Page 50 of The Lies of Lena (The Otacian Chronicles #1)

Chapter Forty-Nine

“ I guess I’ll sit this one out,” Edmund mumbled as Silas lowered him on a boulder nearby.

Once morning came, and we filled ourselves with fruit once more, our little group decided to venture off to train. Erabella wasn’t pleased, and while I wished to lounge around as well, training would do us some good.

The sky was light blue, the morning air slightly crisp. A handful of my people were awake when we walked off, but most on the mountain were still asleep.

“I figure each of the Mages partner up with one of…you,” I said awkwardly.

“Ouch,” Roland teased with a hand over his heart.

I gave him an eye roll.

“I’ll take the Princess,” Merrick said, and I whirled to find him smirking at Erabella .

Her eyes widened at first, and I swear she blushed, but that was quickly replaced by a grimace as she crossed her arms. Before she could respond, I spoke. “Elowen with Hendry.” I glanced over to Viola.

I can either put her with Silas and risk her ripping his head off, or I could go with him and be very uncomfortable.

I glanced over to Roland.

That would also be uncomfortable.

I heaved a sigh. “Viola, you go with the Prince, and please, don’t hurt him.”

Silas frowned, and Viola scoffed, but I could tell she was holding back a smile. She would enjoy an opportunity to rough him up.

Roland gave me a sideways smile. “I should’ve known you would pick me, Ginger Snap.”

I let out a dry laugh. “You won’t have that look on your face in a few moments,” I threatened.

I could feel Silas’s gaze, but when I turned to him, he looked away.

“So…” Elowen drawled. “How do we go about this?”

“I figure we learn first, get better at weapon wielding and blocking.”

“Uh, one problem,” Erabella interrupted with a raised hand. “I don’t know much about fighting.”

I frowned, then looked at my white-haired friend. “Well, Merrick is good with a bow. He can show you that, I suppose.”

“So, you’re saying I’ll be playing teacher all week?” Merrick pouted.

“We’ll switch off. How about that?”

Merrick clicked his tongue, then turned back to an annoyed Erabella .

Our groups separated from one another, but we were still close enough to see each other in case we could learn from what another pair was doing.

Hendry went to show Elowen his bow, but because she was more familiar with a dagger, he opted to work with that instead.

Silas pulled out a heavy greatsword, and I caught the corner of his lip turning up as Viola struggled to grasp it at first.

Merrick pulled out his bow and began instructing Era as I turned to Roland.

“So, what do you wish to learn?”

“What are you best at?” I asked, and he answered with a devious smirk. “Don’t answer that,” I groaned, putting my hand to my forehead.

“I usually opt for a single-handed sword,” he said casually as he unsheathed it, observing it and then looking at me. “You?”

“Weapon or magic?”

He shrugged. “Both.”

I considered. “I am best with fire. Weapons, I suppose a sword or dagger, though I’m decent with a bow as well.”

I glanced over at Merrick, who stood a few feet from us, hovering behind Era as she struggled to equip the bow.

“Gods, you really are an amateur,” Merrick muttered.

“And you’re a dick. Anyone tell you that before?” she replied, focusing again on holding the bow properly.

He smirked. “Such foul language for a princess.”

She scoffed.

Roland gave me a look. “My bet is they will fuck by the end of this journey,” he murmured .

I did a double-take as I wasn’t sure if I heard him correctly. “Come again?”

He laughed. “Just the vibe I get.” He flashed a wicked smile. “Or maybe it’s because it reminds me of us.” He gave me a kissy face.

“You’re a—” I realized he was right about our banter, and I stopped myself as he bit his lip to prevent a smile.

I groaned. “Let’s just get this over with, yeah?”

Roland was quite skilled at the sword. I actually began struggling to dodge his moves, and one almost struck me until I held out my hand and blocked it with a force field, causing Roland to stumble back.

“Cheater,” he mumbled.

“Would you prefer it be impaled in me instead?” I snapped as I caught my breath.

“I’d prefer to impale you with something else entirely,” he said smoothly.

