36. THIRTY-SIX
THIRTY-SIX
Darius
Zala covered his tracks perfectly. Every string I pull at unravels nothing. His shadows are untraceable, even for Alexi, not that I allow him far enough away from Mina to do a proper search.
His only priority going forward is her safety.
I switched up the guard rotations with each new city as an added layer of security, and we’ve avoided any further incidents.
Four stops and two weeks have passed since I watched Mina retreat into herself.
She always projected strength and confidence, but the day I found her with that damned box, something in her fractured.
When Alexi turned up with no leads, Mina had already fallen asleep. I knew she was safe with him, so I left to coordinate the search myself. If I stayed behind, maybe Mina wouldn’t be so distant now.
We dine together every night, mostly while entertaining guests, and sleep in the same bed. She smiles and fills me in on the training progress of her special division, but her soul is dim, like a candle before it flickers out.
Her nightmares have returned, dousing it further each night. More than once I’ve woken to her screams only to coax her back to a fitful sleep. We don’t speak of the horrors that plague her, and the one time I tried to ask, she shut it down.
Mina is my partner on paper only, but after everything that happened between us, I want more. I want to help her, to fight alongside her. If only she’d tell me how.
She only has to ask, and I’ll give her anything. Anything to bring back her real smile and help her heal.
Helplessness washes over me. I haven’t felt this way since I was a boy, and it stabs at my patience.
I use the excited crowd as an excuse to lace my fingers with Mina’s. She doesn’t even acknowledge the touch, her forced smile remaining on the people around us.
Hartfield is the second most populated stop on the tour and a nightmare to plan for logistically. It’s a massive territory that boasts talented artisans and innovators. The library in the east district is the largest on the continent.
I’m excited to show Mina a town where knowledge and growth are celebrated, not feared. Hopefully it will help inspire her spirit.
People gather along our path like a parade, shouting blessings as we travel to the city center. A water fountain sits in the center of the square and children climb on the ledges for a better view of their new queen.
I gently squeeze Mina’s fingers to get her attention. “I expect you’ll get a few more recruits from Hartfield.”
“Good. We need more.” She waves with her free hand, voice lacking its usual excitement for her soldiers.
“If you’d like, I could force every woman to enlist if that’s faster.”
She glares at me through her forced smile. No one is close enough to notice the difference.
“This is hardly the time for jokes.”
I give her hand another squeeze. “Who said I was joking?”
“You may be ruthless, Darius, but you’re fair.
You did not fight this hard to change things just to revert back to the mistakes of the ones who came before you.
” The softness of her voice disappears as quickly as it came.
She removes her hand from mine to wave at the children on the fountain. I miss the contact immediately.
We stop at a massive white stone building with stained-glass windows arranged in artful hues. To accommodate Hartfield’s large population, we converted the justice building into a receiving hall, allowing the people to come through and pay their respects in an organized line.
We’ll spend two days here. Two days of being on display like art installations for public consumption.
The city turned our arrival into one massive festival.
Musicians and performers set up small stages, while merchants take advantage of the growing crowd to sell their wares.
Paper masks have been crafted to add to the revelry, making our security checks that much more difficult.
Individuals are searched before entering, then permitted to give a quick greeting and continue out the west exit to the festivities outside.
The never-ending line is exhausting, and for the sake of time, Staefan arranged for our meals to be served while we greet everyone. The number of eyes on us makes my skin itch. The food turns to ash in my mouth; I regret not breaking for a quick meal in private.
I’d rather be with my soldiers, training and preparing for next summer. Mina’s rigid posture in the seat next to mine tells a similar story. Training her new division is the only time she comes alive, if only for a moment.
Mina pushes her food around but barely takes more than a few bites. She skipped breakfast as well.
I refuse to let her waste away. Winding noodles around my utensil, I create a clean bite. After the next person finishes their greeting, I grab Mina’s chin, turning her face toward me, and bring the food to her lips.
“Eat,” I say quietly enough for her ears only. She laughs as if this is a jest, while several people watch the exchange with naked curiosity. “We have an audience, my queen.”
