Caiden smiles. “He’ll be fine. Besides, there’s a chance his father is just going to kill him, anyway. Your friend is much safer here.”
Brevan is walking toward us and I turn my attention from Caiden to the approaching enforcer. He inclines his head at me, then at Caiden. “Your majesties, the carriage is here.”
“Good, we’ll leave as soon as everything is loaded,” Caiden says.
“Nate, have the men carry down the trunks, you’ll ride alongside Sabina’s carriage,” Brevan says.
“Oh, actually, I would rather he stay here,” I say.
Caiden looks at me. “Did something happen?”
“No, the opposite. I want him to stay with my ladies. If anything should happen while we’re gone, I want to know they’re safe,” I explain.
“That’s exactly why we need him with you,” Brevan says. “He’s already proven his loyalty.”
“And I want him here,” I repeat.
“Will that make you happy?” Caiden asks.
I nod.
“It’s settled, then. Brevan, is there a reason I can’t trustyouto ride alongside my wife’s carriage?” Caiden asks.
“No, I—I just thought I might be needed with the forward legion. We are riding to meet with Iskvaland, after all.”
“They are our allies and we’re bringing their princess for a visit to her family,” Caiden says.
“Of course.” Brevan glances at Nate. “You have your orders.”
Nate nods at the enforcer, then turns to me. “Safe travels, Your Majesty.”
“Thank you. And thank you for watching out for my friends,” I say.
“We’re ready to go whenever you are, Emperor,” Stanley, one of Caiden’s favorite legionaries, says.
He offers his arm to me. “Shall we?”
I sigh, then rest my hand on the crook of his elbow, but extend my other hand to Anya. “Let’s get this over with.”
As the carriage starts to roll, I reach for Anya, who is sitting on the bench across from me. She takes my hand and gives me a reassuring smile.
“I’m sorry I dragged you into all this,” I say.
“I don’t mind, really. I always figured I’d die young fighting for the cause. The only thing is, I’m not exactly sure what I’m fighting for anymore.”
“I know.”
“Why are we here, Tay?” She leans forward, then whispers, “do you have feelings for the emperor?”
“No, of course not.” I swallow hard. “But there’s more to him than we thought. He’s not his father.”
“Are you sure? Or are you just seeing the best in him and ignoring all the other parts. The parts that made you want to kill him in the first place?”
My shoulders sink and I pull my hand from hers. “I don’t know.”
We sit in silence for a while, both of us staring out the window watching the countryside pass. We’ll be in this carriage for nearly a month, making our way to the base of the mountains where the Iskvalandian royals have agreed to meet us an estate owned by a wealthy Iskvalandian family. It’s technically on Pendralian soil, but we’re not skilled in traversing the mountains that form a natural barrier between our countries. Iskvaland has long claimed the mountains as theirs, and many wars were fought over the land.
Eventually, Pendralia yielded the northern mountains, holding only the western end, which was where I grew up. I’vespent a few nights awake in bed wondering if the mountains we’ll see will look the same as the mountains of my childhood.
