She nodded, knowing it was easier said than done in her condition. Regardless, they were almost there—she just had to hang on a little longer. “You go first. I’ll follow.”
He took off, his horse practically flying over the tan grass covering the valley. Thick clouds hung overhead, promising rain. She nudged Jomk forward, unable to lean down without her ribs screaming in protest. The only thing keeping her from falling off was the possibility of a warm bed, cooked food, and a skilled healer. She knew she was hallucinating because Kerdan’s voice spoke in her mind, telling her to stop being a pansy. You’re almost there. Suck it up and get the job done. You can rest later. She reached the other side of the deserted valley without incident.
“Welcome to Fren,” Odar said, the relief apparent in his voice. He sat up a little straighter, held his head a little higher. However, he did not look like a prince with his ragged clothing and the unkempt beard growing on his face.
After a couple of miles, they followed a dirt road. It passed several farms with sheep meandering along the countryside. The road came to a small town containing dozens of single-story wooden homes with neatly tended yards. No signs of war, nor any soldiers present. They passed through the center of town, which consisted of a handful of stores. A few people were out and about, but no one recognized the prince.
He stopped outside the town’s official guard station where a Fren soldier exited to greet them. Odar spoke quietly with the man. The soldier nodded and ran back inside.
“Did that man have any news on the war?” Had Kerdan managed to stop it in time?
“No news. But this is a small border town.”
A dozen men dressed in battle gear exited the building. Several stable boys brought horses from out back, handing them to the men who mounted and surrounded Odar and Allyssa.
“I’ve arranged for a group of men to escort us to my family’s home.”
“Right now?” she asked, her back spasming in pain. What about a healer and a warm bed? Tears filled her eyes.
“This town doesn’t have the necessary resources to protect you. I want you behind the palace walls where Russek can’t touch you.”
“It’s good to see you alive, Prince Odar,” one of the soldiers said. “We’d heard rumors you’d been killed.”
Odar gave the signal, and their small group started riding out of the town. “I am alive and well,” he answered. “It’s time my parents’ worries are put to rest.”
“Excuse me,” Allyssa said. “Where did the Russek soldiers who were in the valley due west of here go?”
“They packed up and left two days ago.” The man did not address her by her title, which meant he didn’t know her identity.
“Do you think it means Prince Kerdan was successful?” she quietly asked Odar.
“Possibly,” he replied. “Or the king could be consolidating resources to prepare for an all-out invasion into Emperion. We won’t know for sure until we reach the palace.”
She decided not to ask how long the journey would take because, no matter what, it would be too long for her.
She swayed on the horse, a wave of dizziness overcoming her. After a healer and some rest, then she would be fine.
“Don’t worry,” he assured her. “I’ll have my most proficient men guard you at all times. I will not allow Russek to get their hands on you again. I swear it.”
Her current state was due to her injuries, not a fear for being recaptured and taken back to Russek. Forcing a laugh, she answered, “Keeping me behind the palace walls, guarded at all times, can’t ensure my safety. There will always be risks. Back in Emperion, the assassin managed to dance with me during the ball when security was at its highest. I’ll never be truly safe. You can’t lock me in a cage and try to protect me from everything. It’s not possible.” She forced a smile, trying to reassure him.
His face paled. He kept his focus on the road ahead of them, not looking her way. “We’ll discuss this later,” he curtly replied before nudging his horse into a faster canter.
An odd feeling of being off-kilter filled her. Didn’t he love her for who she was? She didn’t think she could handle it if he tried to stifle her. In Fren, women were treated differently than they were in Emperion. They couldn’t join the army, farm, or tend to the land. Surely Odar didn’t expect her to be docile and hide away. That wasn’t who she was. And after her experience in Russek, she had no intention of being locked away in a cage ever again.
***
The prince set a relentless pace. Traveling on roads, they covered far more territory than before. One night when they stopped to sleep, Odar sent one of his men to a nearby town to procure medicine for Allyssa. He returned a short while later with several herbs for her to ingest. He also had news from the soldiers stationed there. Official word came from the king and queen of Fren that the Russek soldiers had retreated and no longer posed an imminent threat.
Odar thanked him and sat next to Allyssa. “We need to talk.”
“I heard what the man said. That is good news indeed.” A fever had set in, and she couldn’t stop shaking, no matter how many cloaks and blankets were draped over her. She prayed the herbs started working soon.
“It appears war no longer looms over our heads,” he said, tossing a stick into the crackling fire before them.
“Yes. However, I think it wise to hear what your parents have to say before we get our hopes up. Like you said, the Russeks may have retreated along your border to concentrate their attack elsewhere.” She wrapped her arms around her body, willing the shaking to stop.
He nodded. “Try and get some sleep.” Moving to the other side of the fire, he laid down, his back to her.
His words played over and over in her mind. War no longer looms over our heads. If they managed to avoid a war, then why was she filled with a sense of dread instead of relief? Why did she have a feeling something was terribly wrong?
Chapter Twenty-Five
Over the next couple of days, they rode hard and fast, camping nightly under the stars. Odar rarely spoke to Allyssa despite having ample opportunities to do so. She had the distinct impression that he was purposefully building a wall between them, and she had no idea why.
War no longer looms over our heads.
What she’d seen of the Fren countryside was beautiful—small streams teeming with fish, low, rolling green hills dotted with goats, several farms with healthy-looking animals. The air was cool and the sky cloudy, but no hint of snow. She continued to take the herbs, which helped keep the pain at bay.