North Queen (Crowns Book 1), page 28
“How did you capture her?”
“I didn’t. King Mikael took her from a man named Abilash as recompense… for a transgression.”
Tahla’s eyes widened. “King Abilash? Salar took Savantahla from King Abilash?”
“The king didn’t seem very happy about it, but Abilash gave the horse willingly. We parted on good terms.”
“I can assure you that you didn’t part on as good of terms as you think. But he dares not defy Salar. Not alone anyway, unless he wants his tribes to starve. And he was probably scared of you and your witchery.” She smiled. “Horsemen are extremely superstitious people.”
Norah realized that the Shadow King must help the Horsemen with provisions through the winter, too, and she smiled at the witchery jest. “The king said the mare was quite valuable to them.”
Tahla nodded. “Tribes of the Horsemen compete for land and power. If Abilash had Savantahla, he could rally more tribes to follow him.”
“Over a horse?”
“The animals of Savantahla are not ordinary animals. You cannot track them. They speak to the earth, and the earth speaks back. You can’t tame them unless they want to be tamed. They have great power, and anyone who controls Savantahla has great power too.”
Norah looked back at the horse, which was grazing by the others along the river. She wasn’t sure what this great power could be.
Tahla smiled. “I was named after Savantahla. Tahla.”
“Ah,” Norah said, “I hear it.”
“My mother died in childbirth. I should have died too. But I didn’t. My father said I was so wild out of the womb that the spirit must be within me. It’s a strong name.” She looked at the horse with a smile. “Few have seen Savantahla. Your visit is a great honor.”
The warmth of gratitude filled her. “Do you want to see her?” she asked. “Touch her?”
Tahla let out a gasp. “Surely she wouldn’t let me.”
Norah shrugged. “We can see.”
The chief’s daughter jumped up eagerly, making Norah laugh, and the women made their way toward the river. The other grazing horses took little notice of them as they approached, but the mare tossed her head and snorted.
“Easy,” Norah called to her. “I bring a friend who wants to meet you.”
The mare shook her head again but let them draw near. Norah scratched her neck under the thick mane and gave her a gentle pat. Turning back to Tahla, she held out her hand. “Come here.”
Speechless, Tahla stepped closer, and Norah brought their hands together to the creature’s silver coat. Tahla let out an emotional breath, running her hand down the mare’s neck. Norah smiled at the love and respect the chief’s daughter had for the animal. This horse was special. Norah just wished she knew what her connection was to it.
Norah grabbed a fistful of mane and pulled herself onto the mare’s back. “I think she likes you,” Norah said, reaching down. “Do you want to try a ride?”
“What?” Tahla breathed in disbelief.
“Come on.”
Tahla patted the mare gently, unsure, but she grasped Norah’s hand. Norah pulled her up and behind her. The mare danced anxiously but seemed amenable.
“Good?” Norah asked.
“Beyond!” Tahla exclaimed. “I’ve only dreamed of such things!”
“Let’s go!” Norah whispered to the mare, and the beast kicked into a gallop along the river. The rippling water caught the last rays of sun, and the curve of the earth rose to meet them. Tahla let out a squeal of joy, spreading her arms wide, as if in flight, and Norah laughed. Norah urged the mare faster, and they flew over the banks of the river. The wind whipped through their hair, and tears stung Norah’s eyes. Finally, she slowed the mare to a walk, breathless.
“I can’t believe this is happening!” Tahla squealed.
Norah smiled back at her.
“It feels like we’ve left the earth behind.” The chief’s daughter laughed, looking into the purple sunset. “And now we ride among the heavens.”
It was heavenly. Beauty lay all around them, but the weight of her circumstance pulled her spirit back. “I suppose we should return.” Norah sighed. “The king will have noticed my absence and fear my escape.”
“Your escape?” Tahla asked. Then she paused as the realization came to her. “You don’t want to marry him?”
Norah’s silence answered for her.
