“Celaena!”
Surelin dashed towards her, coming to a stop with barely a foot to spare between them.
Celaena looked like she had seen a ghost as she stared at Surelin. She haltingly raised her hand to take Surelin’s, and her eyes went even wider after Surelin took both of her hands in her own.
“It’s really you,” Celaena said, astonished.
Surelin barreled into her, wrapping her in a fierce hug.
“I’m so happy to see you!” she shouted into Celaena’s chest. “You’ve no idea how happy I am to see you!”
Her ruck clearly made it difficult to return the hug, but Celaena tried, looking down with amazement at Surelin’s head buried in her chest.
Surelin released her from the hug and took a step back. “...Where is grandmother, Celaena? Please, I need to see her right away!”
“What’s going on?” Gideon asked slowly.
Celaena’s expression suddenly hardened, and she leveled an icy glare on him. “Who is this? Why is a Losoan warrior accompanying you?”
He was surprised at how quickly her mood changed. Surelin waved him over. “Celaena, this is Gideon,” she said as he approached. “He rescued me from the Kenanite king, and he helped me reach this city. Gideon, this is Celaena, one of my grandmother’s retainers.”
Celaena shook her head strongly as she looked back to Surelin. “We can’t trust the Losoans, Your Highness. They’re arrayed against us just as the Kenanites are.”
“I’m not arrayed against anyone,” Gideon said dryly.
“We can trust him,” Surelin said earnestly. “I trust him. He’s the reason why I’m here. Oh, Celaena, please just take me to grandmother! I’ll explain everything, I promise, just bring me to her!”
“You’re wearing a sword,” Celaena realized.
There was a hint of pride in Surelin’s voice. “Yes! He taught me how to fight on the journey, from Kenan to here. Just this morning I fought with someone on the highway."
The color drained from Celaena’s face. “...I’ll take you to the Dowager Queen. Both of you. Please come with me.”
She turned away and strode off down the street at a brisk pace. They followed after her.
From how worn the hilt of her broadsword looked, Gideon got the sense that Celaena was an experienced fighter. Something felt off about her, though. She was armed and armored like a warrior, but the way she carried herself was not like one. There was an odd sort of grace about her, and she seemed to almost glide through the street.
They reached the intersection where their offshoot street merged with its parent, and Celaena turned left. She looked back over her shoulder at Gideon just long enough to needle him with disdain.
“I spotted him the moment he lumbered off the market street. He is a very conspicuous man, ma'am, but to my shame I didn’t recognize you. I sincerely apologize for my lack of awareness. At first, I believed you both may have been agents in a bizarre Losoan plot. An attempt at probing our defenses, perhaps. I decided to follow you after you passed by, and once I did the realization finally dawned. Kali, I’ve never been so glad to be wrong.”
He rolled his eyes. “Guess it’s a good thing I’m so conspicuous, then.”
Surelin shot him an angry look that said: behave. “What matters is that you found us, Celaena. Your dedication to my grandmother’s safety is what led us to this meeting.”
Celaena visibly straightened up as she walked, and she slowed her pace slightly, drawing Surelin closer to her.
Gideon was impressed. She’s pretty good at handling subordinates.
The side street they were on was a mere quarter of a mile long and ended in a cul-de-sac, but otherwise was quite unremarkable. Quiet villas dotted both sides of the street, along with a few inactive workshops that had emptied out hours before at the end of the work day. Two of the villas along the street had clearly been abandoned: one was near the intersection with the market street, the other on the cul-de-sac. Celaena led them straight towards the abandoned villa on the cul-de-sac.
The villa was in a state of advanced disrepair. White paint flaked off the walls, and boards were nailed over the windows. The glass in the windows had been shattered, and pieces of it were laying all over the place. Patches of green weeds grew in the pavement cracks along the building’s front, and throughout the villa’s small front yard.
Gideon raised an eyebrow as Celaena removed a key from her pocket and unlocked the front door, beckoning them inside.
