Chapter 21

Annalise shifted uncomfortably on her horse. Between the tense passage through the pass, the four terrifying days with the bandits, and her rescue the night before which was followed by a few hours of restless sleep on the ground with only a handful of scavenged blankets and an old tent for comfort and compounded by her nightmare, her body was bloodied, bruised, and quite sore. 

Soren walked at her side, his face taciturn. He and his men had pursued her on foot and had only brought one mule to carry the men’s things and to double as a mount for her to ride back on. When Captain Padrin had seen the coarse pack animal, as well as the injured men from the raid, he’d immediately ordered half of the members of his party to give up their mounts. 

Annalise tried to refuse the mare offered her and insist it go to Soren, who still had a terrible limp, but he’d refused the mount with a stubbornness that surprised her, although he wasn’t above walking beside the horse and occasionally using it to help steady himself. They still hadn’t spoken of his words the night before; she doubted they ever would. The words he’d said were dangerous. Dearest, he’d called her, as if she meant something more to him than only a friend. As much as she longed to know why, she didn’t dare ask, afraid that such questions would only lead to heartbreak. Instead, she embraced her irritation at his stubbornness about her riding the horse instead of him, who obviously needed it more. 

“How did you find me?” she asked after the worst of her ire at his obstinance had faded. 

“We tracked you for three days. Those bandits may have been passable fighters with a solid head start, but they were average wood craftsmen, and we have several in our party who are master hunters.” Soren winced, and his shoulders slumped. “Were master hunters. One of them survived, but he’s among the injured. I wasn’t expecting the mage, and my men paid for my mistake with their life.” 

“Don’t blame yourself too much, Captain Soren—I traveled with those bandits for four days and still didn’t know they had a mage in their party.” 

“I have no excuse; I should have exercised more caution, but I was blinded by the need to make sure that you were okay. Don’t worry, Princess Annalise, it won’t happen again.” 

The silence stretched between them for nearly an hour. She kept herself entertained by marveling at the trees they rode under–their strong boughs arched overhead to such great heights that it put her father’s throne room in Dovea to shame. The forest canopy protected most of the understory from snow, and a few of the branches looked wide enough to allow a horse to ride over them. 

A small bird hopped from one branch to another, and Annalise was suddenly reminded of her lady’s maid. “How was Priscilla doing when you saw her last?” 

“Frightened and worried for you, but holding up well overall. Lieutenant Rorarck will take good care of her as well as your trousseau and dowry. Once we’ve met Captain Padrin’s liege, we’ll return to our journey and rendezvous outside of Rea, if not before.” Soren cut his words off with a hiss through his teeth when the horse bumped into him unexpectedly. Annalise glanced at him, but kept her concern to herself when he continued talking as if nothing was wrong. “Oh, that reminds me, Priscilla packed several things for you; dresses and such, I think. When we reach our destination, I’ll give them to you.” 

Annalise eyed Soren’s pack strapped to the saddle behind her. “I hope you had enough space left for your own use.” 

He shrugged, and a grin flitted across his pale face. “I made do. I don’t have such great needs, and no one would look twice at a road-weary and battle-hardened man like they would at a princess with a torn dress.” 

“I appreciate your care for my public image, although I wonder if it’s not a little misplaced considering the rumors around me and my curse. I doubt they’ll pay much attention to my clothes when they see my mask,” Annalise said dryly. 

“You only deserve the best, Princess. If it meant I had to spend a year and a day in dusty and bloodstained clothes so that your beauty could shine as brightly as the winter moon, I would in a heartbeat. Your father deemed me your protector, and I will not let my lady go without. It is my honor to provide for whatever you desire; you need only ask.” 

The earnestness in his words rang a little too true in the context of his whispered words from the night before, their import falling between them like a stone dropping into a still pond. In an effort to break the lingering tension in the air, Annalise did her best approximation of a carefree laugh, although it came out rather forced. “You should be careful, Captain. If you keep on using such flowery language you’re liable to cause spring to come early and the wildflowers to bloom.” 

Soren laughed along, although his laugh sounded as genuine as hers. “Try not to blame me; if I fall out of practice with my courtly speech how am I supposed to win the hand of a beautiful maiden?” 

It might have been the laughter, or the crisp winter air, or perhaps even just the relief of being rescued that decreased Annalise’s inhibitions. “I don’t think you need any more practice sharpening your silver tongue. If you were any more convincing, there wouldn’t be a woman in Dovea who wouldn’t fall for your charms.” 

Soren abruptly sobered and stared down at the ground as if the flat dirt road had become particularly tricky to navigate. “I only have eyes for one woman, and that is my own curse to bear,” he muttered just loud enough for her to hear. Annalise jerked her gaze from the surrounding forest to him. Their eyes met for a second, and then his gait hitched and he stumbled, drawing a sharp intake of breath as his foot caught on a ridge in the ground.  

Thankfully, Annalise’s gelding was a steady creature, and by grabbing at the straps on the saddle, Soren was able to right himself just before he fell. 

“You really should be the one up here,” Annalise said. 

“We’ve already been through this; you’re the princess and I am your guard. I’m not going to ask you to walk while I sit nicely on the horse.” 

“I shouldn’t even be riding with my curse.” 

He raised an eyebrow and leaned back to look over her dress, which had once been a lovely dove gray and was now stained with blood and dirt, and the dark brown leggings that were visible beneath her ripped skirts as she rode astride. “You’re wearing enough clothes I doubt the horse will succumb.” 

“My curse doesn’t have any effect on animals, only people, but I still haven’t ridden in years.” She gently rubbed her mount’s shoulder, and the gelding’s ears flicked back and forth as if he understood the conversation. 

“Why not? You loved to ride when we were children. As I recall, you were very good at it.” 

“Horses are unpredictable creatures, and if I were to fall and hurt myself, who could help me? My blood is as poisonous to the touch as the rest of me, as you saw last night.” 

“As valid as your concerns are, I don’t think your current mount is going to cause you any trouble,” Soren said. 

“I could order you to take the horse.” 

“You certainly could… and I could then take great pleasure in ignoring your order.” 

“You would ignore a direct command from your princess?” 

One corner of Soren’s mouth quirked up. “If it were an order that put you at risk, I’d ignore it even if you screamed at me and threatened to throw me in a dungeon.”