Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Two and a half days brought them across the winter plains to Aegea, capital of Meseira, the great middle province of Lenorea.
The rebel army, a concentrated force, was equipped with hearty horses and enough carts and wagons to transport anyone unable to walk or ride.
Alethea slept in one of the designated medical carts for the entire first day, only waking for dinner before going right back to sleep.
Several times, she woke to find Nakir, Emi, or Balthasar close by.
They kept her up to date on their progress and how long it was expected to take, and each of them kindly asked how she was doing.
Dorian, one of the many Healers, also visited frequently to inspect her bandages and utter incantations over the wound.
The few times she did wake up, Alethea enjoyed watching the verdant green of Lenorea fade into true winter from the back of the medical wagon.
Hyelea, nestled in the seaside province of Ionia, experienced warm weather year-round, but Meseira was a landlocked province that experienced an actual winter season.
They’d told her how it was even worse in Ephesus, where the weather was known to be frigid in the winters, with brutal snowstorms that lasted days, even weeks.
Setta, to the south, and Edysos, to the west, both enjoyed less extreme climates.
When she slept, Alethea swore she dreamed, but each time she awoke, warnings on the tip of her tongue, the memories faded. She tried keeping a journal beside her to quickly write down whatever she could remember, but by the time she’d reached for a pen, the thoughts were lost to her.
The unit didn’t set up their full campsite each night.
Most of Nakir’s soldiers found a wagon and kept close to one another for warmth.
Alethea was hardly well enough to leave the medical cart, but she quickly discovered she missed sharing a space with Nakir.
She’d taken for granted how safe and protected she felt whenever he was nearby.
On the second night, she awoke with a start, jolting upright so quickly she nearly tore her wound open again.
“Shh,” his familiar voice soothed.
It was pitch-black inside the cart, and probably not much brighter outside, so it took several seconds for her eyesight to adjust enough to see Nakir stationed next to her small cot. His back was to the wall, legs crossed. Despite the sleeping forms surrounding them, he’d managed to sneak in.
“Nakir,” she whispered, reaching out her hand for him in the darkness. He took it gently, his touch warm and reassuring, and brought it to his lips, placing a soft kiss on her fingers that sent warmth radiating through her.
“I’m here.”
She didn’t know if she’d been imagining it or if it was real, but he’d withdrawn since the business with Leandro Gregor.
His expressions were more guarded, though she supposed that could have been because they were hardly ever alone anymore.
Still... perhaps she’d only imagined her importance to him.
Perhaps she was more alone in her desires than she thought.
Or perhaps he regretted what they’d done together the night of the attack.
It took her some time to realize, if that were the case, it would be all right.
Their goals were still aligned. She still wanted him to reclaim his family’s throne more than anything.
Their feelings for each other, reciprocated or unrequited, came second to that.
She didn’t know how she’d push them away, but she was determined to try. She could not fail in her mission.
Alethea wished desperately that she could see him better in the pitch-black of the cart. The wind howled outside, and she shivered. Nakir brought her blanket up over her shoulders, tucking her in tighter.
“Are you warm enough?” he asked.
She nodded, though he probably couldn’t see it. “I think so. Are you?”
She thought he smiled, but she couldn’t quite tell.
“I am. I just finished watch. I didn’t mean to wake you.” The darkness couldn’t conceal the tenderness in his voice, and for that, she was grateful.
“You didn’t,” she promised. “I’ve been having dreams I can’t remember. I wake and try to recall them, but before I can, they’re just... gone.”
Nakir made a small sound of acknowledgment, but he seemed distracted.
“Are you all right?” Alethea asked carefully, her concern weaving through her words. She waited patiently when there was a small silence, knowing something was weighing on his mind.
“I forgot to tell you when we left... Leandro Gregor was caught trying to escape. Unfortunately, he was killed in his attempt to flee,” Nakir said, his voice carrying a trace of weariness.
Alethea’s stomach sank. Despite the fact Leandro was an awful man who would have kidnapped and married her against her will, she didn’t relish in his death. “I see,” she replied, heavy with the weight of the situation.
“We’re a day away from Meseira. Are you familiar with the Great Lord and Lady Imanras?”
