Only for goodbye.
Four innocuous wordswere now the most hated in Mareleau’s vocabulary:it’s time to go. Cora brought these words to her door, and as much as she wanted to argue, she didn’t dare. She’d heard the report too. Larylis had told her after she’d insisted on his honest summary of the council meeting he’d attended with Cora and Teryn. After that, she’d known it was only a matter of time before Cora came to give the official word that they had to leave.
At least Mareleau was—hopefully—closer to comfort. Sleeping in the collar had been even more uncomfortable than sleeping while pregnant. If leaving now meant she could soon forgo the godsforsaken device, then she at least had one bright side to look forward to.
She forced herself to focus on that alone as she prepared for her journey with shaking hands. Larylis was gathering his party for his own travels, and Noah was sleeping in his bassinet. Mareleau was left on her own in her bedroom to pack for a journey she still struggled to reconcile. She’d never traveled without a retinue. Without maids and a coach. What the hell was she supposed to bring for a magical trek to visit a mystical commune in the woods? How the seven devils was she supposed to prepare?—
A gentle hand fell over hers, stilling her trembling fingers as she fumbled with the chemise she was stuffing into the leather traveling bag.
Helena spoke in a calm tone. “Allow me.”
Right. Mareleau wasn’t fully alone. Her mother was here too. She faced Helena, blinking back tears. Helena made no mention of Mareleau’s undignified crying nor the sheer number of small, tangled braids that wove through her tresses, courtesy of Mareleau’s habit to braid when she was anxious. Instead, she simply smiled and gestured for Mareleau to step aside.
Despite Helena’s kind expression, her eyes were shadowed with dark circles. They’d spoken for a long while last night, shedding tears as Mareleau finally confessed all the truths she’d been hiding. Helena now knew how her husband had died. How the last contact Mareleau had had with her father was a gifted blanket that she’d later lost to the fire. Something had changed between them ever since. Something small and fragile existed where there once had been a wall of thorns. It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t exactly warm, but it was open. That was enough.
She stepped back and allowed Helena to take her place before the bag that was perched at the foot of Mareleau’s bed.
Helena moved slowly, calmly, extracting everything Mareleau had packed, then sifting through each item. In the past, Mareleau would have railed at her mother for inserting herself into her business, but this didn’t feel like nitpicking, nor a way for Helena to demonstrate superiority. This felt like care. This felt like something a mother would do.
“Queen Aveline said you wouldn’t need much,” Helena said, “as the people you are visiting will have plenty of resources for you and Noah. Let’s pack a spare nursing gown, underclothes, and swaddling. That will be enough.”
Mareleau’s throat constricted as she watched her mother pack the bag. Something Helena had likely never had to do for herself.
Yes, something had changed between them indeed. Mareleau hoped it would continue to grow when she returned.
Once Helena finished packing the bag and faced her daughter with a proud look, Mareleau did something she rarely felt inclined to do.
She hugged her mother.
As soon asthe sun had set, Larylis walked with Mareleau to Ridine’s stables, his wife’s bag slung over his shoulder and his son in his arms. He tried to memorize the precious shape and weight cradled against his chest. Noah was so small. So light, even in the layers of swaddling he was wrapped in. It was agonizing that Larylis even felt the need to treasure this moment, to treat holding his son as a last memory. Yet it would be a final moment, for a short time at least.
The seven gods were cruel to separate them like this. He only hoped that when Cora worldwalked Mareleau and Noah home to Verlot Palace after they accomplished their task with the Forest People, he’d be there too. And not fighting on Vera’s shores against King Darius’ army.
That gave him an unwanted chill. He’d hardly slept a wink last night and probably wouldn’t until he received confirmation about Darius’ fleet. He’d received no word that it had been spotted yet. Of course, the ships could already be approaching Vera’s shores. The news would be delayed by the rate a messenger horse could travel. It was the worst kind of anticipation, like being poised barefoot on shattered glass, waiting to feel the sting of the cut.
He shook the thoughts from his mind and refocused on Noah in his arms. His son was content, freshly nursed, and awake. The last light of the setting sun painted his chubby cheeks pink, the only part of him visible from his swaddling. Larylis was grateful that the night was decently comfortable for the end of winter, absent of icy wind or torrents of rain. A small consolation.
Too soon they reached the closed doors to the stables. Captain Alden stood outside—the only other person they’d come across on their way here. Cora had arranged things so they could leave privately, without stirring too much gossip or concern. They hadn’t refuted the story that Mareleau had already returned to Vera, and the official statement regarding Cora’s upcoming absence was that she would lead another scouting party to the Khero-Vinias border. Easy-to-digest lies for the councilmen and allies who weren’t privy to the full truth.
Alden nodded and stood aside, granting them entry. As they paused before the doors, Larylis glanced at Mareleau. She lifted her chin and threw back her shoulders, despite that awful device she still wore, then let out a shaky breath.
“Are you ready?” he asked, shifting Noah’s weight to one arm so he could brush his fingertips against hers.
Her shoulders dropped and she gave him a sad smile. “No. But…yes.
They found Teryn and Cora already inside. Teryn greeted them with a nod. Berol, perched upon Teryn’s shoulder, chirped at seeing Larylis. Exhaustion etched the lines of Teryn’s face, and Larylis knew then that there was one person who felt like he did. Yet even they couldn’t find comfort in each other’s company for long. Come morning, Larylis would depart with his retinue.
Larylis’ gaze shifted to Cora, who was busy saddling a horse.
Only…it wasn’t a horse. It was Valorre.
A unicorn.
Getting saddled.
Now he understood another reason why Cora had demanded such secrecy and had wanted to wait until just after nightfall. She’d smuggled a unicorn onto castle grounds. While the existence of unicorns had become somewhat accepted by the greater public over the last several months, most citizens had never seen one. It would certainly cause quite a stir if any of the servants spotted Valorre.
Larylis couldn’t help feeling awed at his proximity to the creature. He’d seen the unicorn charging through the battlefield at Centerpointe Rock, but he hadn’t met him face to face. If his heart weren’t so heavy, he’d be amused at the sight of the majestic fae animal with a saddle on his back.
