Private Tales Stealing All That Which Cannot Be Stolen

[Liviana]

Liviana spoke gentle reassurances into the crate as Otto retrieved the blade she required. She had lost count of the years that she had been kept by the Regisfords, but how long had they been capturing Fae? She'd thought it'd just been her...

Anger rose up and burned like bile in her chest, but as she ran the blade across her palm she winced, and swallowed it down, her eyes glassy with tears, her brow knit with a rare fury. Her hand pressed to the crate and whispered a prayer to her people, that with her sacrifice of blood they might allow her the power to free whatever creatures had been captured. There was nothing for a long moment, and Livvy's free hand fisted into the grass by her knee. It felt as though her power had forgotten her, but she could feel a small kernel of it tendril through her, seeking familiarity. In near silence, she spoke her true name, and almost at once something ignited, and the crate cracked open.

 

[Otto von Geist]

Otto watched as Liviana took the ominous blade from him, his eyes flicking between the weapon and Liviana herself. Perhaps, he thought, she meant to carve open the crate, but surely the crowbar would have been better for such a task. Then, he saw her bring the blade close to her hand.

"Liviana, wait, surely—"

He watched the steel carve the tender flesh of her hand, which before had felt so soft to him, and now seeming all the more fragile for that.

"—there must be another way...!"

His expression was one of horror and fascination as she then took the bubbling blood from her hand and pressed it to the crate, a soft glow at the touch indicating yet more strange magic Otto did not understand. Sparks signaled the final straw: at last, the lid of the crate cracked open, and Otto rushed forward, sliding the lid off fully as it flipped onto the nearby dirt. The thief peered inside.

"Oh... Gods..." he stammered.

Inside the crate, they could at last see the precious cargo: a woman, not dissimilar in height and shape as Liviana, barely strong enough to keep her eyes open. If there was any magic keeping her prisoner, Otto could not tell. So instead he reached down, grunting as he hooked his arm around the prisoner, straining as he pulled her thin body out of the crate, at last. Fear was in the woman's eyes, but her limbs seemed too weak to resist him.

"It's alright," Otto said, looking into the woman's eyes. His eyes shot back to Liviana. "Livvy, is there anything we can do?"

He looked around at the rest of the crates.

"Wait... you don't think... all these crates...?"

The thought was too terrible to finish aloud...

 

[Liviana]

Liviana watched in sickening familiarity as the female was pulled from the crate, her mind frozen in horror. How could she have not known that they'd been doing this all along. How naive had she been to think that she had been the only one? Had her sisters truly been left in peace, or where they here too?..

She felt sick, her ears ringing with memory so loud that Otto's voice was muffled by it, until he mentioned the other crates..

"Get her into the trees.." she asked of him as she hurried her way to the next crate. There was iron everywhere, and she had yet to regain any of her true strength as it was. Humans had to find ways to dampen their power, to find ways to hold leverage over them, for they knew without doing so they stood no chance against fae. But she wouldn't let them suffer the same fate she had. She had been away from her own realm for too long, but they hadn't, she hoped they hadn't.

Again and again she whispered her pleas, endured the pain, and with each crate that fell open, Liviana grew weaker. "Into the trees." she repeated, knowing they'd find their strength there. By the sound of the last crate finally cracking, Liviana fell into darkness.

 

[Otto von Geist]

As Liviana began opening the various crates, Otto quickly noticed something: the captive Fae were being held inside crates that specifically had strips of iron bolted to the crate, much more than was necessary to construct such a thing, and he suspected these crates must have been much heavier than normal, meaning that for the Regisfords this had to have been worth the extra expense and logistics. But just how many had they managed to amass? He shuddered at the thought.

Yet he diligently removed each faerie from the crate as it was opened, not questioning the cost Liviana might be paying in doing so. And with each one he removed, he hauled them to rest against the trunk of a nearby tree as per his partner's instruction. By the time they had finished, he had counted to roughly 9 captive fae, and again his mind raced with the horror of wondering if this type of shipment was a regular occurrence. It meant much: teams organized to capture and enslave, or worse yet, a turncoat in the ranks of some settlement, profiting from the enslavement of his own kind...

And then Liviana fell to the ground with an unceremonious thump, and he nearly gasped at the sight of it. Yet he steeled himself, taking the last faerie out of the crate once more and dutifully placing her next to a tree. That left only the fae he had escaped with in the first place, and he ran hurriedly to rejoin her. He nearly slid falling to the ground in order to lift her up as well, cradling her in his arms as he urged his aching muscles to heed him just long enough to get her to a tree where she could begin to recover as well.

