The campsite is set up swiftly. There are fires sprinkled around with soldiers resting and eating late meals at their pinched tents. The campsite and supplies are watched by rotating guards. If I had any inclination to run, I’d be caught before reaching the treeline. Security is tight even with limited people and, with Daithi around, he really is the best defense.

When the tents are set up, I discover that I don’t have one of my own. Technically, mine is connected with Daithi’s, kind of like what you might see at a circus. I laugh at the thought of Daithi dancing around on a giant ball while juggling fireballs.

I did think the tent was abnormally big compared to the others when trying to help set up. I say try because my “assistance” resulted in the tent caving in on itself, twice, before Henley got fed up with me. Since I was a hindrance, I had to sit outside until the others were done.

I would have read The Tale of Meredin, but there is no privacy. I can’t risk bringing it out, nor can I read it tonight unless I magically obtain night vision or my watchers decide to give me some space, which is doubtful. There isn’t much it can help me with now anyway. I know the traps waiting for us. Once we get into the cave and past the sirens it should be easy, take the right paths and we won’t run into any trouble.

But what about afterwards? When Daithi has Arlador, what then? My options are either to wait for Aquilan, who will come to try and steal the sword according to the book, or I steal the sword myself to take to Aquilan.

I’ll have to tackle that issue later. I need to be patient, one step at a time.

Soldiers unpack our sleeping arrangements. I check our offside tent, but Henley hisses at me to get out. Apparently I can’t even help set up!

I waddle into Daithi’s side, surveying the area. The thought of him being so near when I’m asleep gives me the shivers, which doesn’t go unnoticed.

“Is there a problem?” Daithi asks when entering the tent. I don’t know what he has been doing, maybe conversing with the soldiers. “Sorry to see that you can’t try to run away?” he whispers. His breath brushing over my warm ears.

He’s too close, but I stand my ground, crossing my arms defiantly. “I have no plans to run away. We have a—”

He scowls. I bite my lip. Henley probably doesn’t know about our deal and I don’t know what he’ll do if I let it slip.

“I’m curious why though.” I tap the fabric that separates the two rooms. My joints lock up when Daithi closes the distance between us. He stands over me, amber eyes darkening in the dim candlelight.

“Because I don’t trust that you won’t try to run. Better to keep you close.”

“You’ll keep a possible enemy close?”

He gives me a swift once over. “There is no reason for me to be frightened of you.”

“Oh? What about when I almost stole the map?” I whisper, smirking at his glare. “What if I had a knife instead? You were out cold, after all.”

He’s quiet for a moment, turning his back to me without an ounce of fear when he says, “Something tells me I don’t have to worry about that.”

I hate that he’s right. Real Kaeda might have done it, but not me.

I avert my gaze and mumble, “So, do you often confine unwilling women to your quarters?”

“Don’t be dramatic, you have your own quarters,” he snorts when sitting at a desk. “And no, I often struggle to kick people out.”

I gape. Did...did he just attempt to tell a joke? Is he even capable of that?!

Then again, that may be completely accurate. He’s an emperor, after all. Become the empress and you’re… ah, well, he did kill his previous wife, Symania. Like Amelie, the marriage was arranged to help Daithi in his wars. Symania disappeared after rumors spread of a pregnancy, then she was said to have died during child labor, but Aquilan’s spies at Daithi’s estate claimed that he killed her and the child, not wanting a family nor a woman holding a child over him, so anyone willing to chance being the next wife is a nut job if you ask me.

...but the book clearly hasn’t told me everything, so could it have been wrong?

No, no, definitely not! He’s the villain, plain and simple.

Clearing my throat, I add, “You have a lot of women in your quarters then? You must get around.”

He cocks his head to the side in confusion. Ah, this is another “freaking” incident where he doesn’t understand modern lingo. Maybe that’s for the best.

“I don’t have to stay with you until you fall asleep, right, Your Majesty? I admit, I don’t have a good bedside manner,” I tease.

“Why am I not surprised?”

And why is that somehow insulting when I insinuated it myself?

“Get some sleep,” he says. “We still have quite the journey ahead of us.” He waves me off when looking over the map to Arlador, yet again.

My tent shared with Henley is much smaller than Daithi’s. There’s space to sleep and a small stand for a candle that barely lights the space. Henley is already changed. Her armor rests in a stack beside her, revealing plain clothes beneath that aren’t much different than my own; a brown cloth top and leather pants. Her sword remains at her side. My gut tells me there’s a dagger under her pillow.

“Going to sleep already?” I slip out of my boots then sit across from her.

“Soon,” she answers. “And you should as well. We leave at dawn.”

“We have time until dawn,” comes a familiar voice from behind us. Rehan slips into the tent, also without his armor, and yet, he is still intimidating in stature.

“Why not chat a bit before bed?” he suggests. “We won’t be able to tomorrow. Grouchy may separate us again.”

Henley purses her lips at him calling their emperor Grouchy.

“Speaking of Grouchy, I was told to give you this.” Rehan hands over a small brown bottle when taking a seat. “Medicine for your knee. Strong stuff, eases the pain and heals the wound very quickly.”

“You were told to give me this?” I hum, confused, but still dumping some in my hand to rub on my knee, stopping only when it hits me. Speaking of Grouchy, that’s what he said.

I stare wide-eyed at Rehan, who smirks when adding, “I was told to tell you that I got it for you.”

Daithi told him to give me this?! Look at him pretending not to care!

“Now, Lady Kaeda, why don’t you tell me about yourself?” Rehan smiles.

“We aren’t here to be her friends,” Henley interjects, earning a pout from me and a raised brow from Rehan. “Why bother making conversation?”

“Because it’s polite…” He shrugs. “And I’m very bored.”

Henley rolls her eyes, which I imagine happens a lot with anyone that’s around Rehan for extended periods of time. Not that I mind since I agree with him on both parts.

“Do you mind if we pick up from where we left off earlier instead?” I ask.

“Oh, about how I came from the quiet country of Vimico and somehow ended up in Vuirin?”

I eagerly nod.