“I can’t argue with you there,” I said, “especially now that Shazeera has her own Eagle Rider guard. Thank you for that, by the way.”
He bowed in response. “You needn’t thank me for doing my duty. I’ll leave you now, First Daughter, so that you can finally rest.”
The moment he mentioned feeling tired, all the stress and exhaustion of the day hit me at once. My mind raced through everything that had happened in the past twelve hours, though it felt like a week’s worth of activities crammed into one day. I thought of the flight here, meeting the emperor for the first time, the horrible reception in the Great Hall, Shazeera and me being separated, being locked in my room, the shadowy thing that had terrified my brave horse, and I nearly swayed on my feet.
I nodded weakly to Talon, since he seemed to be waiting for a response.
His gaze swept over me, and he hesitated before finally walking toward the door. “I’ll be just outside if you need anything,” he said.
When he left, I dutifully bolted the door behind him. But as I eyed the deep shadows in my room, I wondered if locked doors would be enough to keep me safe in this place.
My maidservant turnedout to be a girl around my age named Raven. She had an open, friendly face, stick-straight black hair that she kept in a braided bun at the nape of her neck, and acheerful demeanor that I instantly liked. Best of all, she brought me an entire cart full of food.
“Commander Talon informed me that you do not eat meat, so I brought you a little of everything else,” she said with a smile, “so I could be sure you found something you liked.”
There were steaming bowls of broth of some kind, colorful vegetables that had been cooked in what looked to be a savory sauce, and plenty of warm bread and butter.
“This all looks delicious,” I said, suddenly feeling like I hadn’t eaten in days. The smell alone—a savory and aromatic combination of garlic, onions, and peppers—made my mouth water.
“I hope you enjoy it,” Raven said, still smiling wide at my praise. “If you would like to bathe before bed, just let me know, and I can prepare everything for you. You can call for me anytime by pulling that rope there.” She indicated a gold velvet rope hanging close to my bed.
After I thanked her, she left, and I ate almost all the food she brought. When I finished, I glanced over at the plush bed, exhaustion hitting me hard.
Even with a full stomach and the knowledge that Talon guarded my door, I slept fitfully. I missed the sounds of the plains. Every night I fell asleep to the rustling grass blowing in the wind, the crickets’ loud nighttime chirping, even the occasional howls of the coyotes. Here, all nature sounds were muffled by the thick stone walls. I didn’t dare open a window for fear of freezing to death. The fire crackled, but it was a quiet, intermittent sound. And after seeing that creature, I watched the lengthening shadows warily by the light of the dancing flames.
The next morning, after Raven had brought me breakfast and I’d eaten in lonely silence, a knock came at the door.
“The emperor is here to see you, Future Empress,” the guardwho had replaced Talon while he presumably went and rested called out through the door.
I removed the plank and opened it to find Altair dressed much more casually than he had been the first time I saw him. Today he wore warm-looking pants and boots with a thickly brocaded jacket lined with fur. “May I come in?”
In answer, I moved to the side to let him in. He walked over to the sitting room, and I let him stand awkwardly there without asking him to sit, which I knew was petty. But I still didn’t know if Lord Heron had decided it would be fun to lock me in my room last night, or if the emperor had ordered it. I wouldn’t play nice until I knew what kind of man I was dealing with.
“Have you found your accommodations comfortable?” Altair asked.
“Mostly,” I said, “though I didn’t appreciate you ordering Lord Heron to lock me in my room last night.” My insides quivered because I knew what I was about to say could cause trouble for me that I wasn’t ready for, but it had to be said. “Honestly, I don’t know how I can marry someone who treated me like that—former enemies or not.”
He watched me quietly for a moment. “Are you saying you no longer wish to uphold your end of the treaty?”
My mouth went dry. “No, I’m saying I refuse to be treated like a prisoner.”
“I see,” he said, leaning back on his heels slightly. “Then perhaps you shouldn’t have displayed such power in the middle of my throne room.”
“I meant no harm. I was only trying to calm my mare, and now, she’s been separated from me.”
“There are many here who fear earth magic, especially your ability to call the wind.” I didn’t bother to correct him—that Ididn’t even have earth magic. “They want to see that you have incentive not to use that power against them. Had I done nothing, the people would have turned on you.”
I felt a sickening lack of control over my own life. “Does this mean I will continue to be separated from her?”
“Your mare can stay in the upper pasture, and Talon or another guard can escort you to her anytime you desire,” he said, without quite answering the question. “You have to admit it’s the best place for her.” He waved his arm around my room, which was large, but admittedly not as easily accessible to the outdoors as our pavilions. But that didn’t mean I liked him telling me what was best for her. “I don’t think she would be as comfortable surrounded by stone instead of grass and sky.”
When I remained suspicious of his intentions, he sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “You have my word that she will have the best care. Complete freedom of the pastures, access to a stable if she chooses, and fresh grain to supplement the grass.”
“That does sound like she’d be well cared for,” I admitted. Shazeera would always prefer the open sky and grass to being trapped inside. But the separation made me ache for her. “The guards know I can go to her anytime I want?”
“Yes. You need only tell them.”
Tell, notask. Relief spread through me, and I glanced over at the chairs in front of the fire. “Would you like to sit?”