“Look,” Tahla told her, pointing behind them. Norah slowed the mare to a stop and looked behind them. There were no tracks along the muddy bank of the river, no trail of their ride. Norah’s breath caught in her throat.
“See?” the chief’s daughter said. “The power of Savantahla.”
Norah let out a shaky breath, realizing her chance.
“You could go,” Tahla said softly. “If this isn’t what you want, if you don’t want to marry him.”
Norah wanted to run. She closed her eyes and breathed in the pull of freedom. “Why would you help me?” she asked Tahla. “Is Kharav not your ally? Your friend?”
Tahla paused for a moment, and then let out a breath. “Six years ago, my father forced me to marry. And on my wedding night, when I didn’t want to give myself to him, my husband beat me, then took me anyway.”
“Oh, Tahla. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. I got my revenge.”
Norah’s stomach turned. Was that her future?
“Salar’s a good man,” Tahla said, seeming to read her mind. “And he’ll be a good husband. But I’ll not be idle for a woman marrying against her will. Ride two days west, past the ruins of Choan, and then turn north. You’ll find yourself deep into the Tribelands, but with Savantahla, any tribe will give you shelter, safety, provisions.”
Norah’s heart beat wildly in her chest. The mare pranced underneath them, feeling her energy. Norah reached a hand down to calm her. She turned back toward Tahla, smiling sadly. “You don’t know how much your kindness means to me. And it’s true I don’t want to marry him. But this marriage will end ten years of war. My Northmen are marching as we speak. Battle is imminent; thousands will die. And Mercia needs help. The winter drags on, and my people are desperate. We have no food. This marriage seems to solve everything. I have to do it.”
“You’re a strong queen for your people.”
“I want to be.”
Tahla smiled and put a warm hand on her arm. “Then we’ll return. But always remember it’s your choice.”
Norah smiled and urged the mare back the way they had come. The sun had set, and the sky grew darker. “You spoke of the ruins of Choan,” she prompted. “The border kingdom the Shadowlands destroyed?”
Tahla snorted. “That sounds like a Northern way to describe it, but yes, I suppose.”
“How would you describe it?”
“It was a kingdom that almost wiped out the Uru. They wanted our land along the river. They attacked our villages, took our horses, slaughtered our people.”
A wave of horror washed through her. “What happened?”
“Salar came. He drove Choan back. But after the battle, after Salar returned to Kharav, they attacked again despite his warning not to. So, he did what he had to.”
He’d protected them. Norah swallowed. “He told me the Uru helped him after he fled Aviron, that you saved him.”
“Death was coming for him. We gave our best crops and furs to the spirits, and we prayed for six days. On the sixth day, his fever broke. Then we showed them through the canyons and home.”
Relief filled her. The king hadn’t destroyed Choan for fun. He’d been protecting them. He’d been protecting the people who’d helped him in his time of need—people who’d sacrificed for him, who cared for him.
How different everything was than what she’d thought she’d known. But still… all this death.
“Is your husband dead?” she asked. Then she chided herself. It was too personal a question, too prying.
“Publicly—who knows? Privately, in the most beautifully horrible way.”
Norah’s stomach twisted, but she couldn’t muster sympathy for such a man. “What happened?”
“Soren.”
Tahla didn’t need to say more. Norah could imagine. She noted that Tahla called the commander by his name. “You two are close?”
“I’ve known Soren since he was a boy. Now he’s all grown up and thinks he’s a fancy lord, but I never let him forget I can always get him with a blade.”
Norah smiled. Tahla was a beautiful spirit.
When Norah and Tahla arrived back at the village, a crowd of children surrounded them, cheering at Tahla, who grinned back at them. The woman slid down, and Norah returned the mare to the other horses beside the river.
The chief was waiting. “You rode Savantahla?” he asked Tahla incredulously.
“By Savan’s grace, and Salara’s,” she said, smiling back at Norah.
Tahla’s use of the Shadow title surprised Norah, but it felt… nice. She pushed the feeling down. She didn’t want to like it. She didn’t want to be salara, the Shadow Queen.
