Page 53 of Heir of the Autumn Queen

“We just crossed the border,” he tells me, jerking his chin northward.“We should make it to Keldmor by nightfall.”

I nod curtly.“And when will we arrive in Viaria?”

“Day after next, if we keep pace.”

Brutus looks back at me with a look of disgust. I smile at him excessively, reopening the cut on my lip. He scowls at me but turns back around to face forward.

The rest of the day is spent riding in tense silence. Not having eaten any breakfast, I’m too tired to do anything but keep my head down and ride on, and my stomach is screaming at me by the time we make it to Keldmor, long after dusk. We find an inn there, and both the innkeeper and other patrons are wary of our group, and for good reason. Knowing how quick Brutus is to anger, even I have been keeping my distance from him. Bellamy offers to bunk with me, while Brutus and the other guard, whose name I learned is Edmund, share the other room.

We board the horses and Shadow and then eat quickly in the corner of the tavern; some kind of beef stew with corn and potatoes, accompanied by several rounds of ale. I eat ravenously, not caring if I look or sound like a lady in the process. My dress is filthy after two days of hard travel, and I want nothing more than to climb into a warm, soft bed and think of nothing. My heart hurts as much as my body does, squeezing painfully every time I think of Finn, which is basically every other second, despite my efforts to put him out of my mind.

As angry as I am, I can’t help but want to speak with him, to confirm that he really is the heartless creep I’ve made him out to be in my mind. Until I see him again, I'm foolishly holding out hope.

I head up to my shared room as soon as I’m done eating, but not before stopping in the communal washroom to scrub myself down and change out of my ruined dress. I leave the dress on the floor in the corner, knowing it’s beyond saving. Plus, if I’m really being honest with myself, there likely won’t be another opportunity for me to wear such a thing again once I arrive in Viaria. No one has confirmed it, but I imagine my accommodations in the castle will be less than luxurious. I’m pretty sure Brutus will have me thrown in the dungeons as soon as we arrive.

I crawl into the single bed, still trying to devise a plan for how to escape this situation. Maybe I could try to sneak out tonight, once Bellamy’s asleep, and ride back south, out of the Winter Kingdom. Tonight or tomorrow night would be my best bet since once we reach Viaria, I’ll likely be kept under watch day and night.

I hear footsteps creaking in the hallway coming toward the room and quickly pretend to be asleep. Even with my eyes shut, I can tell it’s Bellamy; his woodsy scent wafts over from the bed on the opposite wall as he removes his boots and lays down on the bed, the old mattress creaking under his weight. I crack an eye to find him looking up at the ceiling, hands behind his head. I try to make my breath sound deep and even, like it would if I was actually sleeping, and wait for his breath to become rhythmic.

About twenty minutes later, I’m almost positive he’s asleep, but I wait a few more minutes, just to be sure. I open my eyes enough to see that Bellamy is now on his side, facing the wall, and decide now is as good a time as any to make my escape. I push my blanket down and sit up, leaning down to pull my boots on one at a time. I stand up, throwing my bag and bow over my shoulders silently, and start to creep toward the door.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Bellamy says, making me jump. I whip around to find him still lying down, facing away from me.

“And why not?” I whisper-hiss at him, my heart thundering in my chest.

“Because Edmond is right outside that door, and Brutus would like nothing more than to have an excuse to tie you up and drag you behind his horse.” Bellamy sits up and swings his legs off the bed so he’s facing me.“I’m sureattempted escapewould qualify as an act worthy of such a punishment in his book.”

“Dammit,” I say, defeated.

“Finn won’t let anything happen to you, Aurelia,” Bellamy says, trying to offer me some sort of comfort.

“Finn can go to hell,” I say, a fresh wave of anger crashing over me.

Bellamy raises his hands up in a shrug.“You may reconsider your stance once we get to Viaria. Finn will likely be your only ally there. And me, I suppose.”

“I wouldn’t care if he was the last person on this gods-forsaken continent, I still wouldn’t want to see him.” A lie, but I have to appear strong in the face of the enemy. I give up on sneaking out and chuck my boots in the corner before flopping back down on the bed in defeat.

“I don’t think that’s true,” Bellamy challenges. I narrow my eyes at him in warning, but he goes on.“I think you’re hurt because he wasn’t one hundred percent honest with you. But you weren’t honest with him, either.”

Bellamy’s words ring true, but I’m too angry to care. I can’t open my heart back up again, not with the way it was just crushed so brutally. Every time I think about Brutus’ cruel words when they found me, telling me that Finn knew who I was from the beginning, I can’t breathe.“I don’t even know you. I don’t know why we’re talking about this.”

“Because Finn is my best friend, and I can tell he cares about you,” Bellamy says, searching my face.“And as much as you’re reluctant to admit it, you care about him, too.”

“Even if that were true, it doesn’t matter anymore,” I say resignedly, knowing I don’t have any control over my situation. Bellamy looks like he wants to argue, but I lay down on the bed and turn towards the wall, effectively ending the conversation. I don’t sleep much that night, but when I do, I dream of Finn.

A cruel joke played on me by my own mind.

Chapter Twenty-seven

The following day of travel looks exactly the same: A quick pace, minimal discussion, and a shared room with Bellamy while one of the other guards keeps watch. But this time, I don’t get any ideas about sneaking off, knowing it would be pointless, especially this far into the Northlands.

When I wake on the third day, my stomach is a pit of nerves, mostly because we’ll be arriving in Viaria later today, but also because there’s a possibility that I’ll see Finn again, which makes me both angry and elated. Experiencing those two conflicting emotions at the same time makes me feel physically sick, leaving me exhausted before we’ve even mounted our beasts.

Before I can hop on Shadow, Brutus approaches me, grabbing my arm in the same spot as he did a few nights ago, pressing hard on the existing bruise there.“If I hear one word of disrespect out of your mouth in the king’s presence, I will personally see to it that you are rightfully punished.”

“I wonder, do you think the prince will be pleased that you disobeyed his direct orders by laying your filthy hands on me? Not once, but twice now?” I maintain an air of indifference while simultaneously holding back a cry as his grip on my elbow tightens.

“The prince’s infatuation with you will end soon enough, whore.” He’s seething at my threat.“And when it does, I’ll be right there to make sure you get what you deserve.”

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