Zora returned her attention back to Spencer who dipped his head in the direction of the man holding the mare’s reigns. “That’s Dakota. He’s charged with watching over your safety till we get to Montanisto. He’s been instructed to keep you in his sight day and night. My orders. And while I understand that parting from your family may be difficult, please keep your farewells short. We have a long day ahead of us. I’ll be continuing up to the front of the caravan where King Andre is leading with his Guard. I’ll expect you to accompany me in, say, less than one half hour. That should be ample time to wrap things up here.” He bowed his head towards her and, without waiting for her to respond, rode off, as if she should know to do as she’s told without question.
Zora sighed with a heavy heart. She looked towards where her mother was standing only a couple of yards away, conversing privately with Vincent. She stopped talking when her eyes met her daughter’s. With her whole country watching, Evangeline was going to put on the perfect act as a caring, compassionate mother. Zora knew it. Sure enough, Evangeline walked briskly over to Zora, her hourglass figure swaying back and forth with each step, and drew her into a stiff embrace. When she released her, Evangeline gave Zora an ugly, deformed smile. Zora detested her mother’s closeness and wanted to pull away.
“I want you to know, daughter, that I am doing this for your own good,” Evangeline said. “The Sovereign Alliance would never have approved your succession to the throne, and you would have lived out a miserable life here in the shadow of a true successor. At least in Montanisto you can start over and live a life without resentment.”
“Stop lying to yourself to ease your guilt,” Zora retaliated. “The only thing in this life I resent is you. Trust me when I say I am not the fool you think I am. While you may never have educated me in political statues, no law-making entity would dare deny me what is rightfully mine. And I know that.”
Evangeline made a clucking noise with her tongue. “You think you know,” she replied with a smile. “But there is no one, daughter, who will venture as far as the Borderlands to save you. You are nothing in this Realm.”
“I guess we shall see then,” she said defiantly. “But despite everything, there is one useful lesson you taught me in the last sixteen years; nothing comes for free. Someone is always in it for themselves. I don’t know what your personal agenda is, but I will not let you lead this beautiful country, MY country, into self-destruction for your own personal gain.” Zora leaned in closer so that she was confident Vincent wouldn’t overhear her. “I will see you soon, Evangeline. I can promise you as much.” With that, she pecked her mother gently on the cheek before turning away with a bitter taste on her tongue.
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Evangeline called out to her. “The South is rumored to be somewhat primeval.” Zora cringed inwardly but kept walking. Her mother’s hostile jabs only fueled her growing rancor.
The only Samarian advisor present to see Zora off was Talan Leatherby. As she approached him, the noble suddenly got the oddest feeling that something about that wasn’t right. When she stood in front of him, he tried to give her a smile, but Zora could tell he was sad for her. Zora always thought Talan was attractive in his own quirky way. Today, his bouffant brown hair framed his kind face, and his fingernails still had mine dust underneath them.
“If you want my honest opinion, Lady Zora, I think what they are forcing you to do is horrible,” Talan whispered. “Just because you don’t know who your father is doesn’t make you unfit to be our Queen. You’re still a Samarian, and you’d be a damned good Queen.”
“I’ve known my whole life I’d never be Queen. Law is law,” Zora replied sadly. She looked around and said, “Where are the other advisors? The Queen is never seen without them, especially during an important event such as this.”
Zora watched as all the color drained from Talan’s face. He began fiddling with the buttons on his overcoat nervously.
“Talan, what is it?”
“I really shouldn’t say, My Lady…but something unusual stirs in Mizra. Last night I received a letter from Ambrose Cornwell asking me to meet with him and the other advisors to discuss your mother’s decreasing popularity among her people. I know he was referring to certain actions the Queen has recently taken. I didn’t respond to him, though. If discovered, such an action would be considered treason, My Lady, punishable by death! And I’m loyal to the Winnser bloodline!” Talan bit his lip and his eyebrows furrowed.
“This morning, Vincent came to my chambers explaining that Ambrose had fallen ill and wasn’t expected to live. He also said the Queen had ordered Arvil and Brutus away to Rienne to take care of some business matters for her, and that they’d left early that morning. None of that makes any sense, Lady Zora. If anything, I think the three of them were found out by the Queen, and she had the Guard take matters into their own hands.”
“You mean she had them killed?” Zora asked, unable to keep the shock out of her voice.
“That or imprisoned,” Talan answered softly. Feelings of dread itched underneath Zora’s skin as she took in the information Talan had divulged to her. She knew there were problems with the mines, with the economy, and with the citizens’ trust in their Queen. But political unrest? Never in the history of Samaria had a Queen’s advisors committed treason. Zora grabbed Talan’s hand and laced her fingers through his.
