleamed a deep red. It was her earring. He was probably planning on pawning it off.

“They always do,” she muttered more to herself.

Eric shook his head again, “I think you need to get your prophetic sight checked. For someone supposedly given a gift by the gods, you’re awfully lost.”

Chapter Text

“Is there anything else you need, my lady?”

Rae examined her reflection as best as she could in the bronze mirror. Knife-sharp eyeliner, blood red lips, and an updo with as many twists and turns as the very plan she would soon have to execute. She was the very picture of the vicious vixen.

And yet, she was still fighting to hold the front line against her vomit. Maybe, she should have cut back on the extra tea and sweets this afternoon. Finally receiving the invite from Lia was one thing. Actually succeeding at the ball would be another.

Rae held a hand out to Victoria Broccoli. She slithered across her vanity, candlelight catching on her scales and setting them ablaze like the glow of the setting sun. The snake curled up her arm, a twin to the golden one clamped on her opposite wrist.

She had managed to maintain the king’s interest, even as he contemplated putting her to death, what was one more show? It would be her grand finale before she quietly snuck off stage and returned to reality.

Well, she hoped she’d be able to sneak off till the flower bloomed.

Octavian’s previous late-night summons had been too off script for her liking. Was keeping the Harlet of the Tower alive really enough to sway him from the pursuit of the perfect pearl? Was Lia’s purity not enough to keep his eye from wandering? Or was the idea of another option just too tempting for a man who would have to sacrifice life and limb for his country and queen?

She set her snake back down. There was no use dwelling on the king as he was. She knew exactly who he would be, and once she got the flower, his progress would continue on as it should. The future of everyone in Eyam would be set, and she wouldn’t have to improvise anymore.

“I’m good, Emer.”

“I’ll be tending to things below stairs then.”

Rae nodded and sent her maid away to the next plot point. The Cobra’s band would be handling the music while other servants they’d paid off would be manning the lights. If the number were to go off without a hitch, Emer would have to make sure that all of them were ready for their cue.

Which meant that she had to be ready, too.

Rae stood from her vanity and swept her skirts to the side. She began doing simple stretches and was midway through a vocal exercise when a knock sounded from her bedroom door.

“Boss, you alright?” Key said through a barely restrained laugh.

Rae cracked the door open and scoffed, “Excuse you, I was just warming up.”

“By doing that? Sounds like you kidnapped an angry cat.”

“So much for following Sharpay’s example,” Rae huffed.

“Who?”

“Never mind, just trying to get my mind off things.”

“Boss, are you nervous?” Key asked, incredulity creeping into his voice.

She chewed on the inside of her cheek. A villainess did not admit to any of her weaknesses in front of her minions. It would only lower morale. And poor morale meant poor results. Or even mutiny. A villainess couldn’t afford to show fear!

At least, not until she was directly faced with death and crawling on hands and knees to beg for forgiveness. But Rahela wouldn’t have to do that again. Not while Rae was in her place.

Although, that same Rahela never would’ve accompanied Key into the Cauldron, let alone offered him her vulnerabilities the same way others offered her jewels. She certainly wouldn’t have marked the same skin that bared the king’s favour with an oath to a gutter brat. Even if she’d only promised him money.

Rae sighed, “I guess I’m a little nervous. We only had a few days to practice and we haven’t even had a full dress rehearsal. But hey, Emer sure did her part.”

She opened the door wider and leaned on the frame. Key’s eyes trailed across her hem and up her bare legs. He averted his gaze as the rest of the skirt narrowed to hug her hips. Rae felt a twinge of disappointment, but welcomed it all the same. If he had continued to look at her like that, there was no way he wouldn’t have noticed her breath stuttering.

Thanks to her nerves of course… And possibly thanks to her air tight bodice, too. She couldn’t risk spilling out during the performance.

“She did pretty great, right?”

His eyes flicked back to hers. “Amazing,” he breathed, the single word making her heart leap the way it had when he’d caught her during practice.

Rae pushed off the doorframe. If she was going to have all this pent-up energy, she might as well put it to use while they waited.

