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“Much appreciated, Malkham.”
The guard nods stiffly.
His attention snaps to the left, and I see a man striding down the hallway, his knee-high boots ringing on the smooth stone floor. He’s dressed in the uniform of Corvan’s soldiers—trousers of deep grey, a black coat, red and gold embellishments. His shoulders are decorated with gold-and-black epaulettes bearing three stripes. A golden eagle with outstretched wings is affixed to his left breast.
I recognize him from the other night; from the tournament dinner.
“Captain Kinnivar,” I say softly, feeling a sliver of unease. I don’t really know why. Shouldn’t he be out fighting monsters with the rest of them?
“Lady Solisar.” Kinnivar executes a slight bow. “His Highness has asked that I escort you to your quarters. For your own safety, we’ve been assigned to protect you until the disturbance has been dealt with.”
We?I look around. Three more soldiers appear behind him, making a total of four.
Stern-faced, intimidating men, the lot of them. They’re all physically powerful; walking lightly on their feet and carrying big swords.
“Is this really necessary?” I ask. “I don’t recall being surrounded by guards in the first instance.”
“Well, you were with His Highness most of the time, so a guard wasn’t really necessary.” Kinnivar is cool and composed. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. I can’t even begin to try and guess what he’s thinking. “And there’s the small matter of the castle being surrounded by an undead horde. Once they’re subdued, things will go back to normal.”
Normal?Nothing here is normal. What choice do I have but to go along with it?
“And how long do you think that will take?”
“Hard to say,” Kinnivar shrugs. “But now that His Highness’s become involved, it shouldn’t take all that long. You’ve had quite the ordeal. Allow us to take you to the dinner hall, where a meal will be served. Then you should take your rest, my lady.
I stare back at the captain; at his pale features and dark, impenetrable gaze. He might be human, but he appears more stiff and statue-like than my sweet, inhuman husband-to-be.
I don’t like being ordered to rest,I want to tell him, but now isn’t the time to make a scene. Corvan’s out there fighting monsters, and I can do nothing but wait.
“What about my brothers? Surely they should join me for dinner.”
“The situation’s still a bit too volatile for them to be traipsing around the castle just yet. They’ll be served dinner in their rooms. It’s just easier that way. Emotions are high, and I don’t want to have to forcibly restrain them over some juvenile misunderstanding.”
At the mention of dinner, my stomach rumbles. “Fine,” I sigh. “Lead the way, gentlemen.”
I glance out the window. The sky is darkening now, turning from deep red to inky violet. The winter chill seeps through the walls and penetrates my clothing.
I rub my hands together in an attempt to feel warmer.
Actually, it would be good to be in my chambers again, enjoying the warmth of the hearth. But I can’t help but feel guilty that Corvan’s out there in the cold and the deepening darkness.
Fighting an eldritch horror I can’t even imagine.
A terrible thought occurs to me.
What if some of the undead are the soldiers that served under him… the ones that died in the war?
How mentally strong must one be to deal with that?
If only I could help him in some way. I might not be physically strong or able to control my dormant magical powers right now, but Idopossess something that can soothe him.
When he returns, I’ll freely offer him my blood. I’m no longer scared that he’ll forcibly drain me or hurt me.
He wouldn’t lose control like that.
NotCorvan.
I follow Kinnivar and his guards, who surround me like a phalanx, making me feel more like a prisoner than one being guarded.
