Page 12

CHAPTER 12

“S ulphur’s the farthest kingdom from us right now,” Lander stated from where he sat across from me in the carriage. He had offered to accompany me for the first leg of our trip, while Paxon had opted to travel on his personal horse outside, along with his brother’s being led just ahead of the coach. “But we’re heading there first due to the ease of travel along the land bordering the chasm. We can get there in prompt time on this route.”

I shifted on the seat, glancing at the small, curtained window. My dress was too tight, and the carriage was stuffy, a sort of musty smell invading me ever since I entered. We hadn’t crossed the bridge yet, having only left a short time ago, and I honestly wasn’t sure how far it was from the castle. Regardless of the uncomfortable space, excitement thrummed through me.

Before this moment, I never thought leaving Amosite would be possible for me. Sure, my father had talked about the trip and made plans for it, but like all else I longed for, I assumed it’d be taken away at the last minute. Something so desired put within arm’s reach, only to be snatched away before even the tips of my fingers could graze it.

But such wasn’t the case for this.

“Sulphur has livestock?” I asked, remembering some of what Katie had informed me of last night. She’d given me a quick rundown of details she thought I might need to know before my visits to the other kingdoms. She never brought up her near-warning again, though.

“And crops,” Lander added. “From cows to chickens, and corn to berries. We eat it, they grow it.”

“Is my father’s arrangement with them the problem?” I was trying to glean as much information about the trade issue as I could, given my father preferred to keep me ignorant on political matters. A woman with knowledge was powerful, so he did the one thing he could to prevent that—he kept me naive. And it worked. I didn’t know enough to go against his word.

I might as well take advantage of the opportunity to learn more from Lander while I could.

Lander folded his hands between his knees, swaying side to side as the carriage ran over dips in the path. “Such hard questions before we’ve even crossed the bridge.”

I shrugged. “A lady doesn’t waste her time.”

“She does not, indeed.” He was quiet in thought. The wheels creaking over the dirt and horses’ hooves stomping the ground were the only sounds in the enclosed space. “Not solely with them, I’m afraid.”

The knowledge frustrated me as his daughter because I couldn’t do anything in regards to easing that tension, but if I was to show myself as a figure of power on their land, I needed to be educated on the matters at hand. I supposed the days of traveling could make up for the holes in my conversance.

“Who else?”

He eyed me before glancing at the small, curtained window. “Is this a topic we should be discussing?”

My fingers wanted to fist in my skirts, but I held them at bay. I had to show composure. “Is it one we shouldn’t?”

“It’s the beginning of our marriage, Lady Auria,” Lander started.

“Please, just Auria.”

“Auria,” he corrected. “I wouldn’t like to know firsthand what your father’s wrath might look like, should he discover I’ve told you things he would rather you not know.”

“His mistake for marrying me off, then.”

He pressed his lips into a thin line, the corners turned down. “You don’t want this.”

“You do?” I questioned.

“To be honest, Auria, no. I don’t wish to be married. You’re a lovely woman?—”

“Save it, please. There’s no need for flattery.”

“You are. And you should know that. I know being locked away in that castle, you likely haven’t heard it often, so hear it from me because you deserve at least that. While we both clearly don’t want to be betrothed, neither of us have a choice in the matter. At least we can endure it together.”

I blinked. “Are you asking to be my friend?”

“If nothing else,” he said.

Any man Taylin had ever told me about had turned out to be a pig, and here Lander was, my fiancé, offering friendship in light of our marriage.

“A friend, then,” I decided. It couldn’t be the worst proposal.

His lips lifted the slightest as he gave a dip of his chin.

Possibly, what I’d been forced into wouldn’t be as bad as I once thought.

It surely started on a bad note, but being able to see some of Serpentine? It was a dream.

I might be seated in front of a good-looking man, but he wasn’t what I pictured when I closed my eyes at night.

It was trees and mountains and snow and desert. My imagination ran wild with what I thought the world might hold, and what I wished to one day see with my own eyes. And this engagement? It was the key to the locked door that I’d been searching for for so long.

