Winter came and though largely Highfire didn't see snow, the winds grew harsher outside and the chimneysâwhich looked as if they hadn't been used a single time in the hundreds of years the castle existedâburnt from morning to evening.
Training with Nina became a little less one-sided. Aurelie was still blue all over her body, but learned how to protect her face, and managed to land three good punches that had Nina puff out air and even jerk back in pain at least once. The spoon was replaced with an actual dagger and began to feel like an extra limbâwell, a very clumsy one that sometimes cut through the skin of her own palm and fingers, but a limb nonethelessâand Nina said that Aurelie would get a shield to practice with next week.
Michael had been gone for three weeks, and her knowledge of this came from the King, who mentioned his concern over Michael's silence at the council meeting that morning.
Aurelie had just finished her daily visit to Valice and made her way up the hill toward the castle when Orken came running down with a flapping parchment, halfway crumpled between his fingers.
"I received a response from Halbrook," he said, looking wild with worry. "You're not going to like it." He passed the parchment her way and she waved her hand dismissively.
"Just tell me what it is." Very few things had Orken look worried. Aurelie almost wanted to tear up the note and cover her ears while shouting 'Lalalala,' to avoid their rejection.
"They've captured a couple of those guards that went off a few weeks ago. That fellow that always hangs around the King, Michael, he's with them. They specifically mentioned him by name, Aurelie, and he didn't look like the sort that would just give that away."
"How would they know it's him then?"
"Do you remember that spell I used on the prisonerâ"
"Oh no," she said. A flash of hot and cold ran through her head with a sudden realization of why Orken looked the way he did. His alliance depended on whichever decision she made here. Having Redayrah on their side secured the kingdom, and Halbrook committed treason. With the new found confidence of the King and council, there was no saying how they'd react to the news.
"What do they want?" she asked, her face returning Orken's concern like an open book, which only made him look more lost at how to proceed.
"They want a meeting with you."
Aurelie's head tucked back in surprise. "Well, what do you look so doom-and-gloom for? You scared me half to death. Have them send someone then."
"They want you in Halbrook. Alone."
"That'll never happen. If I even mention this to my father, he'll have me in chains and burn that whole place down so that even history forgets them."
"They're good people, Aurelie." His face told her that he had no intention of convincing her to go with that sentence, but rather plead for their safety. He too knew, even though Halbrook had possibly not been aware, that landing Redayrah just about secured Highfire a victory.
"What do you think I should do?" she asked him, pulling her cloak tighter around her shoulders, and crossing her icy arms around herself.
"I don't know what they're playing at, but I know they're not expecting you to show up alone."
"Do you think they'll harm me?"
His brows furrowed at the casual manner in which she asked the question. "I haven't seen them in years; I couldn't tell you if you set me on fire."
"I'll have to marry first, Orken, to secure the alliance to make sure that even if something happens that Redayrah announces their war on the Icelands. They won't be able to back out of that."
"I wish you'd be less eager to get yourself killed." He looked up at her through his scowling eyebrows.
"Do you not think I should go, then?"
"I think I'm too old and biased to give you proper advice, but someone bloody has to."
Orken led her to Daerious' chamber and locked the door firmly behind them. He checked his lavatory and closet for women. Upon finding none, he planted himself onto the couch and didn't say a single word while Daerious read the letter, still half asleep and not wearing a shirt despite the cold wind that blew through his open window. Orken and Aurelie exchanged looks when they saw the curtains flutter in the wind, and he stuck his head out there too, just to be sure no one hung outside, clutching to the windowsill.
"Well, that's a simple no." Daerious threw the letter down onto the bed and looked at the two of them with so much naïveté that Aurelie felt the need to run up and slap him. "Do they know we have Redayrah?"
"Do you understand what will happen if we tell anyone or leave it any longer?" Aurelie asked while Orken remained annoying quiet. "They've committed treason."
"They know exactly what they've done."
"Daerious . . ." Aurelie widened her eyes, the lips moving but her vocals frozen in surprise. "These people would have given us a home right about now ifâ" She glanced at Orken guiltily. "Plus, we don't know what they want."
