Chapter 72: The Ride North

Aldric stood in the courtyard, his arms crossed over his chest, watching the preparations.

Fifty of the Empress’s finest soldiers were mounted and ready, their armor polished, their horses restless. Provisions had been packed. Maps had been studied. The route to the Glacier’s Crown had been planned and replanned three times over, because Aldric was not a man who left things to chance.

And standing beside him, calm as still water, was Zarek.

The Snake King had changed into traveling clothes, dark leathers, a heavy cloak, boots built for hard riding.

Aldric didn’t like him.

He didn’t like any of them, if he was being honest. Not Leonidas, not Drystan, not Karan, and certainly not the quiet, unsettling man currently adjusting his gloves beside him. They had all failed the Empress. They had all neglected her, ignored her, treated her like she was nothing.

And now, one of them was riding north to check on a Sovereign, and Aldric was supposed to be fine with it.

He wasn’t.

"I still don’t like you," Aldric said flatly.

Zarek glanced at him, one eyebrow rising slightly. "I didn’t realize I needed your approval."

"You don’t." Aldric’s jaw tightened. "But I need you to understand something before we ride out of here."

Zarek waited.

"The Empress has been through enough." He hissed. "She has been humiliated, neglected, threatened, and attacked. She has watched her son nearly die. She has been forced to rely on men who have done nothing but fail her."

He turned to face Zarek fully.

"So if you’re going to ride to Shadow’s Edge, to Glacier’s Crown, if you’re going to play the hero, you need to understand that this doesn’t earn you anything. It doesn’t earn you her trust. It doesn’t earn you her forgiveness. It doesn’t earn you a place at her side."

Zarek’s eyes glittered.

"Is that so?"

"It is." Aldric stepped closer, his voice dropping. "She is still the Empress. And until she decides otherwise, she remains under my protection. So if you do anything, anything at all, to hurt her, to manipulate her, to take advantage of whatever softness she might still have for any of you—"

"You’ll what?" Zarek asked quietly. "Kill me?"

"If I have to."

A long silence stretched between them.

Then, slowly, Zarek smiled. It was a strange expression on his usually stoic face.

"She’s still my wife," he said.

Aldric’s eyes widened.

"What?"

"Legally speaking," Zarek continued, his tone mild, "the annulment has not been finalized. She signed the papers for Shadow’s Edge, yes. But the others remain. So technically, she is still my wife."

Aldric stared at him.

"You—" He sputtered, his face flushing with anger. "You can’t just—"

"I am not saying it to claim her," Zarek interrupted.

He turned away, swinging up onto his horse with an easiness that belied his size.

"But I understand your concern," he added, looking down at Aldric. "You care about her. That’s good. She needs people who care about her."

Aldric didn’t answer him.

"Corvin," Zarek called out.

Corvin stepped forward from where he had been waiting near the gate.

"Yes, my lord?"

"Stay behind. Watch over the Empress and her children. If anything happens, anything at all, send word immediately."

Corvin inclined his head. "Of course. Do be careful."

Zarek nodded once. Then he turned his horse toward the gate and kicked it into motion.

The soldiers fell in behind him, a river of steel and horseflesh pouring out of the courtyard and into the city beyond.

Aldric watched them go until they disappeared into the distance.

Then he turned and walked back toward the palace, his mind already turning to the thousand other things that needed his attention.

Be careful, you silly serpent, he thought. For her sake.

~

Cassian’s eyes opened.

The first thing he registered was the pain. It was wrapped tight in bandages that pulled with every breath. The second thing was the ceiling, rough-hewn stone, lit by the soft glow of a single candle.

The third thing was the face hovering over him.

"Ah. Thank goodness."

Ferrin.

Long brown hair, and gray eyes, with freckles sitting his cheeks and nose.

Cassian blinked, his vision swimming. "Ferrin?"

"Don’t try to sit up." Ferrin’s voice was hoarse, but there was warmth in it, warmth Cassian hadn’t heard in weeks. "You have been unconscious for five days. Your body needs time to recover."

Cassian’s mind struggled to catch up.

Five days.

Dorian.

Shadow’s Edge.

He tried to sit up anyway, ignoring the spike of pain that shot through his side.

"Dorian," he rasped. "Did they—"

Ferrin’s hand pressed gently against his shoulder, easing him back down. "You must rest."

"Ferrin, I need to know—"

"He got away."

A cold ran down his back.

"He got away," Ferrin repeated, his voice tight. "He fled into the mountains. They have been searching for him, but—" He shook his head. "He knows the terrain. He knows how to hide."

Cassian closed his eyes, his hands fisting in the blanket.

Damn it.

Damn it, damn it, damn it.

He opened his eyes again, staring at the ceiling.

"How long did you say I was out?"

"Five days." Ferrin hesitated. "Your people have been worried. Nalani has been very worried. Everyone has been accounted for, the dead soldiers have been properly laid to rest, and the palace has been adequately cleaned up"

Cassian smiled.

"That’s good. That’s good. Wait what about—"

Before he could continue, there was a commotion from somewhere outside the room.

Cassian felt his body tense immediately.

"What’s going on?"

Ferrin rose, crossing to the window. He pushed the curtain aside, peering out into the courtyard below.

His expression shifted.

"What?" Cassian demanded. "What is it?"

Ferrin turned back to look at him, and there was something strange in his eyes.

"The Empress’s royal banners," he said slowly. "They’re here."

Cassian’s heart lurched.

What?

"And..." Ferrin hesitated. "Accompanied by one of her husbands."

Cassian stared at him.

"What?"

Ferrin swallowed hard.

"King Zarek."

Zarek.

The Snake King.

Here.

He tried to sit up again, ignoring the pain, ignoring Ferrin’s protests. His heart was pounding, his thoughts racing, and through it all, one question echoed over and over in his mind.

What is he doing here?

Did Karina send him here to help.

"Help me up," Cassian rasped. "I need to—"

"You need to rest—"

"I need to see him." Cassian sounded weak, but determined. "Ferrin. Please."

Ferrin stared at him for a long moment.

Then he sighed, and moved to help his friend to his feet.