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Chapter 7
"My lady."
I stared wide-eyed up at the rather large wolf-borne bowing to me at the top of the boat's ramp, his golden eyes sparking in the morning sun. My gaze narrowed. "You are the general escorting us in the Lower Kingdom?" Terif's face darkened as he rose to his full, and rather intimidating height, but refrained from saying the insulting comments I saw flickering through his eyes.
"I will be escorting you through the Lower Kingdom. I care little for what your friends do."
I frowned at his statement, but didn't bother answering as Lei walked over to our little entourage- a rather unpleasant look settling over his face. "Emrie, may I talk to you?" There wasn't exactly anger flashing through his dark gaze, but I could tell he was more than uncomfortable with the newest member of our little party.
I gave him a sheepish smile before nodding and walking down the ship's deck. I had a vague idea about what he wanted to talk about, and I wasn't all too thrilled about it. Any idea of privacy between Lei and I was squashed as the large wolf-borne followed closely behind us. Leikos's temper spiked.
"Alone, general. I would like to speak with my charge alone."
Terif remained still as stone as his golden eyes locked with Lei's. "No."
I rolled my own.
"I have strict orders to not leave Lady Emrie's side."
Lady Emrie- Well, that's a new one.
"I'm her guardian. I won't hurt her." Lei's voice held a touch of disbelief and hurt, like the mere presence of the King's general was an open insult to him. For all we know, it probably way. Terif's resolve did not waiver.
"I do not disobey my king."
The large wolf-borne did not appear to be backing down anytime soon, and the hard, emotionless look in his dark eyes did not disappear. I sighed and turned back towards Lei, a reassuring smile tugging on my lips. "It's okay Lei. Just pretend he's not there." I ignored the dark look Terif shot me and turned my back on him as the town's leader's brown eyes glanced down to mine.
"This is a private matter, Emrie. I will wait until we have a moment in peace." He shot a pointed look at my new personal guard before flickering his gaze back to mine. My lips pulled into a small frown. What little freedom I was so looking forward to, I knew I could no longer have. The guards from the village were gone, only to be replaced by a wolf-borne twice the size of any normal shifter man.
I let out a small huff before forcing a soft smile on my lips. "Alright, when will we be leaving?"
"A minute or two, as soon as I tell the captain we are ready."
I nodded and glanced over my shoulder at the King's general- that ever-present emotionless mask set sternly over his face. "Then I will be below deck in my room. Is it the same as last year?" Leikos gave me a short nod, which I returned before heading for the hidden stairwell at the back of the ship.
It was at least a week's voyage to the Lower Kingdom, and that was only if the sea was met with smooth waters and fast winds. I would not be surprised if we were sailing a little less than two weeks. I could already feel the depressed tug in my chest as I walked slowly below the ship's main deck, Terif following only a few steps behind.
I always missed the mountain whenever we were away- missed the trees, the wind, the smell of freshly laid snow and rain. And now- now my heart ached for more than all the old reasons. Now it ached for him.
"I will take the room next to yours, my lady." Terif announced as I turned toward the door halfway down the ship's second level. There was four in total. The first being the upper deck, the second was traveler quarters, the third was for the ship's workers, and the fourth held the food and other storage needs.
"That's Mae's room." I argued and turned slightly wide eyes on the large wolf-borne. He raised a dark eyebrow at me.
"I don't care. This is where I will be staying."
I could only blink up at him in surprise as he nudged opened the small door with his large shoulder and chucked the bag slung across his other into the small room. I gaped over at him. How- How rude! Are all wolf-borne's that pig-headed?
No, not the King. At least, I didn't think he was.
"Get settled while you can, Lady Emrie. I suspect this journey will be unpleasant for the both of us." Terif grumbled as he ducked low to step into the tiny room, his golden eyes flashing darkly in the dim light. I blinked at the spot he had disappeared from, even after he closed the door.
Well, wasn't he a joy.
