She waves her hand and I feel my breath catch, and then the impact of falling into my body takes over.
My fingers curl beside me, feeling silk beneath my fingertips. My eyelids flutter open and I take in my surroundings. A fire crackles in the corner, casting shadows against the sand-colored walls. Above me a canopy of black gauze covers the top of the bed and waterfalls down the four posts. There is a large decorative door — or maybe it’s a window — to my right. I begin to shake, this isn’t Antalis. Where am I?
I sit up, pulling the black silk around me, keeping the cold at bay, and stand on weak legs. I walk toward the door, the cold stone floor beneath me makes me look around, hoping for a pair of shoes to slip into, but I don’t see any. I touch the windows. They are thick and cold, beyond them all I see is sand. My fingers tremble and a gasp leaves me. I know of only one place that has this much sand. Shaston.
When did I arrive in Shaston?
“Carnaxa!”
Siphonie’s squeal echoes through the room and she runs, grabbing me to pull me in for a tight hug. I hug her back, letting her warmth and familiarity take over. I can’t help but feel insecure in the smile that crosses my face.
She’s in a brown dress in a style I’ve never seen before. It’s long and touches the floor, but unlike our normal gauzy material, it’s heavy. The arms of the dress are long and go past her fingertips. She wears a hood in a matching fabric that covers her pink hair. Still feeling confused, I step back from her. “When did we get to Shaston?”
She runs her hand up my arm. “Let’s get you sitting back in bed and have the healers come check on you. We arrived a day ago. Everyone will be so happy to see you awake. We’ve been so worried about you, Naxa.”
We walk back to the bed, and she sits beside me, still beaming up at me. She pushes the hood back, revealing her pale pink hair pulled tightly up on the top of her head, with wisps coming down to frame her face. “You’ve been asleep for thirteen days. We worriedyou wouldn’t wake up, and with everything happening since we crossed the border — I just couldn’t imagine you not waking up.” She kisses the top of my head. “Let me go get the healers.” Siphonie stands, putting her hood back up, and hurries out the door, leaving me alone once again.
I wait and listen for her to come back. Shivering from cold and worry, I walk towards the fire and as I reach out my hands to the warmth coming from the flames, I notice a rounded door to the side. I walk to it, opening it without making a sound. I take a step across its threshold. It’s another room. Similar to mine, a fire flickers in the hearth on the back wall and I can make out another bed in the center.
I swiftly start to feel as if I shouldn’t be here and turn to leave, accidentally kicking something that clangs against the still-open door. The sound of swords being pulled from their sheaths fills the air and I stop and turn toward the sound. I’ll just apologize and leave at once.
“I’m sorry...” I see the glint of the curved blades from the person who holds them on the bed. “I just woke up and I’m confused. I’m sorry. I’ll return at once.”
“Princess?” A deep voice I vaguely recognize as Prince Ereon’s slips through the darkness. “Stay right there.”
I freeze, unsure why I am attached to his room and worry about what he’ll do finding me here. Ereon tosses his swords to the ground before lighting a candle. He pulls up the sheets as if making his bed. He mumbles something, but I can’t make out what it is.
He walks to me, running a hand over his face to clear the sleep from his features. My eyes are drawn to his shirtless chest and the muscles that are there. He puts his hands on my shoulders, his stare piercing through me before leaning in to kiss my forehead and turning me back to my room. I shake, unsure of why he would show such affection to me. He walks me back into my room, all the while running his palms up and down my shoulders.
“How long have you been awake? You shouldn’t be walking yet,” he asks as he sits me back down on my bed, reaching for a pitcher of water that I didn’t see the first time. He pours a glass for me and I eagerly take a drink. I notice for the first time that my lips are cracked and dry.
“Siphonie” — I take another sip — “she went to go get the healers.” I look at his chest full of scars and marks and wonder how many he’s kept hidden while he was on Antalis soil. He reaches out and grabs my hand, running his thumb across the back of it. I snatch my hand away from him. He looks at me with concern. A hesitant smile crosses his face and he bites his lip nervously.
“Prince Ereon, I’m sure Siphonie will be back shortly and can help explain everything. Please return to your room. I’ll be fine now. Thank you for escorting me.”
“Prince?” As his finger caresses my chin, he lifts my gaze to meet his, his eyes ablaze with a mixture of intensity and tenderness. “Princess, are you okay?”
Suddenly a door opens and Siphonie comes barreling in with who I assume is a healer behind her. “Oh, good. Ereon, she foundyou. I brought the healer here to see her.” He stands and moves away from me as the robust woman comes to sit beside me.
The next few moments pass in a blur as the healer listens to my heart, my breathing, and everything in between. I feel Ereon’s eyes on me and I don’t understand why he won’t just return to his room. He had no interest in me these past ten months. Why does he seem to care now? He put on a black robe at some point that matches the long flowing black pants he wears.
The healer smiles at me. “Princess Carnaxa, I consider you pretty lucky to have survived. We still aren’t sure what happened to you, but I’m happy to see you pulled through. I’ll have someone bring something up for you to eat. Get your rest and I will be here again tomorrow to check on you.”
She opens the door right when a man bustles through. His black hair is piled high up on his head and he wears the colors of my kingdom. He runs forward and wraps me in his arms as he kisses my temple. “Nohæ.” He runs his hands up and down my back as he continues to kiss my temple, my forehead, my cheeks. I try to pull back, but he doesn’t allow it.
Finally, he releases me, and I stumble back, tipping my head up at him. The scruff along his chin has scratched my cheeks and I rub at the sting there. I take a deep breath and take a few steps away before addressing him.
“I’m sorry ... who are you?”
five
Thylas
“Princess Carnaxa has awoken. Bêlit Siphonie sent me to find you, Ambassador Thylas,” a servant tells me, but judging by the shackles on her feet, she’s anlottir,those held against their will. I rapidly place my dinner on the table and race towards Carnaxa’s room.
My heavy, leather boots slap the floor as I run across the sandstone, servants,nlottirs, and soldiers scurry to clear a path for me. I push past the healer leaving Carnaxa’s room andcan’t control myself as I rush to wrap her up in my arms, kissing her temples. “Nohæ.”
I shower her with tender kisses, moving to her cheeks, and finally landing on her forehead. Unable to grasp reality, I run my hands along her back, hoping to ground myself in the moment. I feel her push against me. Realizing I’m gripping her too tightly, I reluctantly release my hold, causing her to stumble backwards. She looks up at me as she takes a few steps away from me, uncertainty in her features.
