Page 51 of A Rose Among Snakes (Gardens of Ruin and Revival)

Chapter Fifty

Mihrra

D eep into the night, we discussed our plan for sneaking into the castle by posing as a troupe of minstrels. Before going to bed, I insisted on burning off excess energy by sparring with whoever was willing. Enverro was the only one who stepped up, and after I disarmed him three times, he bowed out, muttering something about Kezara never letting him hear the end of it. With no other takers, Velian called me over and pulled me next to him on the ground, encouraging me to rest.

Though I was comfortably tucked into the warmth of his side, sleep evaded me as I tossed and turned, my mind a whirlpool of thoughts. When I wasn’t replaying our kiss, I was imagining how my father had looked as King Leoro ran him through with a sword. I was relieved when night finally released its inky curtain over the sky and lavender light began to glow on the horizon. I nibbled on the crusty bread Velian offered me, my belly already full of burning embers that I had kept smoldering all night long. In no time at all, the campsite was packed and we were on our way.

During our ride, the men were energized, driven by purpose and the promise of a challenge. They were all used to dangerous expeditions and thrived in compromising situations. Behind Velian, I clung to him in silence. My mind was still a tempest, creating scenarios where Kezara was harmed, which added kindling to my simmering mood.

In the mountain pass, we rode by the field where I had killed the bandits. The bodies were no longer there, likely having been dragged away by scavengers. Velian squeezed my hand fisted in his shirt, glancing over his shoulder at me, but I kept my gaze on the field. It should have filled me with guilt, but I felt nothing. I stared at the spot where Velian had knelt, wounded and weaponless, and a buried memory resurfaced.

I was thirteen, and my sister, Ambrelle, was eleven. We stood side by side, the tips of our wooden swords resting against the ground. Our father crouched before us with his hands resting on each of our outside shoulders.

“Now I need you both to promise me something. Should your, or any of our family’s lives be in danger, you will not hesitate. You will do just as I have trained you, and you will value your own life above your attacker’s.”

We stared at him, wide-eyed and silent, and his grip tightened.

“Promise me, girls.” His gold-brown eyes were intense, and I was alarmed by his fervor.

“Yes, Father,” I said, my voice strong despite the wariness I felt.

“Good,” he said, rising to his feet to tower over us. “You will never regret protecting those you love.” He picked up his wooden sword from the ground and shifted into a defensive stance. “Now, let’s put the promise into practice. ”

As I stared at the meadow, I realized he was right. I did not regret killing those men to save Velian’s life. I only worried about what that meant for who I was turning into.

It was midmorning when we arrived in Clavo, the grating sounds of the city jarring after several days of quiet in the mountains. We tied the horses to a hitching post outside of a tavern.

Enverro said, “Alright, Mihrra, there’s your dress shop.” He pointed down the street to a tiny storefront on the corner. “We are going to find new clothes for ourselves, and we will meet back here in fifteen minutes.”

Beside me, Velian said, “I’ll come with you.”

Enverro shook his head. “No, you’re not.”

Velian wheeled toward him. “I do not take orders from you.”

Enverro crossed his arms. “Today you do, or else-”

“I’ll be fine,” I said, stepping between the men.

“She will,” Enverro continued. “Plus, we need you to pay for us, money bags. Unless you trust us with your money…”

Velian sucked his teeth, and I placed my hand on his forearm. He looked down at me and his scowl faded. “I hate him,” he muttered as he pulled out a pouch of coins and placed several in my hand. “Be careful.”

“I will.” He squeezed my hand and I had to pry it out of his grip as I walked away. I glanced over my shoulder once to discover him still standing there, the rest of the men heading in the opposite direction. I shooed him away and focused on the task at hand.

Inside, a middle-aged woman stared at me, her lips pursed as she murmured a greeting. I was sure she wasn’t used to women dressed head to toe in black walking into her store, in pants, no less. Pretending nothing was abnormal, I informed the woman I needed a nice gown, and I wasn’t picky. She presented me with a few options, still giving me a skeptical eye, but I chose a royal blue, satin gown. She boxed it up for me, and I thanked her, leaving her with the coins, and made my way back to the meeting place. The men were waiting for me, all dressed in matching white shirts, brown vests, and brown pants.

“Why aren’t you dressed yet?” Enverro asked.

I glared at him, lifting my chin. “If you want this to be believable, I should bathe first.”

“Let’s check the inn and see if they have a room you could use,” Velian said. “We should clean up, too.”

It was the same inn where Velian and I had stayed a few nights prior, but this time, he got two rooms—one for the men, and one for me. Closing the door behind me, I stripped out of my dirty clothes and removed the binding from my chest, my ribs expanding with sheer relief. The water in the tub was hardly warm, but I didn’t mind. Bathing felt like such a luxury after several days of travel and my stiff muscles relished the water’s soothing embrace. I could have stayed there all day, but within an hour I had bathed, combed and elegantly braided my hair, and slipped into the snug gown .

Hurrying, I ran out of the room and came face-to-face with Velian, freshly bathed and leaning against the wall. My heart stuttered, and it seemed that no matter the circumstances he still managed to steal my breath. Slack-jawed, he looked me up and down, and a blush bloomed across my cheeks under his amorous gaze. As I took the hand he offered, he said,

“I love that.”

“What?”

“The way you blush whenever I look at you.”

My eyes jumped to the ground as warmth spread through my body. “That’s embarrassing.”

“Look at me,” he said, lifting my chin with one finger. “You are stunning.”

“You’re not so bad yourself, I guess,” I said with teasing nonchalance.

Velian laughed and kissed the top of my head, then led me down the steps, through the dining hall, and out the front door to where the rest of the men waited.

Corman and Paolef smiled warmly, Denzen’s mouth hung open, and Enverro let out a low whistle.

I glanced down at the dress, smoothing the skirt. With a chuckle, I said, “I think you all forgot I was a woman.”

“The Boss certainly didn’t,” Corman said, then flinched and offered Velian an apologetic shrug. Velian didn’t notice, only squeezing my hand and beaming at me .

“Alright,” Enverro interrupted. “Next step, we need some instruments.” He cracked his knuckles and stretched his neck from side to side. “I’ll take care of that part.”

Velian frowned. “Are you buying them?”

Enverro shook his head, a boastful smile curving his lips. “No, I don’t need to. We’re just going to borrow them, and no one will notice.” He rubbed his hands together. “We still need to convince the castle coordinator to let us perform tonight. Velian, you are easily the best looking out of the four of us-” Denzen scoffed and folded his arms. Ignoring him, Enverro continued, “So we need you to convince her to let us play for the king tonight. Can you handle that?”

Velian narrowed his eyes. “Of course.”

“Good. Then we need the rest of you to secure a cart for us. Do whatever it takes.”

“Won’t I stick out too much in this dress if I go with them? Maybe I should go with Velian,” I said.

“No, he can’t have any distractions,” Enverro pointed to our entwined hands, “and you are obviously a big one. You’ll come with me. A distraction is exactly what I’ll need to get everything.” He clapped his hands, and everyone dispersed, but not before Velian passed me the pouch of coins and whispered for me to leave the shop owner with a fair amount.