by Lisa Daneils
“But how do you now it isn’t them? What if it is? You just learned about the attacks, so you can’t rule it out.” She felt certain that logic was on her side.
“Oh, I can definitely rule them out because they hate coming to this side. It’s really only those horrible shape shifters that ever venture over here. Hmm, I suppose that must be the reason. Disturbing.” Again, Ethan’s mind was wandering where Nissa could not follow him.
“Well, if they hate coming over here, why would they want to marry human princesses then? That makes no sense.”
“That’s is exactly what I said, but you heard about Princess Bridget, right?”
“Something about another wedding, but I’m not sure that’s true. I mean, given my father’s place in the kingdoms, I would be invited.”
“No, you wouldn’t because it has already happened.”
“What?” Nissa stopped walking. “What do you mean it has already happened? It hasn’t been long enough for her to grieve. No one would force her to marry so soon after her husband’s death.”
“No one did force her, but I assure you that she is married. I was asked to be one of the witnesses. So if you don’t know that she is married, you don’t know about her groom.”
“Why? What’s wrong with the groom?” Nissa leaned in, almost like she were listening to a horror story.
“He was one of the shifter princes. He proposed, she accepted, they married within a couple of days of the proposal, and she’s now living on the other side of the mountains with that selfless martyr of a prince.”
Nissa’s hands flew to her mouth. “No!”
Ethan nodded at her.
“She was forced into a marriage to a nonhuman?”
Ethan pulled back a little, his lips pursed. “She was not forced into anything. From what I know, she felt like a burden to her father and brother. And to quote her, ‘He’s infinitely better than any of the human suitors who tried to woo me. He didn’t lay a finger on me until I expressed an intense interest in him doing so.’”
Nissa stared at him, then a smile spread across her face. “Now I know you are just telling me a story. How much of that is true?”
Ethan laughed, “Who knows?”
They began to walk again, each thinking about recent events.
After a while, Nissa asked, “So is she really getting married?”
“She already is. And to a nonhuman, as you so elegantly put it. I imagine that is why your father has become so interested in marrying you off. The fact that he hasn’t told you about the agreement says everything that needs to be said.”
“You mean, any human is better than a… whatever lives on the other side of the mountains?”
“Shifters. Yes, I imagine that is what he is thinking.”
Nissa frowned, “I suppose that would make sense if it were true. But I knew Bridget. Not well, but she isn’t the kind of person to go charging into a marriage without serious consideration.”
“She isn’t dead, you know.”
“What?”
“You said you knew Bridget. She just lives on the other side of the mountains. She isn’t dead.”
“Oh, yeah. She might as well be, though. Right? How likely is it that she will come back here now? None of us will ever see her again.”
“I dare say it’s very likely you will see her again. She is quite close to her family, you know.”
“Oh, right. But how would that even work? It would take forever just to make the trip.”
“Not with shifters. It’s a fairly quick trip to go from their kingdoms to this side. From what I could tell, her husband was quite taken with her, so I feel certain he is going to be far too giving, and if she even implies that she wants to see family, he will bend over backwards to make her smile.” Ethan then muttered to himself something that sounded like, “He is generous to a fatal degree. Even if the fool does have a host of his own problems.”
“What was that last bit?”
“I said, even if that fool does have problems he has to take care of.”
“Are you going to tell me you are an expert on the shifters now? The princes of a faraway kingdom?”
Ethan laughed, “I would never call myself an expert on anything. Far too much responsibility and expectation to live up to. I have quite enough of that in my life.”
“You know, Ethan,” Nissa made sure to say his name so that he turned to look at her, “you are not like anyone I have ever met.”
A half-grin let her know that this was not the first time he had heard that. “Coming from you, princess, that is a compliment. A mighty fine compliment.”
“If that is how you want to take it, I’m not going to correct you.”
“Really? Well, if I were to say that you are as unique as I could have asked for, how would you react?”
Nissa felt her cheeks flush, “It almost sounds like you are trying to flirt with me.”
Ethan laughed, “Exactly.”
Her companion picked up his pace, and Nissa had to move much faster, making it nearly impossible to talk and keep breathing. His laughter and reaction echoed in her mind, and she realized that even if she could talk, she had no idea what to say.
Chapter 5
First Town, No Luck
Ethan had kept them moving at a fast pace until Nissa nearly doubled over, clutching a stitch in her side. As she walked half bent over, he slowed down and again turned to walk backwards in front of her. Under the light of the moons, she half noticed how strikingly handsome Ethan was, and wondered just who he really was. The way he talked was definitely guarded, but he somehow managed to be more open and honest than anyone she had known except Nicolas. Maybe people from other kingdoms are more open about who they are? Or what they want? The thoughts helped her to ignore the pain in her side.
“You know, if you would like, I would be willing to carry you for a ways. It might make the passage a bit faster.”
Nissa tried not to laugh at the idea. “Now you are getting a little too familiar, don’t you think?”
“What do you mean?”
“You are offering to put your hands all over me.”
“Says the woman who grabbed me when we first met.”
