by Sarah Olson
Juliette shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks now.
"Are you certain?"
She nodded. "I knew nothing, Mother. I promise."
Layla turned to Gabriel. "Did you?"
"You think I would let her run off into the middle of the night?" Gabriel asked sarcastically.
"Have you spoken to Catherine?" Juliette asked quietly. "Aria went out with her yesterday."
How had I not thought of that before? "Davorin and I will go to Catherine’s and find out if she knew about any of this," I said.
"I will come with you," Gabriel said.
"No, stay here with your mother. If Tristan has any news while we are gone, I want you to come and fetch me. Is that understood?"
Gabriel grimaced. "Yes."
I left the room without another word. "Davorin, we are going to see Lady Catherine," I said when I joined him and Charlotte in the hall again.
He nodded.
"James, I don’t know why Ethelyn didn’t report this instead of running off with her," Charlotte said.
"Perhaps she is not as loyal as you made her out to be," I said. "Let’s go, Davorin."
Davorin kissed Charlotte lightly on the cheek. "I’ll be back."
She nodded and went into Juliette’s room.
I began to walk down the hall, and Davorin caught up to me. "Don’t talk to her like that," he said. "I know you’re upset and scared about Aria running off, but don’t start trying to put the blame on anyone. Charlotte only knows the women she trains so well."
"I’m not blaming Charlotte," I said simply.
"But you are blaming Layla. It’s not difficult to tell when you two are fighting."
"Davorin, I will apologize to Charlotte, but do not try to tell me about my marriage. Right now, we need to find Aria. It’s all that matters. You know what could happen if she trusts the wrong people—especially when the rest of the kingdom learns that she is missing. There will not only be soldiers searching for her but people who would do her harm."
"I know, James. We will find her."
☐☐☐☐
When we arrived at the Langdon estate, the housekeeper let us in quickly and led us to the parlor.
"I will send for Lady Catherine immediately," she said nervously. She glanced at the two of us again and scurried from the room.
Davorin sat on the sofa, seeming relaxed as always. I took to leaning on the wall by the window. There was no way I could sit at a time like this.
"It’s a nice place," Davorin said, looking around the room. "I didn’t realize Catherine’s family had this much money."
"Then build yourself a house like it," I said, not bothering to reign in my annoyance.
Davorin laughed. "Charlotte likes things to be simple. She doesn’t want to live anywhere where she would have to hire extra hands to care for the place."
The door to the parlor opened, and the housekeeper ushered Catherine in.
"Your Majesty, Lord Bateson," Catherine said with a curtsy. "What can I do for you this morning?"
"Where is Aria?" I asked, not bothering with formalities.
Catherine blinked. "I beg your pardon, what do you mean where is Aria?" She looked confused, but Aria had always said Catherine could lie her way out of death itself.
"She left last night, and I want to know where she is."
"Why would I know?" she asked.
"You’re her closest friend, you feel terrible over what happened with Moira because she is your cousin, and I have a feeling it was your idea," I said.
Catherine shook her head, her eyes wide. "I don’t know anything about it. I can’t believe she would leave!"
"You can stop the act," Davorin said.
"There is no act," she said, seriously. "I don’t know where Aria is. If I did, I would tell you. I know how important her safety is to you."
I took a step toward her. "You better not be lying to me, Catherine."
She raised an eyebrow. "Are you threatening me, Your Majesty?"
"Catherine, just tell him where she is. You know how dangerous it is for her to be out there alone," Davorin said.
Catherine shifted her gaze to him. "I have no idea what you’re talking about, Milord. I swear. If I knew where she was, I would tell you."
I gave her my hardest look. "If I find out you’re lying, there will be consequences."
She evenly met my sharp gaze. "I am not lying."
"I think we are done here then," Davorin said standing.
I kept my eyes on her. "If you change your mind, you know where to find me."
"I can’t change my mind about something I don’t know," she replied.
I clenched my jaw and followed Davorin from the parlor.
"She’s lying," I said as I mounted my horse.
"Or she’s telling the truth," Davorin said. "If she does know something, we will just have to hope she tells us. There’s nothing you can do—she’s not a criminal."
I nodded. "I know." I looked back at the estate, hoping Catherine would emerge and tell me what I was desperate to know. When the door remained closed, I kicked my heels into my mount and rode off into the forest with Davorin.
☐☐☐☐
By nightfall, Tristan announced to us that all the servants had been questioned and that none of them had seen anything.
"I will let you know immediately if the soldiers find her," he said.
"Thank you, Tristan," Layla said, taking his hand. "I appreciate all you have done." She let go of him and exited the room without even a glance my way.
I sighed and settled into the chair behind my desk.
"James, there’s no way she got far. She will be found," Tristan said.
I nodded. "Wake me if any word comes in. You are dismissed."
Tristan bowed and left the room, leaving me in silence.
My anger at Layla was wearing off, but I could not shake the feeling that she was partly responsible. It was ridiculous, and I didn’t want to blame her, but I had. I rested my head in my hands and closed my eyes as true fear for Aria’s safety swallowed me in the quiet study. It was as if my fears had waited until I was alone to overtake my mind. Aria was out there somewhere, and I wasn’t there to protect her. I let the tears slip from my eyes now that I was alone. Something about her had seemed off last night, but I had brushed it aside. I wanted to believe she was better. If only I had checked on her before I went to bed.
