Crown's Hunt

Chapter 12

Chaeya

Chaeya awoke to a soft light shining through the lace curtains of her room.

She got up and opened the windows to admire the pink and orange sky. Cool air blew past her face as the sun slowly rose from the valley, bathing the mountains and fields in gold.

After a week of grueling travel, they would finanlly cross the border into Isfell.

Where a whole new challenge begins, Chaeya thought to herself. For the past week, she hadn't stopped thinking about the incident that happened on the first night but she still came to no conclusion.

Brenwen had been uptight and irritable, so they didn't discuss the incident. Ashaz, on the other hand, seemed very preoccupied, so Chaeya was forced to keep all her thoughts to herself.

***

The trees gradually thinned as they travelled north. By the time they reached the border, all that was left of trees were spindly branches. It was late afternoon and the fierce wind was bitingly cold. Chaeya wrapped her cloak tighter around her shoulders.

Two stone pillars loomed before them, marking the border between the two lands. The pillars were carved with images and words in an ancient language. Between the pillars were a group of people waiting for them.

As they approached the group, Chaeya could see that it consisted of soldiers. In front of them was a young man in a blindingly white cloak which made him stand out among the men. The young man nudged his snowy steed forward towards them.

Brenwen rode forward to meet the man. They exchanged a few words before the man turned his steed around. The rest of the soldiers followed suit and made a formation surrounding their group. Brenwen and one of the soldiers rode up front, leading the way. The man waited until Chaeya, Ashaz and Javrek reached him before nudging his steed forward.

"Your highnesses." The man's voice was low and smooth as velvet, and it sent chills down Chaeya's spine. "I hope your journey has been smooth so far. My name is Nikholas."

"Thank you for the reception, Lord Nikholas." Javrek replied.

"I am no lord, your highness. I am but a humble servant of the king." Nikholas dipped his head gracefully.

As they rode, Chaeya discreetly studied the young man beside Ashaz. He was gorgeous, with his tall nose and high cheekbones. However he looked out of place among the other soldiers, foreign almost. His skin was pale enough but his dark eyes and hair suggested otherwise. Most of the soldiers had either blonde or ginger hair, but his long straight hair was darker than ink, tied back neatly at the nape of his neck. His eyes gleamed like onyx stones. All his features were accented with an elegance that made Chaeya drawn to look at him.

A light snow began to fall. "My, it's cold!" An exclamation came from behind Chaeya. It was Jafar, already buried in a mound of furs and scarves.

"We're almost there," Nikholas replied.

"Are you cold?" Chaeya whispered to Ashaz.

"Bearable," he replied, even though his lips were visibly pale.

The dirt road changed to cobbled streets as they entered the heart of the city. The castle was right in the center of the scrawling marketplace. All the streets and the roofs of the buildings were covered with a layer of snow. It was beautiful, like a magical fantasy.

People stopped their tasks and stood by the roadside to watch them. Young children weaved through the crowds, faces pink with the cold. Some of the people waved to them, and Chaeya waved back.

They passed through the imposing wrought iron gates into the castle grounds. Up close, this castle was much bigger than her castle at home. They dismounted at the steps and entered the iron doors. The warm air was suffocating the moment they stepped through. There were six roaring fireplaces on each side of the hall. There was a statue of a different animal above each of the fireplaces: a bear, an eagle, a wolf, a tiger... Everything in the hall was made of stone. Instead of torches, there were depressions in the walls where small fires burned.

Jafar ran in front of one the fireplaces and stood there, evidently relieved. Even the color had returned to Ashaz's lips.

"Welcome to Isfell," Nikholas said. "Enjoy your stay."