“The great houses have been monitoring us from the moment we arrived. Once word of the siege at Forelia reached Loso, they became much more aggressive with their surveillance. We were very concerned that they might attempt an assault to capture your grandmother. We’ve been taking steps to move the entire household to a new location on the city’s south side.”
The interior of the villa was no better than its exterior. It was nearly too dark to see, and smelled like dust and damp wood.
Surelin looked around apprehensively. “This is where grandmother is staying…?”
“No, your highness. Her estate is adjacent to this one, to the west. We’ve been transiting through this building to enter the rest of the city undetected. We maintain a guard here to ensure its safety as an exit. I happened to be the one on duty when you passed by.”
Gideon frowned. Your highness. Should I have been calling her that?
Celaena led them through the villa, and it took them less than a minute to pass through its ruined, dirty halls. They exited into a walled backyard full of uncut grass and overgrown shrubbery. In the wall ahead of them, a hole wide and tall enough for a single person to walk through had been torn out of the brick. Through the hole, Gideon could see cut grass, and a timber-framed building that appeared to be in good condition.
As they passed through it, Surelin nearly tripped over the booted heel of a person who’d been sitting right by the hole on the other side. Two armed Forelians, a dark skinned man and a light skinned woman, were resting against the wall, half-asleep.
“Get up, you complete idiots!” Celaena shouted. “Don’t you see who this is?!”
Neither of them moved to obey, but they both looked up at Surelin and their mouths fell open with shock. Seeing her, they finally leapt to their feet.
“Your highness?!” the woman exclaimed.
Surelin nodded to them both, smiling. “Caeda and Vesryn. How have you been holding up?”
They seemed too shocked to muster a reply. The two of them looked between Surelin and Celaena several times, their mouths still agape.
“One of you tongue tied buffoons needs to replace me on watch,” Celaena said impatiently.
They didn’t budge. “Caeda, go!” she shouted. “You’re delaying the princess!”
“Aww…!” the woman said, clearly disappointed to be sent away at a moment of great excitement. She shouldered past Gideon and headed for the ruined villa.
Celaena quickly ordered Vesryn to remain at his post—awake this time—and led Surelin and Gideon to the villa. It was a wide two-story timber-framed building, painted white and brown in the common Losoan style. A dozen bay windows lined the top floor. After seeing it up close, Gideon was glad Celaena had spotted them, because the villa was so typical that he felt he wouldn’t have given it a second glance.
They entered the villa through a plain service door only a dozen feet or so away from the hole in the wall, stepping into an expansive, tidy kitchen. The walls were lined with cupboards and stoves, and a long counter ran through the middle of the room. An empty doorframe lay across from the outside entrance, leading to a hallway.
A dark skinned middle-aged man wearing an apron was standing at the counter, stirring the contents of a large cooking pot with a ladle. Two young dark skinned women in plain maid uniforms stood next to him, chopping vegetables. None of them bothered to look up when Celaena traipsed inside with Surelin and Gideon in tow.
Surelin stopped to greet them, smiling. “Good evening!”
The three of them lifted their heads, and their mouths fell open, just like Caeda and Vesryn. One of the maids gaped at Surelin for only a few seconds before she gathered up her skirts and ran out of the room.
“Your highness…?” the apron man said timidly.
Surelin nodded. “I apologize, but I can’t linger here. It’s very good to see you’re all alive and well.”
Celaena looked a bit put off at the sudden stop, and when Surelin gestured at her to lead on she strode through the open doorway impatiently.
The hallway was wide enough for two people to walk through it side by side, and its walls were painted white. A series of curtained windows spread across the wall on the hallway’s right side, looking out onto a small open-air atrium lined with white and gray ceramic floor tiles. Various types of outdoor furniture were present, spread about randomly. Gideon could see the same line of windows on the walls across the way, and he realized the villa formed a rectangle around the atrium. On their left side, they passed a long line of doors, with unlit glass lanterns hanging from the wall between each doorframe. A few Forelian soldiers in various states of dress stood in the doorways, gawking at Surelin as she passed by.
