Alanis thought letting go of her first love would be the most painful thing she would ever endure, but little did she know, the path the light goddess set before her, would be paved in heartaches beyond compare.
With her past and Berthold behind h...
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Outskirts of Ati Harei Furisre Sreuni Late Afternoon
They were near Ati Harei, having only a mere hour tour through the surrounding forest that encircled the kingdom before they arrived. The natives called the forest, Furisre Sreuni—The Great Stone Forest.
There were no trees, all that stood were the skeletal remains of a forest that once was. Alanis wasn't told how the trees became stiffened to blackened stone, but imagined that some sort of event took place there long ago, something ancient and powerful—something awful.
As they weaved through the maze of stone trees, Alanis became enthralled by their size, each tree bested every one she'd ever seen, it was really quite amazing. It almost made her forget the eerie feeling they cast upon her.
When they finally reached Ati Harei, Alanis was shocked that their kingdom was just as large as Berthold, and just as beautiful, in its own, snowy right. The homes were built from massive stones, as well as the larger communal buildings.
Unlike Berthold, Ati Harei had no surrounding wall for protection, they were left open from attack at every angle. The only form of security they had came from the guards that watched from atop the kingdom's tower, Voelre Stuerir, said to be the highest tower ever constructed. She felt a little safer knowing someone was on the lookout, but still found their lack of security arrogant, and foolish. Most of the residents must have felt the same, for each person they passed carried a weapon of some sort at their hip.
The prince wasn't lying about the women, each one she spotted wore their hair unbound and natural, some even wore masculine crops. And unlike the golden-manes of Berthold, there was hair of every color, browns, blacks, and reds, it reminded her of her days within the settlement walls again—well, somewhat.
Back in Berthold, when Alexander had first mentioned Ati Harei and his future bride, he told her about King Stronghold's reputation for harboring settlement escapees. Alanis assumed there'd be a handful of escapees, but there were hundreds of them, it was a small wonder this place was nicknamed, The Free City.
Alanis was left behind at the royal stables while Harold, and Fulton's men met with the castle guard to prepare for the kings arrival. She was all alone except for the company of the prince, and the stable master's boy. She concluded that she'd ignore the prince's presence, he had a look about him—that ornery look that told her she'd be in trouble if she started up with him, so she kept quiet and tended to Trista.
Faris hitched his black stallion and began to undress it, throwing everything he unbuckled to the ground without so much as a second glance.
Alanis didn't see him as an avid rider, but given the state of his saddle, she could see that it was a hidden passion of his. The leather seat was worn thin and its silver buckles were strained to the point of breaking.