But would she? Would it be enough?

His mind fraught with that singular worry, he lay Liviana too next to the trunk of a tree, where he sat next to her, despite the starvation eating away at his stomach, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her in to lean against his chest while ensuring she maintained contact with the tree they both leaned against. It was no place to wait, and rather than rest, the thief's mind began to think of what might need be done if she did not awaken in time...

 

[Liviana]

Liviana’s senses swam back to consciousness in a foggy haze, the remnants of her exhaustion and pain mingling with the distant sounds of nature and Otto’s presence. The comforting pressure of his arm around her shoulder was the first thing she registered. Her head lolled slightly, and she blinked several times, trying to clear the blurred vision before her.

"Otto..." she murmured, her voice barely more than a whisper, tinged with fatigue and relief. Her eyes focused on the surrounding trees and the unconscious fae against their trunks. Her eyes stung at the sight.

The iron in the crates had drained her more than she had anticipated, but the sight of the freed fae revived a flicker of her resolve. The gravity of the situation settled heavily on her, and she forced herself to push through the weariness. Her eyes locked onto Otto’s, showing both her gratitude and the urgency of the matter.

"We need to get them somewhere safe," she said with renewed determination, her voice gaining strength. "I don’t know how long it will take for them to recover, but they can’t stay here. We need to get them home."

Liviana's expression hardened with a mix of determination and frustration. How long had the Regisfords been doing this? How many more fae had they stolen and trapped here?

 

[Otto von Geist]

Liviana's voice cut through the racing thoughts of his mind with ease, his head snapping to face her as soon as the first note lilted from her shapely lips, a reminder that she may not have even been in her true form at the moment, though he suspected she was just as beautiful either way. Long had he spent time around the nobles of the court, including all of Marjorie's friends who had been drowned in so much makeup as to resemble all-too-lifelike porcelain dolls capable of movement and (unfortunately) speech. Liviana's beauty was something else: as captivating as the stillness and reflection in a quiet pond at dawn with her teary eyes, yet as deadly as a poisonous flower. He had seen it before, he thought, but only now that her eyes struggled to open had he so clearly seen her wondrous face...

But now was hardly a time to contemplate such a thing. His mouth crinkled into a worried frown as he too looked out to the weakened fae, who themselves were similarly struggling. He helped Liviana sit up straight, putting his hands on her shoulders and righting her wherever she faltered.

"Are you alright?" he asked gently, awaiting confirmation before releasing his grasp upon her. His eyes matched hers for a fleeting moment before turning back to face the rest of the freed captives. Only then did he answer Liviana's urgent plea. "Yes, you're right—but how might we go about that? We have but one horse, and there are... well, at least six of them, by my counting. I... gods, it must have been so cramped... Well, I won't just sit here and do nothing."

Otto stumbled to his feet, then quickly turned and offered his hand to Liviana to help her stand, his mouth at least attempting to show some confidence to her.

"We may not be able to outrun their hounds," he said. "But where we cannot run, perhaps we can hide. And if there's one thing I learned from the streets, it's how to fool a dog. All we need is something pungent, and somewhere to hide. If we can find those two things, we'll be in the clear, I think. We just need to get started... if you can stand," he said, still holding her hand. "Can you...? I'll steady you a little longer, if you need it..."

 

[Liviana]

Liviana blinked through the lingering haze of exhaustion, taking a moment to ground herself in the present. Otto's soft words reverberated with concern, and his hands at her shoulders helped her sit upright as she nodded in silent acknowledgment of his care. The worry etched in his frown tugged at something inside her—something she wasn’t ready to confront just yet—but for now, it was enough to know he was there, solid and unyielding, a pillar amidst the chaos.

Her gaze flicked toward the fae huddled beneath the trees, fragile and weak, and a deep pang of guilt lanced through her chest. This wasn’t over. Not for any of them.

"I’ll be fine," Liviana whispered, her voice still raw but steady. She closed her eyes briefly, trying to push through the remaining fog in her mind. Otto's suggestion of hiding wasn’t without merit. They wouldn’t outrun the Regisfords' men or their hounds, not with the fae so weak and vulnerable. She glanced down at his hand, still offered to her, and placed hers within it, feeling the warmth of his skin against her cool, trembling fingers.