"They could have told you." He sat upright and flipped his legs over the side of the bed. Gooseflesh covered his chest and arms, making the blonde hair rise and glitter as the rays of the sun caught them. "Instead, they trapped our men and are blackmailing you into going there alone. Sureâgo. Why not? Sounds like a brilliant idea."
"When did you become so pessimistic about everything?"
"The attackâhmm, no maybe when my best friend was captured. Oh," he held out a finger theatrically, "perhaps it was when Shaelyn tried to kill you and poisoned herself after I told her to leave me. Could be when my parents were killed, but I'm not really sure."
"Alright, sulk away," Aurelie said, shaking her head. "Come on, Orken. Daerious is a noble now; he's beneath reasoning with us before noon."
Orken stood up without protest and followed her out of the room. Aurelie slammed the door shut so that even the walls vibrated with disdain.
"Let him be. He blames himself for what happened to you. Before it happened he even wrote down a list of names for you to choose from, convinced himself he'd be the guardian and made you a crib because Kirin wasn't here to do any of it with you. I think in his mind he was about to become a father as much as you were a mother."
Aurelie closed her eyes for a second and inhaled a bitter breath.
"You two are the only people I trust." She made sure she shouted the next part so that Daerious could hear it. "And it's bloody annoying when one is sulking and the other is being unbiased! Stop it already!"
Red trails spread through her vision, and she blinked instinctively to get rid of the tint. For a second she'd been confused as to what it was. The castle's protective shell covered her from head to toe so that she'd been surprised by the effect of her power.
"I'm doing it, Orken. Tell them I'll come directly after the wedding. You need to mention Redayrah and the fact that if any of my men are harmed, they'd better start fleeing now."
***
Nina took a swing toward Aurelie's left cheek and missed it by an inch as Aurelie pulled back. She took another swing and Aurelie whipped out her dagger, stopping it just as she reached Nina's ribs, perfecting the first trick Nina ever taught her. You're a woman. They'll always assume you're on the defense. Strike when they think you're focusing on dodging a blow. If taking a punch gets you an opening, then take it. Getting her to take enough punches to no longer fear them, she assumed was the reason Nina came near disfiguring her face at just about every practice session.
Aurelie's plan to keep the training sessions a secret failed within the first day.
Nina took a step back and shook her head in approval, but her eyes were narrowed and her brows furrowed. Though the point of these sessions was for Aurelie to get better, Nina sure didn't like losing to her.
"So, hypothetically, if I were to leave the castle this evening," Aurelie said and studied Nina as her cross expression grew into suspicion, "how quickly do you think I'd be discovered?"
They fought atop the white, stone garden path to the east of the river. They crushed two rose bushes just five minutes prior. Aurelie had fiery scratches on both her arms and a large tear in her pantaloons to prove it. She'd been bugging Nina for armor of her own, but that seemed to fall on deaf ears.
"You'd not leave the grounds without someone knowing."
"And, how would I go about going without them knowing? Hypothetically, of course." They usually didn't speak much, and taking this information to Nina was probably not the greatest idea, but who knew the schedule of the guards better than she did? She had no one better to ask and maybe there was at least a small chance that she would keep quiet about it.
"Hypothetically, the best chance you'd get at leaving would be during your wedding. With all the guests arriving and leaving, a maid, for instance, would sneak right past even the most observant guards. No one would expect the bride to be anywhere but at the party or ceremony, depending on the reason for this hypothetical escape." Nina rubbed the dust that gathered on her otherwise polished armor with a handkerchief that she brought with her to each session.
"And which way would be the clearest?"
Nina looked up for a second and shook her head. "You know, if you plan on dropping the Redayran we're going to lose a lot of men in the war. Having them just about doubles our numbers. We won't have to decrease the age limit of the draft. It's your life, but you should know that." She bent down to check the armor that covered her shins and started to rub vigorously at a mark that looked more like a scratch.
"I'm not planning on running out on the wedding. I just need some time on my own."