I took a deep breath and stood, wiping the tears from my eyes. I needed sleep. I left my study and made my way down the quiet hall to my chambers. When I entered, I found Layla sitting on the bed. She looked like she was waiting for me, but there was no greeting on her face.
"I had a servant prepare you another room," she said, her eyes serious and cold. She gestured to the folded clothing on the sofa. "And I took out some clothes for you."
"Layla—" I began.
She put her hand up. "It is not up for discussion. I will not share a bed with you tonight."
Her words stung, but I straightened my shoulders and met her stare. "If that is how you want things to be, Your Grace," I said sarcastically, picking up the folded clothing. I left the room without another word and closed the door behind me.
Chapter 10
Aria
T HE CAMPFIRE CRACKLED as we sat around it. We had traveled throughout the night and the entire day. The horses were exhausted, and so were we. We had spent the day switching off with the others in our group so they could get some sleep in the wagon as we traveled.
I stood and stretched my legs. The pain from riding shot through my muscles.
"I see the princess isn’t used to riding a horse," Kara laughed.
"It’s Norah, remember?" I said. "And I have ridden before; it has just been a while."
She rolled her eyes. "So did you punch Moira when you found her with Lord Thomas?"
My jaw dropped.
"Kara!" Wesley exclaimed. "I told you that subject is off limits."
"So?" she said wi
th a shrug. "I just want to know what the princess is made of."
John draped his arm over Kara. "Come on, Norah. We’re all friends here, right?"
I gave him a hard look.
John and Kara had been inseparable since we started traveling and were quickly becoming my least favorites of the group.
"Leave her alone," Ethelyn warned.
"Or what?" John asked with a laugh. "It was just a question."
I sat back down. "No, I did not punch her."
"Too bad," Kara said. "That would’ve been quite a story. What about Lord Thomas?"
I smiled. "Him, I slapped."
"Nice!" Stephen exclaimed. He took a swig from his flask and then offered it to me.
"No thank you," I said.
"Come on, Norah. You’re one of us now," he insisted
"Yeah," Kara said. "If you want to blend in, you need to act like us. There is no room for being a proper lady when you’re a traveling merchant."
I took the flask and gave them a weak smile.
"Drink," John urged.
After a deep breath, I took a swig from the glass and grimaced when the strong liquor burned my throat.
Everyone laughed, and even Ethelyn smiled a little.
"That is awful!" I exclaimed.
"Well, it's not wine," Wesley teased.
I shook my head, the taste lingering on my tongue.
"I think it’s Ethelyn’s turn," Stephen said.
She gave him an annoyed look as I passed it to her and took a swig.
"Hmm," Stephen said, approvingly when she showed no reaction, "looks like she’s had some before."
"That does not mean I like it," she said, passing the flask back to him.
He gave her a sly smile, his light eyes gleaming in the firelight.
"Well, I think it’d be best if we all got some rest now," Wesley said, standing. "Norah, the cot in the wagon is yours. The rest of us will sleep out here."
"Thank you," I replied, grateful I would not have to lie on the hard ground.
"Ethelyn, there’s a mat for you in the wagon. You can sleep in there or out here."
Ethelyn smiled. "Thank you, Wesley."
As Stephen put out the fire and everyone began to settle down for the evening, Ethelyn and I made our way to the wagon.
"I’ll sleep out here," Ethelyn told me.
"You don’t have to," I said. "There’s enough space by the cot for the mat."
She laughed. "I know, but you might step on me."
"I promise not to," I assured her.
Ethelyn stepped into the wagon and pulled on the mat. "I’ll be right out here."
"If you insist," I said, shaking my head.
I stepped up into the wagon and left the top opened to allow a gentle breeze to sweep inside. I shed the top layer of my clothing and settled onto the cot. It was hard but comfortable enough for me to get some sleep.
☐☐☐☐
It was about three days until we crossed the border into Malan, somehow managing to avoid the Asterian guard.
"I didn’t know we would be traveling through the desert," I said, looking out at the barren landscape around us. The ground was dry, with thousands of tiny cracks spreading out under us.
It was Kara and John’s turn to rest, so I sat by Wesley as he drove the carriage.
"It is not the most comfortable route, but it will get us to the Malanese Seaport quicker," he replied, shading his eyes from the sun.
The wagon rumbled over the hard-packed rock and sand.
"You want to get rid of me quickly, don’t you?" I laughed.
He smiled. "Stephen is also trying to make a ship before it departs. We have a little more than a week to get there."
I looked over at Ethelyn and Stephen as they rode side by side in front of the wagon. She appeared to be blushing from something he said. I had never thought of Ethelyn as being capable of fancying a man.
"He is a merchant sailor, too?" I asked.
"Yes," Wesley answered.
"Will you be getting on the ship as well?"
"No, mine is not departing for another month."
"What will you do until then?"
"I keep track of the books for the captain. I will spend the next month documenting everything he has acquired for trading at the different islands."