Norah’s eyes found Mikael’s. He looked shaken—he’d feared she’d left. She gave him a small reassuring smile before Tahla pulled her attention back.
“Come!” the chief’s daughter said. “I have something for you I think you’ll like.”
Norah glanced back at the king and then let Tahla pull her away again. She followed the Urun woman up a path, through the rock, and down a trail that curved around, revealing a large waterfall with a pool at the bottom. Torches circled the pool, chasing back the night.
“This place is amazing,” Norah said.
“Come on!” Tahla said excitedly as she pulled off her clothes.
Norah laughed in surprise, and she looked around shyly.
“Don’t worry. It’s private for us,” Tahla assured her.
Getting naked and jumping in a waterfall in the middle of winter after getting betrothed to the Shadow King was not what she’d expected herself to be doing right now. But Tahla’s spirit made her happy, so she pulled off her boots and wriggled out of her clothes.
Tahla dove into the pool, disappearing underneath and then rising back to the surface. She grinned at Norah, waiting.
“What are you waiting for?” she asked.
Norah took a deep breath and jumped, prepared for the sting of the cold. But to her surprise, the water was warm, and she let it carry away her burdens in its current. She came to the surface and breathed, finding Tahla. “It’s warm!” she exclaimed.
“It’s fed from a hot spring in the falls,” Tahla told her.
Like the cave. Norah paused, reliving the memory. She thought of Alexander. He was marching on Kharav right now, ready for war. He was coming for her.
“Are you all right?” Tahla asked.
“It just… reminds me… of a place back home. I was thinking of it.”
“Do you miss the North?”
Norah nodded. “Parts of it. Mainly the people.”
“You’ll see it again, though. Right?”
Norah forced a smile. Maybe.
“Come on,” Tahla called to her, swimming toward the falls. “Come over here.”
Norah followed and found herself under a shower of hot water. After the long days of riding, it felt incredible.
Tahla reached into a basket that had been placed by the falls. “Here,” she called, holding something out in her hand.
“What is it?”
“Corian. It’s a soap root. Smell it.”
Norah brought it to her nose and breathed in its sweet fragrance. “Smells incredible.”
“Wash your hair with it. You’ll breathe its scent all night.”
Norah grinned as she lathered the paste into her hair and rinsed it in the falls. She took a deep breath. She finally felt clean. Clean from the journey. From the fear. From the pressure. Clean from the sorrow and the heartbreak. She knew it was temporary, but for now, she would relish it.
A stack of folded garments lay by the pool as they made their way out of the water.
“Here,” Tahla said to Norah, handing the clothes to her. “Put these on.”
Norah shrugged into a long-sleeved dress, and Tahla tied it behind her. They laughed as they combed out their hair, and for a short while, the weight of the world felt a little lighter.
“Thank you for this,” Norah told her. “Your kindness—”
“Don’t.” Tahla smiled, grabbing her hands. “We’re sisters now.”
Norah smiled and then nodded, feeling a little emotional. In this moment, everything was perfect.
Tahla and Norah made their way back to the celebration and sat by the fire, enjoying cups of warm, sweet wine.
“He has his eye on you,” Tahla told her, “and I don’t think it’s for worry of your escape.”
Norah looked across the fire to see the Shadow King gazing back at her.
“Do you not like handsome, powerful men who change the fate of kingdoms for you?” Tahla asked.
Norah smiled but then grew serious. “He changed it for himself. And there are many incentives in this marriage for him. I’d be foolish to believe he had feelings for me or to let myself have feelings for him.”
“I don’t know about that.” Tahla smiled back toward the king. “That look doesn’t say, ‘Hooray! I’m getting archers and steel and rocks!’ or whatever you have in the North.”
Norah smiled at her. “I appreciate your effort to scheme a love affair into my situation, but I don’t want to hope for that. It’s better I accept this for what it is—an arrangement that will help both our kingdoms. I believe he and I could be friends, allies. That’s what I hope for.”
