Capture (8 page)

“That’s not true and y—”

“Enough, Cerylea!” Ryneq’s voice echoed throughout the room, and Cerylea immediately stopped talking, her eyes flaring with anger. “I’m going to bed. I don’t appear to be hungry anymore.” He turned abruptly and headed for the door, ignoring Cerylea as she called after him.

Ryneq marched into his room and slammed the door shut behind him. “
Fuck
.” He started to undress, yanking off his uniform and throwing it onto the chair beside his bed. Despite what Cerylea might think, he didn’t want to pursue anything with Nykin. Things would get complicated, and Ryneq didn’t have the time or the inclination to get involved with one of his own soldiers. Nykin might be easy on the eye, but that was as far as Ryneq’s interest went.

If Nykin had other ideas, then Ryneq would just avoid him until he moved on to someone else. And if the thought of that left a bad taste in his mouth, Ryneq refused to acknowledge it.

F
OR
THE
next two weeks, Ryneq studiously avoided going anywhere near the Eyrie. If he needed to talk to Eldin, he sent for him to come down to the palace. Cerylea shook her head at him every time she caught him doing this, but Ryneq just shrugged. He didn’t really care what she thought about it. And if he missed seeing Nykin in the snug, soft leathers of his rider’s uniform, then that was his business.

With the help of Nysad and Eldin, Ryneq and Cerylea made plans for her forthcoming wedding. Since the ceremony itself would be held in Hervath and would be following elven traditions, it was left to Ryneq and his men to get Cerylea there safely.

They were both well aware that this would be the last chance for the armies of the lowlands to make their move. Once Cerylea and Morkryn were joined in marriage, Torsere would automatically fall under elven protection and be surrounded by its magic. Although Morkryn had informed them it would take at least a month for Torsere to be fully protected, their enemies didn’t know that. If the leaders of Athisi and Rodeth were going to make their move, it would have to be now.

“Eldin?” Ryneq pointed to the map laid out between them on the table. “How far into the forest can your dragon riders provide cover?”

Eldin leaned over the map and gestured along the edge of the trees. “For the first thirty yards the trees are quite sparse, so we can give you some cover, but after that the forest is just too dense for the dragons to do any good.”

“If it was me,” Nysad said, tapping his finger on the patch of forest between Torsere and the bridge over the Neest River, “I would attack somewhere in here. They can come in from the Rodethian border and wait in ambush for us.”

“Yes, I agree.” Ryneq made a frustrated noise and sat back in his chair. “Have the latest scouts returned yet?” They’d been sending scouts out every other day since the elves had left, but so far, no enemy activity had been reported.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Nysad said, frowning. “They went as far as the bridge this time, but didn’t see any sign of the lowland armies.”

They all fell silent.

Ryneq studied the map again, wondering just how he was going to ensure his sister’s safety if they were walking into a trap.

“Can’t the elves use their magic to protect us, Sire?” Eldin asked, looking between Cerylea and Nysad. “Surely, they too want Princess Cerylea to arrive safely?”

Cerylea smiled and leaned forward, resting her hands on the table. “Their magic doesn’t work like that,” she said. “I’m not sure they can use it to shield whole armies. It’s the magic of the forest that helps protect Alel. And besides, when they agreed to the treaty it was to offer magical protection to Torsere, not to actively fight against our enemies.”

“Forgive me, Your Highness, but I still don’t understand.” Eldin looked confused, and Ryneq knew how he felt. He’d asked the same questions when they’d originally started negotiating the treaty. “Why would they not help us fight if you’re going to be married to their prince?”

Ryneq shot a quick glance at Cerylea, and she gestured for him to answer this time. “The elves are a peaceful race, Eldin. They avoid conflict wherever possible and rarely leave their home. They only came to Torsere this time because of the dragons.”

Eldin slumped back in his seat, but Nysad was still looking at the map and frowning.

“The elven city of Alel is deep inside the forest, Sire.” Nysad ran his finger over the large expanse of trees on the map between them. “Without a guide, we’re unlikely to find it on our own.”

“Prince Morkryn has agreed to meet us once we cross the Neest River. As soon as we get over the bridge into Hervath, they will escort us to Alel.”

Nysad nodded, seemingly satisfied with that answer.

It was a gracious offer from Morkryn, and Ryneq hadn’t been expecting it. If they could get to the bridge without encountering trouble, then safe passage to Alel would be virtually guaranteed. No one knew the Hervathian Forest like the elves, and their magic could be felt in the air as soon as you entered it. The people of Rodeth and Athisi were rumored to be superstitious, and Ryneq doubted they’d be very keen to venture over the bridge at all.

Nysad eyed the map, his finger tracing the line where Hervath reached the Nalvaq Sea. A narrow channel appeared to go all the way to the elven city of Alel. The markings were faint because the elves refused to confirm or deny whether the channel actually existed.

“You know”
—
Nysad tapped the edge of the shoreline—“if only we could access Alel from the sea, we could avoid all of this.”

Ryneq sighed. The Hervathian coastline was mixture of high cliffs and rocky outcroppings—impossible to land a boat on. The only possible safe place to put ashore being the city of Alel, and that wasn’t an option. “They haven’t offered it as an alternative, and I don’t want to jeopardize anything by forcing their hand.” He was well aware of the rumors, and he agreed wholeheartedly with his second-in-command. In his opinion they’d already earned the elves’ trust by allowing them access to the dragons. But the elves were a secretive race, and apparently it would take more for them to trust Ryneq and his men. “We go through the forest.”