Maybe the King didn't care for my well-being at all. Maybe sending Terif to be at my side constantly was my punishment for disobey his direct command. Dear Lord, this was going to be a long journey. I let out a heavy sigh before stepping into the dimly lit room I usually occupied on these trips.
It was the same as I remembered, a small room with a tiny cot and desk with a wash bowl on the side. My luggage rested at the end of the bed, and besides the flickering candle sitting beside the bowl the only light in the room shown in through the small window above the cot.
This was going to be the only place for freedom I was sure to get this entire voyage. How perfect.
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"Why did you not tell me you had been in contact with the King?" Leikos's voice was a hushed whispered as his brown eyes flickered over to the large general waiting in line behind the ship's crew for the end of the day meal- a disgruntled look stuck on his surprisingly handsome face.
I smiled apologetically over at Mae's older brother as he leaned over his bowl, his dark eyes hard. "It did not cross my mind." I answered softly as my fingers played absently with the small wooden spoon. His eyes flashed darkly, his grip on his own spoon tightening.
"It didn't cross your mind?" He hissed as his temper flared. I dropped my eyes to the meek mushroom soup filling my bowl. I didn't have much of an appetite, especially since Leikos seemed rather mad at me. "It didn't cross your mind to tell me that you've been in conversation with the King of the North?" I could only shrug as his dark eyes stared holes into the top of my head.
It honestly hadn't, but that wasn't the only reason. My talks with the King, if you could call them that, were- personal. Sacred. It was like a deep, treasured secret I wanted to share with only him. They were special to me, regardless of what the King felt about them. They were the only times I had ever seen him. The only pieces of him I could hold close to my heart.
Good Lord, and there goes my doubt that what he and the Elders claim were true. I was never supposed to have had him, and my heart knew that- but it was betraying me now. It was clinging onto the hope that maybe- just maybe- I was supposed to have him. Supposed to be his mate. I glanced over to the large, boulder-like sized wolf-borne just now getting his evening meal. He would be the only reminder of the King for weeks, for moons.
I froze when Terif's eyes flickered up and locked with mine, their golden glow flashing what looked like a bright blue in the dim light of the fourth deck- before he blinked and they returned back to normal. My own widened before I swallowed and glanced away nervously. Did he- Did that- No, no that wasn't possible. I'm sure it wasn't.
For a moment there, I could have sworn I was looking into the eyes of the King. My chest ached painfully.
"Hello? Are you even paying attention to me?"
I blinked up at a rather angry looking Leikos before giving him an apologetic smile. "Sorry Lei, I'm not feeling so good. Do you mind if I go to bed a little early?" I asked softly as he leaned back on the bench, his brown eyes flashing in the candlelight. He let out a heavy sigh before running his hand down his face.
"Yes, that's fine Emrie. We will talk more tomorrow."
I nodded and rose slowly to my feet as Terif finally reached the table, his golden eyes narrowing almost dangerously. "Where are you going?" He didn't even bother sitting down at the bench-table with Mae and Lei as I turned toward him, my brow furrowed.
"Back to my room, I'm not feeling too well."
The general frowned and his eyes dropped to the rather small bowl in his hands before he let out a heavy sigh. "Alright." He grumbled and sat the untouched soup down on the table. "Let's go."
"What? No, you need to eat." I stammered as his large body loomed close to mine, one of his dark eyebrows raised in question.
"I will eat tomorrow."
"Don't leave on my behalf. If you're hungry, please eat." I nodded towards the table where his untouched bowl sat and wrung my hands nervously in front of me. His gaze narrowed at those golden eyes flashed.
"If you leave, then I must as well." I opened my mouth to protest again, but he was already bending down and picking up the soup bowl before I could. "I will eat this in my room if that will ease your mind, my lady." I gave him a soft smile and a nod before turning and heading for the stairs.
I just wanted to be alone honestly. To close my eyes and think about nothing in particular. But I knew that wouldn't happen. Every time my mind wasn't occupied it was filled with him. Images of his gorgeous face, soft lullabies of his unearthly voice.
