Page 21

Clarissa

“ D id you hear His Majesty, Clarissa?” my mother asked, followed by a gentle nudge of her elbow.

My head jerked forward to face Galen. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“I said, I trust you had a good night’s sleep?”

I blinked away the fog in my head. Truthfully, I hadn’t—my first night in the new kingdom left me restless, tossing and turning all throughout the night.

We’d woken at the crack of dawn to load our trunks into the caravan of carriages and left the palace while the sun’s rays were barely cresting over the horizon.

I hadn’t even gotten to enjoy my beautiful room for more than a handful of hours.

“As good as it could be,” I responded, assessing his demeanor.

Galen didn’t look like he’d slept well either.

Dark circles hung beneath his eyes, his normal golden-brown complexion slightly ashen.

He’d been avoiding my gaze all morning, ever since he left so abruptly during our conversation in the gardens. “How’s your mother?” I asked.

He swallowed and stared out the carriage window, his gloved fingers tapping on his thigh. “She’ll be fine. Had some difficulty breathing last night but seems to have recovered this morning. ”

“That’s good.” I rolled my lips at the sudden awkward silence. I wondered if Mother noticed the tension between the king and me.

The three of us sat in the quiet space, the rocking and steady swaying of the carriage along the gravel path lulling me into a tentative sense of ease.

The sun climbed higher as we rode. I propped my elbow on the window to my left and stared out onto the changing landscape, drinking in the new scenery.

We’d left behind the coastal terrain of the palace.

Open fields replaced the flowing palm trees, with small, rolling hills dotting the view.

Instead of the closely packed villages and stone homes of the North Territory, the communities as we traveled farther to the Mid Territory were more spread out.

A handful of brick and wood farmhouses popped up here and there, with plenty of land and grazing animals in between.

I didn’t know anything about the Mid Territory beyond the glimpses they’d revealed at dinner last night. Namely, the regent family’s opposition to me. Lord Davies mentioned they had planting districts, and it was obvious this area was predominantly used for growing crops.

When we passed through a busier marketplace, I noticed the men and women dressed in sturdier clothing, as opposed to the lightweight linen of the North Territory. They wore overalls and long pants or skirts, with pieces of cloth tied at their heads or around their necks to protect against the sun.

A couple of times, I could have sworn I saw patches of blackened, dead grass amidst the lush greenery of the fields. Or a trail of rotted trees with gnarled branches and overturned roots leading to the bright, vibrant forest beyond.

But in the blink of an eye, it was gone—somewhere behind us as the carriage raced down the road. I would shake my head to clear away the mirage. A trick of the glaring sunlight on my eyes, perhaps.

Anytime I tried to engage Galen in polite conversation, he offered grunts or single-word responses.

I had to walk on eggshells around this man and his mood swings.

I’d been packed in this tight carriage with him and my mother for hours, letting my questions and irritations fester in the sun, and I was sick of being ignored.

I folded my arms across my chest and broke the silence. “So, Galen, tell me—how do you think the Silenus family plans to murder me? In my sleep, perhaps?”

His eyes shot to mine. “ What ?”

“Just making sure you could hear me.” I smiled pleasantly and crossed my legs. “What are these people like?”

A crease appeared on his forehead. “Well, they’re not going to assassinate you, if that’s what you’re asking. Nobody would dare lay a finger on any of us.”

I’ve been told that before . “Good to know. Tell me more about them. Who will I be meeting? How can I make sure they’re comfortable with me?

Your advisors last night didn’t exactly inspire confidence that this tour would go over well.

” I scratched at the inside of my arm, some of my insecurities shining through without meaning to.

“I just…want to be ready. I want to make a good impression.”

He rubbed the back of his ear and sighed. “We’ll be meeting the Regent Lord Dion Silenus and his wife, Vespera. The main occupation here is farming, as you’ve probably seen, and the people are very…attuned to the land.”

“What does that mean?” my mother interjected.

“They’re a spiritually-minded group. Constantly praying and sacrificing to the Fates for a good harvest and good weather, that sort of thing.

There are several rituals they follow at every season of the year.

