Aveline watched as the kingdom she called home grew smaller and smaller in the distance.
By now, they were at a distance where the shapes of Farren blended in with the grey hills behind it.
The carriage rocked gently as she sank into her seat.
It feels strange to not be sneaking out.
They passed by a familiar boulder that Aveline once hid behind from the King’s Guards during one of her first solo excursions outside the castle.
That was when Father used to care…
She sighed as she shook her head.
Don’t think about the past now.
To distract herself, Aveline poked her head out to see Theo pulling up next to the carriage.
“Do I need to stay here for the whole journey?”
“Would you prefer horseback?” Theo looked around.
There were two carts with Aveline’s possessions being driven by two servants each.
The carriage itself had two more servants at the front.
Theo and Wren were on their horses.
There wasn’t a spare horse for Aveline.
“Do you know how to ride?”
“How did you think I travelled for research?” Aveline arched a brow.
Even if she didn’t know how to ride, it was still a basic skill for royalty.
“Dragon?”
“Why don’t you get on with one of us?” Wren pulled up next to them.
“You can ride with Wren.” Theo nodded to his friend.
“Ride with me?” Wren pointed to herself.
“Where I can put my arms around Her Majesty and hold her tight when it gets bumpy?” Her voice got higher the longer she spoke.
The red-head widened her eyes to try and send the message to her king.
“Smell her hair while it -”
“My horse is bigger.” Theo interrupted.
There was a suspicious flush on his cheeks.
“There is more space.” He cleared his throat.
“Let’s take a break soon.”
Aveline nodded before closing the curtains to the carriage.
Behind the fabric, she could hear Wren chiding Theo.
“Took you long enough.”
Theo remained silent.
“Do you even have a romantic bone in your body?”
“I want her to be comfortable.”
“What message are you sending by keeping your distance? You waited long enough.”
Waited?
Aveline’s hand froze against the curtain.
For what?
“For Aveline, I can wait longer.”
Her heart raced.
For me?
“I can’t!”
“You’re not being subtle about it either.”
“You deserve to be happy too.”
The carriage came to a stop.
“My Queen! Let’s get you riding your husband!” Wren beamed as she drew the curtains aside.
The servants opened the door from outside and dismounted to prepare for her exit.
Theo looked like he wanted to throw something at the red-head.
Several servants tried to hide their laughter.
“Sorry, I meant with your husband.”
Suddenly, Wren’s smile dropped and her eyes went cold.
“Get down.” Her voice was commanding with no room for argument.
“What?”
“Down, Your Majesty!”
Aveline was confused but obeyed.
She narrowly avoided Wren’s hands reaching in to push her down.
CLACK!
When Aveline sat up in the carriage, she saw an arrow split in half and Wren’s sword above her.
So, this is why she’s the bodyguard.
A ruckus broke out as the servants drew their bow and while some took out their swords.
The attendants are armed too?
“Over there!” Wren pointed with her sword before leading the way.
An ambush?
“Stay here.” Theo appeared at the opening.
His eyes raked over Aveline on the floor as his hands fisted uncertainly.
You can touch.
Theo reached in and took her hand.
“Don’t move until I return!”
Aveline’s fingers tightened around his.
Don’t go.
There was no panic in his grey eyes.
Only rage.
He took off before she could say anything else.
Be careful!
Dread filled the pit of her stomach as she watched her husband ride away with his sword drawn.
“Your Majesty, you must hide!” Fourth, the servant who pranked Wren in Aveline’s room, entered and closed all the entrances of the carriage.
The windows gained a more secure closure as Fourth pressed a button and a metal sheet closed over the gap.
But there was no light.
“Don’t worry, His Majesty will find out who did this!” He lit a candle to examine the split arrow.
“The question is: who would target you?”
“What makes you think it was me?”
Fourth picked up the other end and Aveline’s blood ran cold when she saw the tip.