"How long?"
"I don't know. A week, maybe two."
Nina straightened, realizing there was nothing she could to do rid her armor of the scratch, she wiped at the layer of red ground that got into the fine lines of the dragon emblem on her chest before tucking her handkerchief back into a little leather pouch that hung around her waist. "If you tell me where you're going, I'll help you get out safely. Unless it's something stupid, then I'm probably going to stay on your back and make sure you don't go running off anywhere."
"It's not stupid." Aurelie rubbed nervously at her fingernails with her thumb, wondering if her actions were as idiotic as she already thought they were. There was something in Nina's behavior that told Aurelie she could trust her, but she'd been wrong so many times that her inner voice now seemed like a liar too. "If you tell, Nina, you won't spite me, but rather cause the death of hundreds of people, including our own."
The cold wind brushed against Aurelie's sweaty skin. She turned away from Nina's sharp expression to pick her cloak up off the ground, and wrapped it around her shoulders, shivering slightly as the cold material took its time to preserve heat.
"If it's that serious you should tell the council."
"I can't just yet." Aurelie formed half a plan, but with the way, others have gone . . . she needed a little assurance. That was probably the biggest reason she came to Nina with the information. Their rocky relationship made Aurelie confident that she'd tell her if she were being an idiot.
"Listen, I've heard about the way you operate," Nina said, careful to keep her tone even. "And, I don't think you should be making decisions on your own, you have trained advisors, a King for a fatherâyou have all the help in the worldâ"
"Will you let me tell you what's happened before you assume that I'm being daft?"
Nina watched her for a second, pressing her lips together tightly, and closed her eyes in surrender. "Alright."
"The reason we haven't heard back from Michael is that Halbrook is keeping them captive. Orken received a letter stating that they wanted a meeting with me alone to discuss their release and our alliance."
"You're not thinking of going, are you?" Nina's head twitched to the right in question. "You can't seriously be thinking of going."
"Just hear me out." Aurelie frowned. Yes, it was stupid, but the risk of showing up there with an army seemed even worse. "If I tell the council now, they'll want to show strength. We didn't gain Redayrah for nothing. They've been burning to show the Icelands what we're capable of now. You haven't been at the meetings. Everything is planning attacks here, and there. We're building joint training camps with Redayrah, and swapping out soldiers to get them accustomed to serving together. They're itching for a fight, Nina. You're on the service, do you disagree? Tell me, what's the general thought of the men? They're just as hungry as the castle, aren't they?" When Nina didn't answer Aurelie continued. "Their first move will be to attack. If you think they'll choose differently, tell me now and I'll call for a meeting right now."
"Maybe if you speak for Halbrookâ" she sighed, "I don't know."
"They've committed treason. It's one thing that they're not pledging the allegiance to the crown, but another to capture guards. Besides, if we can get them on our side . . . Imagine how swift out victory will be."
"They'll certainly help with the spreading famine faster than Redayrah with their grain, and I've heard Julopiâand others are soon to followâhas set itself up as neutral, so we're not getting much more out of them than we already are. I've also heard that you've upset more than one prince at the ball with your sole interest in the Redayran man."
"Yes, well, I had my reasons for that. He set Kirin up the night the shamans took him."
Nina's eyes widened for a second, and then her expression relaxed. "Are you prepared for them to turn on their promise of discussion the second you enter Halbrook? Because it could end with you dead. That dragon skin protects youâuntil it doesn't."
"I'm prepared for whatever. As long as Redayrah announces their allegiance to us, I'm okay with whatever happens to me. As long as I know I've tried to help Michael and the rest of them, I'm happy to go."
"I'll help you. We'll do it on the night of your wedding. Prepare your new husband for it so long, I don't know if you trust him with the truthâI certainly wouldn't, but it would help us if he's in on it. Even if he thinks you're going out for a walk."
***
Aurelie found Nic sitting at a table, on the guest's terrace, where Revin almost killed her with blood magic. He wore a thin shirt and was seemingly unaffected by the cold morning air. The sun had come up and shone through the clouds just enough to light up the grounds, but certainly not to warm them.
