Soren clenched his fist at King Nelan’s insult. Next to him, Annalise’s lips pressed into a thin line. He wondered if perhaps her years spent with the mask hiding her features had done her a disservice—she hadn’t needed to control her face then, but judging from the way Nelan’s eyes darkened when he saw her…
They met the Rhinnean contingent outside Rea’s city walls. Over twenty mounted Rhinnean men waited on the other side of an open field. Nearly all were dressed in plate armor that gleamed in the winter sun, with the exception of one young man who wasn’t much older than Annalise. He was tall and broadly built,…
Annalise had just enough time to tell Priscilla about her adventures in Murana when a messenger from Rea arrived proclaiming to the entire camp that an escort contingent from the palace led by King Nelan himself was on its way and would meet the Doveans outside of the city gates in an hour. The messenger’s…
The next morning, Annalise donned her mask with an air of finality before she left her tent. Judging from the dark circles under his eyes and his drawn face as he ate breakfast, Soren looked like he hadn’t slept at all the night before. Elsabeth was also subdued; she spoke very little and sighed profusely…
The evening before they reached the Rhinnean capital, Rea, they made camp on the side of the mountain. A path through the woods led to a rocky overlook that afforded a view of the valley where the brightly lit city lay. Annalise had walked the path when they made camp, but didn’t stay for long…
Awkwardness cast a haze over the next several days. The easy camaraderie that Annalise had grown used to with Soren felt strained. He kept their conversations light and did his best to cheer her up and distract her from her upcoming nuptials, but every so often from the corner of her eye she’d see his…
After a long day’s ride, when they reached their next campsite, Soren was at Annalise’s side as she dismounted and offered her his arm. “Our walk, just like I promised you.” He’d been looking forward to their discussion all day with some hope and a large amount of trepidation. She smiled and lightly placed her…
It was mid-morning when their party left Orighet. They rode as the weak winter sun climbed overhead, then stopped for a quick lunch at the pass that marked the edge of Murana. The mood was somber, with even Elsabeth more subdued than normal as everyone ate and looked out over the valley. Finally, when the…
After Annalise and Soren finished their breakfast, she joined her aunt for one last ride. Brunen was already waiting for them when they arrived. She was alone, and Annalise tried not to let her disappointment show. Ever since she’d met the chestnut mare while with Soren, she’d kept an eye out, but despite visiting the…
Three more weeks passed like a snowflake falling from the sky, and before Annalise knew it, it was time to leave the place she’d come to think of as her new home. Unlike Dovea, with its whispering court, or Rhinnea, with its hazy future that began at a marriage altar with a strange man, Murana…