The arrowhead was barbed; serrated with multiple spikes pointing the opposite direction of the tip; which made it impossible to remove without immense pain.
Getting it in would be the easy part.
“Because His Majesty was behind the carriage.”
The dread grew until it was nauseating.
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“Do you have any enemies, Your Majesty?”
Aveline was silent as she shook her head.
Enemies?
She’s the forgotten daughter of King Stellan.
Her family was willing to send her away instead of her sister.
What benefit would they have if she died?
Even during her travels, Aveline always kept her identity hidden.
Why would anyone want me dead?
Fourth shook his head.
“But you are a queen now.”
He said it so factually that Aveline laughed.
“Only for three days!”
“Even that’s too many for some.”
Why does that matter?
Fourth shook his head.
“Whoever planned this made a serious mistake.”
“Trying to kill me?”
“That’s mistake one.”
Aveline tilted her head in confusion.
“Mistake two is doing it while the King is with you.”
BAM!
A knock caused the carriage to shake and Aveline had never felt such fear.
She couldn’t even find it in herself to scream.
They know I’m here!
Fourth drew his dagger as he opened a peep hole on the door.
Is everyone in Paxmouth armed?
Should I get a weapon too?
“What’s going on?” Aveline tugged his sleeve.
A part of her wanted to look, but another part didn’t.
“Come here you scum!” Wren’s roar penetrated the thick wooden structure.
“Let me show you how to actually fight!”
At least she’s still the same.
Aveline could only imagine the moves Wren possessed.
“They’ve dismounted – ah, I think that’s them?” Fourth gasped.
This time, Aveline couldn’t contain herself.
She pulled him aside and took his place.
“Your Majesty!” This time, Fourth tugged at Aveline’s sleeves as he tried to pull her back.
“I want to see!”
“I want my head to be attached to my shoulders when the King returns!”
“Your king…”
Aveline ignored the perpetual shaking from the younger since the carriage began to tremor from people leaning and throwing others against it.
Her eyes were locked on one thing.
Theo.
Her breath left her as she watched him swing his sword, shoving people with just a nudge of his shoulder and stomping on them with enough force to break bones.
It suddenly became very warm in the dark space.
Aveline had only heard the rumours but – seeing it in real-life – it was all true.
The King of Paxmouth is just as ruthless as they say…
One of the attackers charged at him, but Theo easily caught them by the throat.
Lifted them off the floor until their legs were in the air before –
SNAP!
She pulled herself away to the other side of the carriage.
Did he just…
Fourth scrambled to his previous position.
“The King snapped his neck with his bare hands!” The younger gasped in awe.
Aveline felt light-headed.
Her husband who hid her identity despite knowing that he was being deceived.
The man who placed lavender on her mother’s grave.
Prepared matching outfits for her.
Just killed someone with just his bare hands.
Aveline scrambled for some peppermint oil in her pouch, but it was hard to see in the dark.
“Argh!”
That’s Theo’s voice!
Once again, Aveline threw Fourth aside.
“Your Majesty, don’t!” The servant protested, but it was too late.
Aveline already peeked.
Theo’s aura was hard to miss, but now there was an arrow lodged in his shoulder.
If they used the same arrow like they did for me…
Without hesitation, Aveline threw open the doors and ran for her husband.
“Your Majesty!” Fourth cried behind her.
Theo turned as Aveline approached.
His face was in a scowl, covered in blood.
It stained his golden locks and crown.
But when he saw her, his expression shifted.
“Why are you here?”
Before she could reply, Theo swept her into his arms, narrowly missing another bow.
He picked up his sword and threw it at the attacker.
The weapon flew at incredible speed.
He didn’t miss.
“I told you to wait for me!”
“How can I sit by and let you get hurt?” Aveline gritted back.
Theo had the audacity to look confused.
“I’m fine.”
“You have an arrow in your shoulder!”
With the same injured shoulder, Theo shrugged.
“It’s just a flesh wound.”