“So, do you remember your part?”

Key laughed, cutting through the tension, “I know I haven’t been to any fancy parties before, but a step or two in a dance isn’t that hard to forget.”

Flickering torchlight and the ravine’s flames. The beat of drums, her chest crushed against his. Solid, and yet heaving in sync with her own.

A little step or two could easily be forgotten. But that night on the other hand?

“I’m not questioning your dancing ability. It’s not like I haven’t been intimately acquainted with it or anything. Just go over the steps with me again.”

Key stepped aside, giving her more space in the hall. Rae counted them in, then sang and swayed along to the part of their number proceeding their contact with Octavian. Her stomach lurched at the thought of curling up to him. She ignored it. She couldn’t get into the greenhouse without the key, so unfortunately, she literally couldn’t survive without him… And she wouldn’t survive if she pissed him off either.

She spun and feigned missing a step. A strong arm looped around her waist to steady her, silence filling the moment that belonged to Eric’s lines. Rae took the opportunity to catch her breath.

“Do you still need to do those warm ups, boss?”

Rae looked up at Key. The sun still had yet to fully set, but the stars were already out in full force. They gazed down at her with a gleam that no crown could rival.

“Nope. I’m fine.”

She righted herself and Key let go of her waist as she continued. She dug her nails into her palms, willing herself not to shake. Rae did not need to stumble more than once in the routine.

When she finished the dance, she let out a sigh of relief. Despite the part of her that screamed to go back on the plan, another cheered, adrenaline pumping through its veins and egging her on. She couldn’t help but smile at the thought of the crowd’s attention now. She missed performing like this! Whatever they’d say, she didn’t care! Bring it on!

She turned to Key and her smile faltered as she caught sight of his own. If looks could kill, his usual grin would be a downright massacre. But this? This was the face of a man expecting a knife in his back.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he said as he began counting his knives, “Just going over the plan.”

Rae quirked a brow, “Wasn’t that just what we were doing?”

“Yeah, but-“

“But what? We’re gonna kill it,” she said as she returned to his side.

“I thought you didn’t need me to kill anyone tonight,” he snorted.

“Not what I meant,” she laughed as she pushed his arm. Key caught her wrist and drew her in, his gloved hand sliding into hers.

He shook his head, “And I meant that I was going over the part that comes after this.”

This.

The single word reverberated through her body. Her heart leaped again, determined to out do the stunt she would have to pull later. She would need to bench it at this point. It was becoming way too unpredictable.

Whatever Key meant by this, whether it was the song or the entire night- or even the moment she unlocked the greenhouse in a week or two- Rae couldn’t dwell on it for too long. They had to get through the ball before she entertained the idea of celebrating with anyone.

The last bits of sunlight streamed through the stain glass windows, painting Key in shades of sapphire, emerald, citrine, and ruby. A bit of the palace mosaics made tangible through the warmth beneath worn leather gloves. A bit of the fable she’d imagined through the near constant onslaught of anti-septic that had reduced her world to grey walls and blinding fluorescents. A bit of the story she’d clung to when needles took bites out of her flesh and radiation turned her bones and blood to ice and slush.

He was her fairytale brought to life… Even if it was only temporary, and even if it would end with a throw away line in a book that belonged to neither of them.

But she’d already avoided Rahela’s grim fate, so who was to say she couldn’t help him avoid his? Maybe, for once, the wicked didn’t have to be punished to give everyone else their happy ending. Maybe, just this once, she could entertain the thought of him.

Just until she made it back home. Just until he forgot about her. Just until she saw his new life solidified on a page.

A spin around the floor and a little star gazing wouldn’t hurt till then. Besides, it wasn’t as if she’d had many opportunities to enjoy anything similar before ending up in Eyam. Prom could’ve been close, but she’d spent her prom night scrolling through other people’s stories and rewatching random episodes of Glee.

At least, now she could say that she had a much cooler outfit and date than her former friends. Not that Key was really her date tonight. Officially giving him that title would conflict with his position on her payroll.

