Page 12 of Threaded

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“You took too long.” Wex’s voice was a low growl, rumbling out the second Mariah darted within twenty feet of where he stood in the shadows with their horses.

“Oh, please,” Mariah said, sauntering out from the trees. “My timing was perfect. They never even knew I was there.”

Her father only eyed her, obviously searching for any sign of a struggle or difficulty. “Still. Too long. You pushed it.”

Mariah grinned. “Yeah, but … it was worth it.” She shrugged off the canvas sack from her back, the coins within clinking as they hit the ground. Her father’s eyes widened.

“Mariah,” he said, his voice tinged with panic. “That wasnotwhat you went there to do. Did you even get the dagger, or did you get too distracted by the coin you found?”

She hardened her stare. “That coin was not his. I will put it to much better use than he ever would, letting it gather dust in that old, miserable manor.” She shifted slightly, letting her cloak blow open just enough to reveal the black leather belt, the worn scabbard it carried, the silver dragon wings on the hilt of that dagger. Her father’s eyes relaxed in the light of theallumelamp he held. “And, of course, I got the dagger. I told Mother I would.” Her tone was matter-of-fact.

Because it was a fact. She’d told her mother she would get the dagger.

So she had.

Wex regarded her for a moment longer before turning silently back to his horse. Without another word, father and daughter rode through the dark woods until they found Xara’s Road, Mariah shedding the uniform of the thief as they traveled. The next day, when the sun rose, they appeared to be no more than two simple travelers on the road, a father escorting his daughter to the capital upon the directive of the queen.

And every time Mariah felt the worn scabbard of her grandfather’s dagger dig into her thigh, every time she heard the tinkling of coin from her saddlebags, she smiled.

CHAPTER5

Their travels over the next four days were uneventful as they journeyed east toward the capital, the smell of horse manure and falling leaves burning into Mariah’s nose until she feared it would be all she would smell until the day she died. Each night, as they inched their way to Verith, the inns frequently found along the road grew packed with other young women who must’ve also received the queen’s summons, accompanied by their fathers or mothers or brothers. Most of those women wore looks of excitement, hope dancing in their eyes, and while Mariah appreciated the sentiment, she had a feeling she was feeling the same forverydifferent reasons.

To avoid the increasing crowds, Mariah and her father found themselves resorting to the quieter, more quaint inns, opting for a simple, slightly under-seasoned meal and a lumpy mattress over braving the rowdy crowds at some of the more high-end lodges.

Comfort could be bought, but peace was priceless.

Especially when she carried the stolen wealth of a town in her saddlebags.

Around noon on the fifth day, with the sun gleaming high in the sky and Xara’s Road teeming with life, the great golden city walls of Verith roared into view.

The capital of Onita sat upon the glittering Bay of Nria, jade blue waters stretching off well beyond eyesight toward the Mirrored Sea, sprawling in its vastness until it met the base of the coastal Attlehon Mountains rising almost suddenly from the flat land along the bay. The road was now thoroughly packed with travelers of all kinds and origins, all making their way into the shining jewel of the kingdom. Mariah sat upon her buckskin gelding, Kodie, and gazed with uninhibited awe upon the great splendor of the outer city walls. They were utterly impenetrable, a display of the absolute strength and prosperity that had developed since the kingdom was founded nearly five thousand years ago.

It took Mariah and her father close to an hour to weave through the stifling traffic, slowly pushing their way to the massive open gates. Eagle-eyed guards, garbed in black leather armor and cloaks of gold cloth, scanned the crowd from atop the tall battlements. Their surveying looks had Mariah’s heart pounding in her chest, her fingers fidgeting on Kodie’s reins as the feeling of her grandfather’s dagger burned against her leg. Those guards barely tossed them more than a cursory glance, and with a giant sigh of relief, Mariah passed unimpeded through the solid iron gates and into the ancient city of Verith, her father close behind.

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Mariah and her father traveled down the winding, packed city streets, their horses’ hooves clicking against the worn, golden pavers below. As Mariah’s gaze wandered, she noticed most of the doors to the residences and businesses lining the streets were adorned with flags or tapestries bearing Queen Ryenne’s sigil: two black crescent moons crossed over each other on a field of gold. It was obvious word of the Choosing had spread fast throughout both the city and the kingdom, and its people wished to celebrate the reign of their beloved queen one last time.

They continued traveling deeper into the sprawling city, the sun beginning to inch back toward the horizon. Verith was divided into two distinct sections: one side, where the markets and rich trade of Onita flourished and fed the people of the kingdom, was nestled on the Bay of Nria, its busy port full of ships from all across the continent, the sails and hulls reflecting the blending of cultures there on the shimmering water. Most of the residents of Verith resided in that bustling market district, its people taking advantage of the widely available work and opportunity brought by the healthy economy.

The other side of the city, the side backing up directly to the Attlehon Mountains, stood in stark contrast to the markets along the bay. The foothills of the mountains caused the streets to rise and fall underfoot, yet it was much quieter on this hilly side of the city. The mountain district, as the Verithians called it, was where various military forces of Onita resided and trained, using the relative quiet as a reprieve from the usual hustle and bustle of the capital. It was also where those of the upper echelon of Onita kept residences—lords, generals, ambassadors, along with the wealthier merchants and businessmen. From the voices of those Mariah passed on the streets, she could see it wasn’t that those who resided in the market district were prohibited entry or residence to the mountain district; it seemed to be a more conscious choice, a willing separation from the people and those who governed them.

It was into the mountain district that she and her father now headed. Cresting the rise of a hilled street, a glint of blinding gold caught Mariah’s eye, and her breath caught in her throat as the full sight before her came into view.

In front of her, rising up high and glowing like flames in the setting sun, was the golden palace of Verith, its spires built into the side of the mountains looming behind it. The structure was massive, imposing, a display of power for the ancient and mighty kingdom, yet was still delicate, almost feminine. The palace consisted of a rectangular building at its center, lower than the others but still daunting, the rear of that main building molding into the mountainside. On either side stood tall, twin towers, and built into the mountains itself were more structures—even in the warm evening light, Mariah could still spot the tinkling ofallumelights that appeared to come from the Attlehons themselves, but she knew were still only part of the palace.

The fact that she would get to see that incredible palace up close and personal, perhaps even set foot within its gilded doors, brought a chill to Mariah’s skin. Her mother was right; what a start to the adventure she’d craved for so long.

Moving further into Verith’s mountain district, Mariah continued to stare up at the golden palace, watching the spires turn from the brightest gold to burnt amber as the sun set below the bay and fall twilight settled over the city. Beside her, her father nudged his horse closer to Kodie and Mariah, his presence drawing her attention away from the palace and back to the now-quiet streets around her. She turned her head to meet her father’s gaze.

He smiled at her warmly. “We should probably find a nice place to stay for the night. I’d say we are far enough into the mountain district that it shouldn’t be too hard to find something suitable. I’ve actually got just the place to try.”

Mariah nodded and softly voiced her agreement, following after her father as he urged his warhorse down streets now lit byallumelamps in the early dimness of dusk.

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