Page 33 of Pawns of Fate

“I wanted to read this letter in private.” Rose felt like chucking a pillow at the mage, but thought better of it. She was indebted to Lyla for being able to communicate with Nicholas at all.

“You should have chosen a different mailman if you wanted things to be private. Are you going to write back to him?”

“Yes, of course I will write back to him.”

“Thank god. I was going to fake a letter from you to avoid the awkwardness. Now I don’t have to brush up on my forgery skills.” An ornery twinkle shone in Lyla’s eyes.

“Lyla!” Rose did toss the pillow at her this time.

“I’m going to be giving Nicholas a daily report, so have your letter ready by tomorrow,” Lyla said and waltzed out of Rose’s room.

The afternoon passed in a blur. Dinner, too. Rose wanted to wait till evening to pen her reply so that she had time to think about it. But she couldn’t focus. Ava pushed her away when she’d tried to help with the dishes, demanding that she just go write the letter already.

So, Rose found herself back in her room, sitting at her desk, pen in hand, staring at a blank paper. She looked over at the tiny cacti on her windowsill and sighed. Finally, she began to write.

Dear Nicholas,

I am sorry you had to join York on the swamp campaign.

If both Sharp brothers are needed for the fight, there must be a terrifying number of monsters in that swamp.

I’m sure that you will be victorious. Even before we were married, I’d heard tales about how brave and fierce you and your brother are on the battlefield.

With two lightning-magic wielders, the army will destroy the monsters quickly, no matter how many there are.

My life here with the Ojoh has been rather mundane compared to fighting monsters in a swamp.

I’ve enjoyed spending time with Ava. She’s a very talented cook.

I’ve been eating some of the best food here, all because of her.

She’s teaching me how to prepare different meals, too!

Perhaps when we’re reunited, Ava and I could give the dinner staff a night off and prepare a meal for the family.

We spend most of our time in the house the Ojoh provided. Two guards watch us, but they are kind and treat us more like guests than prisoners. It gives me hope that our time here might result in the Ojoh and the people of Onanish enjoying more productive relationships in the future.

Ava, Lyla, our two guards, and I often go into the city. Ava enjoys exploring the market, and I enjoy exploring the Uddedin’s library.

Rose sighed. What else should she write? She wanted her letter to carry more affection and warmth. Nicholas was in a perilous situation. If something were to happen to him, she didn’t want her last words to be about eating good food and visiting the library. She needed to say something romantic.

She sat for a few more minutes. Finally, after a lot of internal debate, she picked up her pen and added a few lines to the letter:

I find myself thinking of you often. I hope we are reunited soon, dear husband.

You have captured my love. Though I truly am safe and well taken care of here, every time I wake up without the warmth of your arms, I am reminded that part of my heart was left in Onanish with you.

I don’t think I’ll feel whole again until we’re together.

Affectionately,

Your Wife,

Rose Sharp

She slid the letter into an envelope and addressed it to Nicholas. It had gotten late while she’d been writing, so she decided to give the letter to Lyla the next morning.

Rose went to bed with a small smile and the memory of Nicholas’s warmth, causing her to fall into a slumber deeper than any she’d had since she set out from Castle Sharp.

The letter and Lyla were gone when Rose woke the following day. It annoyed her, but she’d begun to expect the lack of privacy where Lyla was concerned.

Rose tapped the place on her desk where she’d left her letter and wondered how the shadow mage felt about playing magic mailman. She’d assumed Lyla would deem such a job beneath her.

Rose and Ava ate breakfast peacefully, then began Ava’s daily lessons. She was progressing more swiftly than Rose had initially thought possible and could already read short words even though they’d only been working for a few days. Rose was a proud teacher.

They went out to the market in the afternoon. Ava wanted to pick up a few new ingredients for dinner. Lyla didn’t like to leave one girl at the house while she accompanied the other, and Rose didn’t feel like staying cooped up, so she decided to join the outing.

As Ava shopped for her culinary supplies, Rose was drawn to the jewelry shop she’d visited when Depaerth first showed them the city. Over the past month, she’d visited the shop a few times and purchased bracelets and several earrings.

She meandered to the shop, paying no attention to the lanky Ojoh warrior behind the counter.

He was using a large straw hat to cover his face and take a nap.

Rose wondered where the pretty, yellow-haired shopkeeper from yesterday was.

