The Blood of Darkness

Chapter 49

The Prince

It was a starless, cloudy night, one of the kinds where the wind howled for hours and dawn came with a fresh layer of sparkling snow coating the kingdom. I had been up late with my father at an emergency council meeting, discussing the rumors of the deaths of the King and Queen of Rurik.

But they were just rumors, right? They had to be.

During the winter, Nieves was mostly cut off from Rurik, as the wind, snow, ice, and cold made travel across the Janaran mountains treacherous, nearly impossible. But still, a few people had crossed the border, hoping to purchase new supplies and claiming that they were herders from the mountain settlements. They said that when they made the journey to the nearest town for supplies in Rurik, there was a shortage, and people were whispering that the King and Queen were dead.

In the meeting, my father decided to send a group of experienced travelers across the border to act as messengers to learn the truth. They would depart at dawn.

And they would never return.

But I didn't know that. No one did. I was just left with an uneasy feeling after the meeting, so I went up to the southern tower, where Val and I usually stargazed. I stood at the window, staring into the night and thinking about how I would be crowned the King of Nieves in less than two years.

I was nervous, scared, even, to take on all that responsibility. But I was raised to become king. I would be ready when the time came. And everyone believed in me.

The peaceful silence was shattered when the door was thrown open and Zeke rushed into the room, his face flushed. "My gods, Vance, there you are!"

I turned to face him, frowning. "What is it?"

"What is it?" He laughed bitterly. "As soon as that meeting ended, you disappeared! I had no idea where you went!"

I winced inwardly, feeling bad. "I'm sorry. I didn't think."

He sighed. "I'm supposed to be your guard, Vance. If I don't even know where you are at times, then how am I supposed to become Captain? You know my father. If he finds out that I've slipped up again--"

I stepped closer to him, taking his hand and squeezing it. "I know. This is my fault. I know becoming Captain is important to you."

His gray eyes darted down to our interlocked hands before he met my gaze steadily. "It is, but that's not all this is about. You're important to me too. I'm supposed to protect you, and I need to do a better job at it, especially because of these rumors about Rurik."

"Things will be fine," I reassured him. "You worry too much, Zeke."

"I have good reason to worry about you." His tone was teasing, playful. "You're one of the most reckless people I know."

I stepped even closer to him, and him to me. "One of the most reckless and handsome and amazing people you know, right?"

He nodded, a smile curving his lips. "Right."

And then we were kissing and both of our worries disappeared and we were just Zeke and Vance, happy and oblivious to what life had planned for us.

It makes me want to cry, knowing I'll never be that me again. But no tears prick my eyes, for I've already spent months broken over Zeke, tears streaming down my face as I labored in Rurik's Lychnus mines.

I've learned to think about Coryza and Zeke and my parents as little as possible, because in death, they're safe. Val isn't dead. She's alive, and she's not safe, so my thoughts belong to her. She's the one in danger, and she's the one who didn't leave me.