"I can stand," she said, her voice firmer now as she gripped his hand. With his help, she rose to her feet, albeit a bit unsteadily at first. She inhaled deeply, willing her body to find strength where there was none. Her legs felt weak beneath her. She held onto him for a moment, her silvery gaze finding his, her true form unshielded. A small, hesitant smile curved her lips in thanks.

"The trees will shield them for now," she continued, nodding toward the fae as her eyes searched their surroundings for a potential escape. "But you're right.. I can shield us from sight, but I don't think I have the strength for anything else. If they send the hounds, illusion won't be much good.." she frowned. Apparently the Regisfords were rather adept in hunting fae.

Her brow furrowed in thought as her mind raced to find a solution. She knew little about dogs, but Otto’s suggestion seemed logical. A pungent scent to mask their trail... her eyes wandered toward the nearby forest, where mushrooms, moss, and damp earth might hide something useful.

Lavender. "Grab a few handfuls of the purple stuff." she pointed.

 

[Otto von Geist]

"I'll be fine."

Yeah, sure you will, he thought. She needed a good bed and some hot food now, or at least the fae equivalent. But, as always, there was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and whatever luck the two of them still had seemed to be evaporating by the minute. It had been hard enough hiding themselves from the Regisfords, and escaping; how would they do so for a whole gaggle of other fae, too?

Still, he felt a faint glimmer of hope as Liviana stood again, apparently still strong enough to manage such a feat. Though hungry, Otto was at least still strong enough and alert enough to think on his toes. At her suggestion, Otto nodded in agreement.

"Something with a real aroma," he said. "Good thinking..."

He stepped forward, taking as many handfuls of the lavender nearby that he could find and distributing them among the fae, as well as handing some to Liviana as well. He would begin to rub the scent all over his body, head to toe, and while it was a bit strong, it was a tolerable burden compared to being imprisoned again by the Regisfords, or worse. Once the two of them had covered their scents, Otto nodded, looking worriedly between himself and the rest of the fae.

"We should probably split off, if they can find their way home again," he said to Liviana. "Better they only find the two of us than for them to return to captivity. I say we give them a little headstart, and then you and I, we'll... well, we'll run off together, and just hope we make it to an inn or tavern or something, maybe we'll chance upon a town... I don't know, but we have to at least try."

He took her hand in his, smiling meekly.

"I'm not going to give up," he said. "Not until they've thrown you and I into the dungeons and the last of my strength leaves me. We'll get our revenge, Liviana. I don't care if it takes the rest of our lives, even. But for now, we just need one last miracle so we can at least have a chance..."

 

[Liviana]

Liviana watched Otto with a quiet intensity as he moved quickly, gathering lavender and spreading it among the fae. The weight of their situation pressed down like an iron shackle around her chest. None of them were supposed to be here.

When he took her hand, Liviana felt the warmth of his palm against her own, grounding her in the moment. Her silver eyes pooled with tears at his words, so full of fierce determination, his loyalty gripping her in a way she hadn’t expected.

Her lips twitched into a tired smile, small but genuine, as she squeezed his hand in return.

"I would expect nothing less from you, Otto," she whispered, her voice soft but full of warmth. "But you’ve already given me more than I could have asked for."

She glanced back toward the fae, who clutched the lavender as though it were a lifeline. They were fragile now, but she could feel their strength—dormant, waiting to return.

Liviana turned her gaze back to Otto. She wanted to believe him, to take his promise of revenge and run with it. But that small flicker of relief quickly turned to a heavy, sinking feeling deep in her chest. It wasn’t just about escaping anymore. She couldn’t just run, not now.

She looked away, her grip tightening around his hand as her thoughts swirled. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice soft, carrying the weight of her turmoil. "But... I wanted to run, Otto. For so long, that's all I thought about. Getting away, hiding... Going home."

Her gaze shifted to the other fae, some still too weak to stand, others looking at her with wide, scared eyes. They were more than just victims now. They were proof of something bigger, something she couldn't ignore.

"But how can I go home?" She swallowed hard, her brow furrowing. "How can I run, knowing that the Regisfords are still doing this? Capturing and selling my kind like animals? How many more are there? How many have been lost?"

Liviana felt a tear slip down her cheek, but she brushed it away quickly, forcing herself to stay composed. "I don’t know how to stop them. But I have to go back and try to figure out a way." She looked back at Otto, her eyes full of both determination and fear as she dropped the lavender to the ground.