Although, a tiny part of Rae had to admit that it was oddly comforting to picture Key in her living room, corsage in hand. Despite the contrast to the kingdom, he could fit right into a streamer and balloon strewn banquet hall, swaying to whatever teen movie worthy mix came on. Maybe, they’d make fun of everyone duking it out over prom king and queen afterward. Maybe, they’d fumble their way to a spare room during the after party, or maybe they’d settle for the back of a Honda Civic instead.

Rae stepped closer. Sure, she was living in a dream that would eventually fade, but there was no point in letting the fantasy go to waste before she woke up.

She whispered, “Well, whatever comes after this- the ball, I mean- I’ll make sure to save a dance for you.”

Key leaned down till their noses were touching. His breath fanned over her lips as he whispered back, “You swear?”

She moved to close the gap, their mouths centimetres away from one another as she responded, “I swear. Just add it to my tab with all the gold.”

A jolt ran up Rae’s arm, her blood roared, and her pulse went from a light jog to a sprint. She grabbed Key’s collar and he gripped her waist. His lips found hers, resuming their night in the Cauldron and-

Key let go of her and took a step back, his eyes darting toward the door. Rae’s jaw dropped.

“Why the hell did you-“

Creak.

The heavy wooden door to her suite opened and she whipped around. Emer walked in, seemingly unaware of the question that now hung in the air. Rae lifted a finger to her lips, pre-emptively fixing any smudged makeup.

“Are you ready to leave, my lady?” Emer asked once she noticed her standing in the hall.

A tingle persisted in her arm and she shook it. Her bracelet hissed against the fabric of her gown like a snake ready to strike. She glanced at her skin and caught sight of a tiny glimmer. Probably a trick of the fading light or just a bit of makeup.

Rae raised her head, squared her shoulders, and let her skirt flare out around her. She glanced back at Key and he nodded.

And once again, whatever had just happened between them would have to wait. The plot stopped for no one, including her.

“Let’s get this show on the road.”

Chapter Text

You lie to yourself because you don’t want to believe you’re…

Dead?

Rae jolted, her heart seizing and her eyes flying open as the words rang through her head. She gasped like a sailor surfacing from a shipwreck, thankful for the air and dimly aware of the iron tang that drifted over the carnage. Pale moonlight peaked through a curtained doorway, just barely revealing ashen walls and bone white arches. Threadbare fabric rustled and wood creaked beneath her as she sat up.

Right. She was in bed… Key’s bed in his alcove in her chambers. Not a mausoleum. Rae didn’t need to worry about any corpses. Much less where they ended up, whether that was in the ravine or in a coffin. Or even posed on a throne for the kingdom to pay their respects to.

Those were future Rahela’s problems. Future Rahela could figure out how to survive her new story once Rae successfully left and rewrote her own.

She shuffled to the doorway and paused, waiting for the echo of boots or the clink of armor. Nothing. Rae let out a breath and pushed past the curtain and into the anti-chamber. It was blissfully empty. There would be no guards and, as far as she knew, no more assassins after her tonight.

The rest of her argument with the Cobra landed like a volley of arrows, the points that they’d shot at each other now tipped with the blood-soaked memory of Key’s back. Fifteen lashes. One cut after another. Each bit of ragged flesh a reminder of their mistakes.

Key’s mistaken belief that she would step in to stop the king. Her mistaken belief that his love for the protagonist would keep him safe for the time being.

Other people aren’t real.

She’d told him as much in the Cauldron, and he’d whispered it back to her on the balcony, clutching her to his chest as if to make sure she was still real.

And of course she was… She was the only one of them who would be once she got the flower.

Rae touched the cut the assassin had left by her eye. Once she’d gotten it clean, it had become clear that he’d left no permanent damage. She was lucky. He was not.

She had had the element of surprise and a relic on her side. Sure, he would’ve had training, but No amount of drills and sparring sessions could stop the hunger of a magic blade. It had plunged between ribs and torn through vital organs, savouring the last dregs of life like wine. Death had been looking for its next meal and it sure as hell wasn’t going to be her.