I opened my eyes wide at his audacity.

“My co—”

“Yes! I got that!” I squealed, and he let out a loud laugh.

“I’m sorry, but you set yourself up for that one.”

“You are…unbelievable,” I muttered.

His hazel eyes twinkled with amusement, and he handed over his sword.

“Now, show me what you got, Lena.”

Training went well overall. Era managed to handle the bow, at least, even if she couldn’t utilize it. Viola surprisingly excelled at the greatsword, and Elowen was smiling by the end of practice with Hendry.

He seemed like a good man. So quiet and mysterious. And handsome. His one blue eye was a stark contrast to his brown skin, and I had a feeling he kept his silky, straight brown hair covering his forehead in a failed attempt to lessen his beauty. I remembered Silas telling me stories about both him and Edmund. I was happy he still had them after I was gone.

Roland actually gave me some good pointers as well, and I wondered when he and Silas had met. They both seemed to loathe each other’s company. I would ask about that one day.

Once our sparring was done and we were all covered in sweat, I was ready to get clean. I certainly didn’t want Ayla doing her measuring while I smelled disgusting. I decided I was going to head to the waterfall to wash up when Liette, the wife of one of Immeron’s sons, was kind enough to give me a cube of soap she had made. Considering how many people were going to want to bathe, they had to be conservative when it came to how much was given.

When I reached the stunning waterfall, I dipped my toes in, wincing at the cold. I sighed, loosened my hair from its braid, and quickly undressed before submerging myself in the water. It wasn’t freezing, but it wasn’t warm either .

I went to work washing my hair, body, and face. I blew air out of my nose and dipped my head under, my hair sticking to my back as I surfaced. I wiped my face and then startled and covered my breasts when I saw Roland watching me at the edge of the lake.

“W-what are you doing here?” I stuttered as Roland began to undress.

“This is where we bathe, yes?”

“Yes, separately. ”

He chuckled and threw off his shirt, revealing a perfectly toned body. I swallowed and couldn’t stop my eyes from trailing over his physique.

His sides and arms were covered with intricate tattoos. I couldn’t tell what the design was, and I didn’t want to stare long enough to find out. They were a stark contrast to his skin despite it being a golden tan. When he began to unbutton his pants, I whirled away.

“What, don’t want to see?” he asked, clearly amused.

“No. No, I do not,” I lied.

Another chuckle, and I heard him hiss as he jumped in the water.

“Fuck!” he exclaimed. “It is cold in here.” he shivered as he emerged from under the water, then made his way to me.

My arms were crossed, covering my breasts still, and he gave me a smirk, his brown hair looking almost black when wet. The water beaded as it dripped down his body, trailing from his pecks down his abs, and I hated that I felt a pressure between my thighs.

I flushed and winced as I lowered myself into the water, still covering my breasts.

“Don’t let me interrupt your bathing,” he teased and began to drift away .

I looked over and examined his back and the tattoos covering both shoulder blades. They appeared to be wings of some sort. He turned back and caught me staring.

“I-I was just finishing up,” I stuttered.

“Liar,” he smirked. “You just got in here.” He began to rub a cut of soap over his chest, bubbles sliding down his abdomen.

“What are you doing?” I breathed.

“Bathing, what does it look like?” he murmured. The water came just before inappropriate areas began. A trail of brown hair made its way from the bottom of his belly button to an area I shouldn't be envisioning.

His smirk didn't waver. “I may not be cuffed like you were, but feel free to help me if you’d like.”

I shook my head and turned away. “I still haven’t forgiven you for that,” I muttered.

“You enjoyed it, don’t lie.”

I did. But I did not enjoy that I liked it. No matter, I wasn’t about to tell him that.

My thoughts trailed back to Silas, and guilt washed over me. Though, why should I feel guilty? He was married now.

I glanced over my shoulder again, Roland now rinsing himself off in the waterfall.

He was cocky. Vulgar. But also…intriguing.

He wiped the water from his eyes as he backed out of the stream and smiled at me.

