It was early morning by the time Raliena returned home from Attashar, nearly four days after healing the General.
She had not ridden as fast as she had on the way to Attashar, now that she knew the General was healed, but had still raced to return before anyone noticed her missing.
On the long road towards the castle she had ridden fast, enjoying the freedom and release the cold wind running through her hair gave her; the sensation breaking through her exhaustion and apprehension.
For that brief moment, it was simply Raliena and Fahge.
Araman and Steed.
Rider and Mount.
Looking up from the straight but colourful road of orange and red, brown and green, Raliena followed the sunrise with her bright eyes until they caught on a beautiful bird flying overhead. She kept her pace with it for a while, watching its wings beating in time with her excited heart.
It was pure white against the blue sky that continued breaking into tones of purple, red and pink. The bird’s breast had a blue and green tinge to it that spread to a point at each beginning of the wings and pointing towards the tail.
Fahge came to an eased halt at Raliena’s gentle pull on his reins.
Drawing to the side, she watched the bird fly onwards for a moment, heading towards the horizon and Verxia Castle.
Raliena continued down a side route through the trees so as to avoid the village and front of the castle. This time at a slower speed, allowing the adrenalin to flow through her body and subside gradually.
Fahge was more than happy to be home in the stables. Raliena removed his saddle and brushed him down, while he ate the apples that she had given him as a reward.
Once she finished with her horse, Raliena took her bag from the saddle she had hung up and walked quietly into the castle.
Only a few servants were awake at this time of morning, getting breakfast ready and starting chores early, to be finished before sunset.
Several of them greeted Raliena on their way past and she hoped that she had removed enough of the dried mud from her dress not to be suspicious. She could not remove the green stains from where she had slid down the vines that had been beneath the General’s window. She had escaped the room before his guards came crashing through the door by climbing out his window and clinging to the hanging plants beneath.
It had been too close.
Finally, she successfully made it to the top of the velvet lined stairs and into the corridor that led to her room, without being questioned as to her whereabouts and almost allowed herself to relax. Almost.
“Looks like you shall get your chance to catch a Unisayan after all.”
Raliena stopped at the sound of Dergen’s voice, the King’s consultant, whose presence Raliena had always found unsettling.
“Why would I not have?” Turning to face the man, she found it difficult to keep from showing her abhorrence towards him.
Dergen looked up from examining his nails, then pulling himself away from the wall he had been casually leaning on, took a few steps towards her and folded his arms.
Raliena could understand why women found him appealing. There was a certain attraction about him that she couldn’t deny. But that attraction wasn’t even close to annulling the cringing feeling she felt when he came too near.
“Well, as you know, General Kassen was very sick and close to death.” Dergen seemed to smile at the thought of it, his almost black eyes searching Raliena’s face for a reaction. Then flicking his black hair back over his shoulders, he continued with disdain.
“But by a fortunate coincidence he has made an amazing recovery and is on the way to the castle, as planned. They sent a letter about it just now…” He paused a moment to look curiously at Raliena, “…by bird.”
“Fortunate perhaps for him but not for the Unisayan that awaits his sword.” Raliena turned away from Dergen and started walking towards her room, clutching her bag tight as if protecting it.
“I am glad to see that you have also recovered, Raliena.” This made her stop dead and twist her hands on the strap of her bag. Raliena had forgotten she had feigned illness so as to sneak out of the castle to Attashar. She had told people she did not want to be disturbed till she was well enough to leave her room.
“Strange that you and the General should both fall ill.” Dergen speculated, a hint of suspicion in his voice. “Stranger still that you should both recover at a similar time.”
“Fortunate, perhaps?” Raliena said, mimicking her previous statement for lack of things to say.
“I have not seen you around the castle lately.” Dergen added.
Composing herself swiftly, Raliena turned to face his expressionless features.
“I did not know you were looking for me. I have only just left my sick bed this minute.”
Dergen strutted forwards and she held back the urge to flee.
When he was close enough to Raliena, still twisting her hands, he reached his fingers towards her hair and gently pulled out a leaf.
“Is that so?” He handed her the leaf and brushed past her, causing a shudder to run down her spine.
Raliena watched and waited until he disappeared around the corner and then relaxed against the wall, twisting the leaf in her hands before continuing to her chambers.
Once in the security of her room, she opened the tall windows to the balcony and breathed in the cool air.
The breeze shook the blue curtains draped around the window making it look like the sea, contrasting with the ocean of leaves spreading out below Raliena’s balcony.
Her room was decorated with blue and gold. There were light turquoise curtains around her four poster bed, which were thin enough to see shadows behind and when light was shone on it, the colour bounced around the room with cooling tones.
Sighing and flying the leaf that Dergen had handed her out the window, she threw her bag onto the desk on the far wall and collapsed on her bed before falling, almost immediately, into a deep sleep.