Page 26 of The Truth-Teller's Bargain
“Don’t!” she hissed abruptly, pushing back from him. She tried not to notice the way they all watched her then, like some specimen in a jar.
“My apologies,” Balthasar offered quickly, and his influence on her emotions faded. “You’re right—I should have asked.” He inclined his head toward her. “Your feelings are understandable, but your secrets are safe here.”
She peered around the table at the four strangers, each of them reflecting the same thought. Suspicion, as they had every right to feel. But the pity was too much for her to handle.What a poor princess, used as a weapon for her mother’s machinations while she wears the kingdom’s finest gems.She was certain each of the members of Nakir’s so-called Dark Court had a sad story, a haunted past. Here they all were, actuallydoingsomething about it instead of sitting in a tower waiting to be rescued.
Alethea swallowed hard and nodded in response as the warring thoughts churned inside of her. Joining them was the thought of betraying her mother, but standing by and refusing to correct injustices? That would be betraying herself.
“Once, every oath in Lenorea was sealed with a kiss—treaty, trade, or ’troth. Only weddings keep the tradition now, a fading echo of the vows that once bound empires.”
—THE ANCIENT TRADITIONS OF LENOREA
CHAPTER SIX
Hunter’s Moon, Day 19.
Alethea spent the day moving through the encampment, hesitantly introducing herself to soldiers who, to her surprise, seemed genuinely glad to have her. She made herself useful where she could, fumbled more than she didn't, and was teased warmly for it each time.
She had never seen so many people united under one cause. In her mother’s court, advisors and lords schemed and plotted against one another while Lenorea’s poorest citizens fought over a few scraps of food. She’d always been so powerless to help, and she’d learned years ago that even the most innocent of interventions could make things so much worse.
As the sun set, Alethea knew she ought to make her way back to Nakir’s tent. Her stomach flipped as she wondered if she’d be getting her own tent and what that would mean for her. She still hadn’t officially accepted the deal with Nakir, nor had he accepted her offer. Still, she felt this was the only option if she truly wanted to be free of her mother.
Despite the thought she should return, Alethea felt called to the neighboring forest. She’d heard rumors of a nearby lake, where some of the soldiers took to the waters for a refreshing dip in the natural springs, and decided to see it for herself. Besides, Nakir had told her she wasn’t his prisoner; this was the perfect test to see if he meant it. Alethea continuously glanced over her shoulder as she strode past the last few tents on the northern border of the camp. She waited, counting the minutes, until it became clear no one was coming for her.
Hardly able to believe it, she continued into the woods, following the path she’d been told would take her to the spring-fed pool. She could hardly remember the last time she was simply free to go wherever she pleased without sneaking around or being followed. Absently twisting her blonde curls into a braid over one shoulder, she put one foot in front of the other and searched for this elusive pool.
With every step, the forest enveloped her in a hushed embrace, the rustle of leaves the only sound in the impending twilight. The air carried the scent of moss and damp earth, and the distant hoot of an owl echoed through the woods.
After what felt like an eternity, she stumbled upon a hidden glade. In its center lay the mysterious lake she’d heard whispers of: a pristine mirror reflecting the deep, bruising colors of the almost faded sunset. The water was still, its surface broken only by the occasional ripple. A sense of both wonder and trepidation gripped Alethea as she gazed at the waters, pondering the secrets they might hold.
In the silent forest, her ears picked up the faint murmur of voices, drawing her attention away from the tranquil lake. The words were indistinct, muffled by the distance, but the intensity of the argument was palpable. She hesitated, caught between her curiosity and the instinct to remain unseen. Gripped by nosiness, she strained her ears as she inched closer, her heart pounding in her chest.
“You heard Balthasar. My father’s title—mytitle—has been stripped. They’ve evacuated the household. The lords and ladies have all fled. We’re lucky we have what we have, but what are we supposed to do when the new Great Lord of Ephesus gathers an army and comes after the lords who followed us?” Kerrigan’s voice was pained, angry, and vulnerable in a way that ate Alethea with guilt for overhearing it. She tucked herself behind a massive oak tree, trying to make herself as small and silent as possible.
Nakir’s voice was unmistakable. “I’d say he would have a hard time finding able-bodied soldiers to fight for him.Wehave the army of Ephesus, with reinforcements less than a week away. He would need to hire another army of mercenaries from Rai’Sharr to even stand a chance. We knew the risks when we left.Goranknew the risks. I know Ephesus is important to you, and I promise we’ll retake Sardes and reinstate you as Great Lady.”
“It’s not just abouttitles, Nakir! All this business with the princess, it’s distracting you. We need to keep moving. This is our chance to strike. With our allies in Hyelea?—”
“We have to consider all the options. We’ll gather the others in the morning and discuss this matter then. We simply can’t afford to act irrationally.”
Silence stretched between them, the sounds of the glen rising up to take the place of their heated discussion as the night cooled. They were surrounded by massive juniper and cypress trees, their evergreen branches lush even in the late-autumn months. The sun sank closer to the horizon, sending brilliant rays of red and orange across the clearing.
Alethea bit her lip as she waited, searching for an opportunity to sneak away. She’d nearly decided to go for it when she heard Kerrigan’s voice again.
“I don’t know how to miss him.”
Nakir took a moment to answer. “I don’t either.”
“I’m so fuckingangry.”
“I know.” A long silence stretched.
“No one wanted this more for you than he did. He would have given everything for this... Fuck it, hedidgive everything for this. And we couldn’t save him. That whole ride to Hyelea, I just knew we were going to be too late. And we were.”
“Balthasar talked to him, before?—”
“Before they cut off his head?” Kerrigan was so blunt, so raw.
Alethea’s stomach rolled, bile rising in her throat as she screwed her eyes shut to block out the images from her nightmare.
