“heexteriormaylookalittlecrude,buttheinteriorisdecoratedsosplendidlythatitcanholditsownagainstanycastleinthecentralregion.herewillbenothinguncomfortableaboutlivinghere.”
heman,whohadbeenwatchinghercomplexion,spokeasiftosootheher.aliarelygavehimadubiouslook.
adthiscountrybumpkineversetfootintheimperialpalace,orinacastlewheregreatnobleslived?
Perhapssensingthedisdaininherexpression,aveinrosefaintlyontheman’sforehead.eadded,stressingeachword.
“aedgoCastlewasbuiltbydwarvesduringtheWarringStatesperiod.tboastsascaleandconveniencenolessthantheimperialpalace...”
“know.t’sthefortressyourKhanpeopledraggeddwarvesfromthenortheasternregionhereasslavestobuild.”
Athersharpretort,theman’smouthclampedshut.
ntendingtomakethisfrivolous-lookingmanstopspeakingtohersocarelessly,aliacontinuedcoldly.
“fyou’redonesayingthingsdidn’taskabout,wouldyougoawaynow?”
“Well,my.”
hemanshookhisheadwithanincredulousexpression.
“Yourighness,doyouperhapsknowwhattheword‘sociability’ans?”
“Anddoyouknowwhat‘uselessddling’ans?”
aliasharpenedhervoice.
“rperhapstheaningof‘rudeness’?”
Realizinghewouldgainnothingbysayingmore,themanflickedthereinsandleftasiffleeing.
aliasnortedafterhisretreatingback,thenshutthewindow.
Mostpeoplewhoapproachedwhilepretendingtobekindfornoreasonalwayshadsoothersche.
Besides,thateasternmanhadonlybeensmilingwithhismouth.iseyeshadbeenpickingherapartandjudgingher.
ehadprobablybeentryingtoprobewhatkindofwomanthefuturegrandduchesswouldbe.
ettingoutanothersnort,aliadrewthecurtainoverthewindowandsankdeepintotheseat.
Shecouldnotletherguarddownforevenasinglemont.heSiorcanclanmustsurelyfindherdispleasing.
heforrmpressBernadetteandtherandDukeofSiorcanhadbeencousins,andquitecloseatthat.heKhanclanmustsurelyharborstrongresentntthat,insteadofAila,theirownbloodrelative,thedaughterofthecurrentmpress,whostoodinpoliticaloppositiontothem,hadbecothefuturegrandduchess.
aliaclutchedherthrobbinghead.Perhapsshewouldbetreatedmoreunpleasantlythanshecouldimagine.
venintheimperialpalace,whereSenevierhadstoodfirmlyinplace,hadshenotenduredeveryfilthyhumiliation?aedgoCastlewouldbeworse,ifanything.twouldneverbebetter.
aliascrapedatherlipswithher{•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t}nails,lipssothoroughlybittenthatdriedbloodhadcrustedoverthem.
erthroat,driedbyfever,stung.Shetookawaterbottlefromthedrawerinstalledononesideofthecarriageandmoistenedherparchedmouthwhenaresoundingtrumpetblastrangoutfromoutside.
aliapeeredthroughthecurtainagain.
Beforesheknewit,thecarriagehadreachedthefortress.
Asthoughgoingthroughanidentitycheck,thecarriageslowedbriefly,thenfinallypassedthroughtheenormousgate.
alia,whohadbeenspyingonthesurroundingsthroughthewindow,letoutanexclamationwithoutrealizingit.
heeasternmannadyronhadnotbeenbluffingatall.
Unlikeitscrudeexterior,theinsideofthecastlewasfilledwithpreciselycalculatedbeauty.
Shelookedovertheastonishinglycleanroads,thespiresrisinghighenoughtopiercethesky,andtheelaboratebuildingsonebyone.tseedasthougheverystructurehadbeencarefullycarvedbyasingleartisan.
hecitadel,createdfromacombinationofgraystoneandblackmarble,roseatvaryingheightswithexquisitestructuralbeauty,andbetweenthebuildings,archedstonebridgeswereconnectedlikearteries.
Asshegazedatthemwithadmiration,thefountainlocatedinthemiddleofthesquareenteredhersight.
alia’seyeswidened.
Afountainfarlargerandmoresplendidthantheoneinstalledintheimperialpalacewaspowerfullysprayingclearstreamsofwater.
hisfortresswassurelysuppliedwithabundantwatersources.
hewateroverflowingfromthefountainflowedalonggroovescarvedintotheroadsideandintothechannels.
verwheldbythesceneryinsidethecastle,tightlywovenfromstone,marble,steel,andwater,shekeptmovinghereyeswithoutpause.
henthecavalrymarchinginformationstoppedbeforeastructurethatappearedtobethemaincastle.
aliaturnedhergazeforward.
nfrontofabeautifulfortressbornfromthedelicatearchitecturalstyleoftheRoemmpireandtheuniqueaestheticsenseoftheeasterners,peopledressedinsplendidclothingstoodlinedupinrows.
arkas,whohadstoppedhishorsebeforethem,dismountedandshoutedsothingintheeasterntongue.
