Chapter 75
“heexteriormaylookalittlecrude,buttheinteriorisdecoratedsosplendidlythatitcanholditsownagainstanycastleinthecentralregion.herewillbenothinguncomfortableaboutlivinghere.”
heman,whohadbeenwatchinghercomplexion,spokeasiftosootheher.aliamerelygavehimadubiouslook.
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’means?”
“Anddoyouknowwhat‘uselessmeddling’means?”
aliasharpenedhervoice.
“rperhapsthemeaningof‘rudeness’?”
Realizinghewouldgainnothingbysayingmore,themanflickedthereinsandleftasiffleeing.
aliasnortedafterhisretreatingback,thenshutthewindow.
Mostpeoplewhoapproachedwhilepretendingtobekindfornoreasonalwayshadsomeotherscheme.
Besides,thateasternmanhadonlybeensmilingwithhismouth.iseyeshadbeenpickingherapartandjudgingher.
ehadprobablybeentryingtoprobewhatkindofwomanthefuturegrandduchesswouldbe.
ettingoutanothersnort,aliadrewthecurtainoverthewindowandsankdeepintotheseat.
Shecouldnotletherguarddownforevenasinglemoment.heSiorcanclanmustsurelyfindherdispleasing.
heformermpressBernadetteandtherandDukeofSiorcanhadbeencousins,andquitecloseatthat.heKhanclanmustsurelyharborstrongresentmentthat,insteadofAila,theirownbloodrelative,thedaughterofthecurrentmpress,whostoodinpoliticaloppositiontothem,hadbecomethefuturegrandduchess.
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.
heeasternmannamedyronhadnotbeenbluffingatall.
Unlikeitscrudeexterior,theinsideofthecastlewasfilledwithpreciselycalculatedbeauty.
Shelookedovertheastonishinglycleanroads,thespiresrisinghighenoughtopiercethesky,andtheelaboratebuildingsonebyone.tseemedasthougheverystructurehadbeencarefullycarvedbyasingleartisan.
hecitadel,createdfromacombinationofgraystoneandblackmarble,roseatvaryingheightswithexquisitestructuralbeauty,andbetweenthebuildings,archedstonebridgeswereconnectedlikearteries.
Asshegazedatthemwithadmiration,thefountainlocatedinthemiddleofthesquareenteredhersight.
alia’seyeswidened.
Afountainfarlargerandmoresplendidthantheoneinstalledintheimperialpalacewaspowerfullysprayingclearstreamsofwater.
hisfortresswassurelysuppliedwithabundantwatersources.
hewateroverflowingfromthefountainflowedalonggroovescarvedintotheroadsideandintothechannels.
verwhelmedbythesceneryinsidethecastle,tightlywovenfromstone,marble,steel,andwater,shekeptmovinghereyeswithoutpause.
henthecavalrymarchinginformationstoppedbeforeastructurethatappearedtobethemaincastle.
aliaturnedhergazeforward.
nfrontofabeautifulfortressbornfromthedelicatearchitecturalstyleoftheRoemmpireandtheuniqueaestheticsenseoftheeasterners,peopledressedinsplendidclothingstoodlinedupinrows.
arkas,whohadstoppedhishorsebeforethem,dismountedandshoutedsomethingintheeasterntongue.
Atthat,thepeoplewaitingonthestepscamerushingdownandsurroundedhim.
‘Aretheyarkas’srelatives?’
Asshestudiedthemwithcuriouseyes,arkaspushedasidethecommotionaroundhimandwalkedstraighttowardhercarriage.
aliahurriedlydrewthecurtainoverthewindow.
Shewasabouttoliedownontheseatandpretendtobeasleepwhenthecarriagedoorsuddenlyflewopenwithoutwarning,andarkassteppedinside.
alialookedupathimwithatenseface.
JustashealwayshadsinceleavingtheRoemKnights,arkasworeblackironarmorwithaneastern-stylecoatdrapedlooselyoverit.
islargebody,thickwiththescentofdrygrass,filledhervisioninaninstant.