“Fine, I understand,” Tahla whispered with a mischievous smile.
The evening wore on, and Norah mingled freely through the warm acceptance of the Uru. It surprised her how much she enjoyed herself. She’d been desperate for the freedom to be out and to breathe and to be herself, even in Mercia. Why was she able to feel this freedom only now, after being captured by her enemy?
She saw the king on the other side of the fire, still gazing back at her, and she gave a small smile. She hadn’t spoken to him since they’d arrived, having been spirited away by Tahla. Norah gathered her courage and made her way around the fire to him.
His eyes shifted over the dress Tahla had given her as she approached.
She raised a brow. “Do you like it?”
He stared at her a moment, and she thought he might not answer. Then he said, “I do.” His voice was thick, a different tone than the light jest she’d expected. Alexander would have politely complimented her, but the king’s gaze held more than a compliment.
He stood and stepped closer. Too close. Norah pulled the outer wrap tighter around her shoulders; he still unsettled her. He grasped a lock of her hair and brought it near his face, smelling the corian. Her skin prickled, and she pulled away.
The king’s brow furrowed, and his lip twitched. “Do you not want me to like it, North Queen?” he asked.
She didn’t know how to answer. Did she?
He stepped closer again, his voice low. “Will you come to me tonight?”
She puffed a small breath of surprise with a sting of offense. To his bed? “Why would I?” she asked, taken aback.
Confusion flashed across his face. “Because you’re to be my wife.”
“But I’m not yet your wife,” she snapped.
His words came choppy. “Then why do you fashion yourself… with scent in your hair?”
“Because I like to be clean and feel beautiful and smell… not like I’ve been battling and riding for weeks. Not everything is about pleasing a man, you know. Women like to do things for themselves!”
Mikael took a step back, clearly not expecting her response. He’d mistaken her self-attention, and she could tell she’d hurt his pride.
He gave a stiff nod. “Of course,” he said. “I’ll leave you, then.”
A wave of regret ran through her, but she wasn’t sure of the reason. She had no intention of being intimate with the king, yet she found herself not wanting him to go. But she pushed it down. She felt nothing for him.
He paused, turning back to her. “North Queen,” he said, his eyes piercing into her. “You do… look beautiful.”
She felt nothing for him, she reminded herself.
Chapter thirty-five
The morning sun spilled over the horizon as the Shadowmen prepared to leave. Tahla approached with a smile as Norah readied her mare.
“I brought you something to take back with you,” Tahla said, holding a satchel out.
Norah took it and peeked under the flap. Inside were small jars and wraps of oils, balms, and soaps. She’d already felt a deep appreciation for the extra clothes that Tahla had provided. She smiled. “I know I’ve only been here a short while, but I want to thank you. Not only for your hospitality, but for your friendship. It was very much needed and so appreciated.”
“I’m glad we’re not going to war, Salara. Riding Savantahla is a moment I’ll never forget. Remember, we’re sisters now. Whatever you need, say the word.” Tahla cocked her head and looked over Norah’s shoulder at the horse. “Take care of her, yes?” she called out.
The mare snorted, and both women laughed. Norah turned and swung up into the saddle, then looked down. “Goodbye, Tahla,” she said.
“Goodbye, Salara,” the chief’s daughter replied.
The king sat on his destrier, waiting patiently. When she was ready, they started out into the morning. He brought his horse up along hers, glancing at her.
“What?” she asked without turning.
“You said something yesterday that made me question.”
She finally looked at him, waiting.
“Have you lain with a man before?” he asked.
Norah snorted in surprise, offended. “Do you question my honor?”
His brow creased. “What does virginity have to do with honor?” he asked.
Norah didn’t know what to say. “If it doesn’t matter, then why are you asking?”
“It’s good I know,” he said. “For our wedding night.”
A pit grew in Norah’s stomach as she tried to swallow the tightness in her throat. “Well, if we make it to our wedding night, we’ll talk about it then.” She urged her mare ahead, leaving the king and the conversation, and tried to push the subject from her mind.