Luckily, it had been satisfied.

She glanced at her hands. She could just make out the bits of grime stuck under her nails. Emer had helped her clean her wound, so whether this had come from the unnamed henchman or her own, she didn’t know.

She dug the dried blood out from under her nails and flicked it away, a few dark flecks landing on her white nightgown. She scrutinized her palms. Silver light threw her spotless skin into sharp relief. If there was anything else, no one would notice and she could just get it out in the bath. She didn’t have to go full on Macbeth.

Nothing else would be left of the absolute failure of the night except her now bare wrist… And Key’s injuries.

But he could heal from those. His fighting ability was near supernatural, so why couldn’t his recovery be, too? It wasn’t as if that skill would be out of the realm for a fantasy man like him. Characters were always coming back from the brink for those they loved, and with the way that he’d stepped in on the balcony, it was clear that he was still meant to protect Lia… Until his death arrived with the maximum amount of narrative flare.

But Rae could change that. She would change that. Once she remembered what it was exactly that she had to change.

Whatever. Tonight, he had survived, so she still had time. That was what mattered. She couldn’t fixate on their mistakes, otherwise she would spiral. And what sort of mentor would she be then? If she was going to guide him and get herself out simultaneously, she had to look ahead.

No one else was real but her… Well, there was Eric. Given their last conversation though, she doubted that he’d want to see her, much less scheme together anytime soon. It was solely up to Rae to get the plot back on track.

She turned back to the alcove. A low groan sounded from her bedroom and she stepped toward her door instead. It remained ajar and she peered in, finding Key asleep. Rae’s hand hovered by the knob.

Had he bled through all his bandages already? Did they need to be changed? Should she wake up Emer?

Key groaned again and Rae shook her head. She needed to check on him first. Assess the situation and then reevaluate her next steps. If she could do that now, then she could do that with her plans for the flower. And with her plans for his life afterward.

Rae slipped into the room and lit a candle on her vanity. Victoria Broccoli peeked out from an open drawer. The snake peered up at her, head tilting as if to ask why she was up so late. Rae held a hand out to her and she slithered into her palm.

“Did I wake you up or was there something else keeping you awake already?” Rae whispered as she lifted her up to eye level.

The sleeve of her nightgown fell away, allowing Victoria to curl around her wrist, it now missing the snake’s golden twin. The humiliation she’d felt when the king had stripped her of his favour, in front of the entire court no less, had been painful of course. But after the initial sting, Rae soon realized that it was nothing that she hadn’t felt before.

That sort of pain had been seared into her mind the moment her father had left. That sort of pain had become all too familiar once her ex and their friends had pleaded with her to understand. That pain had flickered to life again on the balcony, but it paled in comparison to the fury that had blazed in her chest when Key had been returned to her, battered and barely conscious.

Her snake curled further up her arm and toward a set of precise lines resembling a blade. The scars had long since faded from their angry red and into a faint, almost pearly sheen. And now, by the flickering candle, they seemed to glow gold.

Rae set Victoria down and brought the candle to the bedside table. She scanned Key’s bandages. Nothing out of the ordinary. She knelt next to him and pushed his bangs back, then checked his forehead. No fever. Rae sighed. Key groaned again.

A bit of her heart fractured and she brushed it off. He was a character like the rest. Even if- when she changed his fate, it would still be stuck within the confines of ink and paper.

Although, till then, she still wished she could get him some sort of magical morphine or something. Couldn’t this world have a potion guy to go to for painkillers?

Rae made a move to get up when Key’s eyes fluttered open. The familiar silver star glint was replaced by a washed out grey as he blinked blearily at her. A lump formed in her throat as his brows scrunched.

Shit. Did he not recognize her? Was he delirious? Or was he just pissed?

He coughed, “Boss… You… You alright?”

“Am I alright? Are you seriously asking me that?” she scoffed, trying to keep her voice down so as not to wake Emer.

“Yes?”

Key let out a weak laugh that turned into another cough. He hissed at what Rae imagined was another shock of pain down his back. She shook her head and grabbed an empty glass and a pitcher.

