Page 41 of The Nightmare Queen

Of course he would be the sickeningly perfect combination of bitter and sweet.

Rorin

Being in our own territory seems to have relaxed only Will.

I could feel the unease radiating off of Eveera as well as her straining to hear our conversation so on a wild gamble I laid next to her to see if she’d fall asleep. By the grace of whatever gods are out there she did, I try not to let the fact that my presence seems to have helped her somehow go to my head, but even in her sleep she’s still tense.

I sat up only when I was sure she was really out and returned to my conversation. Bennett filled us in on the current state of things and then redirected our talk to ask more of our stay and travels with the Obsids. Questions both Will and I narrowly dodge, the full truth of. Truths such as Percy’s head and the fact that in order for us to get a fully equipped military we also get their sadistic queen and her team of misfit men.

When there was nothing left to say or update the other on, I lay my body back down next to hers. Sleep however doesn’t find me so quickly. Instead, I stay awake listening to her uneven breathing, hoping that at some point her emotions will ease and stop wrecking havoc on both our minds. The seal leaves her open when she’s in a vulnerable state like sleep.

Bennett takes up his spot next to me, not bothering to try and sleep either. He rests his arms on his knees, peering around me to look at the tiny queen next to us. “So she’s who you defied your father for.”

I roll my eyes. “I didn’t defy him forher.I defied him because he was being dense. Her forces are some of the largest and most skilled in battle.”

“Yet they’ve not been in battle for how long?” He asks me.

I adjust my sitting position, “you haven’t seen what they’ve had to fight behind their own walls Bennett.” He shrugs fixing his stare on the fire. I don’t need to justify why I defied my father. It’s us who see our men dying. Us who see their wives and children weeping. Only we know the calamitous effect this is having on our kingdom. If I have to play dirty against him in order to save the rest of them, I will. I will fight for them all in spite of him. Whether they want me as their prince or not.

“So what’s her story?” Bennett’s voice draws my attention back to him. My left hand drifts to wrap around a few strands of her hair, not obvious enough for anyone to see under the cover of darkness as I think about my answer.

“I haven’t figured it out yet.” I state quietly.

He coughs, clearing his throat, while moving to lie down. “Well, you better figure it out quick. Once morning comes Vellar will never be the same.”

Great, that notion makes me feel, just…great.

Bennett’s words stuck in my head all the way until morning actually came. Eveera for most of the night slept in a ball, a ball that drifted closer and closer to my body heat until the point we were almost spooning. I pretended to be asleep and stifled my laugh when she woke up and realized our nearness. She practically leapt off the ground, bumping up against Axel in the process.

Ezra has chosen to be on speaking terms with her behind “enemy lines”. He’s been fused to her from the moment he woke up. She’s ignoring his imposing proximity while bobbing her head in agreement to whatever Armond is whispering in her ear. She moves her fingers deftly through her dark hair, plaiting it into a braided crown. There is dark kohl smeared onto her eyes accenting those inhuman gold irises.

She makes eye contact with me but her ear remains fused to Armond’s lips, listening. Her brow quirks up, a silent question in the motion. “Does anyone have any idea what the hell we are walking into when we get to Bail?” Orem asks.

“Bair” Will corrects him.

Orem snorts, “well we arebailingyou out of this fucking mess. So Bail sounds pretty accurate to me.”

Will grumbles, “you didn’t have to agree to aid us.”

“We didn’t, she did.” Rings out in unison from every one of her men as they all point a finger at Eveera.

Bennett looks around confused, “they didn’t all agree?” He asks, Will lets out a long sigh instead of answering, pulling himself into his saddle and trotting away from the mocking.

The ride was bound to be a boring one. It’s mostly just bare fields all the way up to the post – a result from the strain our presence has put on the residents. Strain that is only going to grow more heavy with the addition of the Obsidian troops.

I look over to Eveera, still as a statue as she marches her horse slowly on the path.“You’re not breathing.”I chastise.

“Stay out of my head.”She snaps.

“You’re anxious and you need to breathe. I know it's difficult seeing the devastation our presence and Baelor’s has brought but—”

Her head whips towards me at the insinuation.“I amnotanxious. These are your people, not mine. Their hardships are none of my concern.”The apathy in her words stings.

I drop my head back and sigh trying to tamp down the frustration building in me. “I know that. But think of them as yours for a time and Hadar’s Guards as the creatures of the outer lands. Except every soldier we fight is completely sentient. If we don’t kill them before they kill us, they’ll be onto your true people next.”

“My issue is not with killing them.”

"Right. Just with the people you're killing beside."

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