Hauntings of those gorgeous eyes shining down at me brightly. Eyes I could have sworn were glancing over at me through those of Terif's. I let out a tired sigh. My mind truly was fabricating images of him. Anything to make me feel that he was somehow nearby.
"Sleep well, Lady Emrie." The general nodded down at me, his eyes soft for once as he opened the door to his room.
"And you, General." His lips twitched up in almost a smirk at that, his dark eyes flashing in the fading light as I slipped into my room and shut the door. I let out a heavy breath. Maybe, just maybe we could get along on this journey.
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The days at sea slowly lulled on, and the interactions between Terif and I were short and blunt at best. His attitude towards me always seemed to change between each conversation. During some he would be almost pleasant, while other he made no mistake to mask the distaste he felt for me. It sent my mind through more loops than I could count. All I could really do was just go with the flow and hope the next talk would be better than the last.
Mae and I knew every corner of the ship, but for some reason, I always seemed to find something new in my boredom. The voyages to the Lower Kingdom used to always excite me, but with my large, and rather intimidating, new escort following me everywhere- it was uncomfortable.
I was surprised on the fifth day of our journey to wake up and not find Terif waiting for me outside my door. He always seemed to be awake hours before I was, and waiting impatiently outside my room every morning. That was one certain thing about him I could count on.
I knocked gently on the thin slab of wood separating his room from the hall, but received no reply. I frowned. It wasn't like him to leave my side, or the close vicinity around me. A small smile quickly replaced the frown on my lips. Perhaps he was starting to loosen up- give me room to breathe.
I found him leaning against the railing of the top deck, a small book in his large hands and his body casual as he thumbed through the pages. My lips quirked up at the sight. How odd. Reading seemed like such an Underling pleasure, I was surprised to see the mighty wolf-borne general with a book.
"What are you reading?" I asked the large male nonchalantly as I leaned beside him on the rail. His golden eyes flickered down at me in surprise before he snapped the book shut. I raised an eyebrow at the quick action.
"My lady, you are up early." He gave me a small bow, barely a tilt of his shoulders before he rose again. Look like this conversation would be one of the pleasant ones.
"I couldn't sleep any longer. I was surprised you were not at my door, though." I admitted softly as I turned to look out on the beautiful blue view of the Middle Ocean.
"I was not expecting you to rise for another hour." His voice was a dark grumble as it filled the quiet morning air around us.
My lips quirked up at the corner. "What happened to not leaving my side?" I teased as he turned to follow my gaze, the book held tightly in his hidden hand.
"What the king does not know, can't hurt him- or me for that matter." He added the last part as a dark grumble under his breath, but it pulled a quiet laugh from me nonetheless.
"If that is your mentality then why bother following his orders at all?"
He shot me a shadowy glance with those gold eyes before flicking his gaze out to the water. "He is my king. Disobeying for an hour is beyond disrespectful on its own, I would never disregard him completely." His voice was filled with a such a strong passion that it pulled on the every-constant ache in my chest. I wonder what kind of person the King was to receive such a loyal general- and friend.
I wrung my hands together as the image of those lightening blue eyes flashed through my mind. "What is he like? The King, I mean?" I asked softly as a small smile tried tugging on my lips at the mere mention of him. All I knew of Eirik were the rumors that circled around his being, and the two brief interactions between us. And yet, I felt like a giddy school girl at the simple thought of those gorgeous lightening blue eyes.
"He is a great king. A great man." Terif answered without hesitation, the pride evident in his voice. "He cares for his people and would sacrifice everything to ensure their safety."
My smile slowly fell. "Everything..." I muttered softly, my eyes glancing out at the crashing waves in the distant. What exactly did everything entitle? The villages he was supposed to rule? Those under the mountain? Me? The thought caused a painful ache in my chest, one I tried to shove away.
