Noble Falling (6 page)

A small laugh escaped me. “And what else does your sister say?”

“Many things I will not tell you, milady, lest you turn them against me and become even more like her.” Ori threw a smile at me, continuing a familiarity that was beginning to grow between us.

My head shifted to the side slightly, a loose strand of hair falling into my face, which I quickly tucked behind my ear. “More like her?”

“Your Grace, you once asked why I was so willing to help you.” Ori began constructing our campfire with the wood he had gathered earlier. “Yes, I have been—and will always be—loyal to your family. And, if I may be so bold to say, through such service, certain observations are made.”

“Observations such as?” I felt my brow crease, unsure of what Ori was attempting to say.

“Of character.” Ori’s eyes connected with mine. “My sister was forced to grow up almost too soon. And yet, she often ignores what she was forced to learn so early on. It left her with a quality I could not even begin to explain, but it is something you also seem to possess, Your Grace.”

I was silent, unsure if I should be offended.

“Milady, do not mistake me, it is not a characteristic to be ashamed of. It is just….”

The guard trailed off, only continuing at my insistence.

“As my wife explains it to my sister, the lessons cannot be ignored. There are times when you must step into the role you were forced to fill so soon, even if it is inconvenient.” It was obvious that Ori knew he was tiptoeing a line. “I do not mean to say anything negative. It is something I love about my sister, for I wish she would have had a better chance to enjoy her youth.”

Rather than address the gnawing feeling of an attack on my character, I smiled at the guard building a fire and switched to what I hoped would be a more jovial topic, figuring courtly tricks could work on commoners. “Ori, why is it you haven’t mentioned your wife before? You must tell me of her.”

The guard looked up and he saw the smile on my face, I could see the relief washing over him that I had not taken offense—or at least that I had not shown it.

“We are expecting our first child in three months’ time.” He finished stoking the flames to a respectable height before he continued. “Teya and I have been married a little over a year now, yet we have been in each other’s lives from the time we were children.”

Even mentioning his wife so briefly had managed to put a light in the guard’s eye that had previously been hidden.

“Do you fear she thinks you are dead?” There was genuine concern in my voice. The thought of just waiting to find out if someone I truly loved had been taken from me was heartbreaking.

The brightness in Ori’s eyes faltered only for a moment, returning as soon as he smiled. “Milady, it is impossible to know what she has been told by the traitors who attempted to kill you, but I do know she has faith in me. I have no doubt that when I return, I will find her waiting. It is my duty to protect you, as much as it is your duty to marry Tallak. My wife would expect nothing else.”

It took me a moment to respond.

“You know, I envy you.” I smiled at Ori, even though I knew my voice was hollow.

“Why would a duchess envy my mangy self?” The guard laughed nervously.

“You had a choice.” I watched the flames of our campfire devour the last bits of a branch. “Your whole life, it was something that could change depending on what you wanted.”

“Milady, forgive me, but you are mistaken. There was little choice in my life. I was born a farmer, and would have gladly become that if I had been able. I am only a guard because it pays my family enough not to starve.”

I felt the annoyance building within me. “And yet you have a woman waiting for you, a woman chosen by you to marry.”

“Did you truly have no say in your marriage?” The guard at least had the grace to bow his head after his challenge.

“Ori, I have known Tallak since I was young, which is more fortunate than many women in my position, but I was
promised
to him as soon as my father’s reputation elevated our family’s name high enough. Of course, when the final arrangements were already being planned, my father asked my opinion, but what choice did I really have? I had to agree, despite having no feelings for him. Despite the fact that—”

I caught myself just before the words escaped. Faltering slightly, I finally continued.

“My duty is to make sure my family’s line does not fade into obscurity, something only prevented by marrying Tallak. Had I said no, my family’s already depleting coffers would have most likely been left in the hands of some elderly widowed nobleman wanting my hand only so that he might pass my castle off to his already born son. Who would I be then?

“What I envy, Ori, is that you will finish with your duty now and return to the woman you love, while I will only be at the start of what is required of me. I wish I could have chosen who I would share those splendors with. I wish I had the freedom found outside of nobility. When I was young, I would sit at my window and wonder what it would be like to ride my horse freely in the woods, without my guards by my side. I used to play pretend that I was a peasant, of all things. Free to do as I wished. Of course, the next day I would be back to playing queen.”

I laughed, but even I heard the haunted inflection.

When he looked at me, there was genuine concern in Ori’s gaze. “Do you hate the idea of marrying him so much?”

“No, there’s a definite thrill to the realization that I will be a queen. Not wanting for anything, the best food in the kingdom, elegant dresses previously only existing in dreams….” I paused, smiling to myself. “Being a queen is something I have dreamed of for so long.”

Ori smiled at me kindly. “There is always hope you will grow to love him.”

I tried to return his smile, but knew I had only managed a sad grimace. How could I explain to him that I knew I could not love Tallak? There was something deep within whispering to me of my loneliness upon the throne. I had heard it from the moment I knew of my engagement. Instead of attempting an explanation, I stared at the stars brightening against the night’s sky.

I
WAS
gently pulled from my troubled sleep when raindrops fell upon my face. Clouds blocked the early rays of the sun, almost disguising the fact that it was morning. The rain was not heavy, at least not yet, but the ominous clouds pointed to a storm later. Wrapping the blanket Muerra had given me around my shoulders, I made my way to where Ori was struggling to build our fire once more.

“Good morning, Your Grace.”