That woman had been courteous and attentive.

She would have to wake this man up when she wanted to make a purchase.

It annoyed her, but the unique jewelry pieces that sparkled like tiny sunbeams had already piqued her interest.

“Hmmm, I didn’t expect to see you back here already,” the lanky warrior said as Rose selected a few earrings. She looked up.

“Camillus! ”

He grinned and ran a hand through his hair.

“Kreystallia told me two foreigners bought jewelry from her a few days ago. We haven’t been getting many outsiders visiting lately, so I wondered if it was you and that short girl.”

“Yes,” Rose answered carefully, ignoring how he called Ava ‘that short girl.’ The Ojoh weren’t bound to rank and title like most of Albion. He probably wasn’t trying to insult her, though it was hard to tell with Camillus. His perpetually smug demeanor made all of his words sound insulting.

“I bought some bracelets yesterday. The pieces are so unique; I wanted to collect a few more.”

“My wife will be pleased to hear that.”

“Your wife?”

“Yes, she’s my wife. You didn’t think I’d spent the past five years pining over our summer romance, did you?”

He looked down at her with an arrogant smile.

Rose’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Of course, she didn’t think Camillus had spent any time pining over her—he’d been the one to dump her that summer so long ago.

He’d known that her time as a captive was coming to an end, so he’d done the sensible thing and ended the relationship so that she could go back to her family with no qualms. Rose was devastated at the time —Camillus was her first love, and she’d been so young—but in hindsight, he had done the right thing.

It would have caused a lot of political tension or even a war if Rose had refused to go back to the Robsons over her feelings for one Ojoh boy.

“You’re married, too. And you did far better for yourself than being stuck in the desert with some Ojoh warrior.” His voice carried a small thread of wistfulness.

Camillus’s words put a bittersweet taste in her mouth. In one regard, he was right. She had ended up marrying the heir to an entire province. In practicality, she was here, and Nicholas was stuck in her uncle’s foggy swamps, chasing monsters.

“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” he added.

“I’m not uncomfortable. You just caught me off guard. You always do. I didn’t know that your wife owned this jewelry shop, or I wouldn’t have purchased anything.”

“Don’t say that! She’d be furious if I lost her customers!”

“Alright, then. I’ll keep shopping here. Tell your wife that our history has nothing to do with my appreciation for her products.”

“Why don’t you tell her yourself?”

“Why would I do that?’

Camillus scratched his head and looked sheepishly away from Rose. “Because I’d like you to eat dinner with my wife and me.”

“What?”

“It was her idea, not mine. She wants to propose some business ideas to you.”

“Does she know that we used to be—” Rose lowered her voice to a whisper “— romantically involved?” She couldn’t imagine asking for a business dinner with one of Nicholas’s former lovers, but the Ojoh were less concerned with monogamy than the rest of Albion.

“Yes, everyone in my hometown knows I had a short relationship with the pink princess five years ago. It was very hot gossip for a while, despite how hard we tried to conceal the relationship. I sometimes wonder if hiding it made the rumors grow.”

Rose’s eyebrow twitched. “Pink princess?”

“That’s always been your nickname among the Ojoh.” Camillus motioned to her hair as if the nickname were old news.

Rose thought her cheeks might catch on fire. “I’m not a princess.”

Camillus shrugged. “Noble titles are all the same to us. Will you come to dinner or not?”

Rose was still internally debating how to respond when Ava and Lyla entered the store.

“Short princess, will you come to dinner with Lady Rose, my wife, and me?” Camillus asked before Rose could explain.

“Will there be authentic Ojoh cuisine?” Ava asked without any concern for being called ‘short princess.’

“I don’t know what else we would serve.”

“Then, yes! I would be delighted. Our maidservant will need to join, too. She’s required to accompany us everywhere. Is that alright?”

Camillus eyed Lyla with what Rose knew was a hint of suspicion.

“It’s part of Onanish culture,” Rose added, hoping to draw less attention to Lyla, who, to her credit, was wearing her full disguise.

“Of course. All three of you are invited to dinner tomorrow night.” Camillus attempted to bow. Rose wasn’t sure if he was doing it to poke fun at noble etiquette or if he genuinely thought it was the appropriate response. Either way, the lack of manners was lost on Ava, who curtsied back at him.