Jasher broke through the castle, set on his mission with determination. He approached Ruby's door before the earnest halted suddenly. His hand waved over the knob of her door, remembering the last exchange they'd had. Though before he had a chance to spiral further, Ruby's joyful laugh came from behind the door, capturing his full attention.
He pried open her door to find Ruby sitting on her bed with Odeen, messing around with her phone. Odeen seemed genuinely curious as she snapped photos of them. "Here, come in close and pucker your lips like this!" Ruby giggled, puckering up. Odeen chortled, matching the expression while Ruby held the crystal duck between them, snapping the photo. "Haha, it's so cute. You're surprisingly docile for a king."
"What the fuck?" Jasher stood in the doorway, utterly stunned by the sight. Ruby's genuine smile fell the moment Jasher announced his presence. "When did you two get so close? Ruby, I thought you couldn't stand him."
"Circumstances change when the one person I was supposed to trust betrayed me. Multiple times. Got any other dirty secrets that you want to confess after all of the revelations I've been through?" Ruby scoffed coldly.
Jasher sighed in defeat, massaging his temples. "Okay, I told you that was taken out of context. I'm sorry about everything that I put you through. The whole marriage thing, and the runaway princess debacle, but I was trying to protect her. I knew you and I wouldn't be here for much longer anyway."
Ruby stood from the bed suddenly, red in the face. "You're kidding me, right?!" Odeen watched Ruby lose herself to rage, standing in her defence as she continued. "You betrayed me. We were supposed to be on the same side. The lies, manipulation and control won't be fixed with 'I'm sorry.' Not to mention the fact that I'm now being hunted by Nexus! You have no idea the shit I've been through since I got here, but I'm done. Get out."
Jasher took a step into Ruby's room, his heart pounding against his chest. "Okay, I was wrong! I'm willing to admit that! I stabbed you in the back to protect the woman I loved. You were supposed to be able to rely on me, and I failed you. But Nexus won't get his hands on you. Not when another deity is standing in his way." Ruby's brows furrowed as she turned her gaze toward Jasher. "Genis. He's another cosmic being. And he disagrees with Nexus. They both want to see you. We can win against Nexus with him on our team."
Ruby sighed deeply, turning away from Jasher. "How am I supposed to trust you now? After everything that you've put me through up until this point? Do you really believe that I'm just going to accept everything you're telling me as fact?"
"You're right. But I want to ask something at the risk of sounding like more of a jackass." Jasher took another step toward Ruby. Odeen stepped between them, looking down at Jasher with cold eyes. "Ruby, would I let Nexus take her without a fight? Would I let her get merged with you and possibly lose the woman I love?"
Odeen stepped forward, pushing Jasher back toward the door. "I think you've said enough. Rhudy made it clear that she doesn't want you here. I don't know what this fight is about, but you've overstepped now."
Both men were left utterly stunned when Ruby took Odeen's hand, pulling him back from Jasher with surprising strength. Her eyes held a glossiness of defeat. "This means that much to you? You're willing to endanger me? Fine. I'll do whatever you want. But don't expect me to do it complacently. We go on my terms."
Jasher felt at ease. "Thank you, Ruby. You have no idea how much this means to us. And I swear that I will make it up to you for the rest of our lives. Both on this plane and our own! I will even grovel if you ask."
Ruby felt a tingling of satisfaction with the relief on Jasher's face. "You're so willing to accept my terms without even asking what they are? Aren't you brazen? Alright, Odin, we're leaving."
Odeen gleamed, unable to understand their words, but Ruby's nickname for him felt almost complimentary this time. "Jasher, it seems that the issues have been worked through now. What does she want me to do?"
Jasher stared between Ruby and Odeen with his jaw slack, desperately scrambling for words. "Sire, she – well. Shit, hold on." Jasher switched to English to address Ruby. "I can't exactly take Odeen to see her. You know why!"
Ruby shrugged, smirking in amusement. "Well, I'm not going then. You have made it clear that you wouldn't stand up for me if something were to happen between us. I guarantee that the king who has a reputation to uphold would."
Jasher groaned, sinking into himself. "And what do you think Odeen would do if he found out that I've been hiding her this entire time? You're setting me up for a death sentence, Ruby. This is backwards!"
"Safire." Ruby spoke coldly, crossing her arms in defiance. Odeen's attention perked with the name. Jasher looked as though he was ready to sink into the floor. "Odin, I know where she is. I found her recently." Jasher's head whipped up toward Ruby in astonishment. "She's been in hiding, and I will tell Jasher where to find her if you agree to let her go. I'm in trouble and only she can help me." Ruby raised her brow to Jasher. "Are you going to translate or not?"
Jasher shook his head, his heart beginning to beat against his chest like a drum. "Ruby, this is a death sentence. Why are you covering for me after everything I put you through? I thought you were about to throw me under the bus."
"Just know I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this for her. She doesn't deserve to be treated like property. And if I'm beheaded due to treason, then I'll take that punishment. Hurry up, he's waiting."
Jasher swallowed thickly, turning his gaze toward Odeen. "She says she knows where Safire is. She found the princess during the fire festival, and she's willing to tell you where Safire is on one condition."
Odeen's curiosity fell into sheer disappointment, surprising Jasher. "She found Safire? We've been trying for a full year now with no success. I'm overjoyed my fiancé has been located." Odeen's tone and expression did not match his words. "What is the condition Rhudy is requesting?"