“I didn’t. King Mikael took her from a man named Abilash as recompense… for a transgression.”
Tahla’s eyes widened. “King Abilash? Salar took Savantahla from King Abilash?”
“The king didn’t seem very happy about it, but Abilash gave the horse willingly. We parted on good terms.”
“I can assure you that you didn’t part on as good of terms as you think. But he dares not defy Salar. Not alone anyway, unless he wants his tribes to starve. And he was probably scared of you and your witchery.” She smiled. “Horsemen are extremely superstitious people.”
Norah realized that the Shadow King must help the Horsemen with provisions through the winter, too, and she smiled at the witchery jest. “The king said the mare was quite valuable to them.”
Tahla nodded. “Tribes of the Horsemen compete for land and power. If Abilash had Savantahla, he could rally more tribes to follow him.”
“Over a horse?”
“The animals of Savantahla are not ordinary animals. You cannot track them. They speak to the earth, and the earth speaks back. You can’t tame them unless they want to be tamed. They have great power, and anyone who controls Savantahla has great power too.”
Norah looked back at the horse, which was grazing by the others along the river. She wasn’t sure what this great power could be.
Tahla smiled. “I was named after Savantahla. Tahla.”
“Ah,” Norah said, “I hear it.”
“My mother died in childbirth. I should have died too. But I didn’t. My father said I was so wild out of the womb that the spirit must be within me. It’s a strong name.” She looked at the horse with a smile. “Few have seen Savantahla. Your visit is a great honor.”
The warmth of gratitude filled her. “Do you want to see her?” she asked. “Touch her?”
Tahla let out a gasp. “Surely she wouldn’t let me.”
Norah shrugged. “We can see.”
The chief’s daughter jumped up eagerly, making Norah laugh, and the women made their way toward the river. The other grazing horses took little notice of them as they approached, but the mare tossed her head and snorted.
“Easy,” Norah called to her. “I bring a friend who wants to meet you.”
The mare shook her head again but let them draw near. Norah scratched her neck under the thick mane and gave her a gentle pat. Turning back to Tahla, she held out her hand. “Come here.”
Speechless, Tahla stepped closer, and Norah brought their hands together to the creature’s silver coat. Tahla let out an emotional breath, running her hand down the mare’s neck. Norah smiled at the love and respect the chief’s daughter had for the animal. This horse was special. Norah just wished she knew what her connection was to it.
Norah grabbed a fistful of mane and pulled herself onto the mare’s back. “I think she likes you,” Norah said, reaching down. “Do you want to try a ride?”
“What?” Tahla breathed in disbelief.
“Come on.”
Tahla patted the mare gently, unsure, but she grasped Norah’s hand. Norah pulled her up and behind her. The mare danced anxiously but seemed amenable.
“Good?” Norah asked.
“Beyond!” Tahla exclaimed. “I’ve only dreamed of such things!”
“Let’s go!” Norah whispered to the mare, and the beast kicked into a gallop along the river. The rippling water caught the last rays of sun, and the curve of the earth rose to meet them. Tahla let out a squeal of joy, spreading her arms wide, as if in flight, and Norah laughed. Norah urged the mare faster, and they flew over the banks of the river. The wind whipped through their hair, and tears stung Norah’s eyes. Finally, she slowed the mare to a walk, breathless.
“I can’t believe this is happening!” Tahla squealed.
Norah smiled back at her.
“It feels like we’ve left the earth behind.” The chief’s daughter laughed, looking into the purple sunset. “And now we ride among the heavens.”
It was heavenly. Beauty lay all around them, but the weight of her circumstance pulled her spirit back. “I suppose we should return.” Norah sighed. “The king will have noticed my absence and fear my escape.”
“Your escape?” Tahla asked. Then she paused as the realization came to her. “You don’t want to marry him?”
Norah’s silence answered for her.
“Look,” Tahla told her, pointing behind them. Norah slowed the mare to a stop and looked behind them. There were no tracks along the muddy bank of the river, no trail of their ride. Norah’s breath caught in her throat.