Her voice wavered. "You should go."

 

[Otto von Geist]

The wave of relief Otto felt at her 'thank you' was swiftly replaced by a sudden dread as Liviana began to say something, anything other than yes, let's leave here, let's go somewhere safe, far away from the Regisfords where we can get back on our feet again, and he could hardly believe his ears. Even after everything, she wanted to stay, wanted to fight even. His foot shifted impatiently in place, his eyes narrowing on hers before softening again.

"Of course you will," he said, nodding. "I... I didn't want you to go home either. I'd hoped we would do this together, Liviana. Me for the love and life that was taken, and you for the same and your people. It's as clear as the sun that shines over us; we cannot turn our backs on it, and I wouldn't dream of asking that for a second. But..."

He stepped forward suddenly, wrapping his arms around Liviana in a tight embrace, enough that he lifted her slightly from the ground and settling his head next to hers.

"I won't go without you," he said. "But I won't let you go back to them without a plan, either, okay? We need more, for as much as I believe in you by now, we surely cannot defeat the Regisfords such as we are..."

He breathed jaggedly, clutching her back slightly. He hadn't thought of how intimate such an act was when he'd done it, only that didn't want to let go until she agreed to come with him long enough that they could recover.

"Don't go," he pleaded. "Not without me, and not before we're ready. We're the only ones who can do this, and, I know we've only been acquainted for a short time, but... oh, I should miss you terribly if they were to take you again Liviana, or worse..." He inhaled sharply, leaning back so they were face to face and slowly releasing her from the embrace before sliding his hands up to her shoulders. "There will be another day to be brave after this one. But if we let them catch us, then there won't be any more days for either of us. Their roots are too deep; we need to burn them out from beneath if we're going to succeed. So won't you come with me, come with me where we can rest our weary feet a moment and think? Just minutes ago you were so weak I needed to cradle you in my arms, and you already want to go running at them again, well, don't, please stop and think, okay? If not for yourself then, well..."

He slowly released his grasp on her, fingers reluctantly trailing upon fabric and skin until they returned to his side.

"Then for me?" he said, smiling weakly. "For your partner in crime...?"

 

[Liviana]

Liviana felt her breath catch as Otto pulled her into his embrace. The warmth of his arms around her was unexpected, but it didn’t feel unwelcome. For a moment, it was enough to quiet the storm inside her, to steady her just as he had done so many times already. His words, earnest and pleading, echoed in her mind.

He’s right, she thought, feeling the weight of his desperation and concern as much as her own. She wasn’t ready. Not yet. The strength she had left was nothing compared to what she'd need for the battle that lay ahead, and as much as she hated to admit it, charging forward now would only mean getting herself killed—or worse.

When he finally pulled back, Liviana felt a strange sense of loss, even as his hands lingered on her shoulders. His words pulled at her heart, and she couldn’t help but feel the heavy burden of responsibility weighing her down. But in Otto’s eyes, there was something else—something she had been missing for so long. Hope. He believed in her. He believed in them.

She let out a shaky breath, her brow furrowing as she looked away, considering his words. For all her anger and resolve, Otto was right. They couldn’t just rush in blindly. The Regisfords were too powerful, too dangerous. They needed time, they needed to be smart. And as much as it hurt to admit, they needed to survive this day before they could even think about stopping the Regisfords for good.

Her gaze finally shifted back to him, her heart heavy but her resolve clear. She nodded, forcing a soft smile in gratitude for his wisdom. "You're right.." She glanced down at the other fae, their weakened forms reminding her of how fragile they all were at the moment. "We need more than just anger. We need a plan." She couldn't help them, or Otto if she got herself killed.

She took a deep breath and then nodded a final time, the decision made. "Alright," she agreed, her voice firmer now. "We’ll do this together. We’ll rest, recover... and when we’re ready, we’ll ... do something." she frowned, unsure of what that something was just yet.

She met his gaze, offering a small, tired smile, the faintest of pinks colouring her cheeks. "I won’t leave you, Otto."

For now though, she stepped away, toward the group of fae who were all looking at her expectantly. "Rest here until the sun sets, then get home. Follow the river to the leyline. Tell the court there is a tear in the veil. Tell them what happened." she urged them, and as she did, her fingers wove, tugging at the fabric of the air around them. It shimmered and warped, and before long, the fae were unseen, and instead a marshy swamp sat.

