Page 41 of Deadwood
Sympathy filled his expression, his eyes softening. “Some doors shouldn’t be opened, Auria.”
But Lander was wrong. I wasn’t scared of what I would find—only frustrated they were locked in the first place. Like apples plucked from a tree, my father chose only the sweetest information to tell me, and left the bad for his ears only.
That wasn’t how I would be able to stand up for the kingdom I grew up in. Being fed the good only led to an influx of the bad later on.
And if being given a taste of freedom taught me anything, it was that the bad would eventually come out.
I only had to find a way to get it.
CHAPTER 15
Four days later, we made it to Torbernite, Lander’s home. Due to our arrival being so late into the night, Lander had shown me to a guest suite in his parents’ castle and suggested we take a tour of the kingdom in the morning. Traveling had exhausted me, and my body ached, so I’d quickly agreed and sunk into bed.
I’d awoken early the next morning, eager to explore. Sulphur as a whole had been much smaller than Amosite; the size, homes, and capital itself reflected their seemingly simpler way of life. But already, I could tell Torbernite would be more like Amosite in its grandness. There was nothingsimplehere.
I slid into my slippers as I emerged from the warmth of my bed before crossing the room to shove open the window. The morning chill met my skin, my hair blowing back from my shoulders. I inhaled the salty scent of the sea that carried on the air wafting into the room. Torbernite was directly southeast from Amosite, sitting across the continent on the opposite shore. From the back of the castle, the view of the ocean was spectacular. The water stretched for miles, not another land mass in sight, despite other continents being out there, only reachable by ship.
Though the view from this room was beautiful, I ached to see more. Hurriedly, I dressed in a long sleeve garnet dress with a deeper red thread wound throughout the bodice in intricate detail. It stood out amongst the green accents in the room, just like I was sure it’d do the same out there among the emerald attire of Torbernite’s people.
Lander had briefly given me more insight into Exitium Lunae, explaining how the town decorated the meadows that butted up to the sandy beaches, right by the forest bordering Feldspar. Apparently, every kingdom was invited to celebrate the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the moon’s explosion. Some got together in their respective territories while others traveled elsewhere to partake in festivities on this particular day every year to commemorate when the moon burst into millions of pieces. With the explosion came the silver rings that highlighted the land in the day and illuminated the world at night.
Tomorrow, I’d make up for the lost years and celebrate Exitium Lunae like the rest of the continent.
I opened the door to the bedroom to find one of Amosite’s guards stationed beside my door, as well as Paxon standing across the hall with his hands held behind his back, almost as if he was waiting for me. His hair was perfectly styled, slicked back flat against his head. He’d clearly cleaned off all evidence of our travel, taking advantage of being home.
“Sleep well?” he asked, stepping toward the threshold.
“As well as one can away from their home.” But the truth was, I’d slept better than I ever had before. Perhaps it was the change of scenery from my pretty prison. “Is Lander awake?”
He dipped his chin in a nod. “He’s waiting on us, actually.”
“Oh?”
He swung a hand in the direction of the hall as he tilted his head to the right. “Come with me.”
Crossing the threshold, I shut the door behind me. The guard moved to step forward, but Paxon held up a palm, halting him.
“The lady is perfectly safe with me,” Paxon assured him.
“But the king—” the guard started.
“Would agree,” he interrupted. “If she’s to marry my brother, King Tenere has clearly entrusted us with her safety. There are no threats here, I can assure you of that.” But the slight smirk pasted on Paxon’s lips did little to back his statement.
With a hard swallow, the guard dipped his chin. “Yes, Your Highness.”
As Paxon and I walked side by side through the hall and down a set of stairs, I said so only he could hear, “The guard was so quick to see me off.”
He kept his gaze forward. “He’s well aware we have guards stationed throughout the castle. There is nothing to worry about, Lady Auria. It is merely his job to stay by your side, and today, that will not be needed.”
I didn’t say anything more as we continued on. I merely wished I had as much authority to demand my guards leave me alone for even a few minutes.
The foyer we passed through was decorated with their signature emerald green colors. A grand statue showcasing a massive crystal stood tall in the center of the space, a large rug underneath it. It was noticeably carved from stone, and I wondered if healing magic ran through the rock, causing it to glow that familiar green. I’d never seen magic in its raw form, only after it was placed in vials, but I had to guess this was what it’d look like before being extracted from its natural state.
Rather than exiting through the large front doors, we walked down a long hallway to a side door that opened up to a wide expanse of a perfectly-cut field. The smell of grass baking in the sun was a welcome embrace to my senses as I found Lander standing in the center of some sort of game with a wooden mallet slung over his shoulder, another supporting his weight as he leaned on it. His jacket was unbuttoned, the cuffs wrinkled, and his hair blew in the slightly chilled breeze. In the trees surrounding the grassy area came the chirps of birds and the rustling of leaves.
Lander squinted his eyes against the sun as he smiled at me. “Care for a game?”
I approached him, shading my eyes with my hand. “I’m not sure how to play.”
