Page 8 of Glass and Bone
“You will experience so much magic when you are much older, my sweet Nora. The world is so much bigger than the tiny kingdom of Chatis.”
Now, looking at the glitter in the sky, the starlight speckled in the black, I can almost feel the warmth of her touch. My hand finds my cheek, remembering the last time her fingers brushed my skin. A small smile curls at the edges of my lips as I faintly smell the lavender and vanilla scent of my mother. How I wish she was here now, to prevent this forced marriage. She wouldn’t let me do it alone. She would have been enjoying this journey with me. A moment that should be filled with excitement and love is met with fear and loneliness.
The lonely king and his lonely daughter.
We were never destined to find happiness. I only hope that the rumors about Tobias’s desires and shortcomings are only just that, petty gossip spreading throughout the kingdom about the Crown Prince. I wonder what he is truly like. Whether he inherited his father’s muscular stature or his mother’s soft features. Whether he was still brought down by pain and fear, or if he somehow found happiness in this world.
I won’t have to wonder much longer.
Glancing back through the window, I feel the slight chill of the wind on my face. I lift my hand and peel the gauzy curtain back further. Just past the trees I can faintly make out the tips of the pearly white palace I vaguely remember from when I was a child.
The capital palace radiated warmth and clarity. The guards and staff smiling as they go about their day. The sunlight filtering through the many windows, illuminating the walls, reflecting off the white marble posts and floors. I don’t remember much from my visit as a child, but I do remember how it felt like a refreshing place to be, like you could take a clean breath, nothing like the palace I called home. Everything was white and bright courtesy of the marble and glass that made up the entire palace.
This will be my home now. I will wake up to bright rooms and happy guards. I’ll start each day smiling and end it the same. I have to believe that a better life is waiting for me at the end of this journey. A life where I fall in love with my betrothed. A life where I am crowned a queen. A life where I get to bring a child into the world. A child I will love and care for. A child that I will never allow to meet my father. A child who will never be given the chance to feel anything other than happiness. I have to believe it.
I have to.
I sigh as I lean back against the cushion, the curtain fluttering closed. As my thoughts wander, picturing what my life will be like in Noterra, the carriage comes to a hard stop. I brace myself against the window as my body is jerked to the side. I nearly fall off the cabin bench and have to grip the back cushion to steady myself. Pain radiates down my spine, where I am sure my father left a bruise.
Once I am certain we are staying still, I pull open the curtains and peer out. I see nothing but darkness where the road should be. Voices carry, but I can hardly make out the words or to whom they belong to. I can hear Ser Danieas speaking to someone, someone whose voice is low, their words hard to discern. I hear a loud shout and I jump, my heart races as if I was hit by electricity, my hands clammy. Taking shaky breaths, I stick my head further out of the window, looking for a familiar face.
“Hello? What is the meaning of this?” I call out into the night with as much strength as I can muster but get no reply. The silence is telling, and my heartbeat quickens. “Ser Danieas?” I call out again, my voice cracking as I feel sweat bead along my hairline.
I wonder if there was an animal or tree in the way? Surely, he wouldn’t stop unless it was needed, but there was another voice, and a shout…
Without allowing myself time to think, I open the cabin door and step out onto the rocky floor below. Forgetting I had taken off my shoes, the frosted rocks come as a surprise. A chill runs through my spine as the eerily quiet darkness swallows my surroundings.
It’s just a little darkness, Elaenor.
Taking a step towards the front of the carriage, I gather every ounce of bravery I have. One foot in front of the other, I have to keep reminding myself. I hold my breath as I step around the cabin. Nearing the front, where two delusional horses stand, I see no one.
“Hello? Ser Danieas?” I call out as I make my way up to the horses. I give the brown one a small pat as I walk towards the front of their large bodies. Glancing down the road, I can barely make out a dark lump in the center, just a few feet away. With only the moonlight to illuminate the object, I can’t make out what it is. Maybe it’s a boulder? I turn in a full circle, looking for any sign of the guard who was at my service, but come up empty. The chill returns and I rub my hands up and down my bare arms, hoping to generate enough warmth to keep the shivers at bay. I bite my bottom lip, attempting to curb the panic building in my chest.
I’m half tempted to climb back into the carriage and wait for someone to come or for Ser Danieas to return, but a part of me feels that no one will. Part of me knows that I am once again alone.Maybe he saw something?I think, knowing full well he would never leave his post unless he was unable to maintain it.
