Dyri, the goofy canine, perked up at that. He had been going with Asta to visit the wild horse each time she went to the stables, the visits now becoming a part of their regular routine. Progress with the beast had been slow and grueling. The mare was wildfire but begrudgingly obeyed Asta’s commands, never fully willing to please her new partner. Asta remained hopeful and determined that she and the horse would ride together someday.
Asta approached Linnea by the door and wrapped herself in a fur-lined cloak, gesturing for Linnea to put hers on as well. Halsten excused himself to his suite. The courtier had not been himself since Kaid’s abduction.
Asta patted her thigh and Dyri sprang up, running to her side as they began their descent through the castle.
When they got to the stables, the energy within was charged. All of the horses were on edge because of the multi-day stormthat had engulfed Orntali. Dyri shook the rain drops from his short coat and sauntered down the path in front of them, running ahead and sniffing various stalls along the way. When he got to the one tucked in the far back corner, he sat in front of the gate.
“Good boy,” Asta said as she and her cousin approached the dog guarding the stall. Within was the dapple gray mare standing in the back corner, her ears pulled back as she stomped a hoof on the floor.
“Yeah, yeah. You hate me. Get in line,” Asta threw a thumb over her shoulder, thinking about Maren’s betrayal and the harsh words they had exchanged on the beach, “But you won’t let anyone else touch you, and I can at least bridle you, so I’m your only option.”
The stablehands had turned the mare out the day after Kaid’s disappearance and she had refused to let anyone catch her and return her to her stall. Asta had been summoned to come down and escort the horse inside, which she had succeeded in, but not without the mare giving her a fight.
Asta grabbed a curry comb from the bucket hanging on the gate and stepped inside with the horse.
“Be careful,” Linnea whispered.
Asta only nodded in response. Thurs didn’t scare her, though she probably should. She was quite positive the horse’s previous owner had probably released her on purpose after giving up on taming her. Either that, or Thurs had taken it upon herself to end her previous owner's life, which would not shock the princess one bit. Asta still couldn’t track down any information on the crest that was on the horse’s bridle and the horse seemed to have chosen her, so for the time-being, she would care for her.
The princess got to work on grooming the horse, picking her hooves, brushing her body, combing and braiding her whitemane. The process took a little longer since her arm was still healing, but she was able to get it done regardless. As Asta started to relax, she watched Thurs’s posture loosen. The anxiety never fully relinquished, but her ears were no longer turned fully backward and she had ceased her rebellious stomping.
Finally, once she finished up her horse’s grooming, Asta felt calm enough to go speak with her father once more.
Asta strolled into her father’s study composedly and found him where he always was, scribbling away at his desk.
“We need to send more fleets,” she declared.
King Botmar sighed and pushed back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. “We cannot lose any more men to find them.”
He rubbed at his eyes and Asta noticed how irritated they looked, the corners damp and puffy. Had her father been crying? She wouldn’t be surprised if he had. Over the last three days, they had to unravel the last two decades of his life. The sea witch’s curse on his memory had leaked to all parts of his brain, blackening much more than the existence of the finfolk.
“But he’s still out there!” Asta gestured to the wall which held the shoreline on the other side. “A member of your nobility has been abducted by another kingdom and you just give up?”
“And how many of my loyal army members would you be willing to sacrifice to save him? Would you send Major Bohr into the depths of the ocean to find the lord?” Asta’s father snarled, his tone laced with command only a king could conjure.
Major Bohr. Gyrial. How dare he use her best friend as an example. How dare he guilt her into changing her mind.
“Do not bring him into this. You know he would depart immediately if asked. They are here to protect our people, and Lord Kaidian is one of them!” Asta slammed a fist on her father’s desk. “We must bring him back!”
“Your sister is out there, too, Asta. Believe me, I am sacrificing everything I can for their rescue. I cannot lose more good men. I cannot lose anyone else.” Asta watched the king rub his temples as he mastered his breathing.
Something washed over her, dulling her frustration. He had lost a daughter during all this. She had lost a sister. Even if their relationship meant nothing to Maren now, Asta held onto the belief that their childhood together wasn’t a complete lie. With that realization, she excused herself, knowing there was no arguing with the king. If he could sacrifice more men to find his daughter, he would. But that wasn’t what a king would do. That wasn’t what a princess should want to do, either.
Asta was exhausted, having hardly slept in days since Kaid had been taken, but she couldn’t fight her weariness anymore. When she returned to her suite, she called Dyri to bed with her and fell asleep straight away, the large pup delighted to take a midday nap.
She had no knowledge of how long she had been asleep when she heard a whisper of her name.
Asta.
At first, it felt like a dream. A woman’s voice as smooth as sea glass winding its way through her thoughts.
Asta.
The more she heard the woman call to her, the more awake she became.
“Asta.”
The princess’s eyes sprung open and she screamed when she saw a black-haired woman with golden eyes staring at her from the threshold of her bedroom door. Asta grabbed the dagger she kept under her pillow and pointed it toward the woman, who did not flinch at the sight of the blade.
