The King's Cursed Bride

Following

The air seared her throat as she dragged another lungful in. Breathing was growing more difficult, like there was a pressure steadily squeezing her chest. Rain and sweat moistened her skin, and her wet chemise chafed at her legs, each rub like raking fire across her skin.

At least she wasn't wearing her bulky dress. That would have been positively miserable.

She gasped, feeling like a gaping fish out of water. "Another—break?"

"We're quite close, Carissa."

She felt a surge of jealousy at Elon's smooth, even voice. Other than a faintly glistening forehead—which might have only been rain—he appeared as though he could be taking a leisurely stroll through the garden.

"We need to make it before it's too dark to see it. We're almost at the summit."

She glanced up. The slope grew even steeper. And they were going to hike all the way to the summit? "I don't think I can make that."

Elon paused to gaze at her. "You do seem a bit ragged." At her glare, Elon smiled. "But lovely as well. In case you were wondering." He set his pack down. "I have an idea." He drew out a piece of rope and tied it around his wrist before gesturing her closer.

She raised her eyebrows. "Are you taking measures to ensure I don't run away?"

He laughed. "Of course. We can't have you running off." She lifted her arm, and he tied the other end of the rope to her wrist. "I'll go ahead of you and help pull you up."

He started scrambling up the slope, and once the rope was taut, she followed after him. After a few minutes and shedding another bucketful of sweat, Elon finally helped her to the top.

She collapsed onto the soggy grass, water splatting beneath her. The trees had thinned, leaving them to the mercy of the stinging rain. Wind tugged at her wet chemise, and she shivered at its chill embrace. "What is it I'm supposed to be looking at?"

Elon tilted his head towards the other side of the peak.

There was a gap there between two mountains. Typically, such a view would have been gorgeous, providing a glimpse into the valleys, forests, and towns beyond Oran. But there was only a sliver of forest. Beyond that, there was darkness, drawn down like a black curtain over the landscape.

The Esmerian border. It'd finally caught up to them.

Carissa rolled into a sitting position, lifting her hand to shield her eyes from the rain. "How far away is it?"

"Fifty miles."

The border had covered quite a lot of distance in the past few weeks. And in the meantime, she'd been drinking tea with nobles and avoiding Elon. Carissa squeezed fistfuls of grass beneath her fingers and closed her eyes against the onslaught of rain. Elon had made his point.

The wet ground squished as Elon neared her. "Carissa—"

"I know. We should start training." But by the time they'd finished and she was ready, the border would be closer still. Likely it would have engulfed Hasita by that point. The chill seeped through her pores, freezing the air within her lungs. Because of her mistake, she wouldn't be able to protect her family in time. Perhaps her mother had been right in disowning her.

Elon shifted closer, partially shielding her from the wind and rain. "That wasn't what I was going to say."

She opened her eyes, her lashes clinging together in wet clumps, rainwater curving down her face like tears.

Elon nudged his forehead against hers. "I'm proud of you."

Her heartbeat hiccupped, and she glanced away to hide her crumpling expression from Elon. Once she'd regained her composure, she spoke, "No, you're not. You can't be."