Page 64 of Oaths & Vengeance (Realm of Zadrya #1)

Aella

D arrow’s townhouse was located on the eastern side of the palace. We passed the spectacular royal gardens along the way. The flowers that bordered the colorful grounds all had delicate pink petals that would lean toward you if you came close, spraying a sweet perfume that could lift anyone’s mood.

They made it that much harder to stay upset with my husband as he guided me through the busy street. People innately moved out of his way. His features were perfectly stoic except when he looked at me, and they softened a few degrees. I refused to fall for his act.

Along the garden row to the left we passed now, there were arrecian songbuds.

The red and white flowers shaped like a large horn swayed gently and played a soothing song to passersby.

I had to give the groundskeepers credit because they were quite high-maintenance, requiring special fertilizers from Southern Alavaar.

Years ago, I’d introduced a few to my garden.

They annoyed some of my moodier plants and sadly didn’t last long.

I found them in pieces soon after they were healthy enough to begin singing melodies.

We turned north. On our right was a long row of three-story townhomes constructed with large square-cut stones painted a soft gold to match the nearby palace.

Each had expansive windows with hunter-green frames on every floor and a handful of steps leading up to the entrances, with small garden patches on either side of the porches.

Alleys ran between them to allow horses and carriages to pass to the back, where the homes had private stables.

Only high fae could own the residences in this section of the city .

They all looked the same, down to the types of plants at their front. I preferred nature to run a little wilder, and such deliberate conformity annoyed me, but I had no doubt it was required so that they didn’t detract from the beauty of the gardens across the street.

Darrow led me to the fifth townhouse in the row, holding my elbow like a gentleman as we climbed the steps.

I clutched my vase tightly. Part of me wanted to jerk away from him, hating that even a mild touch sent a thrill through my body.

The other—very annoying—part wanted to sink into his hold and wished I could get him alone.

I was smarter than that. He might be my husband, but he’d always have his own interests ahead of mine. If he cared about my safety, it was more likely because he wanted my portal-opening abilities. Maybe he even took pleasure in ordering around his enemy’s niece.

We stepped through the door, and Darrow took the vase from me. “I’ve got the holmium upstairs. I’ll fill it now, but you’ll find my sister and the others in the sitting room and kitchen down the way.”

“You’re just…” I glanced down the hall, able to hear voices coming from there. “Leaving me to deal with them?”

Amusement filled Darrow’s eyes. “This is your home as well, so you’re welcome to explore instead if you prefer.”

I froze. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t you remember what I told the king?”

Right. That he was preparing a place in the capital where we could safely live together, regardless of the outcome between our families. I’d put it to the back of my mind. “I don’t…it can’t really be mine, too.”

“The deed is in both of our names, Aella.”

I shook my head. “Why would you do that?”

He gave me an intense look. “Like it or not, our marriage is permanent. We may not behave as a true husband and wife right now, but that won’t last forever. There will come a time—sooner rather than later—when everyone will know. I am doing all I can to prepare for that day.”

Admittedly, I dreaded when that would happen and tried not to think about it. Never mind preparing for the fallout that would come. “Aren’t you worried about how your father will take the news? ”

“He already knows,” Darrow said, quirking his lips.

“What? For how long?”

“Several months. When you spent those three days unconscious in Veronna, the safest place to keep you was in our castle in Darynia. I had to tell my father then, especially when he saw me carrying you.”

That was embarrassing. The lord of Veronna—who killed my father—met me in person for the first time while I was unconscious and helpless. I tried to wrap my head around the fact that both of Darrow’s parents knew about me, while none of my family had found out yet, aside from Rynn.

“How did he handle it?” I asked.

“He wasn’t pleased at first, but I helped him see the wisdom of our marriage,” Darrow said. Once again, he seemed so blasé about it while I felt panic rising in my throat. The more people who knew, the more likely it was that the word would get out.

I frowned at him. “How could he possibly be okay with you marrying an enemy of your family?”

“Because you, dear Aella, are the key to retrieving the Naforya Fountain, and he wants it restored as badly as we do,” he said.

