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I pull my hands quickly. “There was nowhere to hold.”
He leans over and guides my arms to a strap in front of the saddle. “There.” He then takes the reins, holding me in a loose embrace.
“I couldn’t see.” I feel that I have to explain myself. “It affects my balance.” I know it sounds stupid, but it’s true. This saddle is odd, and I don’t even know what horse this is, and if it’s a horse, and then not seeing anything…
“Huh. You’ve never done anything blindfolded?”
“No.”
“Hmm.”
I’m not sure what he means with that.
The horse then takes off, and a cool wind hits my face. Too fast. Also, although the gallops sound normal, at least to me, who’s not in any way an expert in horses, the movements are too smooth, too... Different, and I’m not even sure why. There’s an animal beneath me, for sure, but I don’t know what it is. And then there’s Marlak behind me, thankfully separated by part of the saddle, or I would recall…
Well, too late, the image just came to my mind, that strange vision I had in the cave, when he was behind me, when I felt him biting my ear, cupping my breasts, when I felt him…
I need to find a way to scrub that from my mind, especially when we’re in a similar position, with his arms around me. And with a blindfold on, I can’t even focus on my surroundings. No images in my mind but his arms holding me, and a feeling of peace, safety, love.
Not now, Astra! You’re being taken by an exiled, fugitive prince to his hideout. And he thinks you’re pathetic. There’s nothing loving about this. Nothing romantic.
I focus on vomit-tasting passion fruit custard in all its disgustingness, and yet it tastes like the sweet, innocent hope I had, when all I wanted was some time with Quin’s smile. Now I don’t even care about Quin and I don’t know where my life is taking me. Hopefully not the Pit of Death. Or maybe yes, if it’s a super secret place, the very reason I’m here.
Maybe I’m going to the pit of despair. At least I’m good at climbing, and I’ll find a way out of it.
8
The smooth gallop and the fresh, leaf-scented wind drive me into a pleasant lull, and despite myself, I can’t shake off the feeling of being loved and protected, a stupid feeling just because somehow I keep thinking the arms around me are the ones from my dreams.
Despite my hunger, I could go on like this forever, in this pleasant limbo where I still don’t know what my life is going to look like, where there’s still no harsh reality to face. Nothing to face.
Nobody can go on like this forever.
Indeed, we finally stop. He dismounts behind me, and this time, my hands are safely clutching the strap in front of me. When he lifts me, I’m again surprised that his touch is firm enough that it doesn’t tickle, which is for the best. I think he’d be pissed if I started laughing.
He whistles, and then the horse or whatever gallops away, the sound of its hooves on grass fading into the distance. I feel Marlak’s hands on the back of my head, untying the blindfold, and then light assaults my senses. Too much. Too bright.
Slowly, as my eyes adjust, I realize that the sun is up in the sky among fluffy clouds—and the scenery around me is wondrous.
We stand on a rocky river shore, encircled by mountains draped in lush green forests, appearing gray in the distance. The river is wide and blue, dotted with small islands. On the other side, there’s a soft slope inclining into the base of a mountain. I look behind me, and see a cliff not far behind us, and more dark green mountains.
That many tall mountains, a narrow valley housing a deep blue river with islands, this has to be far south, right between the Crystal Court territory and the Wild Fae lands. I think I know where we are.
I turn to Marlak. “This is the Queen’s Valley, amidst the Endless Mountains. And this is the Queen’s River. Why the blindfold?”
He stares at me as if searching for something with his dark eyes. I can sense that he’s still measuring me, still trying to figure out what kind of person I am. “Perhaps you know where we are, wife. Now, do you by any chance know how we got here?”
I glance back—and realize there was no way a horse would have galloped in that steep and rocky surface. Moreover, we traveled for only thirty minutes or so, and the journey here should have taken many, many hours. I try to glimpse a portal, some kind of fae shortcut, but there’s nothing for my human eyes.
Somehow, this is when it hits me that I’m deep down in fae territory, with a fae prince. Despite his human appearance, his magic is not human at all. It’s unpredictable, untethered to stones. Not only that, there’s something wild and untamed even in the air.
I’ve always dreamed of traveling, and now I’m standing in this place where the power of nature humbles me. I might dislike the reason that brought me here, but I appreciate standing on this shore and seeing this part of the world.
“Impressive.” I can’t even hold back my smile.
He chuckles, a fast dry chuckle that I don’t really understand. He’s not laughing at me. It could be a chuckle of relief, except that it doesn’t make any sense in this context.
I look around some more, still in disbelief that we are here. Only this morning, I was jumping rope in the shade of the canopy on the roof of my tower, and now there are no barriers around me.