It opened me up to a sense of freedom I never thought I’d have, and here it was, merely a breath away.

“We’ll be celebrating Exitium Lunae in Torbernite,” Lander added, changing the subject and pulling me back from my thoughts.

I tilted my head. “Exit-what?”

A small chuckle passed his lips. “Gods help me.” Regaining his composure, he went on, “It’s the celebration of when the moon exploded a century and a half ago. Have you really never been to a Lunae Festival?”

I shook my head. “Given I didn’t even know the holiday existed, no. I’ve never celebrated anything of the sort.”

Sorrow flashed in his eyes before he quickly masked it. “Well, you’ll make up for all you’ve missed at this year’s celebration.”

I folded my hands together in my lap, a smile pulling at my mouth. “I suppose I will.”

Yeah. This new freedom was feeling pretty good, if I had to admit.

* * *

I’d been alone in the carriage for what had to be hours now. The only bright side was that I’d slowly become immune to the damp smell. With the shift of the sun through the curtained window, I could tell it was nearly dusk. Lander had exited at our last stop, shortly after we crossed the bridge, opting for his horse in light of the endless bumps. I, on the other hand, had no option.

“It’s not safe,” my guard had said. “What if we were to be ambushed?”

And that was the end of that. I truly had no idea what to do if we were attacked, as I hadn’t had an ounce of training in hand-to-hand combat my entire life. My safety was in the hands of the guards, and presumably Lander. Did he know how to protect himself? How to wield a sword or throw a punch?

The carriage rolled to a stop as someone shouted something outside, which was followed by the sound of footsteps. I dared a peek out the curtain, seeing that guards were dismounting their horses, others unpacking loads off mules.

On the horizon, where the sky was turning a vibrant pink as it melted into the mountains beyond, a bird flew directly in front of the sun, its dark silhouette against the bright colors the perfect painting.

The door to the carriage flew open, pulling my attention from the view. Immediately, the warm air invaded the cab, swirling with the once-stagnant stale scent.

“Time for supper and rest,” a male voice said as I turned.

My eyes widened at the sight of him. “Your Highness?”

A smirk bloomed on Paxon’s mouth. “Not expecting me, my lady?”

I sobered my expression as best I could, though my brows remained furrowed. “I knew you were with the group, I just wasn’t aware you were the door-opening type.”

He held out a hand, and I hesitated a moment before placing my palm in his. “I like to leave some things a surprise.”

I stepped down from the carriage, my hand resting in his as I got my bearings on solid ground, taking in my first true look of our surroundings. The grass was a vibrant green, stretching so far that it disappeared into the mountains altogether. Wind rustled the blades, causing them to flow in sync. Even the air smelled different, almost more fresh, as it flowed through and around the breathtaking landscape. The smell of new leaves and the aromatic scent of pollen on vibrant flowers nearly pulled a smile to my face. It was more jaw-dropping than I could have imagined.

I was actually outside of Amosite.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Paxon asked from beside me.

I finally pulled my hand from his, gazing out at the rolling hills that butted up to towering mountains with magnificent peaks. A constant gray haze always sat stagnant over Amosite, dampening the beauty it had the potential to hold. But out here, the sun seemed to touch everything, even as it began to slowly fade behind the mountains in the distance. The sky was pink, yet it shone just as bright as it had midday, rays of light reflecting off the rings spanning the entire length of the sky. They looked somehow larger out here than inside the border of the chasm. More birds chirped in the sky as a small group flew over, and a lone frog croaked somewhere in the distance.

“Beautiful doesn’t even begin to describe this.” My eyes caught on Lander laughing near a cart with some of Torbernite’s guards. King Bular had insisted a few come along, which meant we had more than enough protection, with over two dozen men at the ready. They donned rich shades of green on their armor, whereas Amosite’s wore their typical garnet.

I turned to find a couple of the guards setting up a large tent, pounding stakes into the ground and tying string to the ends to keep it restrained.

“That one is all yours,” Paxon informed me, his voice rather close to my ear.