"There." she turned, picking up the lavender. "I'll let them track me for a little while before I cover my scent, and we can find somewhere to rest." she nodded, and reached to take his hand. "We better move quickly."

 

[Otto von Geist]

He felt the weight of the situation rapidly lift from his shoulders as Liviana relented. In truth, it pained him just as much to retreat from their battle of sorts, but for as much as he wanted to wreak destruction upon the Regisfords—as much for himself as for what they had done to the fae, and perhaps humans as well—he knew they'd only be impaling themselves on the proverbial spear of their wicked foe. And Liviana realized that now as well, much to his great relief.

Otto would then watch with great wonder as Liviana walked over to her kin, performing a spell of some sort that had him in utter disbelief. She'd mentioned she could change her face, but never that she was capable of something like this, even in so weakened of a state. He quietly wondered just who Liviana really was, who she had been before becoming the Regisfords' slave and, as he suspected, had her power leeched from her regularly so as to prevent her from doing what she had just done. It only justified his suggestion more, and strengthened his preference for the alternative of the two of them simply escaping somewhere far away where they could never be found again, somewhere Liviana could simply walk among the gentle forests and rivers and weave such tapestries to her heart's content. At least, if she wanted to, anyway; though they had been through much now, he knew he didn't know much about Liviana at all, really, although the curiosity in his heart had certainly been stoked by now.

"Impressive," Otto said, grinning. "Can you perform such feats all the time? Or... right, we need to get going." He took her hand, nodding. "Let's go, then."

Through the woods they would go, then, hand-in-hand for some time waiting for hounds that would blessedly never come. For hours they trekked through bush and trail beneath the canopy of the trees, until finally they reached a pool in a clearing around sunset with what appeared to be clean water. The water was clear enough that fish could be seen darting around and swimming, their bodies occasionally shimmering in the light of the setting sun.

"Gods, my feet have never hurt so much in my life," he said, panting and leaning against a tree. He'd let go of Liviana's hand some time ago, as his hurried movements had slowed into a painful march as the day neared its end. "And I was a street urchin, too. Surely we've walked enough by now, and can start to rest for the night?"

Looking across the clearing, he spotted what appeared to be a few berry bushes, which alongside the sight of the fish had Otto salivating as his stomach growled with a gurgling report.

"There's even some food for us," he said, sounding almost crazed. "Although I don't think I have it in me to catch a fish right now, provided I even knew how..."

 

[Liviana]

Liviana chuckled softly at his admission, her own legs aching from the relentless pace they'd kept up all day. She realised how comforting it was to have Otto by her side—how his determination and humour made her feel, even in moments like this, as though perhaps they truly could outrun the darkness trailing behind them.

The sight of the water shimmering under the last rays of sunlight and the berry bushes surrounding it punctured another hole in the grief she'd been feeling. The pool was beautiful, its tranquility almost surreal. She looked to Otto, grateful for his resilience, for his loyalty, even after all they’d been through.

“Yes.. I think so,” she said with a gentle smile, her hand still faintly tingling from where it had clasped his. "Thank you, for getting us this far, Otto Von Geist.." she said, dropping her silvery gaze somewhat shyly.

As she walked over to the pool’s edge, she knelt, cupping some of the clear water in her hands and splashing her face. The cold shock was a balm to her tired spirit, refreshing her in a way she hadn't felt in ages. She let out a small sigh, then looked back at Otto, who was staring at the fish with a mixture of hunger and frustration.

Her lips twisted and she peered back into the shimmering pool, rolling up her sleeve before slowly, carefully, dipping her hand in. Quicksilver scales glinted in the light as the fish moved around her hand, until one brushed against her palm and she snapped her fingers around it, pulling it wriggling from the water and tossing it toward him with a laugh.

"Best make yourself useful and get a fire going.."

She plucked another fish from the water, and a small cluster of berries to accompany them, and then she settled down beside Otto, finally allowing herself a moment to breathe. Looking around, her gaze softened, almost wistful. “It’s hard to remember there are places like this still,” she said quietly. “The way things are… were.. I’d almost forgotten there’s beauty untouched by the likes of the Regisfords.”

Turning back to him, she offered a faint smile. "Maybe someday. When all of this is over... we’ll find a place just like this, and maybe stay there. No running, no hiding. Just peace."

