Chapter 35

The Previous Week

The young man before her was nearly a stranger to her eyes, despite knowing him for most of her life. It wasn’t the Glamour that caused this, the simple magic designed to draw the eyes away from his facial features, making it difficult to recognize him if one wasn’t specifically looking for him.

Those tricks wouldn’t work on her, not after everything they had been through. She knew him to his core, his mana, his features. At least, she had thought she had.

When Wil had left the academy, he had been slovenly, a wastrel who spent his days drinking and shirking his responsibilities. The young man who she would place none of her faith in to achieve anything was gone, the man before her one that she could barely associate with the other.

The looks were the same. The black hair, blue eyes, and handsome face. But his rumpled clothing she had grown to expect from him were perfectly ironed, not a piece out of place. His hair, while long, was cared for, deliberately obscuring part of his features from onlookers.

But it was his stance that the true difference lay. He stood confident, self assured and capable. Wil had always had an aura of guilt about him, in the slight hunch of his shoulders, the way he wouldn’t quite meet her eye. Always quick with a quip, using it to disarm and push her away.

The stranger before her was the Wil she remembered from her youth, before whatever his father did too him caused such a change, before their engagement had fallen through.

“Tabitha is involved in something dangerous.” Wil stated, his face grim. April hadn’t seen him look like this before, so serious, like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. The thought of Wil acting like this a decade ago would have been preposterous. What exactly happened to him?

“Really? From everything I’ve heard, it seems like she’s turning her life around. Engaged to a prince, keeping out of trouble. I thought you and Markus would be happy about that.” April asked, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. The sunlight caught her engagement ring, drawing attention to it. With a faint blush, she lowered her hand, aware of Wil’s silent stare at her ring.

“I can’t really get into it, not here. But there’s more going on with her than anyone knows. The old Tabitha isn’t gone, she’s just better at hiding it.” Wil said, taking the opportunity to break eye contact with April and look around.

“You should go, your husband will be wondering where you’ve went.” Wil suggested.

“Fiancé. We won’t be getting married for a few more months. We’re waiting for Jameson to return from Khmer. He’s on an expedition, cataloguing relics.” April added, stammering a bit and offering more information than necessary to try and deflect some of the awkwardness.

If Wil noticed, he didn’t show it, merely nodding at her slowly.

“Congratulations. I’m glad you’re happy. When I left, things were…difficult. I was worried about you.” Wil said.

“Really? Could have fooled me. I thought you were more excited to finally be free of me. I didn’t think you gave me a second thought.” April said, her tone bitter.

“That was the point.” Wil replied. “I was an anchor, weighing you down. Our marriage was my father’s attempt at worming his way into your dowry. I couldn’t let that happen, you deserved better than that…better than me.”

April was stunned at the admission. She thought Wil had simply grown tired of her. His drinking and carousing driving a wedge between them. But if what he was saying were true…

“Anyway, it’s all done and over with now. I wish you nothing but happiness, April, you, and your Fiancé both. If you will excuse me.” He said, giving a stiff but elegant bow, before turning and walking away. So sudden was his departure that the still in shock April couldn’t reply before he was gone, his black coat lost in the crowd of people walking the busy Capital streets.

“Wil…” She whispered, her voice trailing off as she watched him.

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Wil returned to his inn, having double checked that Tabitha was safely ensconced in the Brookmoor Manor house. He had caught up with them shortly after his conversation with April, one that still lingered in his mind.

Unpacking his things, his movements slowed as he replayed what happened over and over in his mind. Did he say something he shouldn’t have? Would it have been better to simply act like he had in the past, waving off their meeting as coincidence?

He needed to rest, the days events had left him exhausted, multiple teleportation spells, trailing Tabitha, and finally speaking to April had drained him of energy. On top of it all, tomorrow was an important day, he would be breaking into the Brookmoor manor, searching for clues as to where Tabitha had been going.

It was late, the yellow sun of Primaris low on the horizon, while Secundus was a light blue crescent to the East. Fresh from a bath, he was wearing his night clothes, silk pants with a large, white cotton shirt, when there was a knock on the door.

Tossing the towel he was using to dry his hair into the corner of his spacious inn suite, he walked over to the door, curious as to who it would be. He had registered his name as ‘Quentin’ downstairs, a smirk on his face as he thought of what Annabelle would think about him using her last name as his own, but he had eaten at the restaurant and avoided the common room. Very few knew who he was in the Capital.

Thinking it was the innkeeper, Wil threw open the door, expecting to see the portly older gentleman that had given him his key, when, to his surprise, a beautiful young woman stood in the hallway, wringing her hands nervously.

“April, what are you doing here!” Wil exclaimed, surprised to see her so soon after their meeting.

“I needed to see you. I’ve been thinking about our conversation and…can I come in?” She asked, stepping forward. Wil took a quick glance at the hallway. Seeing it was empty, he ushered her inside, closing the door before anyone could see.

“You shouldn’t be here. It wouldn’t be appropriate for us to be seen together. My reputation is trash, and I wouldn’t want it tainting yours. How did you find me?” Wil said, gesturing to a table and chairs in his suite.

The inn room was spacious and well furnished. His cover was of a wealthy merchant, a marrier man coming from Elbing. He had sprung for the best accommodations, with a view of a public garden from his bedroom window.

Shaking her head at the offer to sit, she spun around to face him once inside the room.

“I tracked you. I told you before, Wil, that you could never hide from me. I spoke to my father, about what you said, regarding my dowry and why you felt the need to ruin yourself for me. He confirmed everything. I can’t believe you did that for me.” She said, tears at the corners of her eyes.

“I wish you hadn’t done that, April. Everything that happened is in the past, it’s dead and buried. Better to let it rest, rather than digging through it.” Wil replied, walking away from her, and sitting at the table. The innkeeper had left a pot of tea, still warm, as well as cream and sugar. Pouring a cup, he added a lump of sugar and a splash of cream, before pushing it across the table towards April.

Sitting across from him, she stared at the cup for a moment, before speaking.

“You remember how I like it?” She asked, taking a sip.

“Of course, I remember everything about you.” He replied softly, meeting her eyes, before breaking the contact and pouring himself one as well.

“Why are you here, April? This is something we could talk about elsewhere, somewhere more public.” He asked.

“I couldn’t wait. I wanted to be sure…about this, about you, before…” She said, looking down at her engagement ring for a moment. Lifting her gaze back to his, she was silent for a moment before continuing.

“Could I…” She began, before pausing and starting once more. Before she could begin, Wil stood up, offering her his hand.

“I think it would be best if we talked about this later, April. Please.” Wil asked. He waited there, with his hand extended, before she finally accepted his offer, grasping his hand and standing.

“I agree. We should talk about this later.” She whispered, before stepping forward and pressing her lips against his.