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“Oh? How so?”
“If you traveled much, you would have already experienced the discomfort of riding. Perhaps even decided not to insist on us paying for an extra camel. You do know that you will be reimbursing me for all of this, correct?”
He only nodded.
Their guide called for the two of them to join the rest of the group and assist in setting up camp for the night. Tempest waved a hand, signaling for Aiden to go first, and chuckled to herself as he waddled over to the rest of the caravan. Several families with children stood around the leader and followed his men to help set up camp. Tempest and Aiden assisted with unloading the camels and were soon on their bedrolls by a fire.
Tempest laid back and admired the stars as they began to appear in the dusk sky. “So, what’s our story?”
Aiden lowered onto his side and propped his head up with his arm. “For what?”
“For me joining you. You can’t expect me to just walk into your palace with you and not seem suspicious. Whoever did this to you will become wary of me immediately.”
“I didn’t think of that.” Aiden looked towards the fire in contemplation. “What if you were there as a representative for Dei Electi?”
Her head whipped in his direction. “Excuse me!? You can’t be serious!”
“Why not?”
“You truly expect me to join the competition to become empress? You do realize that the gods and goddesses choose their own representatives; it would anger them to take that away from them.”
Dei Electi had been a favorite entertainment for the gods for centuries. Before leaving the land of the gods, Tempest had enjoyed it, as well, finding a woman she thought would best represent herself and serve the people and then sponsoring her in the contest. Each woman would be blessed by whatever god chose her, and if she was selected, the kingdom would be blessed by that god.
What Tempest did not appreciate was that occasionally the gods would abandon their mortal if they weren’t chosen, and she was left to clean up the mess.
Aiden looked into Tempest’s eyes. “Not all of the gods have chosen representatives yet. It’s been several hundred years since they have. The goddess of the broken has the right to choose someone and hasn’t. You do share her name, and after saving me not once, but twice, I could see her potentially choosing you, anyway, if she were to participate. Honestly, she probably won’t even notice.”
“She’ll know.”
“Oh? How are you so sure?”
“I just… know.”
He smirked. “How do you know that she will care or disapprove?”
Tempest’s mind raced to try to think of another reason, any other reason, for being in Aiden’s court without tipping off his enemy. Unable to develop an alternative, she sighed and looked back at the night sky. “Fine.”
A smile spread across Aiden’s face. “Thank you.”
“You owe me.”
“I already owe you my life. What more could you possibly want?”
She didn’t answer. This wouldn’t be easy. There was no way the other gods wouldn’t recognize her. She would be targeted constantly. In order to survive, she needed a plan.
Chapter 5
Whileenteringthewallsof Monstrap should have put Tempest at ease, it felt as if she were on her way to a chopping block. She was not pleased. She had avoided the gaze of other gods for centuries, and suddenly it seemed as if Fate was forcing her to enter that world once again.
She raised a hand to block the sun and looked up at Aiden atop his camel. She’d bartered with a family in the caravan for a keffiyeh, or headcloth, to protect Aiden’s identity and his already blistering skin. Without knowing who had attempted to assassinate him, she needed to protect him to the best of her ability. While he would have a layer of protection within his castle walls, in the middle of the capital’s bustling streets, she feared he would be an easy target if recognized.
Their party slowly made their way deeper into the whitewashed sandstone city. Homes grew more prominent the further they went. The worn stones of the street felt jarring to her knees after walking on the sand for so long. Individuals and families departed from the caravan one at a time towards their own destinations until all that was left was the two of them.
Tempest kept alert, watching the crowd and edges of the homes and alleys for not only movement, but potentially souls with ill intent. The emotions of the crowd almost overwhelmed her. Her fingers grazed the fabric of her dress in circles as she attempted to ground herself and pick out only those who may be a real threat.
She couldn’t help feeling Aiden’s anxious and worried soul beside her. She lifted her hand rose and rested it on his calf. He looked down at her from his seat atop the camel, eyes wide with surprise. Tempest gave him a reassuring smile and slight nod before removing her hand.
Something nagged at her. She had found Aiden left for dead in the middle of the desert. If the emperor was known to be dead, the city would show signs of mourning. Tempest could see how the word may not have spread yet to the other cities, but the capital and castle would surely have known. How were they keeping this a secret?