I inhaled as deep as my corset would allow, fighting the urge to inch away. “And where will you and your brother be?”

I glanced to the side, seeing his hands tucked in the pockets of his jacket as he leaned into me. “On the other side of camp. Or would you rather we be close?”

For him, the other side was not nearly far enough. I’d been wary when I’d met the two of them, but with our short interactions, Lander had come to grow on me. I couldn’t see myself falling for him romantically, but with our friendship, I could tolerate him.

Paxon, on the other hand, almost made uncertainty crawl up my spine like a spider whenever he was near. While he was Lander’s brother, I didn’t need to be his friend, too. I only needed to tolerate Lander. I could do without Paxon’s presence altogether.

“The setup is fine,” I replied.

“Three’s a crowd,” he surmised, stepping back.

“Are you leaving us once we get to Torbernite?” I asked, turning to face him while putting some space between us.

That permanent smirk still pulled at the corner of his mouth. “So quick to get rid of me? I’m hurt, Lady Auria.”

“It is not you I am to show a presence with,” I pointed out.

He dipped his chin, glancing at his shoes. “You’re correct. But my brother, you see, he needs my support.” His eyes met mine again. “I’m sure you understand.”

“I don’t.” As far as I’d seen, Lander could uphold himself just fine on his own.

He sucked his tongue, the sound rather irritating. “As you are aware, my brother enjoys his leisure time.”

“This isn’t leisure.” Surely, he wouldn’t be off gambling when we were to deliver the ridiculous speeches prepared for us.

Paxon smiled, though it was gone as soon as it appeared. “To you, no. You have an image to uphold. But it’s no secret that Lander is…feckless.”

My brows furrowed. “Are you saying you’re his coach in his appearance with me?”

He let out a breathy chuckle. “If that’s what you would like to call it.”

“I’m sure he can handle himself.”

“If you’d rather he be off spending his time gambling magic and drinking every jug of ale in sight, then by all means. But me being here is not a bad thing, Lady Auria. Don’t let yourself think otherwise.”

His words didn’t reassure me in the least. My stomach felt sour from hours of traveling in the cramped carriage, and while I wished for nothing more than to stare at the sun as it fell below mountain peaks, exhaustion was quickly taking hold.

“I’m rather tired,” I said, excusing myself.

His smirk was gone now, the glint in his eye showing dubitation to my dismissal. “Right. I’ll have a guard retrieve you when supper is ready.”

“Thank you.”

He dipped his chin in response, and I headed for my tent. Thankfully, the guards had made quick work and it was ready to go.

The garnet material flapped in the breeze as two men stood post outside. One of them reached for the flap of the door, holding it open as I approached. Before I ducked to dip inside, I glanced back to find Paxon still watching me. His chin was lowered, his hands still slung casually in his pockets. One emerged with a slow wave, and I offered no response back as I continued on my way into the tent.

In the corner, heaps of blankets sat folded atop the makeshift bed they’d laid out for me. A lantern sat lit beside it, a vial of amber magic in the bottom to keep the flame alight.

Crouching in front of it, I set two fingers on the thin glass. With barely a thought, the tips of my fingers glowed pink as the liquid rose, hitting the cork at the top. Immediately, the tightness in my stomach eased, a wave of tension leaving my muscles.

While I wasn’t afraid of the dark, being in a new environment with people I’d never been alone with before didn’t make me feel all too eager to let the light go out sometime in the night. Once I returned from dinner, I’d do the same, giving the lantern as much magic to fuel it as I could.

With the risk of bandits attacking our camp, I felt much more comfortable keeping the tent dimly lit. Should anyone get past the two guards stationed outside, I’d at least look death in the eyes before I went out, rather than face it in an endless pitch black void, only to be in it for an infinite amount of time after life seeped out of me.

With that thought in mind, I reached behind myself, working at the laces to finally loosen my bodice. But rather than undress completely, I remained in the clothes I’d traveled in, figuring going out for my meal in night clothes wouldn’t be entirely appropriate.

Because even in death, my father would prefer me presentable.