Moonbound: The Rogue's Second Chance
Chapter 165: EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE

Chapter 165: EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE

Serena gripped the reins tightly in her hands, leather digging faintly into her skin. The mare beneath her shifted impatiently, tossing her head and letting out a low whinny. Serena gave a quiet murmur and patted the horse’s neck with uncertain fingers.

She could feel Livia’s eyes on her, and when she looked, the other woman stood a few paces away with arms folded, watching like a hawk inspecting her work.

"I think I should come with you when you are ready," Serena suggested.

Livia gave a single shake of her head. "I’m much too busy for that. And I don’t intend to babysit anyone tonight." Her gaze narrowed. "Besides, you’ve proven you love to talk."

"Ah," Serena breathed out, biting back the flush rising to her cheeks. She turned her face toward the horse and adjusted the reins again. The mare pawed at the ground, as if echoing Serena’s own restless nerves.

There was no getting out of this now. Serena braced herself and then pushed herself off the ground and positioned herself carefully on the saddle. She ignored Livia’s curious gaze, she moved her legs into the right position and wrapped the leather reins around her hand once and tugged gently.

The horse followed her lead and began a slow trot. Serena stopped by Livia’s side and gave her a little frown. "Are you sure you would not mind me keeping you company?"

"Since when did you care to keep me company?" Livia asked with a raised brow.

Serena stilled for a moment, truly in her heart she did not care for the other woman’s attention. It was clear she did not like her, but these days she was less hostile as she had been when she first met her. She shuddered at the memory of when Livia had asked, ’who did she think she was?’

Sadness wormed its way into her mood, at the end of the day Livia saw her as nothing but a cold-blooded killer like the ones that had cut her parents’ life short. Even if she was somehow to perform good deeds after good deeds, it would never be enough in her eyes. So why was it that Serena asked her for her company?

It was the fear of getting lost and then getting reprimanded for getting lost. It would not hurt to be honest now, when all she did was lie and lie.

"I am not sure how exactly to get to the castle," Serena confessed.

Livia clicked her tongue and ran her hand over her face in a tired fashion. She sighed and then looked up at Serena, her face told her all she needed to know, she was not lying about the fact.

The woman was so close to reprimanding her but she held her tongue because at the end of the day what good would it serve her to do that. She glanced back at the door and then at the woman atop a horse. Livia was not in the mood to have Serena trailing her every move or having her staring with wide eyes from across the room while she was speaking with someone.

Serena sometimes made her skin crawl, she wanted nothing to do with her. She bit on her lip, but still she stood there weighing her options and put a whole rogue into consideration. She huffed silently, this was all Darius’ doing. Of course, she loved her cousin so much that she decided to keep her temper in check with Serena– it was the only explanation.

Livia cleared her throat and shook her head. "You should use this ride to familiarise yourself with the route then."

Serena’s lips tugged down in a frown, she thought the whole time that Livia stood silently watching her would have changed her mind and asked her to stay with her at the Keep.

"Yes but—" Serena began.

Livia held up a finger and wagged it. "I am not done speaking. I already said that I am busy and I cannot have you around."

Livia walked closer and placed her hand on the horse, she looked down the path ahead. "Just go North from this road, it is hard to miss the castle from here. Once you see the top of the castle then you know you are already home."

Serena breathed a small smile of relief and then nodded to Livia. "Thank you."

"Now go on with you," Livia said, taking a step back.

Serena squeezed her calf around the horse and trotted on. After a while she turned back to see Livia still standing and watching her. A small smile touched her features. Livia had called the castle home, did she mean it was home for Serena too?

She closed her eyes briefly and sighed, it did almost feel like home. But now in her life home was ever shifting and changing, she would have never imagined that home would be different from Silverstone, from the infirmary, the older woman who flocked around her and laughed. She would have never believed that she was sharing her last meal with her brother and former husband.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips and she looked up to the moon. It was as if the goddess had seen her dilemma and given her enough light to traverse the route. The leather bit into her skin but she went on.

She thought briefly about the time in wild and then finally Lupine Hollow. Even if it was a bit difficult in Ironshade, she was grateful to the goddess that she was saved. Ultimately, she would have lost her mind in that wilderness and maybe would have become like those rogues that everyone were so afraid of.

She sympathised with those who found themselves like that, being alone for an extended period can do horrible things to the mind. Her mind wandered to the Elder Evelyn that insisted that she was blessed, her blessedness must fluctuate to the goddess’ whims.

Serena smiled and continued down the path, everything will be fine.