“Wait, what?” She nearly shouted this until she realized what he meant. “We have already been over this. It is normal where I am from.”
“And for me, it is normal to help out someone smaller and weaker. I mean, I am escorting you to your next destination, and unlike you, I am not doubled over from just walking.”
Feeling a bit indignant, Nissa forced herself to straighten up. “Hey, that is uncalled for.” She was not able to hold herself up for long as the cramp had not improved.
“If you will allow me to help you, this would go faster for both of us. In fact, I dare say you could get a bit of sleep, and we will be that much closer when you wake.”
“Oh, please. There is nothing about that offer that makes sense.” The princess was trying to catch her breath without panting as badly as she felt she needed to get enough air.
Ethan shrugged, “Have it your way. But it does mean that I am going to keep rubbing in how out of shape you are when I have to stop to wait for you to pant like this.” He pretended to knock dirt off his impeccable clothing. “And you tried to make it sound like you were tough enough to handle this kind of thing. Hmmm.”
She glared at him, “I don’t know anyone who can keep up the pace you have sustained for I have no idea how long. That is an impossible pace.” Putting her head down, she focused on rubbing her side. When it finally felt better, she looked at her companion. “I suppose if you never ride a horse then you are capable of much greater speeds.”
“There’s that too, yes. Are you ready?” He glossed over whatever he meant and began to pressure her to get moving. “And are you sure you aren’t going to get another cramp trying to keep up?”
“I am certain that I will start hurting again, and much sooner. Maybe if we slowed down it wouldn’t be so bad.”
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Ethan groaned, “It’s like walking in slow motion, but I suppose if it means that we don’t have to stop for you to imitate an old dog, I can slow down.”
“I’m sorry, but did you just call me an old bitch?”
Ethan looked at her for a minute, then started to laugh. “It definitely seems that way. I was originally going to say a pig, so if you prefer—”
Nissa gritted her teeth, “It seems you are back to normal.”
“I have never been anything but myself with you.”
“Yes, but for a little bit there you actually seemed like a decent human.”
“Hey now, that is incredibly uncalled for,” Ethan’s eyes narrowed a bit at her, then he just shook his head. “Alright, fine, we are even, and I will try to be a bit gentler about it if you promise not to insult me like that.”
“Sorry to hurt your feelings by calling you decent. It won’t happen again.” She gave him a scathing look. “As long as you don’t insult me like that again.”
“I was just describing the absurd sounds you were making because you didn’t bother to ask me to slow down, and then tried to hide the fact that you were entirely out of breath. Then when I offered you a solution that would spare you similar pain going forward, you took offense, and insulted me by making it sound like I would do something to you while you slept. Now I am stuck going much slower than I had planned, and you expect me to stay silent? Clearly someone hasn’t been paying attention.”
Nissa was just about to say that he didn’t have to stay with her if he was so annoyed, but his warning about this being the last time he would offer to help her gave the princess enough reason to refrain from that. Taking a deep breath, she managed, “If I offended you earlier, it was not intentional, alright? I just don’t think that it would be wise to go to sleep and be so vulnerable with someone I still really don’t know. Even if I am already incredibly vulnerable. Call it extra caution after what has already happened this evening.”
With a sigh, Ethan said, “You do realize that if I wanted to do something to you, I already have everything that I need. We are between major settlements, there will be no one here at this time of night. If I wanted anything from you, really all I would have to do is to take it. You do realize that you are already as vulnerable as you can possibly get. At worst, if you woke to find yourself in a compromising position, you would be well rested and better able to fight back, right?”
Despite how she felt, Nissa couldn’t help but laugh at his assessment. “Are you seriously saying that you can maintain a fast pace while carrying me? Even if I’m asleep and you have to work to keep me from falling off of your back?”
“I used to do that with my sister all the time, and she is bigger than you.”
Nissa gave a sigh. Her body was tired, and she knew that she had not eaten enough lately.
Before she could say anything, Ethan spoke up, “Look, I apologize. You have a very different set of limitations, and I am being unnecessarily down on you about it. That is… I will try to do better. After all, we are both going through enough without making this trip unpleasant.” He chortled for a second. “If I’m not careful, you are going to try to say that you would rather go it alone, and at this point, I think I am too invested in making sure you reach your destination. If it means toning back my inclinations, then I will.”
Nissa was taken aback by the sudden change and said, “This doesn’t seem very like you at all.”
He smirked, making her wonder just how serious he was. “Well, you really don’t know me very well, and you are welcome to disbelieve whatever I tell you about myself. However, I am more than capable of admitting when I am in the wrong. It happens so rarely that it is really a good reminder that I am not perfect.”
Despite herself, Nissa laughed. Trying to stifle it, she finally gave up. “You are definitely an interesting character, Ethan. I’m not sure whether I should be guarded or open around you. One minute you are insulting me, the next protecting me, then you go and open up to me.”
“Does it bother you?”
“No. I mean, I don’t know. It’s completely new to me. Apart from Nicolas, I don’t think anyone has ever acted so honestly around me. It’s kind of refreshing, even if you don’t pull your punches. Besides,” she stopped talking as a yawn escaped her mouth. As soon as she was finished, she saw the smug look that Ethan was giving her. “You know, you can be insufferable, though. That part isn’t quite as nice as the rest of it.”