Jasher shook his head, pulling himself back into reality. "You're not mad, sire?" Jasher scratched his scalp, clearing his throat. "Ruby wants you to let Safire continue to be free. She will not marry you. Ruby is in danger, and she needs to see Safire to continue to live. And she needs to do it under your blessing."
Odeen seemed relieved with the news. "I don't have to marry Safire?" He muttered to himself, leaving Jasher with a tight, quizzical expression. Odeen cleared his throat. "Ask Rhudy if she would be willing to continue to pose as the runaway princess for a while longer."
Jasher left utterly stunned, still processing what he just witnessed. "Sire, do you have feelings for Ruby? I mean, you've only just met her, and-" Jasher whipped his head toward Ruby with the scowl Odeen shot toward him. "He's asking if you'd still be willing to pretend to be Safire."
Ruby hummed, thinking on the situation. "I mean, that benefits me, sure. I get to stay under the castle's protection, and I'm sure keeping me and Safire separated would make things tough on Nexus." Ruby turned her attention toward Odeen, nodding her head in agreement. "You have yourself a deal."
Odeen sighed in relief, nodding his head toward Jasher. "I'll meet with Safire as well and let her know the good news. I think this arrangement will make all parties quite happy. I, for one, never cared much about marrying her in the first place."
Jasher gleamed, feeling a rush of excitement. "If you're calling off your engagement with Safire, then that means the princess is free to court who she wants now, correct? Seeing as she's officially separated herself from the Cyrus household." Odeen's expression hardened once more, causing Jasher to laugh nervously. "So Ruby says."
Odeen seemed to accept the last-minute addition, albeit with a grunt. "I suppose she would be free to partner with whom she sees fit in that circumstance. I have no interest in being with the princess. But I must ask, why do you care?"
Jasher laughed awkwardly, left sweating and nervous. "Uhm – I don't really care, I just always felt sorry that she was stuck in that position. Not that I didn't feel sorry for your circumstance, too! Haha... I'm going to ask Ruby for the location now."
Odeen let out an unamused hum, watching Jasher closely as the two conversed in English. Ruby held her hand to her hip. "So if we're all in agreement, I don't see the issue. You can take us to Safire directly and we'll sort this whole thing out."
Jasher sighed deeply. "Not necessarily. The man I sent Safire to live with is kind of... on the run." Ruby shouted immediately. "Hold on, hold on! He's a good guy! Well... he is to us. He's not so fond of Odeen. I'll take you the long way around, then I need you to distract Odeen while I go and get her. And – explain that her ex-fiancé tagged along, but she's safe. This is going to be fun."
"Hold on, you want me to distract Odeen? How? We still don't speak the same language, Jasher! What do you expect me to do to keep him entertained? A provocative dance or something?"
Jasher chuckled in amusement. "Do you really believe that's how men's minds work?" Ruby scowled. "Alright, you have a point. Just do what you were doing and take some photos. Keep him entertained so he doesn't come looking."
Ruby sighed in irritation, waving Jasher off. "Fine, fine. Let's get this over with. I'm dying to know more about this deity that came to Safire. At least we have someone on our team who is on par with Nexus. We might have a chance as long as he doesn't betray us."
"Come on!" Jasher complained as Odeen and Ruby left her room side-by-side. Jasher led them toward the stables to pick a horse for their travel. "I'm assuming you've never ridden a horse before, right? You can ride with me."
Ruby passed Jasher, approaching Odeen's horse with clear defiance. "I'll go with the king. At least he hasn't betrayed me yet." Jasher rolled his eyes, letting out an exasperated sigh as he mounted his steed.
Odeen smiled victoriously as he assisted Ruby up onto his horse before mounting his pedigree stallion himself. "She's taking the journey with me? I must thank you for whatever it is that you did to upset her."
"I could always tell her that you like her directly if that's how you want to play things." Jasher's eyes widened the moment the snarky words came from his mouth, not realising who he was talking to until it was far too late to take them back.
Odeen's face fell serious fast. "Do you want to repeat what you just told me, or shall we make it to Safire with you in one piece?" Jasher took the lead, choosing to keep his mouth shut. "You indeed chose the correct option." Odeen scoffed, spurring the horse.
After they entered the forest, Jasher slowed his steed, turning back toward Odeen and Ruby to find her holding the reins, chuckling as Odeen led her with cues on how to steer. Odeen sported a wide grin as she made a few sloppy mistakes, yet she seemed to be having fun. He halted the stallion once they arrived beside Jasher. "Why have we stopped? I see no princess."
Jasher nodded in agreement. "Your highness, from here, I will go on foot to announce your arrival and bring her back with me. We don't want to scare Safire, and Ruby needs her in this moment, so with your permission, I'd like to leave you to protect Ruby while I retrieve Safire."
Odeen nodded, humming in annoyance. "While I do not agree that I should be kept from Safire's location, I do agree that if she saw me, she'd flee. Now tell me, what exactly am I protecting Ruby from?"
Jasher was frozen for a moment, unsure of his next words. Lies and manipulation had backfired on him so many times before. He eventually sucked in a harsh breath, dismounting his horse. "I suppose in every sense of the word, we're up against a god. I wish you luck, sire." With that, Jasher trudged deeper into the forest.
Odeen was left speechless, staring at where Jasher was last seen before looking down at Ruby, then back up toward the trees. "Wait – Jasher! Repeat what it is we're up against again? Jasher!"
-End of chapter 13-