"Morning," she said and saw him turn. He surprised her each time she saw him. His features had no flaws to them, no hump on the noseâit was just big enough and the little curve just rightâhis lips reminded her of the big bows on birthday presents, and his eyes, well, she had yet to figure out whether they were more blue or more green. The colors fit together perfectly and made his gaze seem like he saw right through her skull into her very thoughts.
"Oh, no, don't stand." She smiled at him, and came to his side, pecking him lightly on the cheek before sitting down on the chair beside him. He smelled of lavender soap and coffee, and she found herself sniffing the air around him with pleasure, almost transfixed by his presence right up to the moment that her eyes caught the red embroidery around his collar, and this summoned an image of his death in Aurelie's mind.
She hated Nic with a newly found fierceness because had he not acted like a spoiled and wounded snake, she could have quite easily fallen in love with him in another life.
"How did you sleep?" he asked as Milly, one of the girls that used to sleep on her couch, poured her a cup of coffee.
"Fine and you?"
"Good." The awkwardness that surrounding the two of them could be loaded into a wheelbarrow. Nothing remained of their time at Peter's cabin. She wondered whether Nic regretted the proposal, but then thought of the power he'd hold as her husband, and wondered if that was what he held the highest value in.
"Milly," Aurelie said, dragging the hot cup closer and wrapping her cold hands around it for warmth, "would you mind fetching my breakfast? Some hot porridge if there's any left."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Both Milly and Nic seemed surprised by the request. Aurelie hated breakfast and couldn't consume anything but liquids before noon. Well, she could, but usually refused to since she no longer had to eat for a second party's benefit.
"I'm going to trust you with something, Nic," she said once Milly left.
Nic put down the piece of toast he chewed on and turned his attention to her.
"I want to trust you with this." She placed her hand on his and squeezed it tightly. "I feel that I owe it to you since the two of us are to be partnered for the rest of our lives." As short as yours will be.
Nic pulled his hand back, looked down at them, and interlaced his fingers, stretching them out backward until a consecutive crack ran through his joints. He then shook his head and looked up at her, clenching his jaw. "Must you be so formal with me now?" he asked.
Aurelie laughed. "I'm afraid life at the castle has made me rather polite and boring. I'll tryâI'm sorry. I forget how the two of us were sometimes. It feels like such a long time ago." So much has changed.
"I want you the way you were," he said and then frowned. "I suppose that sounds rather selfish, you've gone through so much, butâI just . . . I just felt so close to you then and now you're so . . . cold."
"Let's change that now."
His expression warmed up and she could honestly not tell whether the fool truly did love her after all. "Tell me everything."
Aurelie kept Michael's name out of the story but explained everything else in great detail. "I want to marry you first. I know it does not sound genuine, Nic, but you have to believe me that the letter came after we decided to marry. I didn't know about this. And, yes, your alliance will be guaranteed and that will make me leaving more comfortable because I'll know that everyone is safer that way but I really doâ"
"I'm going with you."
"What? No, I won't let you."
"That's the only way I let you leave for that place."
Aurelie shook her head. "But what are you going to be able to do? Don't be ridiculous; what's the point of both of us rotting?"
"I bet someone's said that about grapes once, and then they discovered wine."
She sat silent for a moment. If worse came to worst and Nic wasn't with her, she wouldn't be able to kill him. He'd live a long life, marry again, have children, feel warmth, love, and joy. "Alright." Aurelie leaned over and traced her hand along the rough stubble growing on his cheek. "Alright, love. We'll do it together. I'll have Orken send a letter, but you can't tell anyone, Nicolai."
His breath caught at the way she said his name, and before she could make an excuse, he leaned over her chair and pressed his lips against hers, forcing his tongue into her mouth. His beard felt like rough granite against her upper lip and chin. She put her arms on his neck and smiled despite the clot that formed in her throat, kissing him back with a passion she would one day use to cut out that very same tongue.
"Aurelie," he said half breathlessly, "you mustn't play with me. I won't bear it."