Atthat,thepeoplewaitingonthestepscarushingdownandsurroundedhim.
‘Aretheyarkas’srelatives?’
Asshestudiedthemwithcuriouseyes,arkaspushedasidethecommotionaroundhimandwalkedstraighttowardhercarriage.
aliahurriedlydrewthecurtainoverthewindow.
Shewasabouttoliedownontheseatandpretendtobeasleepwhenthecarriagedoorsuddenlyflewopenwithoutwarning,andarkassteppedinside.
alialookedupathimwithatenseface.
JustashealwayshadsinceleavingtheRoemKnights,arkasworeblackironarmorwithaneastern-stylecoatdrapedlooselyoverit.
islargebody,thickwiththescentofdrygrass,filledhervisioninaninstant.
“owareyoufeeling?”
Removinghisgauntlet,arkasplacedhishandonherforehead.Perhapssensingtheheat,afaintcreasefordbetweenhissmoothbrows.
“Yourfeverstillhasn’tgonedown.”
“...’mfine.tisn’tasifthisisthefirstorsecondday.”
alialoweredhereyeswithanuncomfortableexpression.
Perhapsshehadgrownsowhatusedtoitnow.Shenolongerstartledeverytihetouchedherasoftenasbefore,buttheawkward,uneasyfeelingcouldnotbehelped.
Asshepointlesslytoreatthehemofherdress,heremovedthecoatdrapedoverhisshouldersandwrappeditaroundherbody.hen,asifitwereonlynatural,heslidonearmbeneaththebacksofherkneesandtriedtolifther.
aliaimdiatelytwistedasideandhuggedherknees.
“Don’t!Areyoutryingtohumiliateeveninfrontofyourfamily?”
arkas’seyesnarrowed.Asthoughunabletounderstand,hetiltedhisheadslightlytooneside.
“Whyisithumiliatingforahusbandtocareforhiswife?”
aliastaredathim,renderedspeechless.
Shehadknownlongagothatthismanwasmadeentirelyofduty.Butshehadnotexpectedhimtotrytofulfillhisresponsibilitieseveninamarriageforcedbythemperor’spressure.
Sheglaredathimfiercely.
“DidAilateachyouthat?hatahusbandshouldtakecareofhiswife?”
Athersharpvoice,hisbrowsdrewtogether.
Afterabriefpause,asthoughthinkingsothingover,arkasspokedryly.
“Didwenotswearsobeforethealtar?hatwouldcareformywifeascareformyownbody.”
“owfunny.Youdon’tevencherishyourownbody.”
“...”
“Andhavenointentionofplayingtheroleofan‘obedientwife’justbecausethepriestbabbledaboutit.Soyoushouldstoppretendingtobeadevotedhusband,too.”
Aftersnappingathimsharply,shestaggeredtoherfeetandtriedtogooutside,butarkasapproachedfrombehindandsnatchedherupintohisarms.
aliaglaredathimwithasurgeofanger.Butbeforeshecouldlashout,arkasspokefirst.
“Dolookfoolishenoughtoexpectanything‘obedient’fromyou?”
“Whatisthatsupposedtoan...!”
“tansexpectnothingfromyou,sodoasyouplease.”
espokedryly,adjustingherstrugglingbodyinonearm.
“intendtodoaspleaseaswell.”
henhepulledthehoodattachedtothecloakoverherheadandsteppedlightlydownfromthecarriage.
Attheharshsunlightstabbingintohereyes,aliafrowned.
Whenhervision,whichhadturnedwhiteforaninstant,becaclearagain,unfamiliarfaceslookingatherwithexpressionsmixedwithwarinessandcuriosityenteredhersight.
aliaflushedwithsha.
nsteadofdisplayingdignitybefittinganimperialprincess,shewasbeingcarriedhelplesslylikeapowerlesschild.umiliationwashedoverher.
“SothisisthewomanwhopushedasidetheFirstmperialPrincessandtookmybrother’splaceaswife?”
Justassheinstinctivelyhidherfaceagainsthisshoulder,aclear,androgynousvoicereachedherears.
aliaturnedaround.
Aboywithshaggyblackhairandlargegolden-browneyeswasstaringatherwithhishandsclaspedbehindhishead.
Washefifteenyearsold,perhaps?
isyouthfulface,stillsoftwithtracesofchildhood,carightupbeforeher.
heboystaredcuriouslyatalia,whowasonlypeekingoutwithhereyes.
“Youreyeslookjustlikelapislazuli.”
hen,withoutwarning,hereachedoverherheadandtriedtopulloffherhood.
Frozeninshockattherudenessshehadneverexperiencedbefore,aliastiffened.
arkascaughttheboy’swrist.
“ucas.”
Avoicestartlinglycoldrangoutaboveherhead.
User Comments
0 comments from readers