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Thicket’s heart constricted. Why were they going so far? This wasn’t their burden to bear.
Stop trying to act like you have to do everything yourself.
The weight isn’t yours to carry alone.
That’s right. Everyone was fighting for something. A wish. A dream. A reality they wanted to see unfold. They weren’t here just for her. They were here, putting themselves on the line, for their own hopes and ambitions. To selfishly think otherwise would be to dismiss their efforts and claim them as her own.
“I will agree,” Thicket said. “On one condition. You promise not to harm them.”
“Do not worry, Your Highness,” the Emperor said. “They will know the hospitality of the Desert Kingdom during the duration of their stay.” As if to show he planned to make good on his promise, the Emperor waved his hand. The guards released their hold on Bern, Elian, and Alouette, backing away to the edges of the room.
Thicket’s shoulders relaxed for the first time since stepping inside the palace.
“It appears we have come to an agreement. The Dymrian Princess and your two companions will remain. You and your fiancé are free to leave.”
Thicket stiffened at the word. Across the room, she felt Elian’s eyes fall on her before landing on Marcellus, who still stood close enough to touch.
“I will give you three days to fulfill our agreement,” the Emperor continued. “Do not fail me, wielder of the blue flame.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
The Emperor was gracious enough to provide Thicket with a temporary suite fitted with an assortment of supplies. A canteen for water, dried fruit and nuts for her journey, and even a fresh set of clothes. She was surprised to see the design, which mimicked Vindryan fashions far more than the Desert Kingdom’s. She couldn’t tell if it was a gesture of goodwill, or a reminder of the responsibility she bore as Vindrya’s Princess.
The top was a plain white tunic with sleeves cropped to her shoulders, the hem of which was embroidered with small flowers. A leather corset studded with small glistening beads clenched around her waist, allowing a rich purple skirt to trickle to her feet, long enough to cover the upper portion of her boots. She had been worried about mobility, but it was surprisingly airy, whipping around her legs effortlessly.
She returned to the main room to find Bern, Elian, and Alouette waiting for her. Like Thicket, they had all changed into fresh clothes. The moment she saw Bern, Thicket flung herself against her. “I am so glad you are okay.”
Bern held her tighter. “Me, too. Consider dungeons officially removed from my travel bucket list.”
Thicket couldn’t help but laugh. She pulled away, inspecting her friend for injuries. The cuts she had in the throne room seemed to have been healed. Bern jostled Thicket. “I’m fine,” she reiterated. “But are you fine? You are about to go off and challenge your sister—again.”
Thicket swallowed, not wanting to think about how the last time she had faced Lavender, she had wound up cursed. She wasn’t sure she would be able to recover from yet another surprise. “I’ll be okay.”
“That didn’t sound very convincing. Just… Promise me you will come back and that you won’t do something stupidly noble like sacrificing yourself.”
Alouette slung an arm around Bern’s shoulders. “She will be more than fine. Remember, you are stronger than her. Don’t let her get into your head.”
Thicket nodded, wiping her palms against her skirt. Her eyes found Elian.
“Why don’t we give them a moment?” Alouette asked, steering Bern into the conjoining sitting room. As they passed, Thicket swore she detected a hint of red on her friend’s cheeks.
Then, it was her turn to blush as she caught Elian staring at her. It felt like a lifetime ago since they were alone. She felt so different now. So did he.
She wrung her hands, remembering the look on his face when the Emperor called Marcellus her fiancé. “About what the Emperor said…”
Elian shook his head. “It’s okay, Thicket. I know I put you in a difficult position, running off like that.”
“Why?” she whispered. “Why are you going to all these lengths to help me?”
“When you fell under the sleeping curse,” Elian said, “I was lost. You were the only person who had ever been there for me. Who had ever truly seen me. When you woke up, I was so relieved.” Elian’s gaze dropped. “But then, you said you didn’t remember me.”
Thicket’s heart squeezed.
“The worst part was that a part of me was relieved. I thought maybe this was my chance to fix things and be the one to save you. But nothing I did was good enough. I started comparing myself to others, hating how effortlessly they stood up for you when I stayed helplessly rooted to the spot. I blamed them at first, until I realized the person I had been comparing myself to the most wasn’t the one I was jealous of. It was you.” Elian glanced up at her. “I once told you that loving someone means shining a light on everything that makes them special. I got so caught up in my own insecurities that instead of protecting your light, I was robbing you of it.”
“Elian…”
“I don’t want to do that anymore.” Elian tugged something from underneath his shirt. She remembered him clutching something last night at the inn and leaned closer, curious to see what it had been. Elian’s badger totem rested in the palm of his hand—along with a silver ring. The metal twined together to form two thin, twisting layers, holding a large, glistening diamond in place. Thicket stopped breathing as Elian unchained the ring.
