Chapter Twenty
After Griselda beheaded Varro, everything moved quickly. The remaining traitors either surrendered or died on someone else’s sword. The medics descended onto the field to help the injured and lay the dead to rest. When Emmaline tried to join their ranks, a firm arm wrapped around her waist.
“Oh no you don’t!” Echo declared, practically dragging her off the battlefield.
“I need to help!”
“You need to sleep,” they insisted. “Magic takes energy and you’ve used too much tonight. If you don’t go to bed, you’re likely to collapse right on top of whoever you’re stitching up.”
Emmaline wanted to argue with them, but her drooping eyes and aching muscles agreed with their assessment. “All right,” she said, sagging in their arms. The moment she stopped fighting, Echo bent down to scoop her up. She grumbled in displeasure even as her head sagged against their shoulder.
The next thing she knew, she was waking up in bed. She stared dazedly at the ceiling, her mind a muddled mess, unsure why she was already awake.
Then someone knocked and called her name, and she realized it wasn’t the first time.
She shuffled out of bed and opened the door, peeking through the gap to find Griselda standing there. “Good, you’re awake,” the general grunted.
“Is everything all right?” Emmaline asked, chest tight from nerves. “Is it my father? Did he return?” Are we under attack again?
Griselda snorted. “That spineless bastard? He’s long gone, and good riddance. No, I’m here to fetch you because we’re going home.”
“Home?” Emmaline repeated, staring blankly at Griselda.
“Your pirate friends are taking a shipment of provisions to Arnsveld. The captain says we need to leave now if we don’t want to run into a winter storm on our way up the mountain. I think she’s just trying to avoid being wrangled into cleaning up,” Griselda said with a sneer, “but she has a point.”
“Is that why you’re leaving?” another voice asked from behind her. “Because you’re also trying to avoid clean up?”
Emmaline opened the door to see Silas standing in the hallway.
Griselda sniffed. “Now that Varro’s dead, I need to report to Archer.
Your soldiers have proved themselves at least mildly competent.
Between Darian and Emera, they’ll manage the winter.
Besides, someone has to make sure the captain actually delivers the goods rather than running off to sell them for double earnings. ”
“Captain Moira wouldn’t do that,” Emmaline insisted.
“She’s a pirate, she’ll do whatever’s best for her,” Griselda growled. “Now, are you coming with me or not?”
Emmaline’s mouth formed a small ‘o.’ She hadn’t realized it was an offer. She turned to look at Silas, who smiled gently at her.
“Your mother’s worried about you,” he said softly. “You should return home, show her you’re safe.”
“But …” That would leave you all alone. No, that wasn’t fair. Silas would have his father and his younger brother to keep him company. Even if he didn’t know them well now, he wouldn’t be alone. Running a kingdom would keep him so busy, he probably wouldn’t have time to be lonely.
So why does it feel like we’re abandoning him?
Silas stepped forward with open arms. Emmaline immediately accepted the invitation, wrapping him in a tight hug. “I wish you could come with us,” she whispered in his ear.
“I wish I could, too,” he murmured.
“We could always kidnap you again,” Griselda offered, “if that would help.”
Silas chuckled as he pulled away from Emmaline. “That would strain our brand-new alliance, don’t you think?”
Griselda snorted and said, “By the time they notice, we’ll already have the food and you. What are they going to do? Attack the mountain in the middle of winter?” Her lip curled in a sneer. “I’d like to see them try.”
Though she knew the general was joking, Emmaline’s heart ached at the idea of another fight.
Silas waved away Griselda’s comments. “If I could, believe me, I would join you in a heartbeat.” He smiled softly at Emmaline and promised, “We’ll see each other again someday.”
She nodded and wiped at her eyes, getting rid of the few tears that had clustered there.
“She probably knows already, but tell Adelaide our deal is done.”
Emmaline could only guess what he meant by that. “I will.”
Silas watched her for a moment, then pulled her into a second hug. “Stay safe,” he whispered before releasing her again.
“Em!” Echo waved exaggeratedly as they leaned over the railing. A brilliant smile lit their face as they spotted the bag thrown over her shoulder. “You’re coming with us?”
“I am,” she replied, beaming back at them, pleased at their exuberance. Although they’d started at such odds, Emmaline was happy to have a little more time with her new friend before they officially parted.
A heavy thunk sounded on the deck behind Echo. They turned and sighed in exasperation. “You’re lucky that’s your own trunk and not the supplies we’re supposed to be shipping!”
Emmaline hurried up the ramp to see what had happened. Koen bent over his popped open trunk, scowling as he scooped clothes back into it. She knelt beside him and helped him clean up the mess.