“owareyoufeeling?”
Removinghisgauntlet,arkasplacedhishandonherforehead.Perhapssensingtheheat,afaintcreaseformedbetweenhissmoothbrows.
“Yourfeverstillhasn’tgonedown.”
“...’mfine.tisn’tasifthisisthefirstorsecondday.”
alialoweredhereyeswithanuncomfortableexpression.
Perhapsshehadgrownsomewhatusedtoitnow.Shenolongerstartledeverytimehetouchedherasoftenasbefore,buttheawkward,uneasyfeelingcouldnotbehelped.
Asshepointlesslytoreatthehemofherdress,heremovedthecoatdrapedoverhisshouldersandwrappeditaroundherbody.hen,asifitwereonlynatural,heslidonearmbeneaththebacksofherkneesandtriedtolifther.
aliaimmediatelytwistedasideandhuggedherknees.
“Don’t!Areyoutryingtohumiliatemeeveninfrontofyourfamily?”
arkas’seyesnarrowed.Asthoughunabletounderstand,hetiltedhisheadslightlytooneside.
“Whyisithumiliatingforahusbandtocareforhiswife?”
aliastaredathim,renderedspeechless.
Shehadknownlongagothatthismanwasmadeentirelyofduty.Butshehadnotexpectedhimtotrytofulfillhisresponsibilitieseveninamarriageforcedbythemperor’spressure.
Sheglaredathimfiercely.
“DidAilateachyouthat?hatahusbandshouldtakecareofhiswife?”
Athersharpvoice,hisbrowsdrewtogether.
Afterabriefpause,asthoughthinkingsomethingover,arkasspokedryly.
“Didwenotswearsobeforethealtar?hatwouldcareformywifeascareformyownbody.”
“owfunny.Youdon’tevencherishyourownbody.”
“...”
“Andhavenointentionofplayingtheroleofan‘obedientwife’justbecausethepriestbabbledaboutit.Soyoushouldstoppretendingtobeadevotedhusband,too.”
Aftersnappingathimsharply,shestaggeredtoherfeetandtriedtogooutside,butarkasapproachedfrombehindandsnatchedherupintohisarms.
aliaglaredathimwithasurgeofanger.Butbeforeshecouldlashout,arkasspokefirst.
“Dolookfoolishenoughtoexpectanything‘obedient’fromyou?”
“Whatisthatsupposedtomean...!”
“tmeansexpectnothingfromyou,sodoasyouplease.”
espokedryly,adjustingherstrugglingbodyinonearm.
“intendtodoaspleaseaswell.”
henhepulledthehoodattachedtothecloakoverherheadandsteppedlightlydownfromthecarriage.
Attheharshsunlightstabbingintohereyes,aliafrowned.
Whenhervision,whichhadturnedwhiteforaninstant,becameclearagain,unfamiliarfaceslookingatherwithexpressionsmixedwithwarinessandcuriosityenteredhersight.
aliaflushedwithshame.
nsteadofdisplayingdignitybefittinganimperialprincess,shewasbeingcarriedhelplesslylikeapowerlesschild.umiliationwashedoverher.
“SothisisthewomanwhopushedasidetheFirstmperialPrincessandtookmybrother’splaceaswife?”
Justassheinstinctivelyhidherfaceagainsthisshoulder,aclear,androgynousvoicereachedherears.
aliaturnedaround.
Aboywithshaggyblackhairandlargegolden-browneyeswasstaringatherwithhishandsclaspedbehindhishead.
Washefifteenyearsold,perhaps?
isyouthfulface,stillsoftwithtracesofchildhood,camerightupbeforeher.
heboystaredcuriouslyatalia,whowasonlypeekingoutwithhereyes.
“Youreyeslookjustlikelapislazuli.”
hen,withoutwarning,hereachedoverherheadandtriedtopulloffherhood.
Frozeninshockattherudenessshehadneverexperiencedbefore,aliastiffened.
arkascaughttheboy’swrist.
“ucas.”
Avoicestartlinglycoldrangoutaboveherhead.