 

[Otto von Geist]

Even though he was wracked with hunger, Otto still found himself turning to face Liviana when he heard the familiar tune of her voice again. Her words caught him by surprise enough to elicit a slight flushing of his cheeks, especially at the gratitude.

"It wasn't as though I did it alone," he said, his eyes matching hers for a brief moment. He smiled warmly, then turned back to pool, watching as the fae approached the pool. His heart ached with a wondering of her, questions he wanted desperately to ask, but knew he couldn't, not now. It wasn't fair to ask who she'd been before, not when it might bring up some kind of painful memory, and not when he didn't deserve to know. Even so, she was strikingly beautiful in the sunset to his eyes, orange on silver that made her look like the coming autumn, which reddened his face slightly more. For however good he might have been at sweet-talking the women of the upper class, Liviana must have been doubly good at doing so to the men, he thought, or anyone she wanted for that matter.

The thought of Marjorie dashed those thoughts though, and instead made him sick to his stomach. Beauty was what had gotten him here in the first place.

"I suppose so!" Otto laughed, willing his weary body to go and collect tinder and a few spare logs. "Where'd you learn how to fish, anyway? The Regisfords' private lake?"

He stopped when she settled down, however, where he was kneeling by the fire and striking two stones together to attempt a spark. For all his prowess as a dashing thief, he wasn't much of an outdoorsman, although this only seemed to amuse his companion, even though his stomach was far less appreciative. But when the former spy spoke, he found himself looking around just as she did, feeling that same sense of wonder as the sun dipped further down. Fireflies blinked around them now in the growing dusk, flashing over the grass and pond.

Yet for all that beauty, it was her he'd turn to look at as she announced her wishes, and he thought perhaps for a moment that he would give all of it away to live his life in a cage if he could simply possess her for a time, however fleeting. "Yes, someday," he agreed, his hands forgetting the stones. "For all the pomp and decorum of those hallowed halls we both walked, adorned with the most luxurious and expensive of decorations, we both learned that there was an ugliness in that place that haunted the walkways and rooms. It came in vicious whispers and the public abuses, and now, we know that there was something far worse going on beneath that deadly beauty..."

He sighed, wiping away a tear from the corner of his eye, which now shimmered as he gazed out across the pond.

"Yes, peace," he nodded, looking back to her. "A peace for you and me. For Otto and Liviana, the survivors." He found his head was gravitating towards hers of its own accord, as the volume of his voice hushed some. "For the dashing rogue and the alluring spy, a home to rest their feet at last, and run no more..."

He had grown perilously close now, close enough to see the orange reflection in her eyes, and close enough to make out the contours of her face, the landscape of her face with valleys in eyes and the ridge of her nose, a map he wanted to explore for himself very suddenly. Yet before he could indulge the sensation, he heard the sudden splashing of a fish in the pond nearby, and he realized just how close he'd gotten to her, pulling away after visibly flinching. As his cheeks turned a deep red, he immediately began striking the stones together again, until at last sparks flew and lit the tinder, the flame taking immediately and beginning to spread.

Otto looked with superstition at the stones. "Was starting to wonder if I could light it," he said.

 

[Liviana]

"No." she chuckled to herself. "The Regisfords had far more important uses for me than fishing. Besides, it's not really something I remember learning. It's just, natural I suppose." her head tilted as she thought about it.

Livvy watched him as he spoke. She heard the emotion in his voice, saw the tear he wiped away. Sadness for her kind. She had never known humans to be kind or caring of anything or anyone other than themselves, but day by day, he was proving that they were not all, in fact, the same. The corners of her lips curled with amusement as he dubbed her the alluring spy, and he the dashing rogue.

As Otto leaned closer, the space between them seemed to vanish, inch by inch the air charged with a tension that made the world around them blur and fade. Liviana’s breath caught in her throat, a soft hitch she couldn't suppress as she felt the warmth radiating from him. His closeness was strangely intoxicating, stirring something deep within her that she had buried beneath layers of caution and pain.

Her eyes drifted down, almost against her will, tracing the line of his jaw to his lips. They were so close, she could see the subtle curve, the way they parted slightly as he breathed. The steady, rhythmic sound of her own heartbeat roared in her ears, an insistent drum that marked each second that stretched into eternity. She felt the magnetic pull urging her to close the final inch between them, a longing she hadn't realised she'd ever harboured that coiled in her chest and sent a shudder spider-walking down her spine.

