– Correspondence from General Calvus to High Steward Merik.
Evony – Aedrialis, Sultira
Asteady ache squatted behind my eyes, and I cracked my neck as I stood. Exhaustion hit me as I placed my bow on the wall of the armory. Men and women shuffled about as I walked through the training grounds.
Ronan had taken Lord Stick-Up-His-Ass seriously. The craggy old man,Lord Pavel, had stuck around for another week to help Ronan make plans, and it seemed the entire kingdom had been recruited to fight. But while the Rising soldiers might believe anything Ronan had to say, the verdict was still out forthe rest of the kingdom. And when they asked who we prepared to fight? The answer depended on where you were.
“The elves!” I heard near the shores.
“The gods!” was called from a tavern.
“The Lords of Marisarma!” was the conclusion outside the Temple of the Sky.
Misinformation was rampant throughout the city. The truth was obscure and difficult to understand for those who grew up in a world without magic—those who grew up worshipping the beings they were now told to fear.
I felt bad for Ronan. It kind of sucked to be him right now.
I rubbed my eyes with my thumb and forefinger, squeezing my lids shut and praying like hell this headache would go away. Between ward duties for the high steward and archery training with the new recruits, I’d barely had a moment to rest. The weight of my duties was heavy. Though I had no urge to return to Cantor Manor. Lyvia’s home had all the elaborate comforts of Aedrialis that I used to dream of, but it was cold, empty. And the walls of her home only heightened my worry. Would she and Tiberius return? Why did they leave? I didn’t understand.
It was easier to forget I was alone when I was surrounded by the distractions of war, and in this moment, I had none. Ronan needed me in the Grand Council chamber in an hour. Not enough time to return to Cantor Manor and far too much time to let my mind wander, to risk unveiling whatever waited in the corners of my heart, whatever was born in the moments on top of that roof in Rivaner, fueled in those moments outside the gates of Aedrialis… To let myself remember my parents’ screams… Their blood…
My nostrils flared as I forced an inhale. My thumb ran over the sharp edge of the lucky arrowhead in my pocket. Lucky because I’d found the old thing at the back of Mum’s cave when I was hiding from the kingsguards last year. Lucky because I’dfound Gork and the others minutes later, minutes before the kingsguards had discovered my hiding spot. Lucky because I’d escaped into the tunnels with them just in time.
Its sharp edge bit into the calloused pad of my finger, the pain a critical reminder I was still here and not floating away. I made my way to the outer walkway, blinking against the blazing glow of the rubelline stones of the castle.
The sun hid behind a hazy, overcast morning, and I stared at the horizon as the gray-blue sea rose to meet the dingy docks in the distance. A strong breeze blew my braids across my neck, and I closed my eyes and took a deep breath of the fresh air, clearing away the stink of the city.
“Beautiful.”
I jumped, my eyes snapping open as Vander appeared at my side.
“The city?” I asked, my heart restarting at the sight of him.
He smirked and pulled his attention to the horizon.
“Sure,” he murmured, nodding.
Butterflies took flight in my stomach. Had he been looking at me?
Vander’s gray eyes flared as he scanned the Juniper Sea in the distance, as if in quiet recognition.
“What was it like growing up here?” I asked, propping my forearms on the glowing stone wall.
Vander stilled before turning his gaze south and scanning the gray and brown buildings of Aedrialis. His light brows narrowed before he pursed his lips and turned to me.
“Exactly as you might imagine,” he replied, his stare dipping to my neck. “Busy, loud, putrid, exciting, and repulsive at the same time.”
“That’s exactly how it has been,” I replied, nodding my head. “I always imagined it to be grander, more…sparkling. I dreamed of coming to Aedrialis my entire life, and now that I’mfinally here, it’s…” I paused, my brows pinching as I shook my head.
“Domineering,” Vander answered for me. “Aedrialis is a hard place. More of a jagged rock than a shimmering gemstone.”
I huffed a laugh. “Yes. It’s exactly that. Including this.” I gestured with my thumb over my shoulder to the imposing red castle we stood outside.
Vander grunted his agreement. “You seem to know a lot about Mount Telum,” he said, turning to face the massive castle. A muscle feathered in his neck as he craned his head to look up.
I liked looking at his neck. And maybe his lips too.
“I do. Lyvia told me all about it, and I guess I’ve spent a lot of time here in the past few months,” I replied.
