“By Anva, you’ve got to be joking.” Rivka was barely holding it together as it was and her impatience was evident inevery aching fiber of her being. These were the last two people that she wanted near her right now.
Ellis tightened his hold on her arm. “You can do this, my love. Just say what she needs to hear and we can be gone. We cannot let on that you remember.”
“Rivka, darling! I see you trying to sneak away before all of the festivities are done! What is the big hurry?” Vivian lifted a questioning brow at them as she approached.
Rivka lifted her head, sliding her queen mask firmly in place. Her smile hid the fact that she was clenching her teeth. She could do whatever needed to be done to be rid of this godsforsaken woman. Vivian was deceitful but Rivka could be just as deceptive when she needed to be.
“We received word that I am needed back in my own province. I do hate to have to depart on such short notice, I hope you understand.”
“Of course, my dear.” Vivian’s terse voice was saturated in superiority. “I do hope that you enjoyed your stay and will visit us again soon. We are neighbors of sorts and it would do well to show a united front, with the peace treaty and all.”
Rivka inwardly cringed. Vivian had never offered for her to visit if it wasn’t official business. The underlying insinuation made her skin crawl. Rivka breathed deep as she collected her thoughts before speaking, knowing that every word she spoke could, and likely would, be twisted. Vivian was a snake and you could never let your guard down. “Of course. I will be sure to consider your offer in the future. Thank you again for your hospitality, it was lovely as usual.” Rivka tapped her fingers on Ellis’ arm to urge him to start walking forward. She would not entertain the likes of Vivian a moment longer and was hopeful that, for once, Ellis would hold his tongue so that they could take their leave, but of course, he did not.
His smile beamed a little brighter as he interjected, “Yes, itwas…enlightening. Let’s hope that everyone continues to take their peace treaty oaths seriously, as a betrayal of that kind would be tragic.”
Luther stiffened next to his queen. Vivan’s eyes blazed, for just a second, before they returned to her normal, regal expression. “Of course not! That would be disgraceful indeed! We haven’t had an oath breaker in over four hundred years! I have no doubt that our peace will remain steadfast.”
“Quite right, a peaceful and honorable realm will benefit all the provinces, since we all depend on one another in so many ways.”
Vivian’s sharp gaze roamed over them, likely trying to access what they may know, but Rivka was quickly losing what patience she had managed to gather. Stepping forward, she leaned in, placing an air kiss on either side of Vivian’s cheeks, barely suppressing a shudder at their proximity.
“Thank you again, but we must take our leave.”
“Of course, how discourteous of me to hold you up,” Vivian said, taking a step back. “I do hope that your return trip is pleasant.”
With this, Ellis dipped his head and turned, guiding Rivka towards their carriage, his hand on the small of her back. McConnell was waiting with the door open, and Wright followed behind them, as was required. Rivka looked up, noticing that the seat where Alex normally sat was empty. Doing a quick scan, she saw her in the back of the convoy on the supply cart. As if noticing where her attention landed, Captain Wright stepped forward and whispered,
“I will be taking the guard’s seat this trip, my Queen.”
Rivka didn’t know what to say, so she simply nodded in his direction instead. She took Ellis’ offered hand and climbed into the carriage, settling in for the long trip ahead. She needed to sleep but doubted that would ever come easy again, at least notuntil she could make Alex see reason and come back to her. The carriage jostled as they began moving. Ellis slipped his arm around Rivka’s shoulders, gently tugging her towards him. “Sleep, my love. We will worry about the details when we’re home.”
After three long days of travel, and little sleep to be found even in the comfortable inn that welcomed them near the base of the Seoid Mountains, the spires of the Varon province came into view. Rivka took a deep breath, inhaling the beautiful scent of her home. How truly magnificent it was. The palace perched majestically atop a hill, catching the light of the sun like a crown set upon the land. Its grand spires shimmered faintly in the sunlight, while elegant archways and delicate balconies traced the outline of its pristine ivory walls. The tall stained-glass windows cast a kaleidoscope of patterns whenever the sun hit them just right.
