X | FIRE AND ICE
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"You're a Noriyan soldier?" Celvene replied, her shocked voice a murmur.
Melantha tensed and turned her head away. "Long story. Why did you attack me?"
"You were trying to kill me!"
A low scoff escaped Melantha's lips, and she twisted her foot. "I wasn't going to kill you. I still won't. Unlike your city, I don't believe blood should be shed for the sake of it."
Melantha must have taken up some serious exercise regimen since Celvene last saw her, because her hold on Celvene was strong.
Celvene's struggles to free herself proved futile rather fast, and she frowned.
She wasn't surprised, per se; if Melantha was a soldier for the enemy now, Celvene was sure she didn't skip training.
She'd never enjoyed missing important events. A bit ironic.
"You said you'd write," Melantha continued, freckled nose scrunching as she looked down at Celvene. "What happened?"
The bitter taste of blood tainted Celvene's mouth, the scent of iron plaguing the air.
She could feel the warm dribble of crimson trickling down her skin.
She sniffed, and the pungent smell fanned outwards.
"I did write. You're the one who didn't respond.
" She bared her teeth in an unwelcoming snarl.
"Cut the niceties. The idle chatter. Why are you here?
Imagine I yell that there's a Noriyan soldier attacking me. People would flock to kick your ass."
She wasn't going to do that, but the thought was nice to have.
She'd been hunted down by an angry mob minutes before.
Chances were, some of them would run to find the Noriyan soldier.
And if they didn't, Celvene had no way of telling whether any potential saviors—if anyone even came—wouldn't recognize her and react the same as the others.
Melantha's gaze hardened, the ice in her eyes freezing once again.
"I'm not cloaked because no one was supposed to find me.
And please. I know you didn't write, and if you really wanted to, you would've found a way, even with your busy schedule.
" She gave an elaborate pantomime performance of waggling her fingers while rolling her eyes.
Is she being serious?
"Really, Mel?" Why was she so focused on not receiving Celvene's letters when she was trespassing in the city she'd taken part in attempting to dismantle?
Melantha bristled. "Don't call me that, Celvene. We're not friends anymore. It's foolish to act like we are."
"Mel...antha, I wanted to write, but after my first few letters, I couldn't. I ended up tied up with the circus, and you know that.
I didn't have a choice in leaving, and I couldn't leave when my parents gave up so much to protect me.
Maybe I didn't have time to write after my first few letters, but that doesn't mean I forgot you.
Why would I have forgotten my best friend? "
Then she saw it: a flash of silver in Melantha's gloved hands. She'd taken Celvene's daggers in their quarrel. She forced out another breath, warmth tickling her skin. "And for all your complaints about how I didn't write, I never got a letter from you, either. Give me back my daggers. Now."
Melantha remained silent for a moment before her voice tainted with overwhelming bitterness.
"The circus. Sure. I knew you were a clown, but by Zelphar, Celvene, this is a new low.
" Melantha ignored Celvene's demand as she ran one blade through her graceful, gloved fingers.
"You're lying to me about it now. What would have stopped you from lying years ago? "
Between Melantha stripping Celvene of her weapons and her blatant mockery of what Noriya soldiers had done to the citizens of Aizasea, Celvene had heard enough.With a surge of annoyance, she grabbed Melantha's leg and ripped it off her chest. Melantha stumbled to the side, shocked, nearly losing her footing and giving Celvene enough time to scramble to her feet.
"Rich," Celvene snapped, tensing herself for another fight, even if she was bare and defenseless.
She wouldn't be able to cast any spells without Melantha disrupting her.
"I suppose I was the only one expected to put any effort into our relationship after you left.
If I was supposed to write to you, why did you not have to write to me?
I spent years waiting for a letter to arrive. Never got any."
Melantha fell silent, but as Celvene stared into the depths of her eyes, she saw a conflict raging in the blue.
The belief of broken promises and the ache of words left unsaid.
Celvene could've sworn she saw the faintest shimmer of tears cresting Melantha's eyes, but the girl blinked them away and angled her head down.
When she finally spoke, her voice was the softest whisper Celvene had ever heard. "You never got my letters?"
Celvene wanted to be upset. She wanted to yell at Melantha for being so foolish. For believing Celvene would throw her to the side after their forced departure. For believing that Celvene would forget her best friend.
But she couldn't.
And some odd part of her had already forgiven Melantha.
Maybe it was because she'd finally seen the girl again after so many years, because Celvene's heart had been screaming to see her again.
Or maybe it was because she could never stay mad at Melantha.
She didn't know the reason, and a small part of her didn't want to know it.
But she couldn't deny the raw pain in Melantha's voice just now.
She was genuinely confused. Hurt. Unmoored.