“I should be asking you that. Do you think you can sit up?”

He gave her a small nod and attempted to push himself up. The arms that had so easily swept her off her feet and into the throne room shook with the effort. Rae rushed to help him the rest of the way, careful to avoid his wounds. Despite her efforts, she brushed the skin at his shoulder and he shut his eyes and sucked in a breath.

“Key?”

A beat of silence passed and the lump in her throat grew heavier.

“Key, should I get Emer?”

He shook his head, then finally looked at her again as he spoke, “I’m… fine… That just… surprised me.”

She must’ve tugged at skin too close to one of the cuts. Maybe she should’ve woken Emer up before manhandling him.

Rae held the glass of water up to his lips and drank in the sight of a stray drop trickling down his jaw and neck, trailing lower and lower and-

She gnawed on the inside of her cheek and focused on the headboard as she shut the thought down. Key was only just starting to recover. Now was not the time to think of their night out in the Cauldron or their moment before the ball. Or whatever distraction could’ve followed after either.

Cool leather settled on her hand and Rae jumped. Her gaze fell back on Key as he pulled the glass away. She apologized for spacing out and placed it on the table before helping him settle down again. She glanced at his hand now laying on the sheets, fingers seemingly reaching for hers.

Somehow in the midst of his torture, in the king’s attempts to weaken his will, Key had managed to keep his gloves on. He had managed to protect that piece of himself. A piece that he’d shared with her by forgotten graves. A secret that lay somewhere between a life barely lived and death that had yet to claim him. A past so easily overlooked by others. One that she’d traced the scars of while recounting the mess of her own.

“Call me if you need anything,” Rae said as she stepped back.

Key reached out, hesitating as he had when the others had been around. She knelt down to ask what was wrong, but was interrupted by his finger brushing the cut on her face. She leaned into his touch and brought her hand up to his.

“I’m fine,” she said, then attempted to smile, “Tis but a scratch.”

He frowned, either just not understanding the joke or flat out refusing to believe her. Or both. Probably both.

She blew the candle out and moved to leave again, “Just try and get some sleep.”

“Wait,” he protested, fumbling for her wrist. The seconds stretched, smoke and melted wax filling the air between them till Key added, “Stay?”

The single word reverberated in her chest, leaving another hairline fracture in her heart. “Key, you need to rest,” she began. Still, she didn’t try to pull away. Though it would’ve been pretty easy considering he wasn’t at his full strength. It would’ve taken only a second to break his hold… If she hadn’t looked back at him.

The colour had yet to fully return to his face, and the sliver of moonlight from the door only helped to emphasize it. His skin was as pale as his bandages. And despite his spectral state, he still tried to crack a smile for her.

“Please,” he continued, “I need a distraction… Tell me about that Jesus or Batman you mentioned before… Or just sing another one of those songs you and the Cobra like.”

“Those songs aren’t exactly the best lullabies.”

He opened his mouth to argue, but she cut him off with a squeeze of his hand. He dragged himself over, attempting to make room for her on the bed. She propped a few pillows up and settled next to him, one hand still holding his in her lap and the other slowly brushing through his hair.

She began to hum; the song coming out in fits and starts till the melody came back to her. It wasn’t a number from the musical or anything covered by the Cobra’s band. Rae couldn’t remember when and where she’d heard it for the first time. Maybe it was on the radio or in a fan-made video? Whatever it was, she was sure she’d heard it enough since then to recall some of the lyrics.

They floated through her memory and slipped from her grasp over and over again. So, she continued to hum till she reached the end of the song. Key gazed up at her, an emotion she couldn’t read just beneath his exhaustion. He could tell her what he was thinking in the morning. She started the song over.

It wasn’t till the third try, till his eyes drifted shut and his breathing evened, that Rae remembered the words. She brushed his bangs back once more and smiled at the little bit of peace he’d been given since the ball.

She didn’t want to shatter it. So, she pulled the discarded blanket over them and sang the chorus under her breath. He didn’t need to hear the rest of it. It wasn’t really meant for vipers or villains anyway.

