Page 147 of The Throne Seeker

His lips pulled into a crooked smile, sending her heart into an annoying flutter. “It’s hard to see your hard work when you have a cloak on.”

She winked. “That’s the point. I want it to be a surprise.”

He was about to turn but stopped mid-movement. His eyes narrowed. “You didn’t go overboard, did you?”

“You mean, did I pick out a much-too-revealing dress? Yes, I did,” she teased—well, partly.

His mouth tightened into a hard line. “Don’t make me regret asking you—I already have second thoughts.”

“Don’t worry.” She hiked up her cloak and dress to reveal a knife she had strapped to her upper thigh. “You see? I’ll be fine.”

He rolled his eyes. “Wonderful,” he droned.

She paused, studying his eyes again before finally saying, “Are you sure you’re feeling alright? You look a little pale.”

“I’m fine,” Roman said, brushing her off. “Now, get into the carriage before I come to my senses and change my mind.”

The journey to Caleede was shorter than she had expected. Their carriage took the narrow path out of the mountains, reconnecting with the main road heading north. A plentiful number of other carriages and wagons joined them, all making their way to the city.

Excitement danced in her stomach. She’d never been to the capital. Her mother had strictly forbidden it, claiming there was too much “riffraff.” Which was absurd because every other noblewoman boasted about its exquisite shopping and delicious dining. After all, it was called the gem of Cathan for a reason.

Even with her high expectations, she was unprepared for the grand city’s glory.

It lay in a valley nestled between three mountains that shielded it from invaders. If that wasn’t enough, an impenetrable stone wall encased the city, its borders stretching miles out of sight. As they drew nearer, she tried to estimate its height; it must’ve been nearly fifty feet tall. The main gate was swarming with guards and security, giving every vessel athorough search before letting them pass. It took near an hour just to get through it all.

Once they’d made it past the gates, a wealthy city welcomed her. The roads were cleaner than any city she had ever seen, even as traders and farmers crowded the cobblestone streets, flocking to sell their goods thanks to the influx of visitors for the Snorri. Though the city was old, every building looked like it’d been well taken care of for generations.

Despite the miles of roads and sandwiched buildings, a mixture of shrubs, trees, and flowers flourished everywhere they went, with thick vines climbing buildings, both new and old. She was absolutely fascinated by the turquoise canal system that channeled the mountain runoff to the city, allowing large rowboats to easily transport goods from one side to the other. It flowed through hundreds of tunnels and bridges throughout the city, offering the perfect solution to alleviate heavy road congestion—it was genius, really.

“Do you like it?” Roman asked, noticing her eyes glued to the window.

“It’s magnificent,” she said. The rumors didn’t do it justice. “It must cost a fortune to keep this place so clean and beautiful.”

“You can thank Moretti for that,” he uttered in distaste.

His tone didn’t go unnoticed. “What happened between you two?”

He looked out the window. “I’m the reason a large stream of his revenue was discontinued. We found out that he may have sold a good chunk of illegal goods to our enemies during the war. I put a stop to it and tried to get him thrown into prison for it. Needless to say, he bribed his way out of serving his time. He’s been rather unfond of me ever since.”

The carriage veered left, moving westward toward the city’s outskirts. Though it took some time to reach, she didn’t mind, soaking in every beautiful speck of the city. She couldn’t tear hereyes away from the busy life around her, wishing she could stay and explore the libraries, shops, and gardens they passed.

Finally, the stadium came into view, and her jaw dropped.

She quickly concluded that she hadseverelyunderestimated how popular the Snorri was.

A long, crooked line of carriages crept toward the building at a glacier pace, while even more trekked on foot. Hundreds upon hundreds of people gathered, crowding the front gate.

Her throat dried. She’d never seen so many bodies in her life.

When their carriage reached the front, Roman threw on his hood and exited the carriage. She followed suit as they were forced to walk the rest of the way on foot. He kept close to Rose as they fought the crowd to the main arched entrance.

After standing in another long line, they reached the front gate.

“Two tickets,” Roman requested, sliding four gold coins to the gatekeeper.

The short, wide, rough-looking man who smelled strongly of body odor snatched the coins quickly. “Right. Bettin’ station is down atta way, bathrooms are up atta way,” the man grumbled, gesturing to the left and right. “Cause any trouble and you’ll be threwn out without a refund. Bes’ be in your seat when the race starts.” He slid their tickets to them, along with a pamphlet.

They merged into yet another line to find their seats among the wooden bleachers. Now, up close, she grasped just how enormous the stadium was. The lofty walls loomed high above them as they shuffled like sardines to the bleachers. There had to be nearly a hundred rows to accommodate them all.