Liviana's mind warred with itself, a silent battle between reason and desire. Every instinct screamed at her to keep her guard up, to remember the world they lived in where attachments were weapons and moments of softness were dangerous. But here, in this fragile, fleeting instant, those worries seemed to crumble away like dry sand. The firelight flickered across Otto’s face, casting shadows that made him look both familiar and new, a mystery she suddenly wanted to solve.

Her silver eyes darted back to his, searching for a sign, an invitation—or perhaps, just a moment of shared understanding. She felt her chest tighten, her breath shallow as she hovered in that delicate liminal space. Time itself seemed to hesitate, holding its breath as they teetered on the edge of something that felt as dangerous as it did beautiful.

And when a splash from the pond broke the spell, she blinked, the trance shattered. The sharp pang of disappointment surprised her, mingling with the heat that still flushed her cheeks. Liviana watched as Otto pulled back, fumbling with the stones, his own discomfort clear. Her heart thudded against her ribcage, a bittersweet reminder of how close they had come and how far apart they still were.

She swallowed, a soft smile playing at her lips even as the moment slipped away. It lingered in the air, heavy and unspoken, like an unfinished sentence that neither of them dared to complete.

"Nicely done.." she commented as she glanced to the fire. She exhaled, turning her attention back to the gentle lapping of the water, its surface now dotted with the light of the fireflies dancing above. “I didn't realise the human world had such pretty places.. It reminds me of home..”

Her gaze dropped for a moment, a rare hint of vulnerability breaking through the careful mask she wore. When she looked up again, there was a glimmer of determination in her eyes. “We’ll find that peace. Not just for us, but for everyone they’ve hurt. But tonight… tonight we rest. We dream of freedom, and tomorrow, we start working to make it real.”

Liviana shifted closer, the warmth of the fire brushing against her skin. She let her head fall to his shoulder and her hand rest beside his, fingers close enough that if either of them moved just a fraction, they would touch. For a moment, she allowed herself the luxury of that thought, of a future where peace and freedom weren't just fleeting promises but real, tangible things within reach.

“You have a knack for dramatics, you know,” she teased softly, a hint of laughter threading through her voice. “The ‘dashing rogue and the alluring spy’? I think you’ve been spending too much time weaving your own tales, Otto.” The firelight shimmered in her silver eyes as she glanced up at him. “But I suppose it suits us, doesn’t it? Two survivors trying to carve out a slice of peace in a world that seems determined to keep it from us.” she smiled. "I like that."

 

[Otto von Geist]

Otto scoffed at her teasing. "Dramatics? What good is a scoundrel without a sense of poetry?" he said, chuckling. The fire and the food had lulled him into a sense of safety, the same sense that had doubtless drawn Liviana closer to himself and speaking with the same relief in her voice as he did. He looked down at her with his eyes, remarking at the shimmering silver in the dusk and feeling something warmer than the flame enter his spirit right alongside the unmistakable knot he'd felt more than a few times before.

"Do you now?" he said, smiling warmly. "Don't you know I have the worst luck? Need I remind you that you were thrown into a cage on my account? I mean, sure we got out in the end, but that doesn't make it any better..."

He sighed peacefully, his hand shifting so his pinky finger was touching hers, but he was too wrapped up in thought to notice.

"I ought to know better than to let a woman like you get so close to me," he said, his voice sounding somber only because it was coming down from such a great height. "The whole reason I'm here, Marjorie, she plucked me from the streets because she thought I was, how did she put it... "the sweetest thing," I think she said. I loved her as much as I hated her. Part of me still does love her, I think. But with all that's happened with the Regisfords, I see clearly now what was truly happening. I was no more than a plaything for her, as much a trophy as the women the Regisfords perch on their arms when walking around the city. I didn't know any better. How could I? But it only makes sense that she would leave me for one of the real Regisfords the moment she got the chance. She... I..."

His cheeks flushed, although his embarrassment was not of the cute variety often associated with budding feelings.

"She did things to me, things I wouldn't let anyone else. Things I never will again. I don't think I'd ever seen her happier than when she was torturing me like she would. I won't go into specifics, but it's a pain I carry to have lived for as long as I have, yet never have properly lain with a woman, nor had a child. Twenty-and-eight and still just riff-raff, cast aside like rubbish. Never again..."

He nibbled at some fish, tears welling in his eyes.

"We'll get our revenge, Livvy," he said, quietly. "After that, though... I don't know..."