King's Conquest (The Crown of Estoir)

~~Pyria(49)~~

Ethan, Seether, Nuallen, and an injured Reed stood in silent scrutiny, their gazes fixed on the flimsy boat before them. One strong wave might send it straight under.

Selena, however, looked proud. Her gaze flitted to Arianna, who stood slightly apart from the group. "Your Majesty, is something wrong?" she asked.

Arianna's eyes remained on the boat, uncertainty written all over her face.  "We are rowing to where exactly?"

"This river runs all the way to Bourva," she told her. "It's a downstream current, so we won't have to row too hard. The fisherman said it's only a two-day journey. The water cuts through dense forests before meeting the desert. There won't be many Morag rebels there."

"Pyria!" Arianna looked stunned. 

Selena frowned. Hadn't the king tell her their destination? 

"Where exactly are the Morag rebels?" Reed inquired, curiosity evident in his tone.

Selena smiled, a glint of mischief in her eyes. "The outskirts of Smor. I may have helped spread a rumour that the prisoners were last seen camping not far from the main thoroughfare."

"Pyrians don't take kindly to strangers on their lands," Arianna said, shaking her head at the foolhardy plan. "They might very well shoot us on sight."

Ethan remained unfazed. "Then it's fortunate that the Soltana äf Khairis is with us and she brings the crown with her."

Selena tossed a bag toward them, the weight of its contents landing with a dull thud. "I got us some rations and enough water to survive the trip," she said. "Once we reach Pyria, I'll return to Shazire while you all find your way home."

"Help me move the boat into the water," Seether called, gripping the bow. "Nuallen, Ethan. Help me."

With a coordinated effort, they pushed it into the water. It didn't take them too long. 

Selena jumped aboard, nearly losing her footing before steadying herself.

Seether and Nuallen climbed in next, their movements precise.

Arianna scrambled aboard, while Ethan steadied Reed, guiding him in her wake.

Selena and Seether took the oars, steering the boat with steady strokes. Two hours later, Ethan and Nuallen took over. They kept rotating shifts. 

Arianna sat beside Reed, keeping watch over him, while others remained vigilant, scanning the surroundings for signs of trouble.

The river carried them deeper into the forest, where towering canopies loomed overhead, casting long shadows. The foliage grew wilder, shadows lengthening as they drifted forward.

They met no one. It was a path less travelled, veiled in solitude.

Gradually, the air became heavy with humidity, clinging to their skin like an unwanted second layer. It forced them to shed their cloaks, sweat beading at their temples.

By the second night, they moored near a bog, the damp earth swallowing the boat's weight. The smell of stagnant water and wet moss curled around them, but the promise of a warm meal was worth the discomfort.

Arianna bit into the dry corn, the quiet crunch filling the space between them. Selena, in contrast, had tried, half-heartedly, to break the ice, yet Arianna had remained silent for the most part. 

The rope burns on her wrists did not go unnoticed. It was one way to keep the queen at their side. Royals—the farther Selena was from them, the better for her. There were many things she didn't understand about them and she preferred it that way.