The sun was high in the sky. The warm glow that was cast on him made him look like he was in a painting .

His smile faded as I studied him, and my heart began to beat quickly as he moved towards me. I wanted to run away—get as far from him as possible, but at the same time, I wanted to know how his bare body felt pressed against mine.

“It doesn’t look like you are bathing, Lena.” He glanced down into the water, and when I looked, I realized I had kept my little cube of soap beneath the whole time.

I cursed as I lifted my hands out. The soap cube was nearly dissolved. I realized my breasts were no longer under the water, and I flushed as I met his gaze with wide eyes. This moment was entirely too familiar.

He smiled, his hazel eyes dark with desire. “I have seen you before, remember?” he purred.

“That wasn’t my choice,” I breathed.

He raised a brow and tilted his head to the side. “What would be your choice now, Lena?”

I stilled. He moved in closer until he was just inches away. I stared up at him, completely frozen. I felt a desire I hadn’t felt in a very, very long time.

He smiled as he leaned by my ear. “You’re blushing,” he whispered, and my eyes became heavy. His voice sent chills down my spine and heat throughout my body.

“Roland, Silas wants you.”

I jumped, and I whirled my head back to see Hendry, who thankfully could only see my back. He shifted uncomfortably.

“Really? I didn’t know he was into men,” he teased, though I could sense his annoyance at the interruption .

Hendry rolled his eyes and then looked at me, his face slightly flushing.

“Apologies for interrupting,” he said quietly.

“You weren’t interrupting anything,” I said a little too loudly, fumbling with my hair. I looked back at Roland, who just smirked at me.

“Now, Roland.”

He groaned and lifted himself out of the water. I looked away towards Hendry, who was already making his way back to camp.

After a few moments, Roland spoke. “You can look now, Ginger Snap.”

“Like I can trust you,” I muttered, looking at him anyway. He had his pants back on and was holding his shirt.

“You can get out. Don’t worry, I’ll turn away.”

“What, so we can walk back together so everyone thinks—”

“That we fucked?”

“Gods, you are so—ugh!”

He chuckled, and I hurled a fireball at him, his eyes widening just as he dodged the move.

He stared off to where the flame died out in the distant sky, then looked back at me.

“Now, that wasn’t very nice.”

“Turn around,” I barked.

“As you wish.”

I hopped out and wrung out my hair as Roland started to turn.

“Don’t even think about it, or I will burn your balls off.”

He snickered and retreated as I flung back on my outfit.

“Okay. ”

He turned and walked towards me, that stupid smile still on his face.

“I swear to the Gods, Roland, if you so much as—”

“Don’t worry, I don’t kiss and tell.”

“I should’ve frozen your ass in that water,” I muttered and found myself smiling.

He chuckled, and we started toward our camp.

I picked at a loose thread on my dress. “I never thanked you,” I said quietly, and he turned to me with a raised brow. “For showing me kindness…and for being annoying as hell.” I laughed through my nose. “It made everything a little less scary.”

I met eyes with him, though I couldn’t read his expression. He smiled softly and looked forward.

I felt an urge to grasp his hand, but I wouldn’t do it.

“Why did you do it, anyway?”

He clenched his jaw. “I’m not sure…” He thought on it for a moment. “I suppose I grew to admire you, seeing how you handled everything. You’re a fearless thing.” He gave me a side smile, then looked forward. “And I suppose it was you saving my ass…when I did nothing to deserve it,” he said quietly.

“Well, I am happy I did…mostly.”

He turned to me. I winked, and he grinned at that.

When we made it back to camp, Silas was glaring at Roland and me, and I felt my cheeks heat. His eyes could burn holes with how furious he looked. He only met my eyes briefly before continuing to stare down Roland.

“Wonder what I did now,” Roland muttered.

Silas stood, and the two of them walked off to talk. As they left, Ayla approached, saying she wished to measure us for clothing.

The girls went first. She led us inside their home, past the living space and kitchen, into her sewing room. I gasped at the wall of fabrics she had stacked—a large assortment of colors and materials.