“So,” Ryneq said, drawing everyone’s attention, “we leave for Hervath in two days’ time. Eldin, take all but five of your dragon riders. The rest will stay to protect the palace. I want you to circle above and watch for any signs of attack, just like before.”

“Yes, Sire.”

“Should you see anything, you are free to deal with it as you see fit. Once we get to the forest on our side of the bridge, stay long enough for us to get halfway through and then proceed to the bridge and wait.”

Eldin nodded his understanding.

“Nysad, half of the palace guard will ride out with me. I wouldn’t put it past Rodeth or Athisi to mount an attack on Torsere while we’re gone, so the rest of the guard will be stationed on alert around the palace walls.”

“Sire.”

“I want you and ten of your best men to guard Princess Cerylea.” Ryneq paused, looking over at Cerylea before continuing. She didn’t know about this part of his plan, and he wasn’t sure just how she was going to react.

“If we get attacked before we reach the bridge, I want you to take the princess and ride as hard as you can in this direction.” Ryneq made sure no one else was looking before he pointed to the edge of the forest where the Neest River met the Nalvaq Sea. Nysad raised an eyebrow and leaned a little closer. “There’s somewhere you can hide until you can send for reinforcements from the palace, or until we come and find you. I’ll give you the rest of the details on the morning we set off.” Ryneq didn’t want anyone other than Nysad to know the specifics about this plan. He would take no chances with his sister’s life. “You will not stay and fight. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sire. I will guard the princess with my life.”

Ryneq clasped Nysad’s shoulder in a silent thank-you before standing and rolling up the map to signal the end of the meeting. “Get your men ready. We leave for Hervath in two days’ time.”

Both Eldin and Nysad nodded and quietly left the room, leaving Ryneq alone with Cerylea. She hadn’t spoken since he’d outlined his backup plan, and it was making him wary. Cerylea wasn’t normally one to hold her tongue.

“What will you do if we’re attacked?” she asked eventually, her voice sounding quiet and small in the empty room.

Ryneq turned to face her and sighed. “I’ll fight with the rest of my men.”

“Your life is just as valuable as mine, brother.”

“No.” He walked toward her and took her face in his hands. “You are our future, Cerylea. With the alliance of the lowland armies, their numbers will greatly surpass ours. It’s only a matter of time before they realize that together they outnumber us and attack with a combined force. When that happens, even with the dragon riders, Torsere will not survive much longer without the protection the elves are offering us. And for that to happen, you need to get to Alel safely.” He drew her to him and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “But above all that, you are my sister, my only family, and I would die before I let anything happen to you.”

The silence stretched out between them, and Ryneq’s mind inevitably drifted to the subject they’d both been avoiding. “Cerylea, I know I promised never to bring it up, but if you let one of the dragon ri—”

She went rigid in his arms. “No.”

“Only as far as the bridge, and I’d send you with Eldin hims—”

“I said no, Ryneq.”

It would be so much safer if he could get her to the bridge on the back of one of his dragons, but her fingers were digging into his skin and he felt the rapid beat of her heart against his chest. He should have expected this reaction, and guilt lay heavy in the pit of his stomach. “I’m sorry. Forget I brought it up.”

She took a deep shuddering breath, and finally relaxed her grip on his arms. “I know I’d be safe, but I… I can’t go up there again, Ryneq. I love the dragons as much as you, but the thought of being that high makes my whole body tight with fear. I just can’t do it.”

Cerylea’s fear of heights had taken them all by surprise. They’d lived in the mountains for all of their lives, and never once had she been afraid. But when she’d begged one of their father’s riders to take her out flying, she’d screamed until her throat was raw, and passed out in the saddle. It had taken her days to get over it. The king had been livid, and it had almost cost the rider his place in the king’s army. Cerylea had begged Ryneq never to mention it again. But he’d had to try.

“It’s all right. We won’t speak of it again.”

She relaxed against his chest, and Ryneq held her tight. Since their parents’ death, he and Cerylea were closer than ever. He would do anything in his power to ensure her safety and happiness.

“There’s one thing I ask of you though, Ryneq.”

“Yes?”

Cerylea pulled back a little so she could see his face. “If we are attacked, you need to do everything you can to stay alive. Promise me?”

Ryneq looked down at her. “Cerylea, I….” She knew what she was asking. If Ryneq were captured alive, they would torture him until he gave up her whereabouts. She knew him well enough to know that he would rather die fighting than let himself be captured.

“I can’t lose you either, Ryneq. Promise me…
please
.”

Ryneq opened his mouth to protest again, but she covered his mouth with one of her hands. “We will find you, Ryneq. Just stay alive and we will find you.”

Against his better judgment, he closed his eyes and nodded. “I promise.”

T
WO
DAYS
later, Cerylea, Ryneq, and half of the palace guard set out from Torsere. Since the elves were providing almost everything for the wedding, they had little to carry with them. Ryneq looked up, shielding his eyes from the bright sun to see the twelve dragon riders circling high above them. He wondered for a moment if Nykin was up there—he’d specifically avoided asking which riders Eldin had selected—before pushing all thoughts of him to the back of his mind and concentrating on the road ahead.

They wound their way down from the Stone Palace, passing through the surrounding villages until the land leveled out. Cerylea had insisted on sleeping outside with Ryneq and the others when they camped for the night. She’d said a tent would just add excess baggage and she’d feel safer surrounded by guards. Ryneq had grudgingly agreed but had hardly slept that night.