Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
TYNAN
When I climbed out of Alina’s window the next morning, just before the sun had fully risen, it was nearly time to report for training.
I gritted my teeth. Becoming a soldier had never been my intention.
I hated everything about it, the constant expectation to follow orders, the endless hours spent marching around the field, and the monotonous practice of simple sword sequences.
Nevertheless, I visited the washroom and cleaned up, regretting to part with the faint scent of Alina’s hair and skin.
Her soft, warm body and fragrant, silky hair were all I could think about.
Victor kept urging me to make a move, better yet, to kidnap her from this shithole, but I hesitated.
I could not tell her what I knew. I needed her to make the decision on her own.
No matter how much I wanted to be with her, I knew that life as a refugee was all I could offer.
While luxuries and comforts meant nothing to me, I could not force that way of living on her.
In the end, it had to be her choice. I would never force what I wanted on her.
I straightened and moved my rapier from one shoulder to the other.
My eyes landed on the soldier who was still slightly limping. I could not help the slight smile forming on my lips when I detected the hateful looks he cast my way.
“Attention!”
I straightened, placing my sword down to my hip.
Commander Roth briskly walked in front of the formation. His watery eyes scanned the rows of men. His stare lingered on my face and I returned his gaze with indifference.
“It has come to my attention that the palace grounds are no longer safe. I reviewed several reports of instances where young citizens disappeared from their rooms at night, never to be seen again. While the authorities are working on a plan to stop these senseless crimes, I want all of you to be on high alert. Report directly to me if you notice anything unusual. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir!”
I glanced at the palace. Could the incident in the dining hall with the child’s hand somehow be connected to what Roth was saying?
Without even thinking about it, my body followed the marching routine, rotating the blade from my hip to my shoulder. When we were finally done, and the remaining soldiers dispersed from the clearing, Mayer caught up to me.
“That was the hardest training I have ever had,” he panted. I stayed silent. “I practiced the moves you showed me last night,” he added.
“Who’s guarding the heiress while both of us are here?”
“I think Rogers.”
“Rogers?”
“You know, the guy with the freakishly long arms.”
I shook my head.
“The one who walks like this.” He moved his shoulder from side to side, rotating his whole body.
I looked up and gritted my teeth. At the edge of the gardens, surrounded by several court ladies, stood Gabrielle with a useless umbrella in her hand. She had not seen me, at least I hoped she had not. I knew she lived in the capital with her husband, but I had no idea she frequented the palace.
Fuck!
Not wanting to call too much attention to myself, I half turned away, hoping that she would not bother looking at someone so far beneath her in social standing.
Her eyes skimmed past me before she turned away.
I exhaled, relieved to have dodged that threat.
At least for the time being. She used to mean so much to me.
I thought my heart had broken when she chose another man.
I did not know back then that the will of the gods had already been written, that Alina had always been the one I was destined to be with.
Studying Gabrielle’s slender figure, I realized that I felt nothing but a deep weariness toward her.
“It’s time for your shift. I can’t believe they work us so hard. After everything, I’m sure we just ran ten miles.”
We turned the corner, and I glanced back to make sure Gabrielle had not seen me. Immediately, my mood changed, as if the weight of a thousand concrete blocks had been lifted from my shoulders.
“Do you know anything about the missing children?” I asked.
“I know that the formal investigation has finally begun. It really bothers me that they didn’t start it earlier. One may think that because the kids belonged to the lower class, they don’t matter. I can’t even imagine what all would happen if the child who disappeared belonged to the nobility.”
I did not respond.
"What do you think of all this engagement business?" Mayer changed the subject.
“What about it?”
“Who do you think the heiress will choose in the end?”
I gritted my teeth.
“I hope she picks someone from the blue clan. Although, I really believe that neither men are suitable to be husbands.”
“Why’s that?”
“Well, one already has a wife and the second one is not into women.”
I glanced at Mayer, unsure if I liked the quick change of subjects and the abundance of information he was supplying me.
We entered the main hall, and for a moment, I allowed myself to get distracted by the enormous carving of a dragon spitting fire.
The ancestor of all dragons, the great warrior and ruler, Talman the First stared back at me with its stone eyes.
Three more dragons, on a smaller scale, surrounded him.
The faithful generals who fought beside him as one.
Hundreds of years ago Talman the First managed to unify the disjointed clans and brought the longest period of peace and prosperity to the land.
We desperately needed someone like him to take charge.
“I’m going to get ready for my shift.” I said before running up the stairs.
Good idea. I need to clean up too." Mayer followed me as I entered the washroom.
I quickly peeled off my flying suit, examining the stitching on the inside.
The suit did not belong to me, and it had cost nearly all of our money to buy one.
It had either been stolen, or taken from a dead body.
All dragonborns were buried in their flying suits.
Somehow, the dealer who sold it to us was able to break the suit’s magic and force it to accept me as its owner.
My own suit was safely stored in the temporary apartment my friends occupied.
“I’ve been sweating so much. I can’t believe this thing could possibly absorb all that nastiness.” Mayer sighed.
I said nothing, picking up the bar of soap.
When I put the suit back on ten minutes later, it was fresh and clean, and looking like new. I brushed my hair with my fingers and put my boots back on.
“Wait for me!” Mayer hurried putting his suit on. Then his foot got stuck in the leg opening and he almost fell face down to the floor.
I paused in the doorway, while a group of soldiers brushed past me with scowls on their faces.
“All done.” Mayer followed me out of the washroom.
“Are they still bothering you?” I lowered my voice.
“Who? No, don’t worry about it. I’m fine,” he said in a dismissive way.
I turned away and proceeded following the well known path toward Alina’s room.
“There’s something I wanted to ask you.”
“Yes.”
“Do you . . . you and milady . . . Are you in love?”
I reacted so quickly that he did not even have time to blink. With one explosive motion, I shoved him against the wall and squeezed his throat.
“What did you just say?” I hissed into his ear.
“Nothing. I know nothing. Please. I just saw you walking out of her room in the middle of the night once.” He looked at me with his wide eyes.
The thoughts that entered my mind were all murderous. I could not have him talking about this to anyone.
“Do you know what I will do to you if you ever open your mouth about any of this?”
“No, please. I would never. I swear.”
“If you ever tell anyone, I will cut you into the smallest pieces and no one will ever find you.”
“I understand. I will never tell.”
Slowly, I adjusted the pressure, and a moment later, released him.