Even the Harvest Festival we’ll be going to at the end of our stay is deeply rooted in their history. ”

“And Dion Silenus?” I prompted. “Wasn’t he one of the regents opposed to my coming here?”

He shrugged, and his nonchalance grated at my nerves. “My advisors say Lord Silenus has been…less than enthusiastic. I can never tell what Dion approves of these days. He’s very difficult to read. You’ll be better off trying to appeal to his wife.”

Alright, now we were getting somewhere. There was always a way in with people, always a way to crack open even the toughest of exteriors. You just had to know where to poke. “And why is that?”

“Dion’s first wife died about a decade ago without bearing him an heir, and he remarried shortly after.

Vespera is half his age and the crown jewel of the Mid Territory,” Galen said with a slight snort.

“Everybody loves her; they merely tolerate him. They have a son now. He’s…

” Galen’s nose wrinkled in thought. “Actually, I’m not sure how old he is.

He was an answer to many prayers and is doted on like a little prince.

If there’s a way into their good graces, it’s through Vespera and her son. ”

I smiled, feeling the ghost of my fangs press into my lower lip. “Perfect. That’s all I needed to know.”

He glanced at me with a small grin. The strain in the carriage had lightened throughout our exchange. “I have a feeling you’re going to be just fine here, Clarissa Aris.”

“She usually is,” Mother said with a chuckle. “She’s like her father in that regard. There’s not much she can’t do.”

The look Galen gave me sent a shiver of trepidation down my spine. It was fleeting, but I saw it all the same—one of desperation and longing, but for what , I wasn’t sure.

“I’m counting on it,” he said quietly.

The carriage gave a sudden lurch to the side, sending the three of us slamming into the left wall. The sound of scraping metal coming from outside made my skin crawl.

Rubbing my head where a welt was already starting to form, I glanced out the window and cursed. We were riding at a dangerous speed over a bridge, with a river raging beneath us. But the carriage…the carriage was veering to the left.

Toward the low wooden parapet.

“Stop the carriage!” Galen shouted, thumping on the wall separating us from the driver’s box.

The horses' hooves pounded on the bridge as we careened farther left.

My heart flew into my throat when the side of it grated against the railing.

Several planks came loose, and I held my breath as I watched them splinter off and fall into the churning waters below.

The left side tilted even farther. The bottom of the carriage ground on the bridge as we spun, the back-end colliding with the railing and jolting us forward. Mother let out a sharp gasp, and I clutched her tightly, prepared to shield her body if we were thrown out of the carriage.

We came to an abrupt stop.

The three of us stared at each other with wide eyes, scared to so much as breathe.

The carriage door flew open. Our driver, a tall man with sweat dripping down his pale features, brandished a dagger.

He lunged at me.

The force sent the carriage rocking. I instinctively kicked the man’s chest before he got too close, throwing out an arm to block his wrist. Galen shouted and tried to grab his arm.

The driver moved as swift as lightning as he dodged Galen, turned on his heel, and shoved the king right out the carriage door.

“Who are you?” I shouted, keeping my mother at my back. “What do you want?”

“It’s just business,” he said. “Nothing personal.” He flipped the blade in his hand, then charged at me again.

“Sure feels personal,” I muttered. I jumped out of his reach, but there was hardly any space left in the small carriage.

He swiped at my stomach, and I knocked his hand to the side with my elbow.

The blade missed my midsection but nicked the top of my arm.

I hissed at the sharp sting, baring my teeth against the pain.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” I snarled.

He gave me a smirk that raised my hackles. “I don’t think that’ll be a problem, Your Majesty.”

This time when he attacked, I grabbed the bar at the top of the carriage with both hands and kicked my legs, connecting with his chest and sending him flying out the door, where Galen still lay crumpled on the ground.

I let go and used my momentum to carry myself forward through the door and landed with a crouch on the bridge.

I almost lost my focus when I saw where we were.

The back third of the carriage was tipping precariously over the edge of the broken parapet. Just a few more feet, and the entire thing would have toppled into the river. The member of the King’s Guard who had been riding in the box with the driver lay dead several yards away.

“Clarissa!” Galen yelled.