"Sounds like fun," I teased.
"It's not too bad and pays well. I can use the money," he said seriously.
"I am sorry about your family’s fortune," I said after a moment.
He shrugged. "It doesn’t matter. I would have left anyway."
I gazed out into the horizon. The sky was a brilliant blue against the orange sands of the desert.
"Do you know what you will do when we get to the seaport?" Wesley asked.
"I brought some money with me, so Ethelyn and I will find a place to stay and then travel to Kings City."
"You weren’t counting on me to bring you back, right?"
I shook my head. "When I’m ready to return to Asteria, King Darius will help me get there."
Wesley laughed. "Of course. He would send you back with an armed escort."
I smiled. "It does count for something when he is both an ally and friend. I knew that if I came to Malan, I would be safe."
"So you weren’t nervous when we left?"
"I was, but not for my safety. I am more anxious about my family’s reaction to my leaving. I can only hope they understand."
"I understand that," he said. "What about Ethelyn, you didn’t leave her behind."
"I didn’t plan to bring her," I replied. "She insisted."
"Does she feel she could protect you if you ever needed it?"
Trust me; she could. "Perhaps."
He gave me a sidelong glance. "Well, I hope you won’t have to find out."
☐☐☐☐
The Malanese seaport was just as lively as Kings City. In all my visits to Malan, I had never been to this region. A tangle of roads and buildings surrounded the seaport. There were people everywhere—walking the streets, bustling in and out of shops and taverns, and driving large carts and wagons loaded with goods to and from the docks. The smell of fish mixed into the salty breeze that blew through the port.
"Welcome to the Malanese Seaport," Wesley said, as I brought my mount closer to the wagon to avoid trampling a man hurrying down the street. The horse didn’t appear fazed by the number of people.
"I had no idea it was so big!" I exclaimed.
Stephen laughed as he put his horse between the people walking around us and me. "What did you expect? This is the base of the largest trade route with the northern islands."
"I know," I said. "I guess I was unsure of what to expect."
We turned down a road that gave us a view of the harbor. Beyond the piers sat six ships. The sails of one were opened, and I watched as it slowly departed. The docks were a mess of sailors and crates, as the men loaded and unloaded longboats bobbing in the water.
"There she is," Stephen pointed to the centermost ship. "Enigma."
"Enigma?" I asked, shielding my eyes from the sun.
The stern of the ship faced us, and I could see the gold lettering above the large windows of what was probably the captain’s cabin.
"She’s a beauty isn’t she?" Stephen said with a smile.
The Enigma was one of two largest ships in the harbor. She had an elegant grace to her. The dark wood had was lined with gold and red paint, the colors of the Malanese seal.
"Is that the ship you will be sailing?" I asked, unable to tear my eyes from it.
"That’s it," he said. "Looks like they’re almost done loading her up." He pointed to the longboats at her side. Ropes were hoisting up large crates towards the deck.
"Wouldn’t it be easier to load the ship from the pier?"
Stephen laughed. "Not necessarily. It already takes a lot of work to get her this close to the docks. They will probably warp her when we reach Asteria, though."
I looked at him confu
sed.
"That means pulling the ship up to the pier."
"Right," I said, feeling silly for forgetting the meaning. "But you are sailing to Asteria?"
He nodded. "We are going around the Malanese Peninsula to some islands in the Western Ocean, and then we will come into the Horizon Seaport just north of the castle."
I rolled my eyes. "I know where it is. How long will it take to get there?"
Stephen shrugged. "About a month, more or less."
I gazed out at the Enigma again, and suddenly, knew what I wanted to do.
"There it is," Wesley said, pointing to a quaint inn.
A sign hung above the doorway that read The Rusty Inn.
Kara urged her horse in front of the wagon and led the way.
"We’ll be staying here for the night," Wesley said, looking over at me. "It’s not the nicest place, but I’m sure you will like it after sleeping in a wagon for the past couple of weeks.
I smiled. The thought of a real bed was enough to get me to stay in even the shabbiest of inns.
Wesley pulled the horses to a halt in front of the inn’s porch and jumped down from the wagon to open the back for John. He had spent the last hour inside, making sure everything they were to deliver to the captain of their ship was in order.
I slid off my mount as Ethelyn caught up to us from the rear.
"John and I are going to take the wagon to one of the storehouses at the other end of the docks," Wesley said. "Kara will get your rooms." He handed Ethelyn and me our bags. "We’ll be back for dinner. Will you be all right until then?"
I nodded.
"I’ll take the horses," Stephen said as he took the reins of Kara’s mount. "Then I need to let my captain know I’m here. I will see you ladies later."
"Wait," I said, striding to catch up with him. "I was wondering if I could ask you something." I took a breath. "Can I come with you?"
"To the stable?" he asked.
"No," I replied, shaking my head. "On the Enigma."
Stephen stopped. "You want to sail on a trade ship?" he asked incredulously. "Are you serious?"
I raised my brows and watched him expectantly.
"Norah, you running away was foolish enough. I was hoping this was going to be it—that from here you would head to Kings City and stay with King Darius until you were ready to go back."