“There’s so many,” Elowen breathed. “Where did you get it all?”

“Oh, I’ve collected some throughout the years, but I pick up fabrics nearly every time I bring pieces to trade in Forsmont and Faltrun.” She fetched a tape measure off her desk. “Who would like to go first?”

“Me!” Elowen beamed.

Ayla smiled and began measuring Elowen’s slim waist. Erabella walked along the fabric wall, eyeing the different assortments.

“Is it ever an issue traveling to those villages? I assume you all glamour yourselves?” Viola asked.

“Indeed,” Ayla replied. “And no, no issues. Even though our kind isn’t safe almost anywhere, I’m grateful Forsmont and Faltrun have stayed independent from Otacia—don’t have to worry about the kill order and all.” She continued to measure Elowen, her silver braid falling just below her shoulders as she jotted down her measurements. “What colors do you like, my dear?”

Elowen pushed her lips to the side as she thought. “That’s hard to choose. Whatever you think would suit me.” She smiled.

Ayla grinned and finished, then moved on to Viola. I kept my distance from Erabella—still feeling awkward around her. It was clear she didn’t exactly love my presence, either .

“What of you, Princess? What do you make of all this?”

I was surprised by Ayla’s kindness, and it appeared Erabella was too. She flushed and tucked a piece of her short blonde hair behind her ear. “The mountain is lovely.”

Ayla chuckled. “Not the mountain, dear. The journey you’re embarking on.”

“Oh.” She clasped her hands together. “I…I am not sure. But if my husband believes it to be the right thing, I will follow him.”

Husband.

I clenched my fists tightly, my nails digging into my palms. I had no right to be upset at her, but I was.

“What do you think the right thing is?“ Ayla asked as she finished up with Vi.

Erabella let out a soft laugh. “Honestly? No one has ever asked me what I thought of anything before.” She brushed her hands down her dress. “I’ve never loved violence. Hatred. But it is the world I grew up in. It is all I’ve ever known.” She looked around at all of us with her brown, almond eyes. “I had never met a Mage before in my life.”

“As far as you know.”

“Yes, yes, as far as I know.” She took a deep breath. “But I am glad that I have now. And I’m sorry for what my people have done to you. I am sorry the world has made us believe you to be monsters.”

I blinked. Honestly, we all did. “What is your name again, my dear?”

“Erabella. My friends call me Era.”

Ayla smiled. “Well, Era, I am glad to have met you, too.”

I crossed my arms and leaned against the counters in the room. I wanted to hate Erabella. I wanted to hate her for being married to the man I loved, for having the life I never could. But as it turns out, she was a decent person. I suppose I could see why Silas loved her.

I began to feel my eyes sting.

Do not cry.

“And you, Supreme, how are you holding up?” Ayla was now working on Erabella’s measurements.

I clenched my jaw. “As well as anyone in my position could, I suppose.”

“That’s fair.” She paused mid-measurement, her blue eyes sparkling as she looked at me. “How long did you live in Otacia before?”

Erabella’s brows furrowed as she turned to me. “You lived in Otacia?”

I nodded, hoping to the Gods Ayla wasn’t about to spill my secret right now. “Six years. The longest I’ve ever lived in one place.” I looked at the ground.

“That’s even longer than I’ve lived there,” Erabella murmured. “Did you like it?”

I looked up at her, surprised she was initiating conversation with me. “I did. We lived in the Outer Ring. I’m not sure how it is there now, but I didn’t mind it. It felt like home.”

“If you liked it then, you would love it now.” She cringed. “Minus the obvious.”

I nodded, and she continued, Ayla finishing up her measurements. “Silas has invested a lot in the Outer Ring. Infrastructure, small businesses. Those of the Outer Ring can even come up to the Inner as they please. Hell, there’s even warm water down there now. ”

My heart skipped a beat, and when I felt tears welling in my eyes, I looked to the ground again, unable to hide the small smile on my face.

He really did what he promised.