We set sail in a day after that. Our crew—or, what was left of it—boarded our new ship. The pirates lent us supplies as a token of peace.
I stood at the bottom of the gangway, squinting under the glare of the sun. Xavier walked past me, his shoulder brushing against mine purposely. I pressed my arms to my sides, scowling.
“Why are you making that expression with your pretty face?” a voice asked. I tore my attention away from Xavier’s lean figure as he headed up the ship, only to find Cyprian standing there with a smile on his sharp features. I took a deep breath.
“What would I be doing?” I asked, pretending to act oblivious. Xavier had been driving me absolutely insane these past few days, and even though it was the last thing I wanted to do, I couldn’t get my mind off him. Every time he passed by, I wanted to punch him in the lip or sit close and talk to him about everything that had happened to me these past few years.
“You’re making that face again,” Cyprian said with a teasing smile. “So, you’re leaving so soon, huh? I was hoping you’d stay longer.”
“I have my duties, Cyprian,” I said, unapologetically. “I can’t stay on this uncharted pirate island for the rest of my
life, can I?”
“I was hoping you would.” The smile on Cyprian’s lips got wider, morphing into a smirk. “You should visit often,” he said, almost pouting.
“Right. I’ll think about it.” I held out my right hand, the other resting on the hilt of my sword.
He took my hand, holding on a little longer than necessary. With his left hand, he tipped his hat. His grip was strong.
“Do me a favor, Assassin,” he said, making me tense at the term, “please don’t mention me to my family. They’ll send a search party the size of Crea to Amghadon and then everything I’ve built these past years will go to waste. Promise me?”
I gave his hand a shake. “I promise, but we could really have used your help.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do much more than this,” he gestured to his ship. “I wish you the best of luck, dear Adalia.”
I nodded, letting go of his hand. I could feel his eyes on my back as I walked up the gangway, boarding the ship where the rest of the crew waited. I felt the movement of air against the small hairs on my skin as Isabel stood beside me.
“Adalia, do you know what we’re doing? Do you have a plan?” I faced her, really faced her, examining every part of her face from her eyes to the way she was playing with her hands subconsciously.
“How are you feeling?” I asked gently, to which she barely reacted. “Isabel.”
“I’m fine. I’d just like to know if you think this is going to work.”
“Is it because all these people died?” I asked her, reaching out my hand to touch her shoulder. She dodged the motion.
“Adalia,” she said in a low tone. “Do you truly think we’re
safe? I just want to go to bed without being worried for one night. I barely got a wink of sleep on that island. I don’t trust these people.”
“Cyprian wouldn’t—”
“Cyprian is a pirate,” Isabel said between clenched teeth. “We don’t trust pirates.”
“They can take us back safely,” I said, glancing over my shoulder to see Cyprian watching us closely. He gave a small wave, and then turned his attention to Carac, giving him a signal to set sail. The ship jerked as Carac turned the wheel, pulling away from the black-sand beaches. “As long as they have use for us, we’ll be fine.”
“And will you really hand over these documents they need?” she asked. “What if it’s all part of their plan to take these four kingdoms for themselves?” I noticed the dark shadows under her eyes.
“I’ll stand guard in front of your cabin. You and Jax can get some rest.”
“That’s not what I want,” she said with a snarl. “We didn’t come all the way here to team up with pirates.”
“We had no other way to leave this place!”
“We could’ve fought with what we had.”
“You’re being irrational.”
She didn’t seem to want to argue any further. Isabel turned, blond hair separated into clumps from the grime and sweat, whipping around her shoulders.
I rubbed my eyes tiredly. At least they’d taken care of Jax while we were there. We only had two days to Trella, three at the most.
I rubbed my arms as goosebumps dotted them from the chilly air. The sun was bright, but the wind battled it with almost equal strength.
The moment I saw land I almost fell to my knees, relieved.
Vaughn announced it only seconds after I saw it. I grinned as I saw the green trees and tall grass. The past two days had been hell. Isabel had been eerily quiet, and Jax stayed below deck, healing. Xavier and I weren’t connecting—again. His moods changed so often I just couldn’t keep up with him.