He paused, one hand clutching a shirt, and looked up at her with big brown eyes. “Are you really leaving?”
“Yes, I’m going home,” she replied, unable to suppress her smile at the thought.
“I thought you were staying for a while,” he muttered. “Didn’t the captain bring you here to keep your safe?”
“She is safe now, you dolt,” Echo replied, thumping Koen on the back of the head.
“You don’t know that,” Koen insisted, wringing the cloth in his hands until it was hopelessly wrinkled. “What if her father comes looking for her again?” A mulish expression scrunched up his features as he insisted, “If you stay here, I can protect you.”
“I’ll protect you,” Echo mimicked in a high, mocking voice. “Your brother is the king, you’re”—Echo poked Koen in the forehead and pushed, forcing Koen to wobble backwards—“barely a princeling. You can’t protect anyone.”
“That’s not true! I held my own against the pirates,” he grumbled, “and I’ll be king one day.”
“Unless your brother has children, then you’ll be stuck as a little prince for life.”
Koen frowned as if he hadn’t considered that possibility.
“Fat chance of that happening,” Griselda said. “Why are you all lazing around?” She poked Echo with her boot. “Make yourself useful and grab a crate. I want to get home before the first snow, and that won’t happen if it takes us all day to load the ship.”
“If you’re so eager to leave, why aren’t you helping?” Echo demanded, brushing Griselda’s boot away.
Griselda lifted her shirt to expose a row of bandages.
Emmaline inhaled sharply at the sight. Was she injured in the battle?
“No heavy lifting,” Griselda replied smugly. “Medic’s orders.”
“You beheaded a man just last night!” Echo argued.
Griselda waved away their complaints. “Heads weigh hardly anything. Food, however, weighs a great deal. So, go on.”
Emmaline finished helping Koen pack up his trunk and carry it down a ramp, where two of the palace staff took it off their hands and carried it inside to his new rooms. Instead of following them, Koen grabbed one of the waiting boxes and carried it onto the ship.
While they helped load up the ship, he asked her about Arnsveld and chattered about his own home. “Parts of Denholmstead get snow, especially near the border, but not where we lived.”
“I’ve never seen snow,” Echo replied. They peered around the crate they were carrying with Emmaline, their eyes crinkled in delight. “Maybe I’ll take some shore leave and visit Arnsveld with you.”
Emmaline’s breath caught in her chest at the idea. Was Echo being serious or only teasing her?
Koen scowled and grumbled, “I could come with you too.”
“Oh, have you given up on being a king already?” Echo sneered. “Probably for the best.”
Koen’s scowl deepened. “Of course I haven’t. You’ll see—one day, I’ll be the best king Bellacosta’s ever seen.”
“How would your brother feel if he heard you talking like that?”
Koen clamped his mouth shut, then looked around as if he expected Silas to sneak up on him. When he didn’t see any signs of his brother eavesdropping, his shoulders relaxed and he muttered, “Silas would understand what I mean. Every king should be better than his predecessor.”
Echo rolled their eyes. Once they’d set the crate down on the deck, leaving other crew members to store it below, they asked, “What’s snow like? I’ve never seen it before.”
“Cold,” Koen grumbled.
Emmaline smiled at the description. “He’s not wrong, but when the sky clears and the sun bathes the snow in light, the whole world sparkles.”
Echo’s eyes locked on Emmaline’s. “Beautiful.”
Heat colored her cheeks at the simple, whispered word. They’re talking about the snow.
Soon enough, the ship was loaded with all the provisions and supplies heading toward Arnsveld. Captain Moira called everyone onto the deck for a headcount and made sure everyone knew their departure tasks.
“And you,” Moira said, pointing at Koen, “get off my ship.”
“I will,” he said, shoulders hunched near his ears. He turned back to Emmaline, lips downturned in a petulant frown. “It was nice to meet you, Em. I wish we could have spent longer together. I think we could have really been … friends.”
Emmaline’s heart melted at the boy’s sincerity.
Smiling, she pulled him into a hug. He wrapped his arms tight around her, squeezing once before pulling away.
A few damp spots stained her dress, but she pretended not to notice them or the way he wiped self-consciously at his eyes.
She wondered what kind of home he had left behind when he’d come to Litus, and what new home he would find here.
“Wait!” a voice cried out from the shore.
Emmaline looked over the rail to watch Silas running toward them. A delighted laugh bubbled through her and she waved back. “Silas! We’ve already said goodbye!”
“I’m coming with you.”
The words made Emmaline’s heart soar. She’d hated the idea of leaving him behind. Griselda teased him about running away from his problems, but Emmaline knew the truth.
None of them were running away from anything. They were all finally going home.