“Is it always this busy?” Kyella asked the woman curiously.
“About once or twice a month, yes,” she said before tilting her head in thought. “Well, maybe notthisbusy. It’s different today because everyone has come from even the most distant lands to aid in the war.”
“I can see that,” Kyella looked over the marketplace. “Everyone seems so dedicated toward the cause.”
“Of course they are!” A young boy, maybe twelve at most and with a squeaky voice, came to stand next to his grandmother. “Why wouldn’t people want to defend our home?”
Well, when he put it like that, there wasn’t much of an argument.
The kid continued as a small smile tugged at Kyella’s lips. “I just wish I was old enough to join!” The end of his proclamation was enunciated with him thumping his chest, which he puffed out bravely. His eyes darted to me, and when I smiled, his entire face lit up.
Call me crazy, but I had a feeling this kid would try to join the military as soon as possible, even knowing he’d get turned away for being too young. It was honorable, but I hoped he focused on enjoying his childhood instead of worrying about matters that should be the responsibilities of adults.
“Oh, stop it, you’re growing up too fast as it is,” the grandmother chastised with a soft smile.
“Seriously, kid,” a man from the next stall called out. Glancing over, I watched as he shook his head, smiling with a flash of fangs. “Stop being in such a damn rush to get older. You’re going to worry your mother half to death.”
“She’s at home, she doesn’t need to know,” the kid grumbled, deflating slightly.
“All in good time,” I said, putting my two cents in. The point wasn’t to crush his spirit, but to gently remind him that if that’s what he wanted, it could happen in the future. Thedistantfuture.
The boy kicked the road with his heel and muttered, “Yeah, yeah.”
Oh, to be young with your entire life in front of you.
“Thank you for making such a beautiful shawl,” Kyella said, drawing their attention back to her as she ran her fingers over the material. “It’s amazing to hear about how loved these lands are. I’m grateful to be here and a part of it now.”
I knew it probably surprised her because there likely wasn’t as pride in their land in the Thaician Empire. The people here wanted to actively protect their home and would do anything to keep their families safe, even if it meant traveling across the Cursed Divide for the first time.
The part that I felt guilty about? The part that kept me up at night? I knew there would be those that didn’t return. There would be families who would get word that their loved one was lost in the war. It was inevitable.
As we walked away from the stand, Kyella tilted her head up at me. With a small smile, she admitted, “I don’t think this place will ever cease to amaze me.”
I squeezed her hand. “You’ll get used to it, darling. After all, this is your home now.”
Kyella froze, tugging me to a stop as we turned onto a quieter street, a dark look crossing her face. Her voice was soft and a bit sad as she said, “You’re right, it is my home…and I can’t help but feel like I’m putting it in danger, that this war is more than slightly my fault—”
In less than a heartbeat, I had her pressed up against a stone wall, her eyes darkening and breath catching. I slid a hand under her jaw and tilted her chin up. “What did you just say?” I demanded.
“This would have never happened if it wasn’t for me,” she stated softly. “The Cursed Divide would have stayed that—a divide, uncrossed.”
I let out a low rumble and dipped my forehead so it rested against her own. “Your arrival in the Tridian Empire may have escalated things, but make no mistake Kyella, someone like Malakai doesn’t ignore unexplored land that he could possibly rule over. This war would have happened eventually. Hell, he may have already had a plan in action, so do not, for a single fucking second, blame yourself.”
After examining my face for a moment, she seemed to sag in relief and nodded her head. “I know you’re right. It’s just seeing all of them like that…I want to protect that. I want everyone to return home to their families.”
And while I couldn’t promise her that we could do that, we would do our damn best.
“Come on, I want to show you something.” I gently pulled her hand as we walked down the quiet road toward the docks. I noticed she’d been staring out toward the coastline for most of the morning as the sails of our ships began to rise in preparation. The moment she said she wanted to come into town, I decided I wanted to show her the might of the Tridian Empire.
Chapter Fourteen
Kyella
What Kolvar had to show me was breathtaking.
Maybe it was my lack of previous experience with these types of military environments that left me feeling awestruck. I didn't think it was just that, though. There was something magnificent about seeing this many battleships in the harbor, preparing to leave for war.
I stood on a lookout tower set up for commanders to oversee the ships—allowing me to view the over three hundred vessels, according to Kolvar, that made up the Tridian Empire’s fleet.