Celvene went to take a step forward to comfort Melantha, but stopped herself before she moved. "Melantha, I promise I'm telling the truth. Why would I lie to my best friend? I spent so many restless nights waiting to see a courier arrive at the circus."
If anything, I should be the one hurt, Celvene wanted to say, but she couldn't bring herself to speak it aloud.
Melantha tensed and said nothing, but her head hung lower.
"You want to believe me, but you can't, can you? Did you get any of my letters? I sent a few."
"Silence," Melantha snapped, but Celvene could detect a strong hint of reluctance that Melantha tried to mask with her angry tone. "I don't... I don't listen to Aizasean scum."
Before, Celvene had struggled to be irate, but for Melantha to call her names after Celvene had tried to console her was uncalled for.
Maybe Melantha was upset, but that didn't give her an excuse to lash out.
"Oh, because you're so much better.
The perfect little princess has turned traitor and started to support the city who is attempting to wipe out the entirety of Fellstride. "
"That's ridiculous, Celvene, and untrue. And unlike you, I don't assume the worst of everyone," Melantha said, nose wrinkling in a snarl. "We aren't trying to wipe out the world."
Celvene scoffed. She and the rest of the world knew the truth: King Zelphar wanted control of the world, and he'd accomplish that—slowly—through any means necessary.
And, unfortunately, Celvene would say his army was thriving from the king's choices.
They'd had minimal casualties from what she'd heard during the course of the war, and they didn't have to exhaust many resources to bring Aizasea to its knees.
No one knew why Zelphar waged war on Aizasea, and no one knew whether his conquest truly would spread to the other kingdoms should he succeed in Aizasea.
Maybe he wanted the precious stones buried beneath Aizasea.
Maybe he simply wanted control. Or maybe he started this war to toy with Aizasea and Virion as petty revenge.
Celvene wasn't sure of the reasoning for the war, but if it had gone on for as long as it had, with a competent army facing one of the weakest on Fellstride, she had a feeling Noriya could have won with ease, a long time ago.
The king of Noriya had a strong army at his back.
She wasn't sure why Virion still fought the war after so long. From the way he treated his kingdom while he lived, it didn't seem like he had much of an interest in keeping his citizens and borders safe.
The fifty-year war between Aizasea and Noriya showed no signs of stopping with Aizasea's current defenses and Noriya's apparent disinterest. The fighting went through waves, where it slowed to a halt before ramping back up with Noriya trying to breach Aizasea's inner defenses.
They'd never succeeded, but from what Celvene had heard, they weren't trying to.
They were toying with Aizasea like they were prey, and Noriya was the predator.
Celvene bit back a retort. No one in Aizasea cared for Noriya. The citizens were bitter the king had allowed so many to die because of a senseless war. Celvene had a feeling that the average citizen wasn't saddened by the news of Virion's death; if anything, they would have been overjoyed.
"Look, Melantha," said Celvene instead. She'd had enough of Melantha's games, and whatever the reason for her visit, Celvene knew it couldn't be good.
"Get out of here. You're barred from entering Aizasea for a reason, soldier.
And one girl infiltrating the kingdom means nothing. Don't pretend otherwise."
"Oh, Celvene," Melantha cooed, honey coating her infuriating tone.
She let Celvene's daggers fall out of her hand, and they clattered to the cobblestone with a dull thud.
But Celvene didn't dare move to grab them yet—if she tried, Melantha would just push her to the ground.
"You think I'm alone right now? You have no idea what's coming for your kingdom. "
Celvene narrowed her eyes, heartbeat stuttering as Melantha laid a hand on her sword's sheath. She knew that she should attack. Fight tooth and nail to protect the lands she was supposed to rule over. Destroy the cloaked trespasser with ill intentions.
But she couldn't.
What did Melantha mean by that? She let her gaze drop to the stones below her, taking in the situation, hoping Mel told the truth when she said she didn't want to kill Celvene.
She couldn't kill her childhood best friend.
They hadn't exactly been amicable for a few years, sure, but Celvene couldn't shake the joyful memories dotting her clouded mind.
And she wasn't sure she wanted to forget them, as much as she told herself otherwise.
The screeching of steel commanded Celvene's attention, and her head snapped up—but Melantha was gone. Celvene looked around, but the girl had vanished into thin air. She curled her hand into a fist before scooping her daggers up and sliding them back into their sheathes.
Virion forbid that girl is ever easy.
She checked the area around the alleyway before leaving.
The mob had either dispersed or taken the wrong trail, so as long as Celvene was fast, she'd be able to make it home.
The next day, hopefully she'd be able to make it to her friend in one piece.
She'd asked him to train her in the ways of the sword so she could defend herself should the castle be invaded, and after seeing Melantha, Celvene had a feeling that she would need to learn more than just the basics of sword fighting.
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