silently, wrapping his arms around Bryn and underneath her. She closed her eyes to sleep on top of all three of them, with Bryn trapped in the middle.
She was done with guilt.
That spy better hope Luykas catches them. They don’t want me to come back and deal with it. I’m done with guilt. I’m done with people making my family feel guilty and sending us to the brink.
I’m ready for revenge.
“Will you take a walk with me?” Alchan asked her the next morning as everyone worked on breakfast and breaking down the camp.
“Sure,” she said, frowning as he led them away.
“You don’t have much farther,” Alchan told her. He pointed down the north road as if he could already see her destination. “Only a couple more days and you’ll see it. After that, probably another five. You’re looking at a week.”
“Thank you,” she said, looking up at him, wondering why he needed her to say that but willing to do this little dance. “You?”
“I probably won’t be at the Capital until closer to Al Moro Nat,” he said, wincing. “It’s a long trip, but I might be able to get us moving back south much faster. It’s tucked in the northern edge of Anden, in one of the last livable valleys, like this one. When it was founded, no one wanted it near any borders. You’ll see it one day. The palace of my family was built into the very mountain, with a city around it—all made by the Andinna for the Andinna. Everyone has rooftop landings, window perches, and patios. It’s made out of the very stone of the mountain and valley around it. It’s beautiful.”
“Then one day, I’ll see it,” she promised.
“Yes…” Alchan opened and closed his mouth, frowning at her.
“Out with it, Alchan,” she said, crossing her arms.
“There’s a little valley near the Capital, half a day’s flight, maybe a little farther. Someone tried to settle it once, but they found it too much work and not close enough to civilization. The old structures had been there as long as I can remember.”
“Why are you bringing it up now?”
“Well, it was enough land to sustain about twenty Andinna, but a noble family wanted to use it with a staff, and it never worked out for them because all twenty Andinna would have needed to work to maintain it. A good place to live if someone didn’t need…gold to purchase supplies or something.” Alchan groaned. “I want you to have it,” he declared.
“What?”
“Have you not thought about the future?” he asked softly. “I have, just a little. I’ve been thinking about this valley because no mativa wants it. It’s useless to a large community. No family could ever settle in it because there was no support from a community. But you don’t want a mativa. You never have. You’ll work with them, but you don’t need one. I was thinking…it would be a good place for you. A place where you ruled your own little portion of the land and those who lived in it.”
“That...that sounds wonderful, Alchan.” She could picture it, even though she had never seen the place. Wake up with her husbands and go hunting. If anyone of them wanted to, they could tend the land and grow crops for the family.
“Yeah…maybe Rain and I can retire there one day, too,” he said softly. “Once I have this…heir everyone wants, and she takes the throne, I could leave the spotlight and hide away with the people I care about.”
“Yeah, I really like that,” she admitted, nodding. “I wouldn’t mind having my brother for my neighbor one day.”
“I just wanted to tell you, to give you something to look forward to after the war is over. It’s technically my land, being the king, so it was in my power to do and—”
She lifted a hand. He stopped talking.
“Thank you, Alchan. One day, we’ll go look at this valley and see if it’s everything you’re making it out to be. I…I think that would be a good life for me.”
He gave her a small smile. “I’m glad.” He looked back at the group and sighed. “Time to get on the road.”
“Indeed,” she agreed, watching Zayden and Bryn taking the horses this morning. She would get to ride again in the afternoon, but she was looking at hanging out in the cart all morning. “Be safe,” she ordered her brother.
“You, too,” he said, patting her back gently, then walking to Rain and Lilliana. He got into the front