The Dragon Bond: Heirs of Lyra

Chapter 68

The wooden steps groaned underneath them as they descended the stairs. In the main room slept several military officers, too drunk to make it back to their beds for the night. Their bodies lay snoring over tables, against chairs; several remained on the floor. The thought of them celebrating over her brother's death made the Princess' blood boil. Yet she carefully stepped over their sleeping bodies, silently wishing them each a horrendous hangover in the morning.

Shade secured their bags to the horses and then helped the Princess onto hers. She missed her original horse. It had remained loyal to her and this one seemed likely to run off first chance it got. 

The air was cold. It was no longer snowing, though several inches remained on the ground. As they rode on, the morning light struggled against a thick fog. Their horses kept close, Elysia worried any distance and she might lose sight of her guardian. 

With each passing hour the the fog lightened and the sun grew warmer. Their breaks were few and brief. 

"Not much further," Shade announced as the mountains finally came into view. Their relentless pace was paying off. 

The mountains towered past the clouds, their presence filling Elysia's soul with hope. Until then she hadn't realized how homesick she was. While she was unaccustomed to viewing this side of the mountains, their presence still lifted her spirits. On the other side was home. Safety. 

They still needed to travel west of the mountains to go around and through the border patrols. It would take some time, but Shade confirmed if they kept their pace up they could make the border by nightfall. 

As they rode on, she found herself needing to fluff the pillow under her dress several times to remain convincing. Another rider could happen upon them at any moment; she wanted their stories to remain believable. 

Maintaining the constant charade made Elysia wonder what life would be like once she returned to the castle. Would she trade one charade for another? The Quinquennial Ball would be her next task. She would be expected choose her husband, someone powerful enough to make the union beneficial to her kingdom. 

Mayla told the Princess she would fit in well at Bacciballum. The idea of staying there and making a name for herself bounced in Elysia's mind. While such an offer was tempting, accepting it would only hurt her kingdom. They needed a prosperous union. Although she had gained an alliance with Bacciballum, she knew her job was not yet finished. 

The next village they passed through was the smallest by far. Yet the military presence was the most significant. The village was practically overrun with soldiers and officials setting up camps and ordering people around. 

Traveling around the village would have been more suspicious than passing through. So they remained on course. 

The plan was to simply pass through and rest on the other side. The militia had other ideas. As they entered the village, they were demanded to dismount their horses and enter the village square. 

Elysia took hold of Shade's hand, her grip tight as they were roughly guided to the square. They weren't the only ones being ushered to the center. It seemed all the townspeople, workers and citizens alike were being brought to the same location for some announcement.

Shade forced free from her grip and instead locked arms with her, preferring a more casual look. While his face was devoid of emotion he kept glancing every which way, assessing the situation. 

The atmosphere was eerie. Everyone was quiet, as if speaking was forbidden. Elysia resisted adjusting her pregnant belly every few seconds. If it was misshapen or sinking too low, someone might notice. Shade gave her a look, warning her to stop fidgeting.