“A little. They don’t come to Hyelea often, but I’ve met them a handful of times.
” She was rarely invited to stately dinners—her mother didn’t want her accidentally revealing herself to be an Oracle over dessert.
Nakir had given her a place at his table, and it was far more elevated than anything she’d experienced as heir to the Lenorean throne—a change she was still grappling with. “Have you?”
“No, I’ve never met them. My mother told me about them many years ago, and Balthasar has brought me up to speed as best as he can.”
Alethea nodded, too tired to think of what to say next.
“Do they know about...?” Nakir began, his voice trailing off, leaving the rest of his sentence unspoken, cautious in case anyone around them overheard.
“No, they don’t know,” Alethea replied, her voice barely above a whisper in the quiet of the night.
“Let’s keep it that way.”
Her stomach turned uncomfortably at the way his tone sounded distant, as if he were far away from her. “Okay,” she agreed, even though uncertainty gnawed at her.
A small silence passed, an awkward tension that made her want to wrap the blankets tighter around herself.
For a moment, there were only the gentle sounds of the other cart occupants sleeping.
She fought the constant gravitational force she felt whenever Nakir was around, remaining firmly where she was.
“We have a big day tomorrow,” he said with finality. “Get some rest.”
Alethea obeyed, forcing herself to close her eyes, her mind swimming with unanswered questions and lingering uncertainty.
She wondered what could have happened to create such a distance between them—a gap that seemed to widen with every passing moment.
Sleep, however, remained elusive as her thoughts drifted in the quiet darkness.
In the morning, there were no whispers, no thoughts that begged to be written before they were lost to memory. The cart came to a stop when they reached their final destination.
Emi and Dawes were there to greet her as the other occupants filtered out. She smiled weakly at them, still weary from her injury and the journey.
“I’m glad you didn’t die,” Dawes told her with something like a smile. He seemed to be in a good mood for once, though it was hard not to be when Emi was radiating such bright energy. She practically bounced next to him as he helped her out of the cart.
Alethea had slept through the last leg of the journey, which made it seem as though no time had passed since the attack on the encampment, but as she stepped out of the medcart for the first time, she was taken aback by the sheer beauty of the Meseiran winter landscape.
A thin layer of snow dusted the ground, glistening in the soft morning light.
The rolling hills around her boasted a few evergreen trees, their branches weighed down by the snow.
The crisp, clean air carried the invigorating scent of pine and frost. Behind her stood Aegea, a sprawling city nestled in the frosted valley.
In the distance, she could just make out a castle, its turrets and spires outlined against the pale blue sky.
The port city of Hyelea may be the capital, but Aegea was the beating heart of Lenorea.
“I got you something!” Emi boasted proudly, pulling a brown paper-wrapped package from the satchel at her side. Alethea opened it to find a wool gown dyed a stunning shade of sapphire, simple but elegant enough not to feel out of place where she knew she was heading.
“It’s beautiful,” Alethea told her, admiring the long sleeves and the modest collar. “And it looks warm.”
“I thought you might be wanting a change of clothes for when you meet with the Great Lord and Lady. I also got you some boots!”
Alethea accepted Emi’s gifts graciously, trying not to let herself become overwhelmed by the generosity.
“I rode ahead and picked them out from the market in Aegea this morning. I thought the dress would match your eyes.”
Alethea smiled, her nervousness beginning to fade. “Thank you, Emi. Will you two be joining us when we go to the castle?”
Dawes shook his head emphatically. “No, definitely not. Emi and I are going to stay at camp in case we have any surprise visitors.” He seemed relieved by this, as if he would rather do anything than dine with nobility.
Alethea understood his sentiment. The weight of expectation that came with such formal occasions was daunting, even for someone who’d grown up as a royal.
Emi rubbed her gloved hands together, her breath coming out in puffs.
“Much as I love a good dinner party, we have a lot of work to do. But you should enjoy yourself! Don’t worry about us out here.
” She wrapped her arm around Alethea’s shoulder and gave her a small side-hug.
“I think Nakir is making some final preparations, if you want to use the tent to get changed. It’s just down the hill. ”
Nakir’s tent was easy to find—and blessedly empty.