Chapter 3
The moon had settled in the middle of the night sky, the breeze from her open window hitting her half covered body while leaving a faint tickle on her skin.
Silas had fallen asleep a few hours before, his body currently occupying the other half of her bed. She tried to sleep but her mind would not let her settle, her nerves on high alert.
Their walk consisted of talking about training and a small amount of politics in the kingdom.
He knew she wasn't super keen on that part of his life in the castle, but she knew he also needed someone to vent to freely.
By the way he spoke, she knew he was trying to be delicate on details, but at the end of his story she could tell he felt better mentally.
She didn’t really have anything new to tell him other than Thron’s request to be his girlfriend. She could feel his body tense as they walked with their arms linked, an almost feral rumble sounding from his chest.
“Don’t worry.” She chuckled while eyeing him sideways as they walked. “I said no.”
“You can do whatever you want,” he said casually.
“True.” She shrugged. “But I know prettier males.”
She watched a grin pull at his lips but didn’t say another word about the subject. Hours later they climbed into bed like their normal routine when he visited and she heard his breath deepen quickly as he fell asleep.
She could feel herself getting restless and knew sleep was going to evade her for a long while still.
As quietly as possible, she rose from her bed and padded across the room to the oak chest. She had not opened it in years, the dust collecting on top of it evident.
Taking a deep breath she pried the top open, the hinges gliding it up quietly.
Her sword laid in full view on top of her Valkyrie armor that was organized neatly along the bottom.
Silas had recovered it when he got her out, but she had never put it back on in the last century.
Survivors' guilt was heavy on her heart most of the time, the entirety of her people slaughtered and she was the only one left.
Her friends, her family, everyone she grew up with were now dead and the thought of putting on her armor was too much to bear.
Her sword however was the last relic of her people, the Sword of Ljós (light), gifted by their fallen god many millennia ago. It was the royal sword of the Valkyrie people in which her mother had gifted her right before the battle and could only be wielded by someone of her bloodline.
Her fingers shook as she reached for it, her palm finally wrapping around it and the hilt vibrating in her grasp in acknowledgment. She could feel a small flicker of her power surface and then disappeared.
Maybe she could get her power back, but at what cost?
Pulling it from its sheath, she gazed at the weapon she had long since hidden.
The black metal that forged the blade glistened in the moonlight coming through the window, showing the carved ruins of her people down the center of it.
The sapphire jewel on the silver hilt pulsed a low light and she knew the blade was speaking to her, giving her the answer she had been struggling to find in herself all night long.
Slipping her leather boots on she snuck out the door and walked into the boarding line of trees to her old training circle. She had built it when she first settled here, but found it hard to use back then with her mind so broken from torture.
She only had on her cotton shirt and pants but the night air was warm enough. She didn’t mind it.
Sword in hand with the hilt still pulsing, she let her first strike land on the wood post next to her.
Something snapped back into place, the movement flowing through her body and she could feel the tingle in her bones.
The blow landed right where she wanted, the sword chipping a small piece of wood onto the ground at her feet.
She pulled back and wielded another blow from another angle with the blade landing again on target.
“Would you like a real challenge?”
Alyra spun around to see Silas leaning against a tree with his own sword in hand.
Thanking the darkness of the forest, she could feel color rush to her cheeks as her eyes surveyed his shirtless body.
His ab muscles shadowed perfectly under the small amount of moonlight in through the canopy of trees and his leather pants fell low along his hips.
She had seen him shirtless before, but he had definitely been working on his muscles over the last year.
“I thought you were asleep?” she breathed and forced her eyes to look up at his. A smirk crept on his face and she knew he could sense her faint arousal.
“I’m a light sleeper. I heard you leave and got curious.” He moved from the tree and walked towards her. It took all she had not to look away from his face as he approached. “Come on, let's see what you got.” A cocky smile pulled at the corner of his lips and raised his sword in front of him.
“Ok, but don’t start whining when I kick your ass,” she teased and pulled her sword up to mirror him.
He lunged first, sword swinging towards her right side. She moved her feet to balance and deflected the blow quickly, countering back with a stroke around her other side, narrowly missing his shoulder.
“Alright princess. Good start.”
She had not been called that in a long time.
Tightening her grip she sliced the sword above her head towards him, his blade clashing against hers before his body spun and kicked her feet out from under her. She landed with a thud to the ground on her back, sword bouncing out of her hand.
“But you are rusty.” He grinned before reaching his hand out to help her up. Once on her feet she grabbed the sword from the ground and looked at him again, the smug grin still on his face.
“Well, it has been 99 years since I’ve picked up a sword,” she said, her eyes unintentionally going to his abs again.
“I’m guessing the same amount of time or longer since you’ve done other things?” he teased, her eyes quickly going back to his face.
“My sex life is none of your business.”
“Well when you keep looking at me like that it makes a male wonder.” The grin surfacing again.
“You’re just… distracting, that's all.” She smirked and stepped back further, sword ready.
“Uh Huh.” he chuckled and readied himself again.
Without another word they continued exchanging blows, metal on metal echoing through the woods.
He knocked her to the ground a few more times, but she was able to return the favor towards the end of their sparring.