Gideon heard excited shouting from around the corner ahead of them, and soon after a thin light skinned old man appeared before them, the maid from before in tow. His hair was short and mostly gray, including his beard, which was trimmed and tidy. He wore a splendid military uniform, with black boots, trousers and an overcoat with gold buttons. At his shoulders were gold and silver epaulets, with a violet sash looping down across his chest.
They came to a stop in front of him. The old man was just as stunned as the rest of the Forelians to see Surelin, and his eyes darted around her face.
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“Princess Surelin…? Oh, goodness!”
His eyes quickly filled with tears. Surelin smiled at him and squeezed his forearm. “Marshal Len. It’s wonderful to see you.”
Gideon frowned deeply at him. This weepy old man is a fucking marshal?
Len quickly wiped at his eyes. “...I apologize, princess. What a glorious surprise! We knew very little about your situation, only that you had been taken captive. But how did you escape?”
Surelin shook her head. “Later, Len. Where is grandmother?”
He nodded quickly and glanced at Celaena. “She is in her room. I was just with her. By now, I imagine word has reached her of your arrival. Go on!”
Surelin gave him another smile as they set off again. Gideon felt Len’s eyes on him as he passed by, but didn’t bother to return his gaze.
Celaena led them around the corner, and up a nearby stairwell that was only wide enough for one person to climb at a time. A handful of Forelian soldiers and servants surrounded the stairwell at the top, staring in awe as Surelin climbed it and walked past them.
A set of ornate double doors stood in the south-west corner of the villa. Celaena halted in front of them and turned to Surelin.
“I will take your backpack for you, your highness. There’s no need for you to carry it any further.”
Surelin shrugged off her ruck and handed it to Celaena, then walked over to the doors, hesitating for just a moment before opening them. She entered the room, and Gideon followed.
For a room that belonged to a member of royalty, it was surprisingly modest. The carpet was white, the walls painted a simple brown. A queen sized bed with beige comforters and pillows was situated against the wall on Gideon’s left, and two large identical armoires occupied the far corner just next to it. By the opposite wall, a glasswork table stood, with a tea service resting on top. The table was flanked by two comfortable looking red armchairs, and tall bookshelves overflowing with books just beyond. Finally, a simple chandelier holding a few unlit candles hung from the ceiling.
Across from the doors stood a bay window with its curtains drawn, facing the south side of the city. Before it stood a short, dark skinned woman with long and curly gray hair, looking out at the surrounding buildings. She wore black robes, with short silver frills at the hemline and cuffs. When she turned around to face them, Gideon was stunned. She looked so much like Surelin that she could have been her twin, the only differences being some age lines at the corners of her eyes and her gray hair.
Surelin walked slowly into the center of the room, then stopped, staring at her grandmother. Gideon expected her to say something, but she simply stood in silence.
Her grandmother returned Surelin’s stare placidly. “Why, what is wrong, Surelin? Don’t you recognize your own grandmother?”
Gideon heard a deep, shaky sigh leave Surelin. Her grandmother extended her arms towards her. “Come to me, darling girl.”
Surelin ran towards her, and they wrapped each other in a tight embrace. A loud, coarse sob left her as she buried her face in her grandmother’s chest.
“There, there,” her grandmother cooed. She lifted her hand to pet Surelin’s head as she began to cry heavily into her robes.
Gideon felt very much like he was intruding. He looked away from them, and as he did Surelin’s grandmother glanced at him.
“Slow down for just a moment, would you, darling? Who is this person accompanying you? Please introduce us.”
He watched as Surelin turned to look at him, calming down just enough to speak. Her cheeks were wet, her nose running.
“He’s Gideon,” she gasped.