“I’ve heard that before too.” He gave her a quick bow, almost as if it had all been an act. “As for your apprehension, it is understandable. In fact, it is entirely understandable, and with nearly anyone else, I would say that you should definitely listen to that voice cautioning you against trusting someone.”
“But you are different, right?”
“You’ve no idea. But if it will make you feel any better, I am expected to find a bride, and you are already taken, which means I don’t look at you as a prospective mate. No one in my kingdom has any interest in messing with a woman.” It almost seemed like that was all he was going to say because there was a very long pause before he continued, “With a woman who isn’t interested. And certainly not one who already has a lover. As I mentioned earlier, I definitely have a preference for a woman who is excited about the experience. I don’t need to ransom you, and I would have a much easier time of just leaving you to die than killing you myself. There is literally no reason for me to do you any harm if you want to sleep.”
Nissa looked at him, and they maintained eye contact for a few minutes as they walked. “Alright. I’m tired, and I already know you aren’t going to do anything to hurt me physically. If you really don’t mind, I would appreciate the rest.”
“Alright.” He knelt in front of her. “Hop on.”
Feeling a bit self-conscious, Nissa got on his back. At first she clung to his neck as he stood up.
His voice was strained as he said, “You don’t need to hang on that tightly.”
“Oh, sorry. I haven’t ridden on anyone’s back since I was a child.”
“What? Not even your precious man’s back?” There was a hint of something in his voice as he said it, but without being able to see his face, Nissa wasn’t sure how seriously to take him.
They chatted for a few more minutes, but before she knew it, Nissa had fallen asleep. Her dreams were strange as she imagined she was flying through the sky, the wind whipping through her cloak. It was a calming sensation, and Nissa found that she slept much better on Ethan’s back than she had slept since her father had announced that she would wed his friend.
A soft voice woke her. “Nissa. It’s time to wake up.”
Nissa shifted her head a little and realized that she had drooled a little. Reaching up to wipe her mouth, she lost her balance.
“Whoa! Careful there.” The bedding shifted a little.
Then her eyes flew open as she realized that she was still on Ethan’s back. “Oh my divines! I am so sorry!” She clung to his shoulders, remembering how she had nearly choked him the morning before. “I drooled all over your back.”
The feel of Ethan laughing under her caused Nissa’s heart to speed up, especially as her legs were wrapped around his middle. She became increasingly aware of her position on him as he spoke. “It’s quite alright. It won’t do me any harm. Besides, it was a risk I was willing to take, and I can assure you that my sister was much worse about it.” His mirth disappeared and he sounded almost caring as he asked, “Are you ready to get down, or would you like to wake up a bit more?”
Nissa finally began to look around and noticed that they were in some shade not too far from Brighton. Blinking a couple of times, she eventually rubbed her eyes as if not entirely certain she was awake. “I thought you said it would take a couple of days. Don’t tell me…” her voice trailed off.
Again, the sensation of her travel companion laughing caught her attention, and for a moment, she felt like pressing her body against him. Her ch
eeks flushed as she pushed the thought out of her mind.
Ethan said, “I told you, I am accustomed to moving fast, and I figured while you were asleep, I had the perfect opportunity to make the most of my speed. So no, you were not asleep for a couple of days. Now, if we are lucky, we will find your Nicolas here. You will be safe and happy, and I will… well, I can’t say that I will be happy to get back to what I need to do, but it is necessary.”
“You must be tired.”
“Not particularly. I can go for quite a while with very little sleep or rest. I hear it’s one of my better points.”
“Well, it is proving to be incredibly beneficial to me. Thank you.”
“You are most welcome. Now, are you ready to go find Nicolas?”
Nissa looked at the half of his face that was turned to see her. She smiled and nodded. “Yes. I can imagine how shocked he will be to see me.”
“Yes, I’m sure he will be very pleasantly surprised.” Ethan lowered his body until one of his knees touched the ground.
Nissa carefully climbed down, fully appreciating just how strong he was as his arms let go of her legs. He didn’t look particularly muscular, but Ethan felt like he was all muscle and bone. Trying to prevent her mind from following that train of thought further, Nissa began to walk to the town. “I think there are three inns, so this should be fairly easy.”
“Maybe not quite as easy as you think, but not nearly as difficult as looking for him in a city.”
Nissa nodded as Ethan fell into step beside her. They were moving at a much more normal pace as they approached the town. “I think we should probably start with… um… whichever one is closest to the gate?” Nissa had tried to plan, but she really had not done nearly as much as she had thought. She had been to Brighton on a few occasions, but they had stayed at the nicest inn. Would Nicolas stay there? Or would he try to be less obvious?
“If he is a noble, he’s probably at The Feather’s Down.”
“Is that not the closest one?”
Ethan looked out of the corner of his eyes, “No. It’s in the center to make it easier for important people to miss seeing the less beautiful parts of the town.”
