Page 57 of Once Upon a Crown
I didn’t know how I was going to face Thatcher myself. According to Alastor’s information, he’d been living at Mistwood as if he were the king. How would I look him in the eye and not wrap my hands around his neck, the man I once used to call brother?
My eyes searched for Elara riding ahead of me. It was easy to spot her burgundy cloak with her dark hair hanging in waves down her back.
Rhen rode next to her. I couldn’t properly hear what they were saying, but it sounded like they were discussing King Evrin’s diary. I nudged my horse forward, hoping to join the conversation.
“It’s very difficult to read his handwriting and the pages are extremely fragile. I’m trying to be careful but it’s going to take me some time to get through it.”
“Anything of value yet?” Elara asked.
“Afraid not. He’s mostly written about the responsibility of ruling the kingdom and how he’s trying to assemble a proper council and so forth.”
Initially I was worried that she would leave the diary in Rhen’s hands, but I understood that while the old king’s words were being dissected for information about ancient magic and powerful gemstones, Elara had to gather an army. If the diary proved to be useless, we needed men to fight. We needed men regardless of the Myrgonite objects.
She looked at him. “I can’t say I’m surprised but let’s hope you find something soon.”
We made camp close to the Norrandish border that night, many fires lighting up the surrounding forest.
I sat on a log, staring into the flames in front of me, trying not to think of what was to come but knowing it was unavoidable.
There was a crunch of leaves behind me, and I looked over my shoulder, dagger already in hand.
“Sorry.” Elara climbed over the log and took a seat next to me. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s okay.” I slid the knife back into my boot. “I suppose I’m a little jumpy.”
“I understand.” She took a breath. “If I were you, I don’t know how I would be able to go back.”
I looked down at my nails, the dirt under my hands suddenly very interesting. “They haunt me,” I said softly, but Elara heard me well enough.
“Who?”
“Thatcher, my family. I dream about them almost every night. It’s why I don’t sleep. Why I offer to take the night watch. Every time I close my eyes, I see him. I see him killing Jack, killing my family.”
Elara interlocked our fingers and placed my hand in her lap. “I think you’re brave for fighting and for going back.”
I looked at her, the firelight reflecting in her eyes, and I found myself comforted by the way she looked at me. It was different compared to the way she used to look at me a few weeks ago. There was always so much hurt and desperation behind her gaze. But now, she looked at me like she wouldn’t mind spending the rest of her life in my presence. Or maybe I was just projecting my own feelings onto her.
“I don’t know what else to do,” I admitted. “I don’t know how to save my kingdom.”
She rubbed her thumb across my hand. “Together. We do it together.”
“Right.” I pressed a long kiss to the back of her palm.
“How long do you think it will be before we reach Mistwood?”
“A few more days.” I took in our campsite. The men were tired from days of travelling in the cold. “Let’s hope the weather holds up.”
The closer we got to the mountains, the colder it would get. She shivered slightly and I pulled her close to me.
“Do you think Anesta would mind sleeping alone in your tent tonight?”
Elara pressed a kiss to my cheek. “No, I don’t think she would mind at all.”
Chapter 23
Lance
The palace halls were quiet with the council and the court having returned to their own estates for the time being. The lamps cast a low light off the wooden panels of the walls and portraits as I made my way towards my sister’s chambers.