It was just for this moment.

**

Rae woke up to the sound of footsteps outside her door. Probably Emer getting ready for the day ahead, which included prepping her to face the court. Rae burrowed deeper into her bed, willing her satin sheets and feather down duvet to hide her from the world. But despite her best efforts to avoid being perceived- or rather, despite her lack luster perception of her surroundings so early in the morning- she became aware of a solid weight settled next to her. She cracked her eyes open.

Her legs were tangled with one of Key’s. His arm was around her waist. Their faces were inches away from each other.

A second passed, then ten, then thirty, and then a whole minute. He didn’t budge. His lashes brushed the tops of his cheeks, his brow was smooth, and his mouth was slightly parted as he let out a nearly imperceptible snore.

Huh. Who would’ve thought fantasy men snored?

She snickered and Key stirred slightly before relaxing again. She slid toward the edge of the bed. She should let him sleep in.

Key’s arm tightened around her waist. Shit. How the hell had he slept through her singing last night if a little laugh had woken him up this morning?

Silver eyes met hers, a hint of their usual spark returning to them as he mumbled, “Boss, what are you doing?”

She snorted, narrowing her eyes at him while fighting a grin, “Excuse you, what are you doing? You answer to me, remember?”

He made a non-committal noise and Rae relented and let her grin takeover. “Five more minutes,” he negotiated.

“I wasn’t planning on taking that from you, you know? I gotta get up though. Scheming to do and all.”

“No.”

“No?”

“Yeah, no.”

Her mouth dropped. She tried to string together more snark, but her heart stuttered before her words even could. Was he seriously arguing about sleeping in with her? After everything from the night before? That had to be the last thing on her list of possible arguments to get into before lunch. Not that it was unwelcome at all. It was just so… Normal?

Rae laughed. Yeah, that was it. This little slice of her life in Eyam was so normal that it was uncanny. It was oddly domestic. Like a glimpse into her potential future once she made it home and found someone to wake up next to everyday.

Key laughed with her then winced. She glanced at his back where scarlet soaked through bandages and crept at the edges of her conscience. She and Emer had work to do.

As if on cue, her maid called, “My lady?”

“Just checking on Key,” she responded as she stood and scrambled for the basket of medical supplies.

Rae glanced up at Emer once she entered. Her maid’s eyes darted between her and her guard, her hands clasped primly- if a little intensely- over her apron. Rae called her name. She refused to look at her and instead focused on the man violating the kingdom’s laws of science by simply living, as well as violating the kingdom’s rules of propriety by laying in a lady’s bed.

Good thing she hadn’t come in earlier. Rae didn’t need to unpack that first thing in the morning.

Emer brought over a basin of water then took some of the supplies from her. Rae knelt next to Key, giving his hand a squeeze before they began to peel his old bandages off and wrap him in new ones. His eyes locked on hers and a hint of what she’d woken up to, a sliver of what she’d fallen asleep with, glittered up at her. It faded as pain wracked his body.

Rae’s eyes stung and she blinked rapidly to clear her vision. Jesus, she hadn’t gotten enough sleep.

By the time they finished redressing Key’s wounds, Rae was sure that all of them were seriously considering returning to bed. Most of the palace had to be hungover anyway. They could spare an hour or so.

Emer left to prepare a bath and Rae sat next to Key, combing her fingers through his hair and mirroring their position from the night before. She was about to hum the same song when a knock interrupted. Rae glanced down at Key. His eyelids drooped, but the rest of his muscles refused to loosen, his body stuck between drifting to sleep and bracing for a fight.

Rae strained her ears to hear the conversation in the hall. A frown firmly settled on her face before Emer re-entered her bedroom to deliver the news. They had to move her chambers to the bottom of the tower, which meant they also had to move Key there somehow. Rae drew in a deep breath. She tapped Key and told him about the move, effectively shattering whatever illusion of peace they’d formed earlier.

Just as she’d predicted, the moment had come and gone like that. Another exception that had passed.