Chapter 34
VIVIENNE
Iwake slowly, tangled in warmth. For several blissful moments I remain where I am, half lost between sleep and waking, wrapped in thick quilts that smell faintly of lavender and sun-dried linen.
The mattress beneath me is softer than the ground I have grown accustomed to during our journey. As I think of Auren, a smile crests my lips and I reach instinctively across the bed, expecting to find the steady warmth of him beside me.
Instead, my smile falters when I find the bed empty.
I open my eyes. Buttery morning light spills through the windows.
A strange, hollow feeling blooms in my chest as I gaze at Auren’s side of the mattress. Pushing myself upright, I brush a hand through my hair as my gaze sweeps the small room.
A folded scrap of parchment rests on the bedside table with my name written across it.
Relief loosens the tight knot in my chest even before I unfold it.
Me’lira,
Dain and I must report to the fortress this morning. I will return shortly.
Yours always, Auren
I read the note twice before setting it down.
Of course he must go. Now that he’s returned, duty calls. He is a soldier, after all.
Still, I find myself touching the paper once more before I rise, wishing he were here.
A fresh set of clothing is laid out at the foot of the bed. It’s a pair of pants, boots, and a tunic dress in the same fashion as those I saw on several Dark Elf women when we entered the town. They must be Lyrea’s. It’s very kind of her to share these with me.
I change quickly, smoothing the creases along the material before stepping out into the narrow hallway. The scent of fresh bread drifts from the kitchen, warm and comforting.
Lyrea stands near the hearth, stirring something in a bubbling pot. Her long, black hair hangs down her back in a lovely braid, and when she turns to face me, her eyes are full of kindness as she smiles. “Good morning.”
I smile in return. “Good morning.” I gesture to my tunic dress. “Thank you for the clothing.”
She waves a dismissive hand. “Think nothing of it.”
Ailyn sits at the table nearby, her little legs swinging back and forth in the chair as she attempts to braid a bright ribbon through Olly’s fur.
The wolf pup endures this indignity with surprising patience.
“You slept well?” Lyrea asks.
Better than I’ve slept since we left my father’s castle. “Very well,” I admit.
Ailyn looks up at me with bright curiosity. “Do you want to play with us?”
Her hopeful expression makes it impossible to refuse. “I would love to.”
The morning unfolds gently after that. Ailyn insists on showing me everything in the cottage—the little wooden wolf Dain carved for her, the colorful stones she collects along the riverbank, the proud wolf pup who follows her everywhere with clumsy devotion.
At some point Ailyn climbs into my lap as if it is the most natural thing in the world so I can read her a story. It’s about a dwarf and a grumpy dragon. “Ada always reads this one to me,” she says, using the Elvish word for father. “It’s my favorite.”
The wolf pup circles once at our feet before collapsing beside the chair with a soft huff, his tail thumping lazily against the floor.
As I read some of the lines from the grumpy dragon in my best impression of a deep and thundering voice, Ailyn giggles.
When it’s time for her nap, I offer to help Lyrea in the kitchen as she makes preparations for lunch. “Is there anything I can do?”
She shakes her head. “You’re a guest.”
As much as I appreciate her hospitality, there’s another reason I’d like to help her. “The thing is,” I begin. “I’m not… very skilled at cooking and such. And I was hoping you might be able to teach me?”
I move to her side. “Auren is the one who has been doing the cooking while we’ve been traveling,” I explain. “He does a wonderful job, but I’d like to learn too.”
She gives me a look I cannot quite decipher before she reluctantly nods. “Of—of course.” She clears her throat. “What is it that you’d like to learn?”
I look down at the ingredients laid out on the counter.
Some of them are familiar, but some are not.
“Could you tell me what these are?” I point to a purple vegetable.
“And those?” I point to another. Before she can answer, I add, “And then perhaps how best to combine these things into something edible so I don’t accidentally poison myself and my husband? ”
She laughs and so do I before she nods. “Alright.”
After we chop up some meat and vegetables for a stew, she shows me how to make bread. My arms ache a bit from all the kneading, but I find it oddly satisfying to make my own meal from scratch.
“How do you know how to do all of this?” I ask, amazed at how quickly she got everything done.
“My family owns a bakery in Elyrith,” she says. “I work there with my sister and her mate when Dain is stationed there with the king.” She smiles. “Auren told me you like lemon cakes.”
I nod. Warmth fills me as I recall how he surprised me with one the first night we camped.
“My sister has a good recipe for lemon cake,” she continues. “I could teach you how to make it when we get to the capital.”
“That would be lovely.” I grin. “Thank you.”