Is this what it’s like being married to a warrior?
“I’d rather get hurt than you!” His hold on her tightened.
Aveline was speechless.
So that’s why.
“I’d rather none of us get hurt.” She sighed as her body relaxed into her husband’s. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
The corner’s of Theo’s mouth twitched as he looked away bashfully.
“Ah!” The attacker on the floor cried when Theo stepped on their arm.
Aveline gasped.
“He was going to stab you.” The smile remained.
Aveline glanced down and confirmed that there was, in fact, a blade in the person’s hand.
From behind them, Wren emerged with one of the attackers still alive.
She’s dragging him like he weighs nothing!
“Just because we signed a peace treaty, doesn’t mean we’ll stop fighting!” She threw the man before the pair.
He groaned in his bindings.
“I left one alive.”
Theo looked down at the man under his feet.
“I left one barely alive.”
How can they talk so calmly?
“Interrogation?” Judging from their tone, the pair must have done this so many times that it was routine.
“Obviously.”
“Ha – I’ll never tell!” The bound man spat.
His eyes were fierce despite the situation.
“Not when I’m involved!” Wren swiftly threw him over her shoulder.
Oh my!
Theo nodded and made a move to follow Wren.
“Where are you going?” Aveline’s hands on his collar tightened.
“To interrogate. They tried to kill you.”
“No.”
“No?”
Theo blinked.
“Sit.” She pointed to the carriage.
“Aveline -”
“Now!” Theo sent Wren a aggrieved look before obeying.
The other woman didn’t even try to hide her delight.
“I’ll get Bae to help.” She giggled before taking both men away with the servant.
❀
Theo sat himself down with enough force to shake the carriage.
He was like a toddler whose playtime was cut short.
Does he enjoy interrogations?
“I’m fine. See?” He reached behind to pull out the arrow.
“Ow!”
Aveline intervened and slapped his hand.
“Don’t pretend that hurt.” She glared at the man before checking his injury.
“If it’s the same one that they fired at me, then you’ll tear your shoulder off pulling it out.”
Theo went quiet.
“Your Majesty!” Fourth arrived with a travelling cabinet.
Aveline froze.
“How did you know?”
“Know what, Your Majesty?”
“To get this.” Aveline pointed at the deep oak box that had various drawers with a pearl handle.
It was her mother’s.
“Is this not your herbalist case?” Fourth was starting to get confused.
“I packed it away myself.” He glanced at his king who nodded and waved him away.
They took so much care of my things.
Aveline’s fingers traced the iridescent inlay in the letters of her mother’s name.
Let’s make you proud.
Aveline took off the face chain and tucked her hair back.
Theo smiled as he watched her work.
“Stop staring.”
“I wasn’t.” Theo’s smile grew.
She opened the box to find everything was in its rightful place and picked up the scissors.
“I hope you’re not attached to your clothes.”
“We’re matching.”
Snip.
She cut thorough the blood-soaked fabric around his shoulder.
“Does it hurt?”
“Nothing like a bee sting.” Theo shook his head.
“Pain is nothing to me.”
Aveline shook her head in disapproval, but she had no doubt that her husband knew how she felt about his attitude.
She peeled the purple fabric out of the way.
Then stopped when someone caught her eye.
That night when he took off his tunic, Aveline only saw the front of his torso and nothing seemed amiss for someone who went to battle frequently.
But Theo’s back told a different story.
As expected, there were scars littered everywhere.
Some thin.
Some jagged.
Others nearly faded to invisibility.
But one was visible most of all.
Below where the arrow hit, it was a raised burn scar.
A snake coiled around a three-point star.
Aveline knew that symbol well.
“Theo.”
“Hm?”
“Why do you have the Donn Yama insignia on your back?”
She watched as every muscle in the man went rigid.
Theo said nothing.
His head dropped.
The scar burned her eyes.
Her mother’s birthplace.
Donn Yama.
What did Mama have to do with you?