I said nothing to the guard. I eventually gave up trying to find a dry place to sit and dug into Ori’s bag. Seeing there was still plenty of food from Muerra remaining, I eyed the hard bread with distaste, pulling out a slightly spotted apple instead.

“The rain may slow us down a little, but we should make it into town around midday.” The guard looked to the sky. “Hopefully before a storm hits.”

I packed up our belongings, already feeling the rain seep through my clothes to kiss my flesh.

“I am ready to go if you are. I’d rather find a table in a tavern to avoid this weather if at all possible.”

I suddenly realized we couldn’t be sure the town was even safe for us to enter. If there were signs of Dakmorans, or even my own men, we would be stuck in the rain, praying that we would go unnoticed. The look in Ori’s eyes begged me not to get too hopeful that we would actually be able to find comfort. Still, refusing to believe the Dakmorans would bother with such a small town, I kicked dirt on the sizzling embers of our fire and urged Ori on.

It was obvious we were both tired. Even Ori seemed to finally be suffering the effects of traveling without proper gear and sleeping on rough ground. We were afraid to say it, but we both knew how much we wanted the town to be clear. If we didn’t have enough money to buy warm beds, we would at least be able to find a place to sleep in the stables. It would be a situation far from what constituted acceptable for a future queen, but unable to call upon my station, I was willing to take anything that might pass as a warm bed.

We had walked for a couple of hours before either of us spoke. With our clothes completely soaked and clinging to our bodies, we were too busy focusing on our own discomfort to exchange pleasantries. Eventually, the sight of smoke billowing from chimneys in the distance forced us to break our silence.

“Milady, fortune might just shine on us today.” Ori’s smile betrayed his excitement at the thought of a comfortable place to rest.

I returned his smile, but issued a warning simply to remind us both that things might still turn away from our favor. “Let’s just hope we are the only visitors here.”

The guard’s smile faltered slightly, an effect I almost felt guilty for.

“Of course, Your Grace, of course.”

I looked at Ori, his blond hair plastered to his forehead, and the honorific falling from his lips suddenly felt wrong.

“Ori, will you do me a favor?”

“Milady, you are fully aware I am at your service. You need not ask.” The guard’s attention remained focused on the town in the distance.

“Will you call me Aleana?”

Ori’s eyes connected with mine, and I could clearly see the surprise on his face. He tried to compose himself before he spoke.

“As you wish—” The corner of the guard’s mouth twitched into a small smile. “—Aleana.”

T
HE
rain finally stopped, allowing us to leave the dark corner we had found in the town’s tavern. Although we had no coin, the innkeeper had let us sit there while our clothes dried and the late summer storm passed. By the time we stepped out into the muddy streets, it was well past noon. Both Ori and I were happy to exchange a delay in our flight for a slight reprieve from the stress of traveling through the forest, unsure each night of our safety.

The clouds were breaking up when we finally found a shop that seemed likely to buy most of what Ori had. Hopefully, the money his armor and anything marked as belonging to a Meloran guard brought would be enough to give us a chance to buy horses.

“How do you feel about splitting up for a few minutes? I can go try and sell everything, if you want to head to the stables and see if there are any horses that will do?” Ori pointed to the decrepit-looking building we could only hope contained horses cheap enough, yet capable of travel.

“If there are any available, I’ll let you know. However, I think it is more likely we will be continuing on foot.” I eyed the stables suspiciously.

“Even if we can get one, it will be better than nothing.” Ori shrugged.

The guard started to walk away, but turned back once more.

“Aleana, if someone were to ask, it might be best to say I am your husband. Hopefully we won’t even draw enough attention for someone to ask, but just in case. People will be less suspicious of a husband and wife traveling together.”

Ori looked uncomfortable at his suggestion, and I fought the urge to laugh.

“You know where to find your wife, then.” I waved to the still nervous guard as we went our separate ways.

On my own for the first time in as long as I could remember, I weaved my way through the few people venturing out onto the muddy streets of the town’s market. The townspeople seemed to emerge from everywhere now that the rainclouds were breaking up and a few rays of light were filtering through. It was strange to walk so openly and for no one to give me a second glance. I briefly entertained the thought that I would never again have the chance at such an experience, for as Queen of Halvaria, I would be known by all.

Reaching the stables, I could see they didn’t hold many horses, and based on the state of their shelter, I didn’t expect the animals inside to be in the best health. My eyes rested on a sickly old mare, and my hopes fell even further. I walked down the row of paddocks and saw that the few horses there would never last even the few days to Ferrum, let alone be able to travel as far as Seyna with any speed. As I turned to leave, beginning to shift my thoughts toward buying a warm bed for the night, I heard rustling at the very end of the stables. Despite the fact that my hopes were low, I decided to peek in at the remaining horse I had somehow failed to notice.

To my surprise, the animal inside was magnificent. I carefully approached the horse and was greeted with a low whinny as I reached his stall. Extending his head, the massive black horse almost begged me to rub my hand on the soft spot right above his nose. I did not recognize the specific breed, but my father had taught me enough about horses to know the animal in front of me was worth far more coin than Ori’s gear was going to fetch. However, I did not expect the owner of this horse to be willing to part with such a fine creature for any sum.

It was obvious the horse had a different owner than the other animals in the stables. His raven-black mane and tail—matching the color of his entire body—were carefully braided. The horse let out a puff of air, nudging me as I heard someone else enter the stable. I spun around, my heart immediately racing. When I saw that the newcomer was Ori, I released a breath I hadn’t even realized I had been holding.