Her grandmother looked up at him. She had a penetrating gaze. “Gideon. I see. My name is Edea. Thank you for escorting my granddaughter.”
Edea shot a look over Gideon’s shoulder, then pulled Surelin back into her chest as she began to cry once more.
“Come with me,” Celaena said. Wordlessly, Gideon turned away from them and followed her out of the room.
The sound of Surelin’s tearful sobbing became muffled as the maid from earlier shut the doors behind them. Celaena led him down the hallway, past several closed doors. The Forelians who’d been in the hallway had cleared out.
She stopped before one of the doors in the middle of the hallway and opened it, then moved out of the way for him. “You may stay here. For now.”
Her tone was rude, and it made Gideon feel aggravated. He walked past her into the room, frowning. It was quite small, essentially the size of a standard barracks room. The walls were painted brown and the carpet was white, just like Edea’s room. There was a window on the wall across from the door, and a single bed was situated against the wall below it. Near the head of the bed was a plain and unpainted wooden nightstand. In the room’s corner to his right rested a red armchair similar to the ones in Edea’s room, and next to it a mahogany armoire sat against the wall.
Gideon took his ruck off and dropped it into the armchair, then began unstrapping his claymore from his chest.
“Do not attempt to leave this room,” Celaena said. “The Dowager Queen will decide what to do with you.”
He finished unstrapping his claymore and turned around to face Celaena, still holding it in his hand. The maid was standing behind her, watching them both with wide eyes.
“Do you think you can stop me from leaving?” he asked coolly.
Celaena’s expression hardened, and they glared at each other silently.
Gideon began to walk towards her, and she immediately brought her right foot back, grasping the hilt of her sword. When he got close enough, he reached out for the door with his free hand and slammed it shut in her face.
“Forelians,” he muttered as he walked back over to the bed, resting his claymore against it.
He settled back on the bed with a heavy sigh. Almost a year had passed since he'd actually laid down in one. It wasn’t quite long enough for him—his feet were hanging over the edge—but it was still soft and comfortable.
The memory of Surelin wailing into her grandmother’s chest weighed on him as he stared up at the ceiling. An ugly feeling accompanied it.
It must feel nice to be comforted by family.
He shook his head. I’m such a fucking idiot. I can’t believe I’m jealous of her.
Sleep came on suddenly, without allowing Gideon to put up a fight.
----------------------------------------
Loud knocking woke Gideon from a dreamless sleep. Drowsily, he looked out the window and saw that night had fallen.
“Are you currently decent?” a woman said from the other side of the door.
He sat up, hoping it was Surelin. “Yeah.”
The door opened, and Celaena stood in the doorway, illuminated by lanternlight.
“The Dowager Queen wishes to speak with you,” she said curtly.
He sighed internally. “About what?”
“She wishes to speak with you privately.”
Gideon got to his feet, reaching down for his claymore.
“Don’t bring your weapon!” Celaena barked.
He frowned at her. “If you’re going to be armed then why shouldn’t I be?”
She surprised him by immediately unstrapping her broadsword from her belt, stepping further inside the room to drop it on the armchair by his ruck.
With a shrug, Gideon dropped his claymore onto the bed. I’m not stupid enough to think she doesn’t have a knife or two hidden on her. Ah, well. My own fault for falling asleep before doing the same.
He gestured at her to lead on, and Celaena immediately turned and marched out of the room.
Their footsteps echoed in the empty hallway, joined only by the quiet sounds of tiny flames burning within the wall-mounted lanterns. When Celaena reached the double doors, she opened them and stood aside.
“Go in,” she sneered.
“Hey, what’s your damn problem?” he asked angrily. “I brought your princess to you, didn’t I? Show me some fucking gratitude.”
“You can enter this room on your feet or on your ass, sellsword,” she growled. “Choose.”
Gideon rolled his eyes at her and walked inside.
