Iridescent

Chapter 13

Stasia

In following days, I removed myself from crossing paths with Nikolai—for the sake of giving myself time to comprehend his actions and for him to think on them. Winds from the crescent of mountains on the north side of the kingdom were starting to sweep away the sun with rolling, grumbling clouds. It had kept me from the day, confining myself in the likes of a locked study or the lounge with Meredith and Irina. Even with the doors closed, the cold air seeped through the small cracks, and I folded Irina into one of my blankets because she was freezing me to death.

Meredith kept a fire and Lyall would appear from time to time—but it seemed that Mother had him running around doing God knows what and tending to Nikolai, Uncle Braden, and Father every waking moment. He would come in to grumble and sip tea for two minutes before being called back to bring more cigars and beverages. Typically, it was a maid tiptoeing into the room, whimpering Lyall's name, knowing he would stand up and grumpily take out the wrinkled silky gloves that reserved a lengthy residence in his back pocket.

"We might be in luck today," Meredith looked outside, seeing the quiet clouds hover a hum of grey over the day, "There doesn't look to be much rain coming."

Irina kept by the fire that feathered a crackling tune into the quiet room, and I looked at Meredith, "Maybe that means I can actually go to the barn today." I was losing my mind—being confined by the walls around me. It just made me even more on edge that Nikolai would corner me in here and kiss me again.

"Would you like me to get your clothes set out for you, Stasia?" Irina asked me and I stood, nodding, insisting to help her. We both dug one of my thicker dresses out from my winter chest, and Meredith laid my cloak on my bed.

While I was lacing up my boots, Meredith finished the single braid down my back and secured it with a bit of ribbon that was left in her apron pocket. "Be safe my dear," She kissed my forehead when I turned around, with, "Don't go on any more kissing sprees, now." When I gave her an unappreciative look, she smiled jokingly at me, and rubbed my shoulders.

I braved a look into the hallway, relieved that Nikolai's door was shut down the hall and that there was no one in sight. The paintings looked particularly nightmarish today since the hallways gloomed with the grey light that sighed from the long window at the end of the hall. A pair of shoes clacked against the ground, echoing farther and farther in the distance.

I realized that I had held my breath all the way to the back door and thought how much of an imbecile I was to do such a thing when I got there. The anxiety that was snug and stricken in the bottom of my throat didn't disappear until I stepped foot through the barn door to see only Cillian tending to some saddles with polish.

He looked up to find that toothy grin of his as he saw me, "Wondered if you were going to pay us a visit today, Misses Stasia."

"Us?" I looked around, seeing no one in sight. Not even Finn. Liath poked his head out of the stall and I made my way over to press my palm to his nose as he hummed a small nicker, asking, "Do you happen to know where Finn is, Cillian?" I was going to have to pay an apology and a thanks that was worthy of an alliance.

He threw his head in the direction of the back door, pausing from polishing with, "He just left not a second ago. If you tack up real quick, you might catch him." He reached for my bridle on the hook and made his way to my saddle and blanket as I pulled Liath out of his stall.

By the time I was throwing myself up on the back of Liath, Cillian pointed in the direction of where Finn headed, and I furrowed my eyebrows at what looked to be an overgrown path. The only hint of it still being used was a sliver of where a regular horse could slip through, I looked at Cillian, unsure of how Liath's wide frame would fit through the space. He waved his hand, assuring me, "If you take the path you usually take and then start heading to the right once you find an opening in the trees, you will hit it eventually."