I surfaced into the morning heavily, my eyes reluctant to open and my body reluctant to leave sleep. Aurien was not in bed with me. I had slept late, and he had risen without me. I could hear his voice in the main chamber of the tent, speaking quietly in Fae. I heard Ashara respond and felt my heart tighten.
I pulled my exhausted body up to sitting, swinging my feet to the ground, and sat there a moment, fighting a wave of dizziness and nausea. Was I sick? More importantly, was I going to be sick? I swallowed laboriously, trying to hold my rebelling stomach in place. Dizziness and nausea subsided, and I stood, wondering at the strange and persistent illness that had been bothering me.
I pulled on the tunic dress of the day before, slowly buttoning the front, and hesitated against the tent flap. They were no longer speaking. What did that mean? What would I walk out into? What would I do if they were kissing or worse? I closed my eyes, st
“Valsaurienkachelial taradrakyn has brought in many of our most dangerous prisoners,” the same man spoke. He had not been the one to return to the wall. “Those that others have been unable to capture.” “Is this warlock dangerous?” “Exceptionally,” the soldier replied for Aurien. “But he is not hostile, my lady.” “Daerton is an addict,” Aurien settled upon his haunches curling his tail around his forelegs neatly. I slid from his back, landing deep into the snow. Aurien blew out a breath, amused. I picked my way around to his chest, and sat upon his paws, drawing his tail over my lap. It was much warmer surrounded by dragon-scale. He looked towards the entrance to the wall, and I followed his gaze. The soldier returned with three fur clad men, their cloaks swirling the dark red of blood against the white. These men’s armour was finer than the soldiers around us, the colou
Daerton’s fingers were long and elegant and never still. He picked at the threads of his robes, twisted locks of his hair, or fidgeted with the metal collar around his neck constantly. He had the pale skin of someone who had not seen the sun in years, almost transparent, the blue veins vivid against it and his eyes were night dark, intelligent, and wary. A contrast of light and dark, I thought, a man conflicted. “This isn’t an army,” he had declared as we landed in the camp. “It’s half a tavern fight, at most.” He paced the interior of my tent, touching, moving, and generally prying into every object left in the open. He picked up my smooth rock, and rolled it in his hand, his eyes coming to me. He knew that it was my rock, as if I had imprinted myself upon it. “I’m not staying in here,” he said as Ashara and Mesandre laid the table with a meal. I was famished and took my seat with eagerness. The meat had been cook
I woke alone. There was a lot of noise outside; the camp was breaking up in preparation for our travel to Reknoc. I could hear Ashara instructing servants to move items from the other tent chamber. I sat up and fought back a moment of queasy dizziness. “Princess,” Ashara opened the tent flap. “Ah,” she said. “I was just coming to wake you. Are you well?” She noted my face. “Something has disagreed with me,” I told her. “I will be alright in a moment.” She ducked out and returned with both a bucket and a camp roll. “Here, Princess Liera, eat this slowly.” She set the bucket on the bed beside me. I ate a few mouthfuls of the bread, and the uneasiness in my stomach gradually subsided enough for Ashara to dress me, after which I sat gratefully at the table and slowly ate the food she had prepared for my breakfast whilst she brushed and braided my hair. “Aurien?” I asked her
The dwarven barracks were austere. Ten chambers, with a large bath chamber on one end, and room to spread bedrolls upon the floor. Mariene regarded it with satisfaction. “This will do the troops nicely,” he declared. He and Ruelke oversaw the movement of the soldiers into the caves. The servants, bards, and other camp followers were left to fend for themselves in the main cavern, making beds out of what they could unpack from the wagons. I was guided deeper, to where a series of chambers connected - an audience room, a bedroom, and a bathroom. Ashara made a bed for her and Mesandre in the audience room, against a wall, and then laid the bed in the bed chamber with the rugs and blankets that Aurien and I used, before departing to oversee the unpacking of our clothing. “There will be a feast tonight,” Aurien told me as we examined the rooms. “You will be expected to attend.” “Mmm,” I wanted not
I woke when Ashara and Mesandre brought tea and flat bread. “Eat this before sitting, Princess,” Ashara instructed. I ate the flat bread, half reclined in the bed before sitting to drink the tea. The nausea struck, beading sweat along my temples, but I fought it back. The maids watched my face and when the sickness passed, looked relieved. “Good. Let’s get you ready for the day then.” I followed them into the tent they had pitched for me, and stood whilst they washed my face and hands, and brushed and re-braided my hair. “Will you fetch Princess Liera’s breakfast, Mesandra?” Ashara murmured as she tied off my braids. “Did you sleep well?” she asked me when Mesandre had left, busily putting the brush and other items away into the chest. “Yes, thank you Ashara.” “We will move on shortly after you have eaten.” “Good.” “It’s sai
They were beginning, I thought proudly, following Leongrad’s gesture with my eyes and viewing them as he would, to look like a functional army. Ruelke’s hard work showed in their order even after marching all day. “I apologise,” I stepped away from Aurien to meet him. “We are not here as aggressors, I assure you.” He took me by the shoulders and kissed my cheeks with familiarity that was on the cusp of inappropriate considering our positions but was born from the close relationships our families had always shared. “In that case, welcome to Arden Retis,” he beamed down at me. “I don’t doubt there is a lengthy story behind your arrival in such a company.” He looked up at Aurien. “Amazing. Greetings mighty dragon.” “Greetings Lord Leongrad,” Aurien replied with dragon reserve. “This is Aurien, my dearest friend,” I looked up at my dragon. His scales gleamed in the sunlight
The main hall was already full when I entered, every minor notable of the towns and villages around Arden Retis had found their way to the stronghold, to marvel at the golden dragon in the bailey, and see the dwarven prince. Allician had managed to manoeuvre it so that she was seated beside Alaren, and their heads were inclined as they exchanged flirtations. It would be an advantageous match for both, I thought. Arden Retis was the nearest neighbour to Reknoc, tying the two together through marriage would create a solid border for Uyan Taesil. Lord Anterton greeted me warmly, and I was seated, predictably, next to Leongrad at the table. Leongrad followed my gaze to Allician and Alaren and smiled, leaning closer to me so that he could be heard over the revelry. “Considering Reknoc is our nearest neighbour, we have had very little to do with its people. You may have begun a new time of co-operation between the two ci
I woke into early dawn and staggered into the latrine off the bailey to empty my stomach into the ditch, leaning against the curtain wall. I looked up and met the eyes of a knight in the same pose. “The wine is no good here, Princess,” he offered with a wry grin. I smiled back, happy to accept the excuse. As I crossed the bailey towards the stronghold, I felt Aurien’s eyes track my progress. In the rooms assigned to me, I opened the chests and dug through, searching for my clothing. “Princess,” Ashara said as she and Mesandre entered. Mesandre carried with her a jug of mint tea and goblet. I accepted it and surrendered my search to Ashara. She produced a change of clothes and I sipped the warm tea as they washed my face and hands and repaired the night’s damage to my hair. They changed me into new clothes. I closed my eyes as they dressed me and t