The candles in the chandelier had been lit, bathing the room in a warm glow. Edea was seated in one of the armchairs by the table, taking a sip from a steaming cup of tea. A bulky burlap sack rested on the table next to the teapot, filled to the brim with what appeared to be coins.
Celaena entered the room after Gideon, shutting the doors behind them.
“Where’s Surelin?” he asked.
Edea set her cup down carefully. “...Changing out of the rags you provided her with, I imagine.”
He scoffed loudly. “Is that what this is about? You had your goon drag me here to accuse me of…what? Not spending enough money on clothing? Old woman, you should’ve seen what Surelin was wearing when I first saw her.”
She placed her hands in her lap, a gesture that reminded him very much of Surelin. “I do not suspect you of having malicious intent in giving my granddaughter clothing fit for a vagabond. I am quite certain that you simply provided her with the style of clothing you were most familiar with.”
Before he could reply, Edea raised a hand to halt him. “You were, however, correct in a general sense. I did not summon you to speak about my granddaughter’s wardrobe.”
“You didn’t summon me,” Gideon said. “I’m not your servant that you can order around. I chose to come and hear you out, and I think I’ve already heard enough.”
He turned to walk out of the room, and was instantly blocked by Celaena.
“She has not dismissed you,” she said.
“I apologize for my incorrect verbiage,” Edea added quickly. “We require only a brief moment of your time. That is all.”
Gideon and Celaena glared at each other from close range. Their overt hostility didn’t make much sense to him.
“What would Surelin say about this, I wonder?” Edea said thoughtfully.
A scowl spread across Gideon's face. Manipulative old witch.
He faced Edea. “Go on, then.”
She gave him a tight smile. “Surelin explained to us in great detail who and what you are, and the part you played in the siege at Forelia. In spite of this, you have rendered service to our family, and thus we have decided to reward you.”
Her hand lifted to indicate the burlap sack. “Within this sack is one thousand gold denars. An apt payment for any mercenary, I should think. You will accept this payment, and then you will leave. At once. You will never return to this estate, and you will never see Surelin again.”
“No,” he said immediately.
Edea quickly shot Celaena a stern look, then looked back at Gideon. “Please explain yourself.”
He gave her a barking laugh. “What? You need me to explain? For such an old lady you seem pretty fucking stupid.”
“You cur!” Celaena snarled. Edea’s expression did not change.
“You failed on every level to protect Surelin, and she went through terrible suffering because of it. Everything she went through is completely your fault, just like it's your fault that the rest of your people are enslaved.”
Edea’s eyes narrowed as he continued. “You’re a failure. All of you, every single person in this house. You’re not worthy of her. None of you are,” he said, turning to shoot an angry glance at Celaena. “So unless Surelin wants me to leave, I’m not going anywhere. She needs better help than you.”
A tense silence settled over the room as Gideon and Edea stared at one another. It felt like minutes passed, until Edea finally spoke.
“You may remain in your current room,” she said tersely. “For as long as you remain in Surelin’s favor.”
Gideon absorbed her statement for a moment, then turned to leave.
“Get the fuck out of my way,” he said hotly to Celaena.
She stood aside with a bitter frown. He marched past her out into the hallway, and she followed him out.
When he reached the door to his room, he turned around to confront her. “Stop following me!”
“...I need my sword.” she replied awkwardly.
Gideon shook his head with exasperation and stepped inside. He plopped onto the bed, staring at Celaena as she quickly trotted over to the armchair and retrieved her sword, avoiding eye contact with him. She shut the door behind her as she left.
A tired sigh left him as he settled back on the bed, crossing his arms behind his head. He looked out through the window at the stars, thinking.
Why did she try to get rid of me? What was the point of that?
He frowned. I think I hate that old woman. It’s so strange, though. She's just like Surelin. They're so alike, in everything except for personalities.
Gideon watched as a thick bank of clouds rapidly rolled in, obscuring the stars and turning the night sky pitch black.
Snow’s coming. I can feel it in my bones.