A guard guides Valerie and me to the creek nestled among the brush. I’m almost eager to wash off her dress since I ruined it. Even if I’m willing to go through with sabotage, that doesn’t mean I like it. I’d love to be at home with my family, listening to Sarey and Fionn bicker over the bedtime story Mom will tell or helping Dad in the fields. Once I thought I’d like to leave the farm, go someplace far away, see the ocean or the city. After losing it, all I desire is to return and forget about the big wide world and, instead, focus on the world of my own, small but unbelievably beautiful.
“Thanks,” Valerie says when undressing, handing me her dress.
“Why are you thanking me when I’m the one that spilled it all over you?” I ask, chuckling.
She relaxes in the water that comes up to her shoulders. Splashing some on her face, she replies, “Why would I be mad? It was an accident.”
Her words have me scrubbing the dress more, hoping it won’t stain. Then again, she has plenty of dresses. Maven will probably buy her another one too, based on how he’s acting.
“The more time I spend with him, the more I realize he isn’t as bad as they say,” she says, sinking in the water to soak her hair. She pops out, looking at me. “You think so too, right? Earlier, I thought he might yell at you, but he caught you.”
“Like he said, being nice is a low bar to set,” I answer, troubled that she already seems to be taking an affinity to him. I can’t show that agitation though, so I force a smile. “But I am grateful that he didn’t get cross with me.”
Valerie giggles. Then there’s another noise among the trees. She doesn’t hear it, babbling away about the road ahead and what she longs to see. Her words become lost to me. Although I look at her, I focus all my mana on listening, combing the woods for the hushed footsteps growing near. They are not coming from the camp. If I had more time to hone my mana, I’d be able to pinpoint them, but I’m struggling just to hear.
“I heard we’re traveling past the Great Falls! Do you suppose Lord Athik will let us stop to see?” Valerie asks when stepping out of the water. She grabs a towel to dry off.
“I’m sure he will if you ask,” I answer, only half paying attention. With Valerie speaking to me, my focus wavers. I lose the steps. My fingers go numb—the cost—then I grip Valerie’s dress hard, regaining the feeling in an instant.
“M-Maybe I’ll ask then,” she says more to herself than me. Her voice is muffled, a sign that she’s pulling the clean dress on. “Come along, that dress is certainly ruined.”
“Right.” I wring out the dress, folding it to carry when I catch it again—the noise—only it’s the drawstring of a bow.
I dive, tackling Valerie when an arrow flies. She shrieks, hitting the ground hard. An archer runs out of the forest across the creek. They’re dressed head to toe in black, only a silhouette beneath the shadows of the trees. Valerie’s eyes widen. I hold out my hand, prepared to defend us when the archer nocks another arrow aimed at Valerie.
Should I stop him, though? If he kills her, then this will be the end. One life for the sake of the rest, all over in an instant. But the treaty, her death will end it… can I risk that? I know the answer.
My hand lowers. The archer fires. Valerie screams. I do nothing.
Roots burst forth from the ground with a crash, spreading high, forming a shield in front of us. The arrow hits with a thud. The archer groans. Neither Valerie nor I can see him with the roots squirming before us, creating a living wall. Valerie whimpers, clutching my hand when I start to look.
“D-Don’t!” She pleads, but I peek around the roots to find Maven holding the archer by the throat. Violet mist circles Maven, sparking with fiery light. His grip tightens, threatening to snap the archer’s neck, but he doesn’t get a question out before the archer bites something. His body spasms, foaming at the mouth until Maven lets go. His limp body drops.
Maven observes the corpse with cold apathy, then averts his gaze to me.
“Are you both alright?” he asks, wings lifting him over the creek with a mighty swing. He leans in, scanning us over.
“We’re alright,” I answer, refusing to look back at Valerie. Guilt festers in my chest, replaying the moment where I handed her life over and knowing, should I be given the option again, I’ll take it in a heartbeat.
“W-What happened?” Valerie whimpers, clinging to my back. “Who was that?”
“I came when I heard you scream,” Maven replies, referring to earlier when I tackled her. I should have let him get the shot. “I’m not sure who he is, although I can take a guess.”
Maven peers across the creek at the corpse. “He was human, so probably an assassin sent by the eastern kingdoms. Should anything happen to you while in my care, it could cause a war with the western kingdoms, then they’ll attack when we’re both weak.”
Valerie squeaks.
Yes, but they’ll fail. They always fail, it’s partially why the treaty was made. We’re nothing in the face of the Demon King, so why continue throwing life after life at him? If the kingdoms continued, the citizens were going to revolt, and the royals covet their own lives over everything else.
“I should have foreseen this. I’m sorry I’ve been so careless,” Maven adds, bowing low. “From now on, guards will accompany you everywhere. I know you may not be used to it or like it, but I insist it is the best course of action to take.”
“Like it or not, I-I’d rather have a guard after that.” Valerie sighs, using the roots to stand on shaking legs. Then she gasps. “Aster, your leg is bleeding!”
“Huh?” I glance at my leg, finding the skin split open along the side. “Must have hit a sharp rock when we fell. I’ll clean it off and—”
“Pardon me,” Maven says, lifting me. I freeze in his arms. “You shouldn’t walk on that. Please bear with me for a moment.”
“It’s a minor scratch. I can walk fine,” I insist, wanting nothing more than to be free of his grasp. His hands are too warm, gaze too gentle. They remind me of the lonely man in the field, his forehead against mine and a request that may be too serious for me to handle.
“No arguing,” Valerie says. “I would have died if not for you.”
Maven looks at her, head tilted.
“Aster must have heard them because she tackled me before the arrow hit.”
Maven gazes at me, which somehow worsens my guilt. I can’t face either of them, so I stare at my hands coiled on my stomach.
Maven calls for the guards. They follow us to the tent, although Valerie and I are probably safe enough with only Maven. Every step is agonizing, mentally at least. The air is too hot. He’s too close. I swear I feel his heart beating against my arm, or maybe my own is so strong that it ripples through my limbs. I’m not spared from this hell until we’re within the tent. He sits me on the bed, stepping away immediately afterwards.
“I’ll take care of her leg,” Valerie says, smiling at him. “Thanks again for saving us.”
“Do not thank me. This never should have happened. I apologize. Know that the guards will scour the area all night. We will do all that we can to assure your safety,” he explains, looking between us.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. Everything turned out ok.”
“My leg isn’t ok,” I mumble, surprised even with myself, but it gets a chuckle out of the two of them.
“Goodnight, let any of us know if you need anything,” Maven says, giving me a chance to breathe when he finally leaves, only for me to realize that for some reason, spending time with him is enough to make me lose my breath...
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