“Snow, the map says the castle is right up there,” Terrin said as he gestured up the road.
Elurra wasn’t listening, primarily because he was holding the map upside down and secondly because she could see the castle clearly from her spot on the donkey. As expected, she couldn’t keep running through the forest with a concussion, so Terrin forced her to ride after she tripped and hurt herself.
It has been eight days since we set out. Considering we went straight through the forest instead of following the winding roads, we made up some time. But the ball ended yesterday.
Her head still hurt, but it was mainly a dull throb. Most of the agony had subsided, although the day after was probably the worst she’d ever experienced. Every movement had felt like someone was beating her over the head with an iron rod. Terrin found some herbs that made the swelling go down and the ache lessen when she couldn’t go on because of it. Even with their shortcut, Elurra wasn’t sure if they had been fast enough.
They were standing on the side of a hill on the outskirts of a huge town. The capital of Amora was a thriving hive of trade. They had merged with the main road that morning and quickly fell in amongst the hordes of people from all over Incari making their way toward the capital. Elurra suspected they would hear about the prince’s assassination if they ventured into town to see what damage Nitiri had done.
Surprisingly, everyone they encountered seemed optimistic and cheerful in the markets of Unérith as they traveled in. If there had been a death, the word hadn’t spread yet. She hoped that indicated there was still time. The king would declare war and send out his troops to crush her homeland soon if his son was murdered the night before. The most she could hope for was an audience to try to convince him to spare her kingdom, even though he probably wouldn’t listen to her.
When they made it further into town by mid-afternoon, Elurra insisted they skirt around the edge of Unérith. They’d made it to a steep slope that developed into a cliff farther on. At the tallest tip of the precipice stood the Amorian castle. Its spires seemed to brush the clouds above, and its majestic sculptures were breathtaking. The ballroom alone was rumored large enough to hold the entire capital’s population, though Elurra was sure it was hyperbole. Still, the structure was massive, much larger than her own castle in Lur Alava.
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“Terrin, look up.”
He lowered the map, and his mouth dropped open when he spotted it. The elegant towers and thick walls, all created with alternating orange and yellow stone only found in Amora, shot into the sky like flares. The land was known for its talented carvers, merchants, and sculptors, and the castle was one of their greatest masterpieces. Elurra looked away from the castle and down the steep path descending to a roaring river.
“Snow, come on!” he said in excitement as he grabbed her arm to pull her toward the castle.
Elurra shook him off. Something was terribly wrong. Her stomach twisted into a knot, and she felt nauseous. She turned away from Terrin and started to walk down the hill toward the river.
I've seen this place before, she realized.
“Snow?” Terrin said. “You’re going the wrong way!”
Elurra took off running down the steep slope, trying not to fall. She crashed down the decline, her momentum almost taking her into the river. She righted herself at the last second and turned left to run alongside the stream.
“Follow the river. Run faster.” Her aunt's mocking tone ran through her mind. She heard Terrin's crashing footsteps behind her.
“Stay with the donkey! Do not follow me!” she screamed, running faster. Dread coursed through her veins, and she hoped Terrin would do as she instructed.
“You’re too late!” Nitiri’s voice echoed in her head. She found an extra burst of speed, but the sinking feeling in her chest did not leave her.
°◌°○●○°♣°○●○°◌°
Nitiri met Prince Kai at noon as she promised. He was already waiting for her at the riverbank. She could hear him whistling from up the hill and couldn’t help but smile at the irony. He was seated on a boulder at the side of the river, but he stood up immediately when he saw her.
“There you are, Yasmine. I have been waiting for you.”
Kai’s deep green eyes shimmered in the bright rays of sunlight twisting through the trees. Nitiri felt sick. She didn’t want to do it. She had been trying to prepare herself but seeing him still dredged up ghosts of her past. She gripped her skirts and felt the dagger concealed there.
I must do this, for his sake. I cannot give up on my destiny after all these years of planning, just because of one charming man. Goodbye, Kai, she thought, building up her courage.