Surrounding the palace, the land undulated gently, each hill rising and falling like the rhythm of a calm breath. The hills were cloaked in the rich tapestry of lush green grass. Wildflowers bloomed in scattered patches, their colors—lavender, yellow, soft pink—dancing in the breeze.
At the base of the foothills sat the Lake of Eldrynn.It stretched outward until it met the sky, its surface reflecting the colors of the clouds above-silvery blues, faint purples, and the occasional brush of gold from the descending sun. The water was so calm today that it mirrored the grandeur of the palace, doubling its beauty in serene reflection. This was her home,and despite the despair she was surrounded by, the view settled her.
Two figures waved from the front steps as the carriage pulled up. Captain McConnell quickly leapt to the ground, opening their door. Ellis climbed down first before reaching a hand out to help Rivka.Gods, everything hurt from sitting for so long,Rivka thought right before she was enveloped in strong arms, her feet leaving the ground. A small laugh escaped her as she was swung in a circle.
“Put her down, Evanar. She isn’t five years old anymore. You can’t just accost your queen on the front steps of her home.”
“And who says I can’t?” Evanar threw a stunning smile at his wife and let his daughter's feet fall to the ground.
Queen Regent Sophiana chuckled as she glided to a stop next to them. “Welcome home, darling. We weren’t expecting you so soon. Did something happen after we departed?”
Rivka stiffened slightly in her father’s arms. “I simply needed to be home.” Not missing anything, Evanar gave her one last squeeze, whispering only for her to hear, “We will discuss how it truly went later, my dear.” Blowing out a breath, Rivka kissed his cheek in acknowledgment. That would be a conversation that she would need to avoid.
“Come on, you must be completely knackered. Let’s get you cleaned up and fed so that you may get a proper night's sleep!” Sophiana declared, looping her arm through Rivka’s. Swiveling her head, a look of confusion crossed her face when she watched Captain Wright fall in behind them. “Where is Alexandria, dear? She didn’t fall ill, did she?”
“No. She had other tasks to attend to. She will be along shortly.” Rivka assured her mother as they entered the palace. The lie came easier than expected, although it sat heavily in her stomach. She prayed to Anva that it wasn’t a lie at all.
Much to Rivka’s increasing frustration, Alex determinedly stayed away. Weeks passed without sight of her. Rivka missed her terribly. She hated that she was putting herself in constant danger, especially considering she had no doubt she was doing it deliberately to avoid her. The pain of her absence was agonizing. Some days she felt like she would succumb to the numbness, others she felt utterly lost.
Rivka had taken to hiding in the library, drowning herself in the happy endings of characters in her favorite stories, even for a short time, but the pain always returned with reality. She wasn’t sleeping, her mind wandering through her memories like a carousel of joyous torture, remembering all of their good times, while her heart replayed only that last time. She often woke, her pillows wet with tears. Ellis constantly hovered near her. He tried to be light-hearted, but she could see through his charade, knowing that he was only doing it to try and lift her spirits. It was almost as if he was afraid for her to be alone.
They would keep what they discussed regarding Vivian and Luther between them until given an opportunity to speak with Alex. Once they were able to talk to her, they would formulate a plan. If they were ever able to actually speak with her, that was. She wasn’t just avoiding Rivka, but Ellis too, always off on some task or another. Never available to be summoned by her queen. Alex traveled several times to the Morrows province to visit with Lieutenant Selene Vorn, the soldier who had almost lost her life in the raid on a supply shipment just a few months ago. Rivka knew that Alex had personally volunteered to lead Varon’s Recovery Battalions directly under Commander Vale. They were tasked with bringingdown the thieves responsible for the increasing attacks and shipping raids, which were a threat to the peace of Diathan, and needed to be stopped quickly.
McConnell and Wright had become their shadows. Rivka knew that their orders came directly from Alex, but it annoyed her all the same. Alex couldn’t avoid them forever. Rivka would find a way to speak with her. She needed to tell her the truth of what had happened. Then maybe life could go back to the way it was. How it should be.