With a low growl, she accepts the bite. The ladies in the crowd swoon at our display of affection, which only irritates Mina more. If getting on her bad side is the only way to ignite her spirit, then I’ll happily become a pebble in her shoe for the remainder of this trip.
I lean in close, enjoying the perfume her maid picked out. Warm vanilla suits her well. “Eat or I feed you. Your choice,” I whisper.
Her forced smile accompanies a large bite of lamb.
The line snakes on until a pair of women sweep into a deep curtsy. “Long live the emperor.” They fail to move along as the others did. “You might remember me, Your Majesty. My daughter and I were introduced by Lord Pascal at your palace before the wedding.”
So many former nobles were shoved down my throat that evening I can confidently say I have no recollection of this odious woman, even as she pulls down her paper mask. The daughter in question hides behind the tulle of her gown.
They are grossly overdressed, the mother's intentions far too obvious. Her daughter flutters her eyelashes at me, ignoring Mina completely.
“Of course,” I lie. “Thank you for coming to greet us again.”
She pats her daughter forward. “It is our honor to do so. Perhaps if you find time in your schedule later, we can show you around the square. We’re quite proud of the gathering our humble town has put together.”
Mina stops eating and sets her knife aside with enough flourish to catch their attention. I wipe my mouth with my linen to hide my smirk.
“I’m afraid we won’t be able to join you,” Mina says with the effervescence of her title.
“There are so many kind and gracious people in Hartfield that it would be unfair to single you out among them. We want to greet everyone equally to celebrate our union. Your offer is most appreciated though. The people here really are as extraordinary as my husband said.”
Mina is a master of doubletalk by now, and her message is clear. She reaches for my hand on the table, and as annoying as these women are, I’m grateful their antics got a rise out of her.
“Thank you, ladies,” I add, motioning for the exit.
The guards urge them on, waving forward the next person in line.
The prism of light pouring through the stained glass grows dim. Hours pass and faces blur together until my sanity threatens to snap. I see no end in sight to the line and motion to the rear guard to close the doors.
We are done for the evening. They’ll have plenty of time tomorrow to greet their new queen. As soon as the last of the guests find their way outside, Mina practically jumps from her chair.
“Send tomorrow’s finalized schedule to Jaime.”
I cross the distance between us. “Where do you think you’re running off to?”
Her eyes dull as she stretches her back. “To bed. Today has been quite taxing.”
“It has. You’re free to retire whenever you please, though you’ll be missing out on tonight’s training.”
Her eyes narrow. “What training?”
“I’ve prepared a special mission for your soldiers. Undercover work.”
I raise my fist and each of Mina’s new soldiers appears, dressed as the locals outside. Their training so far has focused on combat basics in both Velorian and Kalisham styles. Mina also designed a specific workout regimen that benefits a woman’s physique.
In secret, I assigned a few spies to the group to teach them the ins and outs of information gathering and how to blend in. No one expects them to be soldiers, so they’ll make perfect spies as well.
A point Mina made in her original proposal.
“Tonight’s mission is simple: Follow us. At the end of the night write, and submit a report of what you observed us doing,” I explain.
Their whispers are a mixture of nerves and excitement.
“The guards haven’t been told of your goal tonight. If you’re found to be suspicious or a threat to us in any way, they’ll bring you in for questioning. Anyone caught will have to deal with Hamlin’s punishment lessons.”
Staefan hands us a change of clothes. We certainly can’t go out in our current recognizable state, and being undercover will make the test more of a challenge.
Mina traces the collar of the dress, then studies each of the twenty-seven women. She slowly smiles, eyes alight with determination. Suddenly the extra security assignments for this event are worth every headache.
“Ladies.” They stand at attention in a way they hadn’t with me.
Mina slides the town's papier-maché mask over her hair. “The hard part won’t be observing us, but to not lose us. I won’t go easy on you, so those of you who manage to not get caught will earn a one-on-one training session with me in the area of your choice. ”
The energy in the room shifts as they salute Mina. The prospect of time alone with her is a great incentive.
“Good luck.”
We change into our disguises before heading out the south exit. Staefan selected plain clothing in neutral colors so that we’ll blend in as much as possible. A simple white tunic for me and a gray dress for Mina.