Chapter 21 #2
Any sense of safety I had felt before dissolved. My throat knotted up, fear gripping my chest. There was a change the moment Brynn uttered those words, separating me from them with a slice of her tongue. Bringing me back to reality. To what we were.
Enemy and foe.
No manacles bound my wrists, but the ghost of them wrapped around my arms, shifting the air from being protected, to hostage.
A commodity they would hand over to their ruler without a thought.
This had been the outcome from the beginning, but it had felt far away, something I would deal with in time.
The time had come.
The five horses passed through the gate to the inner bailey, coming to a stop. More “shields,” as they called themselves, came up around us.
“Hersir, you’re back! The king will be so happy to hear of your return. He’s been very anxious for word.” A woman shield spoke to Onyx, while the man went for the reins of his horse.
“Fy faen . . .” He jumped back. “Is this a draugrhest? You tamed a ghost horse?” he exclaimed. Fluffy’s teeth bared, nipping out at the guard, making him squeal and lurch out of his reach.
Bj?rn howled in laughter, as a warmth bubbled in my chest for the horse, a kinship between us. Both foreigners in this land. Plus, I loved him biting at anyone else but me.
“You can never tame them,” Onyx replied sternly, dismounting the huge steed.
“Their respect is earned.” The horse rubbed his nose against Onyx’s shoulder as he took off his reins.
“Feed and brush him with the others if he wants, but he’s free to come and go.
Tell all the shields if they try to stop him or get in his way, I will dig out their lungs myself, if it hasn’t killed you already. Got it?”
Onyx was always commanding, a force that you willingly bent to, but I could hear the shift in his tone. The authority and command he had over everyone here.
“Yes, Hersir.” The male guard bowed, swallowing, his eyes nervously darting to the draugrhest. Fluffy’s lips curled, showing off his razor-sharp daggers, like he was taunting him. The man squeaked and stepped even further away from him.
Bj?rn climbed off, reaching for me. Scooping Munch up in my hands, I tucked his sleeping body into the pocket of my dress, hoping the moment he woke up he wouldn’t start eating through it. He felt like my touchstone. Something giving me comfort.
Bj?rn’s hands gripped my sides, lifting me down to the ground.
A burning tingled at my neck, darting my head to the side.
Black eyes burrowed into us, Onyx’s shoulders pushing back like he was ready to fight, his nose flaring.
Then he snapped his head away, marching through the lattice-style arches into the castle.
Brynn, Bj?rn, and Renyx handed their reins over to the guards, Sven the only one looking sheepish to do it, speaking with the guards with familiarity of kinship.
It made me think it wasn’t long ago he was one of them, a basic shield, and then bumped up to a position way above his station because of his relation to the king.
“Come on, White Raven . . . you are about to meet the rightful king.” Brynn grinned derisively at me, strolling under the arch, her ponytail swishing behind her.
Feeling Bj?rn’s hand press on my spine, spurring me forward, I felt my breath start to falter.
Anxiety pressed on my airways, spinning my head.
I tried to suck in air while the instinct to hide any vulnerability screamed in my head.
My hands trembled and I rolled them into balls.
My father’s conditioning kicked in, fighting against my panic attack.
“Inside and outside these walls, you show nothing but strength and power,” my father would remind me.
“You no longer belong to yourself, Wrennlyn, but to the people as a symbol. A face and figure they can worship. You can never show fear or uncertainty. People will follow and fight to the death for the White Raven if they believe in you, believe there is hope for a better future. It is on you to make our realm proud and your king proud.”
I needed to show strength, be the girl the king raised me to be.
“Breathe in and out with me.” I could hear Onyx’s voice in my head, soothing the flutter in my chest to the point I could put a foot in front of the other.
It was delusional and pathetic, but I craved him. Like he would stand between me and the Night King. It was a silly fantasy I needed to wake up from. He never pretended or lied about handing me straight over to the enemy.
And being relieved to do so.
Be the White Raven, Wren. Be strong.
Flicking my head up, I barricaded myself in armor.
The Night Hunters leading me through the inner courtyard of plush greenery and colorful purple and red flowers.
The levels going up and wrapping around, with arched walkways and dripping vines.
Torches glowed off the bright yellow and red turrets, decorative statues, and ponds with multicolored fish.
The intricately designed stone walkway changed to bright floral tile as we stepped through the ornate wooden doors.
My eyes flinched from the flamboyant décor.
Bright blue and white murals covered the entry walls; a hectic ceiling of vivid frescos was framed in hexagons and squares.
We hustled through a long hallway of arched Gothic doorways with a row of gaudy chandeliers.
Fire burned from the red candles, dripping the wax onto the floor like blood splatter.