She could tell it was slowly coming back to her, but she knew she was going to need a lot of practice to get back to her former self.
After being knocked down hard once again, her back landing on a large rock, she decided it was time to cease practice for the night. Her chest burned when taking in her deep breaths, exhaustion taking over.
“Let's call it a night.” she panted.
Silas walked to her and held out his hand once more. “I’m taking this as a sign you will come back with me?” His eyes pleading.
She closed her eyes, taking in one last deep breath in the forest she loved so much before responding.
“Alyra Adair, princess of the Valkyrie at your service.”
- - - - - - - -
The next morning was harder for her than she anticipated. She got little sleep between the anxiety from leaving and the nightmare she was subjected to almost every night. Last night seemed worse than usual, which seemed odd with Silas there.
She watched the sun rise through the trees outside her window as she lay in bed, Silas's arm draped around her waist in quiet, platonic comfort. It wasn't the first time they had sought solace in each other's presence, but cuddling had always been the extent of it.
She took a deep breath and pulled herself out of his arms and started towards her small dresser to pack what little belongings she had. Hearing Silas stir, she looked over her shoulder to find him propped up on his elbow staring at her.
“I know this is hard for you,” he whispered softly.
“The world thinks I’m dead, and I liked it that way.
Now when I return, my life will be buried in political battles and grotesque courting attempts to gain control of my kingdom.
Neither are things which I want to be a part of, but it seems I have no choice if I want there to be a life after this war.
” She shut her last drawer and picked up her now half full bag of clothes and moved towards her cedar chest.
“The political stuff is going to be hard, I won’t lie to you about how bad things are going to be with Emris so on edge.
The courting though, you can make it very clear you are uninterested if that is how you feel.
” Silas spoke as he moved to stand next to the bed.
“Your mother ruled your kingdom alone for a long time, I don’t see a reason you couldn’t. ”
“Well, it will be easy since I’m the only one left.” She shrugged.
Her father had passed away a few decades before the war on a trip to the capital to sign the peace treaty between Emris and the Valkyrie. She was told the Inn he was staying in burned down and no one survived.
It shattered her family, her mother completely lost for years until Mavros started to become a threat. After that, her people became her priority, even over her own daughter.
“I’m sure we can figure something out once you get your powers back.” He walked past her and smirked before placing a soft kiss on the side of her head. “One step at a time.”
He walked out of the room, his bag of clothes still out by the front door and she let out another long breath while placing the last of her armor in the bag.
Victor and Elias’s faces crossed her mind once more and she knew they were the driving force behind her decision.
She tried not to make friends for this very reason, but there were more people like them throughout the world that needed protecting.
If she was the only way to do that, then she needed to at least try.
Silas was digging through his things by the front door and she knew they needed to leave quickly.
Stripping her cotton clothes off, she replaced them with her leather bodysuit and started to add her thicker leather protective plates on her vulnerable areas.
She had shoulder pads and gauntlets that covered her forearm and the top of her hands.
Her legs were adorned with leather straps that wrapped around her thighs, with two blades for each leg secured to the side of them.
Lastly, she had a corset she buckled around herself and put on her leather cloak for the finishing touch. If they were traveling, she wanted to be ready in case there was an attack or any trouble found them.
Silas came around the corner and stood in the doorway just as she was strapping Ljós to her hip next to her bearded axe, his eyes scanning her from head to toe.
“Wow.” His eyes widened a little. “You look ready to fight if needed.”
“That’s the point.” She smirked.
“Should I even ask how many daggers you have on you?”
“No, I’ll let that be a surprise if it comes to needing them.” She grabbed her bag and she walked by him playfully shoving his shoulder.
“Always so mysterious, my lady.” He chuckled and turned to follow her.
She stopped in the kitchen and grabbed some dried meat out of her cabinet to bring along with them for the trip. It was a four days’ ride, and that was if the Hydra wasn’t flooded from the spring rainstorms.
“I'll go get the horses ready,” Silas sounded behind her and she heard him go through the door a few seconds later.
Taking a really long deep breath, she glanced around at the little house she had called home all this time. In reality, she would never come back here no matter how badly she wanted to. From now on, she was going to be in the spotlight in the political agenda, but she could still wish.
Placing her bag on her shoulder she walked out of the house and gently closed the door behind her for the last time.
Her eyes found Silas stuffing the last of his belongings into the saddlebag on the large black horse, the grey mare next to him already saddled for her.
She walked across the small yard and secured her bag on the back of the mare, mounting up in the saddle a short time later. It had been a long time since she had ridden a horse, but she would get used to it after a short time.
Her hooded cloak was secured around her neck, sword strapped to her side under it as she adjusted herself in the saddle.
If they were lucky, she would get to the castle unseen and undisturbed.
If word got out that she was alive before they reached the capital, they would have a lot of damage control to deal with.
With one last glance behind her at the home she had made, she tightened her grip on the reins and gently glided the mare into a walk down the path.
“Let's go,” she said, her voice hollow.
“It will be ok Alyra,” Silas said softly behind her but she didn't look back and continued on the road ahead knowing there was no going back now.