“Land ho!” Vaughn shouted, and the crew gave a cheer. They’d been exhausted as well, and I was sure they wanted a proper bed to sleep on after being away from home for almost twenty-one days.
I could see the tips of the towers of Trella’s castle, a light shade of purple-gray. The towers themselves were made of thick bricks that were almost an eburnean color. The theme was soothing.
“I feel as if I’ll start braiding your hair as soon as I step foot into this kingdom,” Jax said in my ear, startling me. “So feminine.”
“You’re up!” I said, cheerfully. “Good. How are you feeling?”
“Wonderful.”
“That’s what I wanted to hear.” Jax looked at me in surprise. “Favian, unload the horses, please.”
Please? Jax mouthed in mock wonder, earning an elbow jab from me—I aimed at his arm, not the wound in his stomach. Cyprian had given us enough horses for eight of us, Jax and Isabel doubling on one. Isabel would lead, since she wasn’t as injured as her brother.
When the palfreys were unloaded, stamping their hooves and tossing their manes, Carac fell onto his back, letting out a loud sigh.
“Is it bad that I don’t ever want to leave?” he said with a groan. The horses had been fed from before, so I mounted my pick—a dun riding horse. We’d chosen the side of the land that was closer to the castle.
We would arrive at sunset.
“I don’t blame you.” I dug my heel into my mare’s flank. “Onward!”
The castle turned out to be more beautiful than I remembered. Words couldn’t describe it. The kingdom was like a dream, surrounded by water.
I turned to meet Xavier’s eyes which were wide and shining gold in the sun. Beautiful.
Turning back to the masterpiece that stood before me, bringing the horse to a halt.
“Is this real?” Isabel asked, pulling up beside me.
“I feel as if I’ll stain the beauty of this kingdom if I step past this line,” Jax breathed. Xavier snorted.
“You’re already in the kingdom, which is why it’s getting uglier by the second.”
“Don’t make me throw a punch, blueblood. You know how that gets your love.” He regretted the words immediately as I turned, shooting daggers at him. Jax bit the inside of his lip.
“Shut up, the both of you. Don’t ruin things before we even enter the gates.”
Yes, there were gates. Giant. Tall. As we walked through the streets, the first thing I noticed was that nobody looked as if they didn’t have enough to buy themselves a meal.
Every single person was well-dressed, smiling, the women wearing hats and gloves on their slender hands, and the men in their crisp tunics and leather boots.
I gave Xavier a look, who, acknowledging me for the first time in a couple of days, reciprocated it. We were utterly confused. How was this possible? This place was almost too perfect. This was how I imagined Agustus’s story of Archaon, back when the four kingdoms were one.
The first time I’d been here, things weren’t nearly as perfect. That was probably because I hadn’t been allowed to leave the ship at the time, since the waters hadn’t been as dangerous bac
k then. The trip had been short.
King Sadim hadn’t even bothered to go as far as entering the castle . . . and now that I thought about it, Sadim hadn’t bothered telling me why he’d visited Trella in the first place.
The more I thought about it, the more skeptical I got.
Passersby watched as curiously as we rode, dirty and intimidating as we approached the gates. Two knights stood on either side.
“What business do you have here?” the taller one asked, green eyes fixed on us, narrowed.
“We’ve traveled from Crea to speak with the king,” I said, urging the mare further.
“Unmount your horses,” the slightly rounder guard said, to which we obliged. Isabel, Jax, Xavier, and I exchanged looks as we handed over our knives and swords.
My fingers itched as I unclipped the sheath from my belt, handing over my beloved weapon. Xavier’s eyes met mine, alert. They were telling me to keep an eye out. My eyes flickered to Jax’s, who received the message, giving me a knowing nod.
“If you are found with a weapon, you will be charged with treason,” the tall guard warned. Well, they certainly didn’t kid around. Being charged with treason was certain death.
