A thought niggles at me and I cannot help but voice it, "Is that why you are all here too?" I look at the floor. "I mean I know that the prince has some grand revenge plot that he wants me to be a part of but what about you, Sorin? Sam?"
Sorin touches my chin bringing his gaze to mine. "As I have told you before, I will tell you again. Whether you had all the power in the world, or none at all, I will stand by your side. Whatever you choose, Lace, I will be with you no matter what." I smile at him softly and he kisses my forehead.
Releasing me, my eyes turn to Sam's stormy ones. "I will not lie to you and tell you that there are not ways I wish things to go,"he says, "but I have committed myself to you, Parum Bellator. I will not go against any wishes of yours if I can help it."
I feel lightheaded, overwhelmed by all the new information and I lean back on the couch to take it all in. Another moment passes and the prince's voice rings through the room. "As lovely as all this is, Alaceandra has barely eaten all day. We should all eat."
"Agreed," rumbles Sam.
Sorin grabs the containers of food the prince set down earlier and hands them out. The prince digs in and I cannot help but smile at his vigor. "Hungry much?" I ask, opening my own container.
He rolls his eyes.
Taking a bite of my food, I groan a little. It tastes amazing. It is hearty and a little nutty with vegetables and meats that meld together to form a flavor I have not once encountered before, but am sure to remember.
"Guess it is good." Sam chuckles, opening his own container, before handing the last one off to Sam. Despite the tension, we eat in companionable silence.
"Tomorrow, if you are in agreeance, I think we should leave. I am sure there are more villages that we can find and we will have a far better chance of making it through here on our terms if we are all together," Sorin says, setting aside his container.
"How many have found us?" I ask, stabbing at a piece of meat, before I too set the rest of my food aside.Back to business already then.I stare longingly at the stew still left in my little bowl.
"Three it looks like, but that is already too many. Whoever is sending them definitely knows our location by now," Sam answers, collecting both the prince's and Sorin's bowls and setting them in the bathroom before returning to sit with us.
The prince quirks a brow at me, looking at my bowl. I just shrug.Nothing kills one's appetite more than the discussion of people trying to kidnap them."Do you think they all work with the same person?"
"It is likely. Their weapons have all been similar thus far. Heavy, bludgeoning things. What was your attacker carrying?"
"A mace, so yes, it would seem that would track with your description." I think for a moment. "What king do you think they are serving? The men who captured me and Sorin also mentioned a king, but I would assume that it would not be King Demetrius nor Nikoli, especially considering that they seemed to have no knowledge of my name on both accounts."
The men exchange a look. "It is hard to say," Sam says carefully. "There are many rulers in Ptheryeth, we cannot be sure if this king of theirs is one of actual nobility or has deigned himself as such through amassing power."
"To be honest, I do not want to find out," Sorin mutters. "The sooner we can get away from this king the better. He does not seem very friendly."
An image of Sylvie's grief-ridden face fills my vision and guilt eats at me. "We cannot." Sorin looks at me, confused.
"Sylvie told Alaceandra and I on the way in that her husband and daughter were abducted yesterday," the prince chimes in.
"What?" Sam stands up.
I nod. "She would not give us any details, but she told us that she may have found a way to get them. She said she would explain more tomorrow. We cannot just leave her to deal with that, if this has to do with me, she has no idea what she has brought to her doorstep by allowing us to stay here. We have to make sure that her family is not punished for her kindness."
"Fucking great." Sam starts to pace. "Why did she not inform us of this yesterday? No wonder that man was lurking around. He probably was staking out the area after their abduction."
"You would have to ask her. She refused to speak with us about it, but I am hoping she will be more forthright in the morning," the prince says, letting himself sink against the base of the couch.
"This is all the more reason to get you out of here," Sorin says raking his hands through his hair
I frown. "I am not leaving her here to deal with my mess alone. We will speak to Sylvie tomorrow. If she has already found a way to recover them it is a moot point anyway, if she has not… well then, we will help her. We can leave when it is resolved." A yawn overtakes me and I feel my vision blur slightly.I must be more tired then I thought.I melt against the cushions.
The prince yawns and rubs his eyes. "Sounds like a plan," he mutters.
Sorin gives me a curious look and then glances towards the prince. "We have all had a long day." I watch as his eyes start to gloss over, his own tiredness catching up to him. "I would feel more comfortable if we were all together tonight. That way one of us can stay up to keep an eye on things. In all honesty, the way things are progressing is cause for unease. If Lace has another encounter tonight, I think one of us should be around to wake her up."
"Are you insinuating that I am unable to do so on my own?" the prince challenges, but his speech is slightly slurred and his form sways slightly like he is one second away from passing out on the floor.
"From the way you are looking? Yes," Sam answers. "Come. We should lay down."
Sorin scoops me from the sofa and I nuzzle into his warmth, a couple moments later I feel myself deposited next to an already sleeping prince, his snores drifting through the room. Sorin tucks me under the blankets and places a gentle kiss onmy forehead, then freezes. His face filled with shock. The lights flicker and my stomach flips.
