Nadia rolled her eyes. "Well, it isn't exactly working. If resources were distributed equally, there would be no beggars on the streets. Maybe it's better than it was before, but I simply don't see equality, and he's done this all at the cost of freedom.
Tylen laughed softly. "Freedom? You subscribe to some antiquated ideas, Lady Nadia. Everything we do, we do because Emperor Warrick allows it. We can't get a new ruler. We can't leave. Why waste so much energy opposing the natural order of things? Freedom belongs to the past."
"You only say these things because you've never known freedom," Nadia replied. "None of us have. But I've read about it. Imagine a world where you don't live in fear of Imperial Guards. There's a reason Warrick rules through fear. The people would revolt otherwise."
"But we can't change any of that. I don't know about you, but I prefer to live in the real world, not an imaginary one. In this world, you do what you have to do to survive, and sometimes people get hurt along the way. It's a fact of life."
Nadia stabbed her ham with her fork. When her father chose Tylen, it was a cruel act meant to strip away what little freedom she had. Her father had never shown such cruelty before.
"We don't need to hear your foolish notions, Nadia," he said.
She glared at him. "You didn't think them so foolish when Mom was alive."
"I tolerated her ideas. Nothing more."
"But you said you loved her."
"And I did. That doesn't mean I had to love everything about her."
"Well, you should at least respect her memory." She didn't care if she went too far. She'd lost all respect for her father. "If Mom were alive, she would never allow this marriage. She would support my wishes to marry Ander, and you know it."
Her father's eyes became narrow slits. "But she wouldn't have the final say. I would. Why can't you understand that I'm protecting you? No matter what you might think, I love you, and I don't want to see another person I love die because of such foolishness."
"Then you won't see me die." She shot to her feet, knocking her chair to the stone floor with a loud clang. Tears threatened her eyes. "You won't see me at all!"
The time had come to leave Crayden, whether or not Ander was ready to accompany her to Woodsville. She couldn't bear the thought of seeing her father ever again. He had betrayed her mother's memory, and now he had betrayed her.
She could never forgive that.
She stormed out of the dining chamber, across the foyer, registering vaguely that her father was yelling for her to come back. When she reached the top of the stairs, she marched past the guard at her door and into the room. She'd already prepared what she'd need to leave, having planned this for a long time.
She shoved a few last things into her large leather sack, then started toward the door.
"Nadia, you get back down there right now!" her father said, sounding angrier than she'd ever heard. But what did she care? He could yell all he wanted.
"I'm leaving, Father, and there's nothing you can do about it."
"Oh, is that what you think? Well, in that case, I will put extra guards on your door and instruct them not to let you out unless they accompany you everywhere. I will not let you run away, Nadia. You are being selfish and childish, and you need to learn your lesson."
Nadia kicked her gold-framed bed. Her father had opened the door now, looking on with narrowed eyes and a disapproving frown. She gave him her worst glare in return.
"I'm being selfish?" she said, her anger taking over. "I'm not the one forcing his daughter to marry a man she hates, a man who stands for everything she despises, simply because it is most convenient for him. You don't really care about me. All you care about is yourself. You know what? I don't care if they kill you for my actions. You deserve it."
Her father stepped aggressively toward her and pulled her face close to his. "Don't ever say that again. I've done everything for you, and this is what I get as repayment? You might think you're like your mother, but you're not. She never treated me like this."
Nadia pulled out of his grip. "Yes, and you never treated her like this either. I'm sorry, but I have plans for my life, and they don't include marrying Tylen. I will not be stuck here in Crayden the rest of my life. I will not support an emperor who rules by fear, who kills people for simply voicing disapproval with his regime. I'm going to do something important with my life."
"And what is that?" her father said, advancing on her again. He looked almost apoplectic, muscles in his face twitching like she'd never seen before. "Are you going to go the same way as your mother? You can't kill Warrick. It's impossible."
"Well, then I'll just have to do the impossible."
"I don't understand you," he said. "Your mother died for her beliefs. You have to understand the futility of following her path."
She fought against tears. "It's not as futile as you might think."
"Forget it." He turned away, shaking his head furiously. "I can see you won't be reasoned with until you calm down. You will be confined to your room except for the necessities. And don't even think of trying to bargain with the guards."
He slammed the door. Her entire body pulsed with anger. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she sank to the carpeted floor.
Chapter 20: Seeking Refuge
Nadia had no idea how long she'd lain there crying herself dry. It seemed like hours later when Avia put a soft hand on her shoulder. Nadia hadn't heard the door open. She didn't want to meet Avia's eyes. The last thing she could stomach was Avia agreeing with her father.
"Why don't you sit down on your bed?" Avia said. She helped Nadia to her feet, and Nadia made her way to the bed with faltering steps.
She wiped away tears. "I hate Tylen. I hate my father."
"Hate is an awfully strong word, Nadia."
"You can't tell me you agree with him. He's treating me unfairly."
"That's the way the world works," Avia said. "Sometimes the people we love the most are also the people we hate the most. You can scream all you want about the unfairness of it all, but that won't change anything."
