Page 65 of Captive of the Stolen Empire

I bit the inside of my cheek as Ilya’s shoulders squared.Do it. Tell him yes.Whatever punishment he would contrive if she outright refused the request—or rather, the order—might not be something I could halt.

Reyna knelt, one knee touching the ground as her head bowed to the other. “I am happy to serve,” she answered, voice calm and even.

My eyes narrowed. Too easy, too perfect.

Ilya swallowed visibly before she, too, knelt in a mirror pose of the woman at her side. “I will do as you ask.”

Praise The Four.I nearly heaved a sigh of relief. Not so cordial, but it would do.

The emperor gave a shallow nod, his fingers coming apart and rejoining where they remained steepled in front of him. “Very well. I will take your advice. Keep a close eye on them though. I won’t have any unnecessary trouble from this journey.”

Emperor Ryszard left his desk and advanced on the women still on the ground before him. He halted in front of Ilya, his bejeweled hand outstretched in front of her face, the polished gems and gold reflecting the light of the chandelier above.

Her throat bobbed, but she took the offered hand and kissed his rings. He went to Reyna next, who followed suit.

“I’ll take Lady Reyna and visit Nassia. Lucien will go with Lady Ilya to Trale,” Zurina said.

Please don’t argue this point.I needed Ilya, her insight, her observations. Besides, I longed for her company. Outside the castle walls, maybe she could find it in herself to forgive me. And if she was right about the scar, I needed her wisdom on that front as well.

“Fine. A troupe of soldiers shall accompany you each as well. No detours. No unnecessary stops. If you run into any trouble, well, you know what to do.” The emperor waved his hands in dismissal as he traced his steps back to his desk without a word.

“Let’s go.” I offered a hand to Ilya to help her rise, but she ignored it, her face carefully blank. If I’d learned anything about her in the past few weeks, it was the illusion of that look. She’d be furious when we were finally alone.

I rolled my shoulders, savoring the release of tension that fled my muscles as we exited the room.

“That went well,” Zurina said.

Her words echoed my thoughts as we escorted our charges away from the emperor’s meeting room. “You were right. It’s a good plan. I appreciate you bringing it to me.”

“Perhaps one day you’ll consider me the clever captain,” Zurina replied with a musical laugh.

“I’d be a fool not to. We leave tomorrow morning?”

She nodded.

“Can we finish our paintings?” Reyna glanced between Zurina and me.

“That would be lovely,” Ilya echoed, a hint of enthusiasm in her voice.

I stopped and stared between them. Something gave me pause, though I couldn’t put my finger on it. “You can finish them once we return,” I said.

Reyna frowned. “It’ll be several days before we return. Perhaps we can do just a little more?”

Why this insistence? Her words held more than a concern for art. Some secret floated between them, one I couldn’t work out. “You’ll both want to be well rested. We’ll travel hard and fast. Plus, it has been a while since either of you have been on the road. Enjoy a warm meal and bathe while you can.”

Ilya’s lips thinned, but she didn’t argue it further. Nor did Reyna. Zurina shrugged, confused as I was.

“Good. Come along,” I said, ushering the women back through the halls.

Silence stretched, heavy as the heat at the peak of the living season. If I played my pieces correctly, this journey might be more insightful than I’d hoped. Perhaps not only could I confirm for Ilya, and for myself, that I had no connection to Trale, but maybe I could gain some insight into her new friendship with Reyna as well. One way or another, I’d get answers only this journey could yield.

Chapter29

Lucien

For four days we trekked across the land, covering the distance quickly thanks to strong horses and fair weather. Ilya traveled in the coach, just as she had on the journey from Sorrena to Zhine. The rest of us rode on horseback. I kept my distance, sticking to my role as the emperor’s captain as much as I was able.

I half expected her to run, or at least, to test how far she could slip away without being watched. She did neither. At night she slept in the coach rather than join the rest of us near the fires.

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