Oliver’s hands flew up in a staged show of fear. “I meant no harm!” he swore. “Elysia is of course the gem of the realm. She’s beautiful. Really. That wall? I’ve never seen anything quite that splendid!”
The guard snorted and huffed like a bull getting ready to charge. His fist drew back and I knew Oliver was in for it now.
“Is there a problem?” Taelon’s deep voice cut through the tension.
The guard’s eyes lifted to the crown prince of Soravale and he immediately dropped Oliver on the dusty ground. “This man insulted the Seat of Power.”
Taelon lifted one eyebrow. “Is it a crime to speak an opinion now? Perhaps Elysia has made yet another law and forgotten to inform the rest of the nine kingdoms?”
The guard sneered at him. “No, it is not a crime. Although it should be.”
Taelon sighed. “Well, then you are welcome to petition the king about that, but for now, we will be on our way.”
The guard reluctantly backed off.
“Are you all right?” Taelon asked.
“I’m fine,” I told him. “I’m anxious to get going. Did you have any problems with the guards?”
He jerked his chin. “No more than usual.”
I wanted to ask what that meant, but he held his hand out to me and motioned toward the carriage. “We should be on our way, before they try to detain us longer.”
“Will it take long to reach Sarasonet?”
His fingers tightened on mine. “We should reach the capital city by sunset tomorrow if we make no extra stops.”
I nodded, hoping to hide the tremble that shivered through me. Of course, Taelon noticed. He turned me to face him.
His voice dropped and he leaned in. “Tessa, you have only to say the word and I will race you back to Desmondin.”
I held his gaze, regretting the emotion I knew flashed over my face. “I have to go home. No matter how afraid I am. No matter what I will face. The guard, this wall… this journey has done nothing but solidify my resolve.”
“If you change your mind, even if we are on the palace steps, my offer still stands.”
I smiled, I couldn’t help it. “Thank you.”
His answering smile was brief but tender. I felt it move through me, setting butterflies to riot in my belly.
He let go of my hand and I breathed in renewed peace. Yes, I had fears and reservations. I had doubts and so many insecurities I thought they would choke me. But I also had Taelon.
23
Ifelt like weeping when we rode into Sarasonet. The former glory of the capital city had all but been erased.
The Elysia of my childhood was a collage of waving white and gold banners atop pointed roofs in the villages and towns spread out along the mountainside. The streets were steep and from a distance, the houses and shops seemed built on top of each other.
I remembered looking down at Sarasonet from the palace towers and counting the flags and banners as they waved in the wind. On holidays, the villagers would add more colors, representing the festival. During the Days of Light, pink banners would wave next to orange flags. Over the First Night of Winter, navy blue banners with gold etching and white embroidery would be tied to the point.
The wind gusted sharply this high in the mountains, so the flags always seemed to have a life of their own. They danced and fought the whipping wind.
But as we moved through Sarasonet, not a flag could be found. The tiles of the shop rooftops were sad and worn. The streets were not kept. Trash blew from one side of the road to the other while our horses picked over the steep terrain.
We rode by the well in the center of the city, a place that was once the heartbeat of the village, now abandoned and void of life. Unlike the village we’d driven by at the border, the people in Sarasonet did come to watch us as we passed. They did not smile or wave or shout their hellos. They merely glared at us.
More doubts piled on. How had things changed so drastically in the last eight years? Was I only remembering what I wanted to see? Had things truly been as bright and jovial as my nine-year-old mind pictured?
Oliver whistled through his teeth. “This cannot be right. This cannot be the capital of the realm.”