"I love you, Avia, but that's an attitude of defeat. We all live in terror, but we don't do anything about it. We simply pass these attitudes on to our children, who pass it on to theirs. Why can't anyone else see how wrong this all is?"
"Once again, Nadia, you judge people too harshly. Not everyone can measure up to your expectations. Your father is a good man. Is he always right? No. But he tries to do what's best for you, even if you don't always agree with him."
A good man? He'd betrayed her mother. There was nothing good about that.
"You haven't met Tylen," Nadia said. "He is the most conceited men I've ever seen, and he would control me." Or at least he would try. Nadia would never let that happen, no matter what threats he held over her.
Avia put a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you tell these things to your father?"
"He won't listen. He has his mind set on Tylen." Nadia picked at the sleeve of her dress. "I know you mean well, Avia, but you're wrong about all this. I have no future here, none I can stomach at least."
"But you have no choice. You'll have to adapt."
Nadia took a deep breath, reining in her emotions. "I'm sorry, Avia, but I'm leaving."
"And how are you going to do that?"
"I don't know, but I have to." Nadia paused, wondering if she should reveal her deepest secrets. She took another deep breath. "I'm going to kill Emperor Warrick."
Avia's eyes widened, and she leaned away. "That's crazy, Nadia. It's impossible."
"Actually, it isn't. I know of a spell that can kill him, and I know where to find it. Or part of it at least. It's the only way I can honor my mother's memory."
Avia sounded breathless. "Please don't do this, Nadia. It'll get you killed."
Nadia avoided Avia's eyes. "I've accepted that possibility. I don't want to die, but if in doing so, I free the people of the Empire, at least my death will have meaning."
"You need s
ome time to think this all through." Avia rose from the bed. "You're angry right now, and you're not thinking rationally. We'll talk again later."
Nadia felt numb as Avia shuffled back into her own room. Breaking Avia's heart hadn't been in Nadia's plans. She couldn't believe she'd shared her secret.
Her tears had dried now. She'd spent long enough feeling sorry for herself. Time to take action. She stowed a few last things in her leather sack, then walked to the window, unlocked it, and pushed the thick glass panes apart.
A warm breeze drifted in. Outside, a series of ledges spiraled down the tower, meant as an escape route for the direst of emergencies. She supposed someone could also climb the ledges, but the glass was surely too thick for anyone to break in. Now these ledges were her only hope. A dangerous hope.
But she had to do it. She waited a few hours, until after her father went to bed, then gathered her supplies and stepped out the window.
The ledge was about four feet wide. The height made her head spin. Her stomach roiled, but she ignored it, making her way carefully along the ledge. The leather sack of supplies threatened to overbalance her, so she let it drop. Nothing inside was breakable.
She followed the ledge to its end and dropped down to the next ledge, which began about six feet below the one where she'd stood. Her window was probably forty feet in the air, and six ledges were between it and the ground. She relaxed as she descended. It wasn't that hard.
She looked down from the final ledge. Maybe ten feet to the ground, and the drop looked longer than that. She summoned her courage, got onto her stomach, allowed her feet to dangle, and dropped. She hit the ground with a soft thud, then gathered her supplies from where they'd fallen.
Now for the tough part. The guards might spot her in the moonlight. Her path went past some hedgerows dotting the castle grounds. She crouched behind one and spotted the patrolling guard.
She ducked back behind the hedge, waiting for him to pass, her heart pounding a steady drumbeat.
Once he walked by, she let out a quiet breath and darted over to hide behind the next hedge, crouching low. The other guard was likely patrolling the opposite side of the castle grounds, but she couldn't be sure.
She crept across the grass, ducking behind hedges whenever possible. Once, she caught sight of the other guard. Her heart leapt, and she ducked, fearing he'd seen her.
The guard stayed there far too long, approaching the hedge. Would he check on the other side? If he spotted her, she'd lose what little freedom she had left. He ran his sword gently through the hedges. She tried to back away, but stumbled, and the sword touched her back.
The guard retracted his sword. "Who's there? Show yourself."
Nadia stood to let the guard see her.
"Lady Nadia, what're you doing out here?"
Nadia froze. What could she say? Maybe she could take off running. None of the guards would hurt her. She recognized this guard, though. David. A man a little younger than Varek with a thick brown beard. He was one of the other guards Varek had trusted.
"I'm leaving," she said.
"You're running away?"
"Not exactly. I have plans that require me to leave."
"Varek told me of your plans," he said.
"He did?"
"Don't worry. You can trust me. I've been thinking about joining the Order myself. And while I think your plans are kinda crazy, I can understand your reasons."
"Then you'll let me go?"
He smiled. "I'll just pretend this never happened."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. Now get going before anyone else sees you."
Nadia gave him a quick nod, then continued down the slight hill. After a few minutes, she stood at the edge of Crayden. Where could she go now? She couldn't stay with anyone she knew. Too obvious. She couldn't stay in Crayden at all.
So she started toward the forest. She'd have to go there anyway if she intended to enter the ruins of Woodsville, and maybe she could brave the place without Ander's help, or simply visit town to gain his assistance.