“See?” the chief’s daughter said. “The power of Savantahla.”
Norah let out a shaky breath, realizing her chance.
“You could go,” Tahla said softly. “If this isn’t what you want, if you don’t want to marry him.”
Norah wanted to run. She closed her eyes and breathed in the pull of freedom. “Why would you help me?” she asked Tahla. “Is Kharav not your ally? Your friend?”
Tahla paused for a moment, and then let out a breath. “Six years ago, my father forced me to marry. And on my wedding night, when I didn’t want to give myself to him, my husband beat me, then took me anyway.”
“Oh, Tahla. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. I got my revenge.”
Norah’s stomach turned. Was that her future?
“Salar’s a good man,” Tahla said, seeming to read her mind. “And he’ll be a good husband. But I’ll not be idle for a woman marrying against her will. Ride two days west, past the ruins of Choan, and then turn north. You’ll find yourself deep into the Tribelands, but with Savantahla, any tribe will give you shelter, safety, provisions.”
Norah’s heart beat wildly in her chest. The mare pranced underneath them, feeling her energy. Norah reached a hand down to calm her. She turned back toward Tahla, smiling sadly. “You don’t know how much your kindness means to me. And it’s true I don’t want to marry him. But this marriage will end ten years of war. My Northmen are marching as we speak. Battle is imminent; thousands will die. And Mercia needs help. The winter drags on, and my people are desperate. We have no food. This marriage seems to solve everything. I have to do it.”
“You’re a strong queen for your people.”
“I want to be.”
Tahla smiled and put a warm hand on her arm. “Then we’ll return. But always remember it’s your choice.”
Norah smiled and urged the mare back the way they had come. The sun had set, and the sky grew darker. “You spoke of the ruins of Choan,” she prompted. “The border kingdom the Shadowlands destroyed?”
Tahla snorted. “That sounds like a Northern way to describe it, but yes, I suppose.”
“How would you describe it?”
“It was a kingdom that almost wiped out the Uru. They wanted our land along the river. They attacked our villages, took our horses, slaughtered our people.”
A wave of horror washed through her. “What happened?”
“Salar came. He drove Choan back. But after the battle, after Salar returned to Kharav, they attacked again despite his warning not to. So, he did what he had to.”
He’d protected them. Norah swallowed. “He told me the Uru helped him after he fled Aviron, that you saved him.”
“Death was coming for him. We gave our best crops and furs to the spirits, and we prayed for six days. On the sixth day, his fever broke. Then we showed them through the canyons and home.”
Relief filled her. The king hadn’t destroyed Choan for fun. He’d been protecting them. He’d been protecting the people who’d helped him in his time of need—people who’d sacrificed for him, who cared for him.
How different everything was than what she’d thought she’d known. But still… all this death.
“Is your husband dead?” she asked. Then she chided herself. It was too personal a question, too prying.
“Publicly—who knows? Privately, in the most beautifully horrible way.”
Norah’s stomach twisted, but she couldn’t muster sympathy for such a man. “What happened?”
“Soren.”
Tahla didn’t need to say more. Norah could imagine. She noted that Tahla called the commander by his name. “You two are close?”
“I’ve known Soren since he was a boy. Now he’s all grown up and thinks he’s a fancy lord, but I never let him forget I can always get him with a blade.”
Norah smiled. Tahla was a beautiful spirit.
When Norah and Tahla arrived back at the village, a crowd of children surrounded them, cheering at Tahla, who grinned back at them. The woman slid down, and Norah returned the mare to the other horses beside the river.
The chief was waiting. “You rode Savantahla?” he asked Tahla incredulously.
“By Savan’s grace, and Salara’s,” she said, smiling back at Norah.
Tahla’s use of the Shadow title surprised Norah, but it felt… nice. She pushed the feeling down. She didn’t want to like it. She didn’t want to be salara, the Shadow Queen.
