Page 74 of Empire's Curse

It was the conclusion she had come to as she hastily folded the dozen or so dresses she had received from Muyang—or more specifically, one of his servants. She shoved the silk clothes into the wooden trunk with dragons carved along the edges of it. Even though she was in Muyang’s room, she hadn’t seen or heard from him since yesterday, when he had told her she was leaving for the palace. And this morning, when a servant had abruptly woken her up, ushering her to hastily get ready for her departure, she realized just how naïve she had been.

Had she actually thought Muyang would change his mind? A small part of her had foolishly thought he would. Maybe he would think about that moment they had shared together in the woods, amidst danger, where they had opened up to one another just the briefest moment. But whatever rainbow-like dream Daiyu had was shattered that morning.

Just because she had accepted her fate to marry Drakkon Muyang didn’t magically make him the perfect suitor. He was still crude, unapologetic, and terrifying—and she was just one of his many women. He might have “favored” her right now, but that wouldn’t last forever, and it certainly wouldn’t be enough to keepher alive in his court. And that was her number one priority right now—surviving and making sure her family was well taken care of. She wasn’t marrying Muyang because shelikedhim, and this was the reality check she needed.

Slamming the lid of the trunk shut, she spun around to call for a servant, only to find Atreus standing at the threshold of the room. She bit back a startled yelp. “Oh, Atreus!” She laughed unexpectedly. “You scared me half to death.”

“Apologies, Lady Daiyu.” He lowered his head with a sheepish grin. “I knocked, but you were so lost in thought and I didn’t know how to intercede without startling you. It appears I’ve failed either way.” He motioned a tan hand toward the chest sitting on her bed. “May I?”

Daiyu nodded, moving aside as he came to take her small box of belongings—fancy things that she was somehow now in possession of, like the luxurious dresses she had just folded, metallic and jade hairpins with trinkets hanging on the ends, and pretty fur-lined shoes and cloaks meant for travel through the wintry landscape.

“I’m sorry to have you leave so soon.” He hoisted the trunk easily off the bed and walked to the doorway as if the box weighed nothing. “You’ll be in good hands, though. Nikator will offer more entertaining company than I ever could.”

“No, you’re entertaining enough,” she said with a small smile as they entered the hallway. Although the youth had been a stoic companion during their travel after the kidnapping incident, it had been reassuring to have someone by her side. “Truthfully, I’d be more comfortable if you came along since I actually know you.”

“I’m flattered. But you’ll become accustomed to Nikator; he has a way of making the people around him comfortable.” He frowned as if realizing he was complimenting his brother, who he seemed to have a playful rivalry with. “But don’t tell him I said that. He’s also the type to let those things get to his head.”

Daiyu laughed and was reminded of her own brothers Ranand Qianfan. Soon, her smile faded as she wondered how they were doing. It had been so many months since she had last seen or spoken to her family, and it was rare for her to be away from them for so long. Were they eating well? Were they still bickering about whose clothes belonged to who? Were they sleeping enough?

The biting wind jolted her out of her thoughts when they stepped inside the chilling courtyard just outside the fortress gates. Daiyu tightened her fur-lined cloak around her body as Atreus loaded her trunk into the back of the closed carriage. Half a dozen soldiers surrounded the horse-drawn cart with their own horses. Nikator poked his head out of the carriage window and waved down at her.

“Morning!” he called out. “Did you get everything you needed?”

“It seems like I’m the last one to arrive,” she said, eyeing the soldiers clad in leather and armor, the dragon emblem emblazoned on their breastplates. She searched the crowd for Muyang but couldn’t find him. Disappointment filled the pits of her stomach and she tried not to show it.

Nikator swung open the door to the carriage and hopped out smoothly. His red hair appeared even brighter in the morning light, and his blue eyes shone like a sparkling sea. He clapped Atreus on the back. “I wish we could have spent more time together, but I’ll be heading off before you.”

“Send Vita my greetings.”

“Sure, sure.” The two embraced, and Atreus eventually slugged the other in the abdomen playfully. While they quipped with one another, Daiyu turned to stare back at the looming fortress. It had been her home for the past few weeks and she found she was somewhat sad to leave it behind, but even worse was the fact that there was no one—other than Atreus—to see her off.

Her mood soured and she examined the windows of the fortress, hoping to see some movement, some sign that Muyang was watching her leave. But she spotted nothing of that sort.

“Lady Daiyu?”

Turning back to Nikator and Atreus, she could only strain a smile. “I’m ready.”

Travelingwith Nikator was unexpectedly more entertaining than it had been with Atreus—just like the youth had warned. The red-haired young man would point out different pieces of landscape and tell her random stories of a crazed fight it reminded him of, or he would talk about stories he had heard during his travels, or anything to fill the silence between them. By the fifth day, Daiyu was more comfortable around him. Enough to probe with her own questions.

“So”—she stretched her legs out in the spacious carriage floor and leaned back into the velvet cushions behind her—“how long have you known His Majesty?”

Nikator, who sat across from her and was humming to himself as he stared out the window, turned to her. “Hm. For as long as I can remember,” he mused, drumming his fingers against his thigh. The scenery of snow and slush passed them in blurs of white. “Maybe twelve years? I’mabouteighteen, not sure of the exact age, but I would say twelve or so years.”

“How did you meet him? I noticed Atreus is, well, foreign, and he told me he’s from Sanguis. I just find it hard to imagine His Majesty meeting two foreign boys at such a young age?—”

“Oh, he didn’t find us here in Huo.” Nikator grinned and rubbed a strand of his bright hair between his fingers. “You really think he’d find a red-haired kid here?”

Daiyu canted her head. “Where else, then?”

“In Sanguis, of course.”

“He traveled all the way there?” Maybe it was because she was from the countryside, but she had never met anyone who had traveled outside of the empire. It was mostly unheard of,especially since Huo didn’t have good relations with either of its neighboring kingdoms—Sanguis or Kadios.

“All members of thePeccataare from Sanguis,” he explained with a wave. “I’m originally from Lebel, though, and was sold into slavery at some point when my village was raided by slavers. Atreus’s mother was a slave, so he naturally became one too. Minos as well, if I remember correctly. And as for Vita and Thera, I believe they were sold into it by their families to pay off debts. Or something along those lines. Remus, like me, was stolen during a raid. Or so we believe.”

Daiyu didn’t know what to say, so she only stared at him. She had heard that slavery was common in Sanguis and Kadios, but she had, once again, never had experience with it before. She had heard tales as a child that those who lived on the border of Huo had a higher chance of being attacked by raiders, but she had chalked that up to silly stories to scare children into behaving.

“Did His Majesty … purchase you and the others?” Even saying the words aloud sent an uncomfortable prickle beneath her skin, and she cringed inwardly.

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