“Be sure to check your pockets,” the other sneered.
Jax rolled his eyes, slipping his hand in his belt and pulling out a hidden foldable knife.
Finally, after emptying everything out, the gates were opened. We stepped back, giving them space. I grabbed onto my horse’s reins as she neighed, pulling her back. Everyone had dismounted.
“Now what?” Xavier whispered.
“Just watch for my signal. Did you give everything?”
Xavier smirked, a mischievous glint in his golden eyes. I gave him an approving smile. Of course he hadn’t given everything. He knew better.
We walked up the cobblestone pathways, up to the huge detailed doors which were opened for us. A cool whoosh of wind hit us as we stepped inside. I was impressed. The floors were made from oak, something I wouldn’t recommend because of its susceptibility to fire but it was certainly eye pleasing. Crea, Dystalphi, and Astodia were all stone-walled kingdoms inside and outside and cemented with lime mortar, making the castle seem colder than it was.
“Sir,” I turned to the taller knight, “they need a place to stay. We’ve ventured for many days, and they’re exhausted.” The tall one turned the shorter one, giving him an impish look, to which the shorter one let out a scoff, shoulders drooping.
“Follow me,” he said, voice disinterested. The crew members, including Carac, followed him. Xavier and the twins stayed behind.
“Get rest,” I said, motioning towards the group of people walking away.
“We want to see this,” Jax said, raising his eyebrows. “I would like to meet a king.”
I didn’t argue further, comforted by the company.
The guard led us around different corridors. Lancets lined the walls, letting in fiery rays from the setting sun. Some of them were decorated with stained glass, creating colorful patterns on the parallel stone walls.
Through the lancets I could see the entire kingdom, as the castle was on a slightly higher terrain. The ocean glittered, as if decorated with thousands of diamonds.
Suddenly, I crashed into something. I hadn’t been paying attention, mesmerized by the breathtaking scenery.
“Prince Casimir,” the knight addressed, sinking into a low bow. Jax followed, Isabel giving a small curtsy. I urged myself into one, but Xavier pretended he hadn’t heard, standing as rigid as a piece of wood. I regained my posture, quickly scanning the prince.
Prince Casimir was blond, a shade darker than Jax and Isabel. He had blue eyes so dark, it was the type of color you’d find in the depths of the ocean—one you could only see clearly when the sun shone on it. Right away, he didn’t seem like the serious type, a giddy smile on his face. He was about an inch taller than Xavier—or maybe that extra height was his hair. Besides his height, he had broad shoulders and was lean, but telling by his bare forearms, he was strong.
Cyprian had told me a lot about this brother. Casimir was his favorite, with a six-year age gap. Casimir was the second oldest, meaning second in line for the throne.
The prince ran a hand through his hair, shaking it out.
“And you are?” he asked, his eyes on Xavier. I could see the former prince’s jaw working, and immediately stepped in.
Irritating Xavier with questions of his past weren’t going to help us. Inside, I was relieved they’d never met before. It would’ve just caused more problems.
“I’m Adalia of Astodia. This is Jax, and,” I gestured to the Isabel, “Isabel of Dystalphi. This . . .” I trailed off, searching for something to call Xavier by, “is Cadeyrn . . . of Crea.”
“Quite a diverse bunch,” he said, raising his eyebrows. “I’m sure you’re here to meet with the king and queen,” Prince Casimir said, his eyes examining us individually.
“Yes.” My heart beat rapidly in my chest as I waited for an answer. We’d already been pushed so far behind schedule, I was beginning to get impatient. “They are here, yes?”
Casimir let out a laugh—one that was incredibly easy on the ears. “They have not left this kingdom since they were born. I’m sure they’re around somewhere. I can take you to them, but be careful.”
“Of what?” Isabel asked, combing through her matted white-gold locks with her fingers.
He leaned close to her. “Valentin. The man is purely evil. He’s getting old, too, so he’s extremely cranky all day.”
Valentin was the oldest son, according to Cyprian. They had an eight-year age gap, which explained why Cyprian never liked to be around him.