Norah’s eyes found Mikael’s. He looked shaken—he’d feared she’d left. She gave him a small reassuring smile before Tahla pulled her attention back.
“Come!” the chief’s daughter said. “I have something for you I think you’ll like.”
Norah glanced back at the king and then let Tahla pull her away again. She followed the Urun woman up a path, through the rock, and down a trail that curved around, revealing a large waterfall with a pool at the bottom. Torches circled the pool, chasing back the night.
“This place is amazing,” Norah said.
“Come on!” Tahla said excitedly as she pulled off her clothes.
Norah laughed in surprise, and she looked around shyly.
“Don’t worry. It’s private for us,” Tahla assured her.
Getting naked and jumping in a waterfall in the middle of winter after getting betrothed to the Shadow King was not what she’d expected herself to be doing right now. But Tahla’s spirit made her happy, so she pulled off her boots and wriggled out of her clothes.
Tahla dove into the pool, disappearing underneath and then rising back to the surface. She grinned at Norah, waiting.
“What are you waiting for?” she asked.
Norah took a deep breath and jumped, prepared for the sting of the cold. But to her surprise, the water was warm, and she let it carry away her burdens in its current. She came to the surface and breathed, finding Tahla. “It’s warm!” she exclaimed.
“It’s fed from a hot spring in the falls,” Tahla told her.
Like the cave. Norah paused, reliving the memory. She thought of Alexander. He was marching on Kharav right now, ready for war. He was coming for her.
“Are you all right?” Tahla asked.
“It just… reminds me… of a place back home. I was thinking of it.”
“Do you miss the North?”
Norah nodded. “Parts of it. Mainly the people.”
“You’ll see it again, though. Right?”
Norah forced a smile. Maybe.
“Come on,” Tahla called to her, swimming toward the falls. “Come over here.”
Norah followed and found herself under a shower of hot water. After the long days of riding, it felt incredible.
Tahla reached into a basket that had been placed by the falls. “Here,” she called, holding something out in her hand.
“What is it?”
“Corian. It’s a soap root. Smell it.”
Norah brought it to her nose and breathed in its sweet fragrance. “Smells incredible.”
“Wash your hair with it. You’ll breathe its scent all night.”
Norah grinned as she lathered the paste into her hair and rinsed it in the falls. She took a deep breath. She finally felt clean. Clean from the journey. From the fear. From the pressure. Clean from the sorrow and the heartbreak. She knew it was temporary, but for now, she would relish it.
A stack of folded garments lay by the pool as they made their way out of the water.
“Here,” Tahla said to Norah, handing the clothes to her. “Put these on.”
Norah shrugged into a long-sleeved dress, and Tahla tied it behind her. They laughed as they combed out their hair, and for a short while, the weight of the world felt a little lighter.
“Thank you for this,” Norah told her. “Your kindness—”
“Don’t.” Tahla smiled, grabbing her hands. “We’re sisters now.”
Norah smiled and then nodded, feeling a little emotional. In this moment, everything was perfect.
Tahla and Norah made their way back to the celebration and sat by the fire, enjoying cups of warm, sweet wine.
“He has his eye on you,” Tahla told her, “and I don’t think it’s for worry of your escape.”
Norah looked across the fire to see the Shadow King gazing back at her.
“Do you not like handsome, powerful men who change the fate of kingdoms for you?” Tahla asked.
Norah smiled but then grew serious. “He changed it for himself. And there are many incentives in this marriage for him. I’d be foolish to believe he had feelings for me or to let myself have feelings for him.”
“I don’t know about that.” Tahla smiled back toward the king. “That look doesn’t say, ‘Hooray! I’m getting archers and steel and rocks!’ or whatever you have in the North.”
Norah smiled at her. “I appreciate your effort to scheme a love affair into my situation, but I don’t want to hope for that. It’s better I accept this for what it is—an arrangement that will help both our kingdoms. I believe he and I could be friends, allies. That’s what I hope for.”
“Fine, I understand,” Tahla whispered with a mischievous smile.
