Dorian raised a lazy brow at her, which she shook her head at and surrendered.
“Yeah. We’ll go further in and upriver,” Bala said with a wave of her finger. “Shortly, Prince. The Noctuans are more violent on this round with the slaying of their King. I’ll not be caught out of the safety of my kingdom at nightfall. Not even with the speaker to creatures at my side.”
Nyssa’s stomach knotted at the words as everyone else began moving. But Dorian gave her elbow a squeeze, and she sighed out the lump stuck in her throat.
Dorian had to pause when they reached the Venari kingdom. People were walking on branches in the massive trees high above him. Some appeared to be scouting, some sharpening weapons, and some simply had their legs swung down and were eating.
Settled within the trees’ trunks were various places like the armory and what looked to be an open mess hall. But the largest tree, and the one they seemed to be walking towards, was one fit only for a King.
"Why have you never built a castle?" Dorian had asked Draven on the road to the villages.
Draven looked as though he would laugh as he huffed out the smoke from his pipe. "What and cut down the trees that we're connected to to make way for it? The only ones on this land with a castle is your kind. Arbina being her extravagant self and wanting her children to appear greater than every other being. The open forest is freedom. Venari are not meant for cages."
"Do you live in the trees?"
Draven sighed back in the grass, arm coming up behind his head. "We do."
Dorian could see the pride in Draven's eyes. "You know, you talk about Arbina and her extravagance... I would bet your tree is the grandest, most audacious tree in all the Forest."
This time, Draven actually smiled. "King's tree. And she is. Nearly as tall as Duarb. Kings before me had it filled with trophies and furs... I got rid of most of it when I moved in. Had a great bonfire for some. Traded the rest with friends."
"Why?"
"I like the simple life."
Simple life, my ass, Dorian thought to himself.
He turned to say something clever to Nyssa and Lex about it, but when he did, he noticed the pair of them staring at that tree as though it had suddenly grasped onto their hearts and was slowly twisting its limbs inside their chests.
"Okay, Second Sun?" he called to Lex.
Lex gave him a hesitant smile and nodded before then wrapping an arm over Nyssa's shoulders.
Venari stopped and gathered around as Bala led them up the staircase. She paused a few steps up and looked out at her people, asking them, "Don't you all have work to do?" to try and stop them from staring at their guests as though they were meant for slaughter.
Dorian removed his boots and muddied tunic upon reaching the porch. He started to lay the shirt on the chair, but Lex grabbed his arm before he could toss it.
"That’s theirs," Lex said firmly.
Dorian dumped the shirt on the floor instead.
A cot had been set up on the floor beside the oversized bed. Bala's cot, he realized. A blanket was mussed over the big mattress, a few shirts thrown on it as though someone had left in a rush—which Dorian was reminded was probably true.
Lex stilled in the doorway as Dorian passed her, and he saw Nyssa squeeze her arm. Lex forced a smile at Nyssa, but she could not hide the silver glisten forming at the bottom of her eyes.
Bala glanced back at Dorian. "Tub is behind that screen if you'd like to wash," she told him.
Dorian gave her a grateful nod and went to draw the water.
"You've moved in?" Lex managed to Bala.
Bala paused by Draven's desk, and her hand slowly stroked over a piece of parchment. "I didn't have a choice," she said softly. "When I got back, the rest of them were rioting, threatening to march to Magnice to take your heads." She turned to face them and leaned against the desk. "Bael was the only one who helped me settle things down. I had to take the King's Tree, or else someone would have put themselves in it, possibly tried to take his things or my crown."
"Have things calmed now?" Lex asked as she removed her boots.
"Somewhat," Bala shrugged. "You saw them today. They are on edge, and I don't blame them. Belwarks are just as likely to walk into our kingdom in retaliation for what Draven did, and I'll have a war coming at me on three sides."
Dorian sank himself beneath the water he'd drawn and leaned his head back against the lip of the greatest tub he'd ever been in. "Is there anything we can do?" he asked.
