Chapter Five
T he sun is high in the sky as the horses' hooves stomp on the soft cleaver grass.
“That was kind of you. What you did for Delroy,” Gray says from beside me, the reigns of his horse clutched loosely in his hands.
I glance at him side-long before reverting my gaze forward. “That wasn’t kindness. It was human decency.”
I hear Gray huff a laugh. “Human decency, kindness, call it what you like—you still did it, and it was still an admirable thing.”
Wanting to remove the attention from me, I reply, “And what about you?”
“What about me?”
“You’ve been training that errand boy in your spare time.”
Gray is silent for so long, I steal a glance at him. His eyes seem fixed on something in the distance. “Thestis is a good kid,” he finally says. “His ice magic is something special. I think even a Fjolla would find themselves impressed by it.”
I snort my disagreement. “Right. Like an Archblood would deign to give a poor errand boy the time of day.”
When I glance at Gray, I find him frowning at me. “Just because they’re Archbloods doesn’t mean they're assholes. Sure, they’re a Great House and a prestigious bloodline, but that doesn’t mean they judge every non-titled person within the Three Kingdoms.”
I arch a brow. “Right… And just because there are storm clouds in the sky doesn’t mean it’s going to storm.”
Gray sighs, loud and drawn out. “So you agree with the boy’s mother, then? You believe she was right about him needing to give up?”
“I agree that she is right to have concerns for his future. I agree with her if she wants to prepare him for the heartbreak he may inevitably face when he realizes how divided, how biased and hierarchical the world is.”
“The boy has talent,” Gray pushes.
“And yet place him between two noble children, and he will be overlooked every time.”
Gray remains silent, his face scrunched with thought. The sound of the horses is my only companion for a long while. Finally, feeling slightly guilty for bringing such pessimism into our final day together, I let out a quiet breath. “Wanna race horses?”
He slides his eyes to me, a fresh smile already tugging at his lips. “You don’t even know where we're going.”
“Give me the due direction, and I’ll be able to manage.”
Gray boasts a fully-formed smirk now. “You’re always so confident. Tell me, is the confidence real, or is it hollow?”
I bark a laugh. “That’s a secret I’ll never tell.”
He smiles. “North. We continue due north. But when I win, don—”
I kick my heel into the side of the horse, not even waiting for Gray to finish his sentence.
The wind beats against my flushed cheeks as my braid flaps behind me and my hips move with muscle memory on the saddle. It feels like flying—like I’m defying the bounds of mortal limitations. A feeling I find empowering, invigorating—utterly freeing.
I bask in it.
Gray knows I’m the better rider. Once I was placed as a ward with his parents, Sterling saw to it that, alongside my thorough education, I also received proper riding lessons.
I never understood why, but I never complained, either.
By the time Gray and I turned fifteen, I was already galloping through the Free Lands while he was still learning to control his mare.
And some things never change .
When Gray finally arrives at the end of the tree line, the Arteman Sea humming in the background, I have already dismounted and tied up my horse.
I shoot him a sharp grin and waggle my brows. “Better luck next time,” I sing.
Gray dismounts from his gray-speckled stallion. “You cheated,” he grumbles, tying his horse next to mine.
I smile with victory. “But haven’t you heard? Fortune favors those who don’t play by the rules.”
Rivara’s lore is steeped in stories of gods and mortals, of love, betrayal, and bloodshed.
And before us stands a crumbling remnant of one such tale.
Broken columns of eroded marble sag and crumble, piles of rubble littering the spaces in between. Vines and twigs twirl and tangle along the edges of the remaining marble structures, and once grand statues now rest beheaded, or otherwise handicapped, in pools of water filled from the rain.
It is said these ruins were once a great temple dedicated to worshiping the gods.
That when the Three Kingdoms were still united under one king, two children stumbled into this temple and were Blessed.
But then the two children grew up, and they each fell in love…
with the same person. The story branches into many variations from there—ranging from a murder, a wedding, a dagger plunged into a heart.
Yet the version I choose to believe is the one where they battled at this temple—at the place where it all began—where one fell to the other, turning it into the ruin it is now.
I turn to Gray, a humored smile pulling on my lips. “So, you wanted to spend your last day amongst ruins?”
“Not exactly.” He motions for me to follow him.
I tug at my brows, a wave of curiosity washing through me, and trail behind Gray as he escorts me down a pebble-filled path. He leads me to a small water basin, where a creek flows over rounded stones stacked atop one another.
I arch a brow at him. “Alright, time to spill. Why’d you bring me here? ”
He bites down on his growing smile. “Naturally, I wanted our final day together to be memorable.”
“Naturally,” I echo through a laugh. “And this creek run-off is what satisfies your vision?”
His smile widens. “No,” he drawls, extending his hand out to me. When I place my hand in his, he squeezes. “One last adventure, Lyra. My final surprise.”
My brows twitch, but I allow him to guide me forward, around the basin, to directly beside the water trickling over the large stack of rocks.
He drops my hand. “Did you know the ruins aren’t actually from the sacred temple? They’re from the forecourt that was open to everyone. The real temple—open only to its dedicated priests and priestesses—was kept a secret, hidden away.”
My brows furrow, confused as to why he’s giving me a random history lesson. “Your point being?”
He grins. “Well, I was doing some light reading in the restricted section of the king’s library—”
My brows lurch. “—Have you lost your mind ?” I interrupt. “The king would have your head if he knew.”
Gray waves me off. “Neither here nor there.”
I fold my arms over my chest. “So you mean to tell me Gray Nightenjoy, the habitual rule-follower and do-gooder, has found the line he’s willing to cross, and it’s for books ?”
His grin is cheeky and proud as he arches a brow. “Is that a problem?”
I shake my head and laugh, gesturing for him to continue with his entertaining speech.
He chuckles. “As I was saying, the temple was kept a secret, and has remained a secret for many, many years. Most thought the knowledge to be lost, but it turns out, the king clearly has more books than he and his archivists realize.”
I finally put the pieces together. “Don’t tell me…”
Gray is beaming. “Oh, yes. Today, you and I are going into that temple.”