The way Cyprian had described the oldest sibling to me was, honestly, unappealing. He sounded strict, angry, and cold.
“Follow me. I’ll take it from here,” the prince said, waving his hand and dismissing the tall guard. He bowed, turning on his heel and walking away. Prince Casimir went ahead, us behind. “How do you like the castle?”
“It’s marvelous,” Isabel praised, her eyes still wide in awe. I didn’t blame her; I felt the same way.
“I’m well aware. Our entire family has worked on this kingdom since it came to be. They’re very keen on looks, as you can tell. Appeal is everything,” Casimir swept his arm across the corridor as we turned, coming to a stop in front of a large, spiraling staircase.
My jaw dropped to the ground. Marble. The steps were made from marble, which was rare to see, only used in certain areas of the castle in Astodia. Crea, of course, had more of it in their castle, but only because they spent nothing on training soldiers to protect themselves.
Trella had both. Defense, and looks.
“How is this possible?” I asked, letting my hands slide over the polished wood railings as we climbed the steps.
“Though Trella is further from the three other kingdoms, we have many resources. Whoever built this castle in particular did us good building it on this location in particular. Here.” He stopped in front of two colossal doors, which I guessed were the entrance to the throne room. Casimir took the guard aside, one of the three guarding the door. They exchanged words, and finally, the prince cleared his throat, facing us.
“Well, seems as if I was wrong this once,” he said, his voice apologetic. “They are busy today. It’s Civilian Day.”
“What’s Civilian Day?” Jax asked. I noticed Xavier smirk at the name out of the corner of my eye.
“Once a month, the king and queen invite the citizens of Trella to the castle where they’re allowed to express their complaints about anything they wish, knowing the king and queen will do everything in their power to fix it . . . if the request is fair.
“They will be allowed into the castle any moment—and believe me, people are sometimes trampled. Let me show you to your chambers for now. I will arrange something later tomorrow.”
Casimir’s dark—but soft—eyes fell on me, warmth radiating through them. “Is that alright?”<
br />
“We’re here on important business,” I explained, crossing my arms over my chest. “I understand they’re busy, but we sent word about our visit months ago, multiple times—”
“Which we received but once.” Again, his tone was apologetic. “I’m afraid your ships might’ve gotten lost at sea.”
So none of the messages had been delivered. I could tell Isabel was angry again, working her jaw as she kept her mouth shut. These losses were affecting her, even though she wasn’t saying anything.
“Don’t fret. Your stay at Trella will be luxurious—if you
are where who you say you are. We are very welcoming, as you may grow to learn.”
“Oh, please,” a voice interrupted us. Five heads turned to the source of the voice, only to see two tall boys standing in the middle of the corridor.
They were dressed in riding attire, with tight leather pants and loose white tunics. They wore identical black boots that stopped right below their knees. Toffee brown curls framed the one on the right’s fair face, making his jade eyes pop.
The other boy was a few inches shorter with eyes similar to Casimir’s, deep as the ocean, although his hair was the same toffee brown as the boy beside him.
“They’ll probably be beheaded the moment father sets eyes on them. You know how he can be.”
Casimir rolled his eyes. “You don’t want Valentin to catch you speaking that way, Theo.” The way the green-eyed boy reacted, I immediately knew he was ‘Theo’.
“Valentin is never around, Cas,” Theo said with a smirk. “We were just on our way to the stables.” He wrapped an arm around the calm, blue-eyed boy next to him. “Who are our guests?”
“Just another set of people with problems to discuss with our dear father,” Casimir said with a puff of breath. “Unfortunately, our father is busy doing nothing again . . .”
“Casimir, act your age,” the starry blue eyed boy frowned. “I wouldn’t call sorting out our people’s problems nothing.” The blue-eyed boy seemed more mature than his brothers. I quickly searched through the files stored in my brain, reviewing all the details Cyprian had given me on his family years ago. He was calm, similar to Casimir . . . This boy was—
The Four Kingdoms Page 17
