Moonbound: The Rogue's Second Chance
Chapter 202: GOODMORNING TO THE PRINCESS OF THE CASTLE

Chapter 202: GOODMORNING TO THE PRINCESS OF THE CASTLE

The stone beneath her hand nearly tore into her skin, Serena’s eyes widened as she steadied herself and pulled back from the window sill. Someone was knocking on her a door, she had not expected anyone to see her. She blinked once and her nose scrunched up when she caught the scent.

It was Charlotte.

Serena glanced at the window and contemplated jumping down it just to escape that tall curly headed woman. A scowl appeared on her lips promptly. She walked briskly across the room and exhaled slowly and then turned the knob. THere she was with that annoying smile plastered across her face smiling down at Serena.

"Good morning to you princess of this castle," Charlotte greeted.

"Good morning to you as well."

Serena narrowed her eyes as she shut the door behind Charlotte, her back already stiff with unease. Of all people to arrive unannounced this early in the morning, it had to be her. She still remembered the last time they’d spoken at length, Charlotte’s playful yet unmistakably sinister warning rang too clearly in her ears.

If you fail, make peace with the goddess. Because I will strike you down.

The words had not been uttered in a fit of cruelty, but in a casual, near-affectionate tone as though Charlotte were commenting on the weather. That, perhaps, made it worse.

"I see you are looking well," Charlotte remarked as she wandered freely toward the hearth, glancing at the dying embers. "I was worried you might have wasted away from boredom. These stone walls can be terribly dull."

"I’ve kept myself... sufficiently occupied," Serena said cautiously, folding her hands in front of her.

Charlotte turned back toward her, eyes glinting. "Good! You will need that energy. I bring delightful news."

Serena arched a brow. "Delightful?"

"Yes, indeed." Charlotte beamed, then leaned against the bedpost with theatrical grace. "Our friend from Dawnbreak, Riven, was it? He will be coming to the castle shortly. And since then I have been ever so helpful in smoothing arrangements..." She shrugged. "It appears I willl be lingering in these halls more often."

Serena blinked, that particular detail had not reached her yet. She covered her surprise with a shallow nod. "I see. I suppose that is... sensible."

Charlotte giggled. "You did not know, did you? My apologies, dear. The inner circles can be awfully fast-moving when they want to be. You will catch up."

Serena fought the urge to press her fingers to her temples. This woman was a cipher, flashing smiles, breezing through information with no sense of timing or care. And yet there was no mistaking the sharpness behind her honeyed tone.

"You have been absent," Serena said, shifting the conversation. "I thought you would return to wherever you came from."

"Oh, how rude," Charlotte said with mock offense, clutching her chest. "I was around, just not where you could see me. You would not believe how many dull things happen behind these grand castle doors. Or perhaps you would."

"And now you will be visible again?"

"Frequently," Charlotte said cheerfully as she threw herself onto Serena’s bed without so much as a by-your-leave. "You have no idea how much I missed this mattress. Far better than the ones I have been using."

Serena stood stiffly by the window, arms crossed. "You missed me, you mean?"

"Of course I did. Who else around here has that lovely scowl on command?" Charlotte smiled again, legs kicking idly in the air behind her. "And I have missed the scent of your tea. You always drink something floral, don’t you?"

Serena ignored that. "You are awfully cheerful for someone who threatened to kill me."

Charlotte lifted her head and rolled onto her side, face half-obscured by a pillow. "Darling, I said if you failed. You have not failed, not yet."

Serena grit her teeth lightly and turned toward her writing desk, trying to centre her thoughts. The presence of this woman was like a gust of wind disrupting delicate inkwork.

"Do you know much about history?" Serena asked suddenly.

Charlotte perked up. "How very formal. What brought this on?"

"Curiosity."

"Mmm." Charlotte grinned. "Quiz me."

Serena narrowed her eyes, then reached for a sheet of parchment she had scribbled on the night before. "What treaty ended the rivalry between Stormcrest and Dawnbreak in the Age of Blight?"

"The Accord of Mist and Iron," Charlotte replied instantly, voice sing-song. "Signed in the ruins of Thesma Hollow, after two hundred and three years of bitter trade skirmishes and three formal battles."

Serena blinked. "What year was the Eastern military code reformed to exclude branded rogues?"

"Fourth Cycle, Year of the Withered Oak. A terribly unpopular decision, though it did keep the nobility’s hands clean," Charlotte said.

"...When did Crimsonclaw first send an emissary to Ironshade?"

Charlotte smirked. "You mean officially or unofficially?"

Serena stared at her.

Charlotte laughed, a soft, lilting sound. "Oh, I do so enjoy your face when you’re thinking too hard. I promise, I am not here to poison your tea or drag you off into the dark." She rolled onto her back, arms spread wide. "At least not today."

Serena inhaled slowly. "Can you do an Eastern accent?"

Charlotte sat up at once, beaming. "Which dialect? Old Northern, central highlander, or the clipped border variation that’s always misused in stories?"

Serena stared again, unmoving.

With startling accuracy, Charlotte slipped into an Eastern intonation so sharp, Serena’s breath caught. It was not just the pitch or the cadence, it was the measured pauses, the deliberate harshness. If Serena closed her eyes, she could believe she was listening to her father.

Charlotte smirked. "Impressed?"

"Unsettled," Serena said quietly.

"Good. You should be." Charlotte’s tone dropped, not quite playful anymore. "There is much you do not know about me, Serena."

Serena didn’t reply. She didn’t want to reply.

"But don’t worry," Charlotte said sweetly, her voice lifting again as she rose from the bed. "In time, all will be revealed. Or maybe none of it. That’s the fun part."

Serena said nothing. She simply stepped aside to open the door.

Charlotte paused at the threshold, then reached out and gently pinched Serena’s cheek. "Don’t frown so much. It will ruin your lovely face."

And then she was gone, her steps vanishing into the corridor as swiftly as they had arrived.

Serena exhaled, shoulders finally relaxing. She had no idea what Charlotte truly was. Spy? Shadowwalker? Something in-between?