Not that it mattered. She didn't feel ready yet. She'd have to find somewhere to stay while she got her plans in order. Markus had mentioned a friend in the forest. Surely any friend of Markus's would help her.
The streets were empty, the city quiet. She kept an eye out for Imperial Guards. Her supplies felt heavy against her shoulder, her bow conspicuous against her back.
The bow she'd used to kill.
She reached the edge of the city in a few minutes and crossed the bridge over the canyon before entering the forest. Leaves rustled, and the air had taken on a sudden chill. She pulled a traveling cloak from her supplies and wrapped it around her shoulders.
What kind of strange weather phenomenon made it cold in the forest?
She delved deeper into the trees, shrugging the matter aside as she followed a clearly marked path that snaked through the trees and kept away from the steeper slopes. The chill deepened, and she wrapped herself tighter in her cloak.
She walked through the night with no destination in mind, settling down eventually in a small clearing. The ground felt hard, but she'd have to get used to it. She couldn't expect a comfortable inn every night on her journey.
Cold air swirled, and every sound seemed amplified in the silence. She'd never feared ghosts, but she was heading toward Woodsville.
The cold faded after a while. Exhausted, she drifted off to sleep. When she woke, the sun had risen, and sweat drenched her. She thrust her cloak back into the leather sack, feeling lost and utterly alone. Could she leave behind everyone and everything she'd ever known? Maybe Kara was right. Maybe she should give up her dreams. It would be easier.
You've never taken the easy way out, Nadia, and you won't start now.
She rose and began walking, realizing with dismay that she had no idea where Markus or his friend might live. Maybe she'd been close when she'd killed the Imperial Guard, but she couldn't remember now which paths she'd taken.
Every tree looked the same. During the night, she had left the marked path, and now she wandered with no destination in mind, which bothered her. She preferred control and well-constructed plans. Not only that, but she hadn't packed much food in her limited space.
Bushes with red and green berries stood all around. Red were usually safe, but green were a risk. These green berries looked like the ones their servants often included in meals, but she couldn't be sure. She would surely know by taste, right? Then she could spit it out. Not the smartest course of action, but she was starving.
First, she grabbed all the red berries she could find. They were sweet and delicious. Afterward, her stomach still rumbled, so she grabbed some green berries. She put one in her mouth hesitantly and chewed. It was a perfect combination of sweet and tart, but there was something different in the taste, something she didn't remember. She ate until she felt full, hoping she wasn't making a mistake.
Then she shouldered her leather sack and began walking. Maybe she'd find Markus's friend, but not Markus. Had he escaped the deal his uncle made? She hated to think he might be an Imperial Guard. Or dead.
Early that afternoon, she heard the dull thwack of an axe against wood, and hungered for the company of anyone. She felt betrayed by her father, detached from everyone else important in her life.
She pushed through some dense vegetation. On the other side stood a well-muscled young man with vibrant red hair. He split a log in two, then looked up at her with raised eyebrows. "You lost? I've never seen you around here before."
"I—well, maybe a little." She felt awkward now and wished she hadn't emerged from the trees. How could she explain her situation?
"What brings you to the forest?" he asked.
"I-I'm looking for a young man named Markus. Or maybe a friend of his—Rik, if I remember correctly."
He stepped toward her, setting the axe down. "No need to be nervous. Why are you looking for Markus? Have you seen him any time in the last day or so?"
The last day. So much had happened that it felt more like a week.
"Are you Rik?" she asked, hoping she was right.
"Yeah. You haven't told me your name, though. Or if you've seen Markus." He frowned, studying her with brown eyes. "You know, you look really familiar."
"All right, my name is Nadia."
Rik smiled. "I knew it! That's why you looked familiar."
"Apparently, that's a common occurrence around here. Markus said the same thing. Don't you woodsmen have better things to do than look at young noblewomen?"
"Not really. It's kind of a boring life, you know. Besides, all the best-looking girls are nobles, it seems." He smiled again. "You still haven't told me how you met Markus or where he might be."
"Well, it's a long story," she said, and launched into the tale.
Afterward, Rik leaned against a tree, his face a mask of concern. "Now I'm worried that the Imperial Guards got to him a day early. He would've come back otherwise."
"You were going to travel to Mountainside, weren't you?"
"Yeah, but I'm not going without Markus." He frowned, an expression that didn't look natural on him. "You still haven't told me why you're here in the forest. Shouldn't you have about twenty armed guards with you?"
Her face burned. "Well, to be honest, I ran away. My father is forcing me to marry a man who will control me for the rest of my life, and I decided long ago that I would make it my mission in life to kill Emperor Warrick. I can't do that with a horrible man controlling me."
"You think you can kill Warrick?" Rik asked. To her surprise, he looked on with interest rather than skepticism.
"Yes, there's a way. It won't be easy, but I have to try."
"Hmm, maybe I'll have to join with you then. I mean, killing Warrick—that's probably the greatest adventure of all time." He shook his head. "But first I need to find out what's happened to Markus."
World in Chains- The Complete Series Page 16
