If I steadfastly believed it, it had to come true, right?
“The winds are stronger today,” Kyella commented, tilting her head back. Some of her dark hair had pulled free from her braid, whipping around, and highlighting a face that was filled with determination. Strength emanated from her, and I had little doubt that anyone who looked at Kyella would view her as a symbol for strength, hope, and a reason to fight.
“They are,” I agreed. “The navigators said we’re traveling at top speed. We should be there by late evening, which is ideal since we don’t want to approach unless it's under the cover of darkness.”
She nodded in understanding, her attention momentarily snagged by an upbeat song that carried across the ship’s deck, several of the sailors singing the tune. It was clearly one that was well known, despite not being familiar to me.
Kyella’s gaze lit with interest, and her soft expression made me want to lean down and place a kiss on her plush, parted lips. I knew several people were watching us, and I wanted to respect Kyella’s wishes to keep our displays of affection to a minimum in front of others, so I pulled away quickly. I didn’t like it because I wanted to kiss my beauty, but I understood it.
It was probably for the best because what I wanted to do with Kyella wouldn’t be possible on this ship. No, I would need to be patient until we were back home. Then I could have her exactly how I wanted her.
“How are you feeling, darling?” She turned her gaze to me, her golden eyes lighting with a flame of heat that only intensified their nature. A coy smile pulled at her lips as her gaze darted over my shoulder, no doubt checking to see how close people were.
“Feeling? I feel amazing, Kolvar. Although, I’m sure that doesn’t surprise you.”
I felt my chest inflate with pride, and a deep, primal sound nearly broke from my throat at the desire that flashed in her gaze. I loved that we had made her feel that way. Though I did want to know if she was sore. It was something I was concerned about, especially after she took us so damn well.
Last night was something else.
I felt more connected to her than ever, my fingers toying with her braid as her gaze moved back to the horizon, knowing that we couldn’t say more than that right now. But I could think about it. I could think about the appreciation and affection I felt toward Kyella. Last night only drew my attention to how close we had grown as a unit.
Kyella completed us—made us the family we were meant to be—and she had been the piece missing from everything we had been building. It was almost as if we had been waiting for her to arrive without ever really knowing it.
She was the center of our world and our future, and I would fight like hell to protect that.
My thoughts lingered on all the things I would be willing to do to ensure we all came back home, but as the late morning turned to afternoon, we made our way from the front of the ship toward the back. Elijah and Dakath joined us as we spoke, patrolling with ease and allowing us to remain available for anyone who might have questions.
We were only occasionally interrupted, allowing us to take the moment of solitude and peace to relax. It felt necessary, as I had no doubt that we had a tough battle ahead of us.
Despite our strategy and planning, we had no idea what to expect when we arrived at the Thaician Empire.
Throughout the afternoon, I noticed that Kyella was people watching as men scurried back and forth across the deck, her brow furrowed slightly in thought as she listened to the men’s lively conversations.
“How large is the Tridian empire exactly?” She asked curiously. “I’ve seen maps of it, but I haven’t had a chance to leave the capital city. How many small communities are there?”
“Large,” I immediately answered. “There are farming communities and a lot of land, but no other large cities, just small communities. The way it is laid out makes it seem much larger because it is so spread out.”
“Is that why people didn’t hesitate to travel into the capital city to volunteer? From what I could tell at the market, it seems like quite a journey many of them make to trade.”
I nodded in agreement. “It is a very familiar route for many, traveling at least once a month with their goods and crops.”
“The Tridian empire seems heavily based in commerce—trading and the like.” She pointed out.
“Exactly,” Dakath agreed. “We’re not militaristic in nature.”
Elijah added in his opinion. “The vast majority of our land is utilized for farming.”
Kyella considered our words before nodding. “When we return home, I want to travel through the empire. Not only to thank each family that sacrificed what they did to make this possible, but to connect with each community and show them that I’m not focused on only those who live in the city.”
“Every few years Myrin made a similar trip, wanting to check in on the people herself rather than relying solely on the lords to report,” Elijah added. Kyella nodded as if the decision was made, and I couldn’t help but smile with that knowledge that when we came home, our girl would slip into her position as Empress flawlessly.
We just had to get to that point.
The concept of traveling the countryside with Kyella was enticing as I knew it would allow us more privacy outside of the castle. But what I loved even more was the idea of visiting the small town I’d grown up in–where my family lived before they passed. I’d always loved the thought of having my own family, and now that I’d found Kyella, the idea of walking those same streets with her and sharing with her the memories I always looked fondly to—was an appealing one.
There was so much I wanted to do with Kyella, but it felt like Malakai was a fucking wall between us and our future. And that wall was one I would relish in destroying.
* * *