While we’re waiting for the bread to finish baking, we have a cup of tea as we sit before the fire. Lyrea tells me about how she and Dain have known Auren and his brother—Tarin—since they were all children. Her mother was head cook for the castle and Dain’s father was a guard for the previous king.
We laugh as she tells me a story about how they all got in trouble once for trying to bake a cake in the castle kitchens and made a huge mess.
“Do you know the current king well?” I ask.
She sputters into her cup and then quickly clears her throat before she nods.
Worry skitters up my spine. Perhaps he’s not a good person and it makes her nervous to even speak of him. “Can you… tell me about him?” I ask carefully. “Is he a fair and just ruler?”
Auren said the king was interested in me at the ball, but I never met him. I’ve no idea what sort of man he is, and part of me worries he might be angry that I wed one of his soldiers instead of him.
But surely my husband asked permission of his Lord before taking a wife. And certainly, before staying behind so we could travel together to his kingdom.
She looks down at her hands. “He is… a good king,” she replies. “He takes care of his people and is beloved by all.”
Now, I’m truly worried because she looks even more nervous. “Please, Lyrea.” I reach across and take her hand. “Tell me the truth. I would know what sort of king my husband serves.”
“It’s true.” Her eyes meet mine evenly, and something about the way she says it tells me she isn’t lying.
“He’s a wonderful king. He takes care of and protects his people and our borders.
That’s why he spends half his time here at Caer Aetheryn.
To help defend our lands from the Ogres.
He’s also doubled the number of warriors who guard the wall around the town. ”
A shiver runs down my spine at the very thought of such beasts, but I push down my worry and change the subject, asking her more about the village and the capital city beneath the mountain.
As we talk, I think of the future. It truly is lovely here. Everything seems so peaceful. The quiet crackle of the hearth, the smell of fresh bread baking in the oven, the low murmur of village life drifting through the open window.
I could be happy here.
The realization startles me so much I smile to myself.
My father and brother would be shocked if they knew how in love I am with my husband and how much I relish the idea of a quiet life with him in a small cottage like this…
gathered around a warm hearth in the evenings, the sound of laughter filling the rooms.
My gaze drifts toward the doorway as I think again of Auren. In my mind, I see a child with dark hair and bright blue eyes like his father. The image is so vivid it steals my breath.
I don’t even realize I’m smiling until Lyrea’s voice draws me back from my thoughts. “You look happy,” she says.
“I am.” The words leave my mouth without hesitation because it’s true. I’ve never been happier. I didn’t know love could be this wonderful.
The door opens then, and Dain and Auren walk in.
For a moment, the world narrows to the sight of him, with his broad shoulders, and his wind-tousled, short dark hair. He truly is the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.
Before I can think better of it, I rush to greet him. Rising up on my toes, I wrap my arms around his neck and smile up at him. “You’re back.”
He laughs, his hands sliding around my waist as his mouth curves in a handsome grin. “Did you miss me already?”
“Yes.”
His expression softens in that quiet way that always makes my heart stumble. But then something shifts. The warmth fades from his eyes, replaced by something serious. Something… troubled.
“Vivienne,” he says quietly. “We need to talk.”
Cold steals through me as I recall how he stopped me last night when I kissed him, and I wonder if I’ve misread everything. Maybe he’s decided he doesn’t want me after all. “What is it?” I ask carefully, searching his face.
His jaw tightens, and worry spikes through my veins. Whatever it is, it must be terrible, because he looks like he’d rather be doing anything else in this moment besides standing here before me.
“Auren, what is it? Tell me.”
He turns to Dain and Lyrea. “Could we have a moment alone, please?”
They both exchange a look before Dain gathers Ailyn and they go outside, leaving us alone in the kitchen.
This cannot be good. Worry tightens my chest as my pulse pounds in my ears. Auren cautiously takes my hand, but instead of looking at me, he averts his gaze.
“What is it?” I demand, trying to keep my voice even despite my growing dread.
He lifts his gaze to mine, something akin to sorrow reflecting in his eyes. “There is something I must tell you, Vivienne.”
Drawing in a deep breath, I brace myself, waiting for whatever terrible thing it is that he has to say. Because from the way he’s looking at me, it cannot be anything good.
A bell rings outside, the hollow clang echoing loudly.
Auren’s head jerks toward the window, and for a heartbeat we remain completely still, straining to listen.
A cacophony of bells rings out across the town, filling the air with frantic peals of alarm, sending a flock of birds exploding from the trees.
Every muscle in Auren’s body goes rigid. Dain bursts through the entry, slamming the door against the wall.
“Ogres!” he shouts. “They’ve breached the outer defenses!”