The evening wore on, and Norah mingled freely through the warm acceptance of the Uru. It surprised her how much she enjoyed herself. She’d been desperate for the freedom to be out and to breathe and to be herself, even in Mercia. Why was she able to feel this freedom only now, after being captured by her enemy?
She saw the king on the other side of the fire, still gazing back at her, and she gave a small smile. She hadn’t spoken to him since they’d arrived, having been spirited away by Tahla. Norah gathered her courage and made her way around the fire to him.
His eyes shifted over the dress Tahla had given her as she approached.
She raised a brow. “Do you like it?”
He stared at her a moment, and she thought he might not answer. Then he said, “I do.” His voice was thick, a different tone than the light jest she’d expected. Alexander would have politely complimented her, but the king’s gaze held more than a compliment.
He stood and stepped closer. Too close. Norah pulled the outer wrap tighter around her shoulders; he still unsettled her. He grasped a lock of her hair and brought it near his face, smelling the corian. Her skin prickled, and she pulled away.
The king’s brow furrowed, and his lip twitched. “Do you not want me to like it, North Queen?” he asked.
She didn’t know how to answer. Did she?
He stepped closer again, his voice low. “Will you come to me tonight?”
She puffed a small breath of surprise with a sting of offense. To his bed? “Why would I?” she asked, taken aback.
Confusion flashed across his face. “Because you’re to be my wife.”
“But I’m not yet your wife,” she snapped.
His words came choppy. “Then why do you fashion yourself… with scent in your hair?”
“Because I like to be clean and feel beautiful and smell… not like I’ve been battling and riding for weeks. Not everything is about pleasing a man, you know. Women like to do things for themselves!”
Mikael took a step back, clearly not expecting her response. He’d mistaken her self-attention, and she could tell she’d hurt his pride.
He gave a stiff nod. “Of course,” he said. “I’ll leave you, then.”
A wave of regret ran through her, but she wasn’t sure of the reason. She had no intention of being intimate with the king, yet she found herself not wanting him to go. But she pushed it down. She felt nothing for him.
He paused, turning back to her. “North Queen,” he said, his eyes piercing into her. “You do… look beautiful.”
She felt nothing for him, she reminded herself.
Chapter thirty-five
The morning sun spilled over the horizon as the Shadowmen prepared to leave. Tahla approached with a smile as Norah readied her mare.
“I brought you something to take back with you,” Tahla said, holding a satchel out.
Norah took it and peeked under the flap. Inside were small jars and wraps of oils, balms, and soaps. She’d already felt a deep appreciation for the extra clothes that Tahla had provided. She smiled. “I know I’ve only been here a short while, but I want to thank you. Not only for your hospitality, but for your friendship. It was very much needed and so appreciated.”
“I’m glad we’re not going to war, Salara. Riding Savantahla is a moment I’ll never forget. Remember, we’re sisters now. Whatever you need, say the word.” Tahla cocked her head and looked over Norah’s shoulder at the horse. “Take care of her, yes?” she called out.
The mare snorted, and both women laughed. Norah turned and swung up into the saddle, then looked down. “Goodbye, Tahla,” she said.
“Goodbye, Salara,” the chief’s daughter replied.
The king sat on his destrier, waiting patiently. When she was ready, they started out into the morning. He brought his horse up along hers, glancing at her.
“What?” she asked without turning.
“You said something yesterday that made me question.”
She finally looked at him, waiting.
“Have you lain with a man before?” he asked.
Norah snorted in surprise, offended. “Do you question my honor?”
His brow creased. “What does virginity have to do with honor?” he asked.
Norah didn’t know what to say. “If it doesn’t matter, then why are you asking?”
“It’s good I know,” he said. “For our wedding night.”
A pit grew in Norah’s stomach as she tried to swallow the tightness in her throat. “Well, if we make it to our wedding night, we’ll talk about it then.” She urged her mare ahead, leaving the king and the conversation, and tried to push the subject from her mind.