My eyes find the lump in the road again and I take a deep breath. Maybe whatever it is, prevented him from continuing on the journey, it does seem to be blocking the road. Slow, terrified steps bring me closer to the object of my confusion, the cold air causing me to shiver uncontrollably. It’s nearly the middle of summer, but the air is still icy at night. As I near the dark lump, it starts to take shape. It could be a dead animal or possibly a tree trunk, but it doesn’t seem large enough, and it’s in the middle of the road.
When I am close enough to see what truly lies in front of me, a terrified scream escapes my mouth. My kingsguard lays wounded at my feet. Light green eyes wide open in fear, blood pooling beneath his chest where a deep gash sits, the warm liquid tickling the tips of my toes. Gurgling noises erupt from his mouth as he fights to breathe through the blood that is slowly suffocating him.
“Erik, oh my gods, what can I do?” I whisper as I kneel down next to him, my whole body shaking with tremors. I faintly feel the warm blood soaking into my skirt, plastering it to my skin, but I ignore it and focus on stopping his bleeding. He frantically pushes against me with what little strength he has, his face grimacing in pain. I press my hands against the wound on his chest, the blood slipping through my fingers. “Stay still.” I beg, my breath coming in short rasps.
“Run.” He spits out, fear lacing his strangled voice. With my senses heightened and the terror building within me, I glance around, looking for anything to protect me. I get tunnel vision, everything darkening along my peripherals. Everything in this light looks like a person, like a threat. What am I supposed to do? Grab a horse? I don’t even know how to ride. Coming up with no plan and no weapon, I freeze, my hands still pressing on his wound. I don’t know where I am or where to go. I don’t know how many hours it has been since we left, or what time it was now.
“I don’t know what to do.” I whisper frantically, my lungs tightening as adrenaline courses through my veins. The snap of a branch to my left makes me flinch and I peer into the thick brush and trees, trying to see what is lurking behind them. “Please be an animal.” I whisper, my teeth digging into my lip again.
“Run,please.” He repeats, blood spilling out over his lips, as I stare into the darkness. A large movement on the tree line, resembling that of a person, was enough to know I needed to get up, which I did.
“I’m so sorry.” I whisper. Abandoning Ser Danieas, my feet protest as they meet the forest floor. I try to ignore the shame, the sorrow, drowning me as I think about how I abandoned him. How he will die alone, terrified. I swallow it down, letting the panic and adrenaline fuel me.
The snapping of twigs and rustling of leaves fill my ears as I run at a speed I never knew possible. When the echo of footsteps starts behind me, I push faster knowing I don’t have a destination in mind, but fear is pushing me forward. I don’t know where I am or what direction Noterra is in, but I know I have to keep running. The faint memory of the tips of a pearly white palace beyond the tree line makes me relieved, knowing I should be going the right way.
The darkness envelops me, and I partially believe that hiding is the best option, but if mykingsguardis dying, someone who has been training for moments such as this his whole life, then I am no match to whomever is making me their prey. Whether they know who I am or not, they have to know that precious cargo was on the royal carriage.
As I dodge another tree, my foot gets stuck around a vine, and I fall. Rocks and other foreign matter dig into my shins and knees, slicing their way through my dress and skin. I suppress the cry of pain and quickly roll towards a bush, pressing my body against it. I clamp my hand over my mouth, hoping whoever it is can’t hear me breathing as I try to ignore the strange sense of claustrophobia washing over me. It’s as if everything, the darkness, the trees, the bushes, are all pushing in on me. Footsteps slow, but I can’t make out anything through the trees. I stay still, willing my heart to stop pounding in my ears. When the footsteps dissipate, I release the breath I was holding. I could stay here, behind this bush, all night, or I can try and get to safety. Not that I even have experience regarding safety.
You can do this, Elaenor.I take another deep breath and slip out from behind the greenery. I throw myself back up and take a step just as a rough hand wraps around my arm, pulling me back against his chest. His grip is tight, commanding, and I freeze.Damnit.He’s silent as we just stand in the darkness. I can hear the soft rustle of the wind in the trees. Feel the soft brush of the air against my skin. It’s as if time stood still for a few seconds. Neither of us are moving. Neither of us are speaking. My throat dries, my pulse quickens, and I feel as if every breath passes through blades in my lungs.
“Who are you?” I whisper. He provides no answer. I feel a sharp kick to the back of my knee, and I crumble to the ground with a wince, landing on my hip. Slow, steady steps make their way around me. A predator circling his prey. His breathing is labored. Either from exhaustion or adrenaline, I can’t tell. My eyes fixate on the dirty boots shining in the moonlight that are inches away from me. I fight against the tears burning behind my eyes and the urge to cry. I take a slow, calming breath before I allow my eyes to travel upwards in the darkness.