I would not be surprised if he were to sacrifice me to save his people- the wolf-bornes. Mate or not, I was just a girl. Just some stupid, silly girl he barely knew, or cared for- so it would seem. I didn't know him, he didn't know me. I can't imagine it would be very hard to choose between that and his people.
I could feel Terif's dark eyes gazing curiously over at me. "Does he care for the people that he does not consider his?" I asked softly as the large ship moved with the steady waves. "The ones at the base of the mountain?"
The general blinked before glancing away, a hard mask over taking his handsome features. "He cares for the mountain, and protects the shifter villages under it to ensure the safety of his kingdom."
"But we are a part of his kingdom-"
"You are not wolves, and some of you aren't even shifters." I flinched at his words, at the harsh bite in his tone as he shot me a pointed look. I guess the pleasantries were over. "You should be eternally grateful that he even allows you to live below the mountain." His golden eyes were dark in distaste, his words like a sharp knife as they cut through the ocean air.
"Do all wolf-bornes share your hatred?" I muttered as he turned away from me, his dark eyes like icy daggers on my skin. He scoffed.
"It is not hatred, it is annoyance. You and the other Underlings prance around His kingdom like you belong there, like you own it when it is by his kindness that you are even allowed to live there. Hell, it's not even a kindness." He let out a harsh bark of laughter that made me edge uneasily away from him. This whole conversation was rather frightening, honestly.
"If the mountain were to be attacked the Underlings would be hit first and give us time to respond. You are all a safety precaution to ensure the well-being of our lives-"
I turned on my heels to hurry away from him, unwanted tears filling my eyes. How horrible this-this beast was. Did he have no care for how this would make me feel? Of course he didn't, why would he? I was just a disgrace to him and his people, to his king. I wasn't even a shifter. He probably didn't even believe I was truly the King's mate. Hell, I wasn't even believing it anymore.
"Wait, my lady." His voice was rimming with distaste as it forced my hurried retreat to stop. I turned on him with angry eyes.
"What could you possibly say to make this any worse?" I snapped at the general who was walking over to me with twisted amusement flickering behind his gold eyes. Their bright taunting only reminded me of the gold-power, and how it would kill me to get to the King.
"The King wanted me to give you this." His voice was hard as he thrusted that book he was looking at early out in the air between us. His eyes glowed in loathing. I reached out with a trembling hand and gingerly took it from his large hands. There was only a gold-encrusted symbol on the cover, one of a wolf howling. I ran my fingers over it gently.
"He expects you to read it. But do not repeat what you learn to anyone besides a wolf, or you will suffer the consequences." There was no mistaking the warning in his voice, or the dark promise in his eyes before he turned and stalked over to the doors leading below deck.
I held the book tightly in my trembling hands. I didn't even want to look at the thing, much less touch it. I didn't want to think about what was so important between the pages that would cause such dire consequences to fall over me. And after that fun little conversation with his general, I wouldn't put it past the King to carry them out himself. Perhaps I was wrong about him not being capable of hurting me- of killing me.
I walked over to the ship's edge, ready to throw the disastrous reading material into the dark, deep water- but paused. This book could hold all the information of the wolf-bornes that I ever wanted to know. Their ceremonies, their customs, their king. I brought the book closer to my chest and ran my fingers over the gold symbol again. Perhaps it would be more than just the history of his people- maybe it would be the history of him.
I turned from the railing and walked slowly back to the staircase leading to the guest chambers, the book clutched tightly to my chest. Whether or not what Terif said was true, that didn't stop me from wanting to learn more about the King of the North and his people. I spent my days just dreaming about their history long before I even dared sneak into his territory.
I did not know what us Underlings did to warrant such distaste from Terif, or what I did for him to act so cold- but I would not let that dampen my need to learn, or those two, small sacred memories I held of the King and I.
I let out a soft sigh as I opened the door to my room and slipped back inside. I would just spend the day reading the odd little book, and reassuring myself I would not tell anyone. I did not know what the consequences were that the general spoke of, but I did know that I didn't want to find out anytime soon.
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