As I tried to formulate a response, he headed toward a set of stairs with ornate wooden banisters.

I watched his broad back disappear up the steps.

Why was Darrow dropping all this news on me now?

First, he told me the house I just entered for the first time was also mine.

Then, he said his father had known about our marriage for months.

Ultimately, I played a crucial role in recovering the most significant object in our world, which had been missing for over six centuries.

The Andalagar chief had indicated as much, but hearing it from Darrow made it somehow more real.

I rubbed my head. “He’s going to drive me insane.”

A feminine laugh sounded from down the hall. “Welcome to my world.”

“Do you have wine?” I asked, heading toward Faina. “I really need wine.”

Darrow’s twin sister arched a dark brow. “Will it affect your ability to open a long-distance warded portal?”

She stood there in tight black pants and a matching long-sleeved tunic.

It was still summer, yet she’d dressed for a fall weather outing.

She also had her brown-black hair pulled back in a braid the way most women did before a battle.

It appeared there was a lot more to this visit than I anticipated.

“Um,” I stuttered at the random question. “Not if I keep it to only one glass. Why?”

“Because after dinner, we need you to open one.”

I drew in a deep breath. “I’m not going back to Alavaar tonight, am I?”

“Nope.”

“What’s for dinner?” I asked, realizing I’d skipped lunch for a dragon ride with my sister before I had to take the portal to Porrine. My stomach rumbled as I caught the scent of food and moved toward Faina.

“Almornut stew with chippan.”

Surprise filled me. “That’s my favorite.”

“We know, but luckily, everyone here loves it, too,” she replied, guiding me into a large sitting room.

Just beyond it was an open dining area with six place settings. Jax and Loden were already sitting at theirs, deep in conversation. Both wore garments similar to Faina's dark tunic and pants. They looked up at our approach and gave me a nod.

I frowned at Darrow’s sister. “How did you know what food I liked?”

She shrugged. “Don’t you think my brother questioned Cam extensively to learn everything he could about you?”

I stopped in my tracks. “Please tell me he didn’t.”

“Sorry, he did,” Faina said, gesturing toward a chair near the end for me to sit. “I was there, and it was most enlightening.”

My husband interrogating my former lover—who happened to be a spy—about me was more than I could handle. “Okay, I can’t do this.” I spun on my heels and headed back to the front entrance. “You all are too much for me.”

Having people who had been enemies for my entire life suddenly start dissecting everything about me was horrifying.

I didn’t care about their supposed motives since they could have discovered things I’d rather keep private.

Camden and I had been together for years, and I’d trusted him.

He’d been a great confidant when things were especially difficult in my life.

While he didn’t know about my uncle’s harshest punishments, he did know many other things.

“Aella, please. We’re trying to be more upfront and honest with you,” she said, rushing to follow.

Was she serious? I glanced back at her as she tried to close the gap between us. “Disrespecting my privacy is not the way to go about it.”

Continuing forward, I ran straight into a large, male chest. Darrow had just come around the stairs into my path. I tried pushing past him, but he took hold of my shoulders.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

I gave him a furious look. “First, you dump multiple secrets on me that you should have told me sooner, like that Vas is your brother, and then I find out you’ve been invading my privacy in the worst possible way. Let me go.”

“I need you here, Aella,” he said with an intensity that surprised me. “After what happened in Siggaya, I decided we should be more upfront with you. My sister was only doing what I asked.”

Faina’s footsteps faded as she returned to the other room.

Lifting my chin, I glared at him. “You asked my former lover for personal details about me. Do you know how horrifying that is or how it might feel like a violation? Why not ask me those questions?”

“There are time constraints with each of your visits, and speaking with Cam was a faster way to get the information I required before you came tonight,” he said, squeezing my arms gently. “After missing your birthday, I realized I had significant gaps in what I knew about you on a personal level.”

That would be endearing if I didn’t feel certain he had ulterior motives.

“I thought you had plenty of other spies to find out whatever you wanted,” I said, unwilling to give him an inch.