“Talan, I need to ask something important of you. And I need to know without a doubt that you’ll do it.” Zora’s sky-blue eyes were wide and serious.
“Watch over Samaria for me. Be my eyes and ears, for I fear for my country’s future. Make sure you do everything possible to protect what it stands for. If there is anyone I can trust, it’s you. I promise I’ll be back. I’ll do whatever it takes to return.”
“Aye, Lady Zora. I’ll do my best,” Talan replied, bringing her hand up to his lips and brushing it with a light kiss. “You be safe and take care.” He dropped his voice. “This isn’t goodbye.”
She quickly turned away from him. Her heart was already burdened with so much sorrow that looking at Talan only made it worse.
When Zora reached the mare stationed for her, the Carian servant, Dakota, held out his hand to help her mount the beast. He was of middle age, had coppery skin, and jet-black hair that was as long as Zora’s. Zora struggled to bestride the large horse, and Dakota quickly had his hands on her to steady her and get her comfortable. She only rode occasionally and was bad at it, due to the fact that in Alumhy one could easily walk to all the places they needed to. When she was settled and had the reigns in hand, she stared down into Dakota’s expressionless face.
“Thank you, sir. Now will you please escort me to Prince Spencer.”
“Aye, My Lady,” he responded. He mounted his own horse and began leading her through the maze of Samarian citizens crowding the streets.
Zora told herself not to look behind her to see if Evangeline was still standing at Mizra’s gate, watching her departure. She looked anyway with a brief glance over her shoulder and was disappointed to see the Queen and her advisors were nowhere in sight. The iron-gate was closed and locked, like normal. Zora looked up the length of it, never noticing how massive it actually was. Dakota cleared his throat.
“My Lady, we cannot lag behind. If Spencer requested you, you mustn’t be tardy.”
Zora nodded and continued following him through the streets she knew so well. Samarians were still crowded at the sides, waving goodbye to her and singing Samaria’s anthem. Young children sat perched on their fathers’ shoulders waving the Samarian flag, delighted by the procession of nobles. Overall the atmosphere of Alumhy was anxious and unhappy. Zora knew that her people were trying to look cheerful for her, even though underneath their façade, Zora could feel the unrest they felt about her forced departure. Who would take over after Evangeline was gone? Zora waved back to all of her people, trying her hardest to keep from getting choked up from the sadness she felt from leaving.
When Zora a
nd her escort finally met up with Spencer, the caravan was almost out of the city. Nothing but rolling hillsides and a zigzag path leading out of the mountains lay before her. Spencer was busy conversing with one of his guards when he saw her approaching. He slowed his horse so she could catch up with him.
“Good, you didn’t dally too long,” he said.
Why does he always sound like he’s talking down to me, Zora thought.
“Of course not, My Prince,” she replied to appease him. “You’re correct in assuming I’m not well traveled, but I hear stories from those who are. The roads can be a dangerous place to be at night. One must utilize all the daylight available and ride safe.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much about being attacked while traveling with a caravan as large as ours. It’s mostly petty thieves looking for a quick steal that make the roads unsafe. Besides, anywhere the King of Cara goes so does his soldiers. They are some of the most established fighters in the Realm, so fret not. It takes about three weeks to get to Idenborough from here and another couple days ride to reach Montanisto. I’m sure we can utilize this time to get to know one another.” He glanced over at her for the first time since talking to her.
“Aye, My Prince,” she answered automatically. “That is plenty of time.” She watched his small eyes travel to the crown on her head.
“For as much wealth and jewels as your country possesses, you sure don’t show it off much.” He pointed to her crown that was a plain circlet of gold with a small diamond in the middle of her forehead.
“I’m a land owner of royal blood and wear more gems than you, mostly imported from your country and passed down through my family. You’ll find it’s a symbol of status in Cara, and it’ll show the Misou you’re entitled to their servility. There’s still a lot you have to learn about the south.”
“Misou?” Zora asked, unfamiliar with the term.
“They are the slave class of Cara.”
“Slaves? I didn’t know slavery still existed in our Realm. In fact, I can’t believe the Sovereign Alliance would allow such an abominable act to even exist.”
Zora turned around and watched the road behind her. Numerous men and women, clothed entirely in black, marched alongside the Carian nobility. The woman toted bags or lead horses while the men held up the palanquins in which royal women sat. The slaves’ heads were completely covered; as if they were as insignificant in this world as the dirt they walked on. Zora didn’t even know slavery was still practiced, and now she was going to be a Lady to an entire land full of them.
“Of course the Sovereign Alliance knows about it,” Spencer replied. “The annual summit is held in Idenborough every year. They see first hand what it takes to make Cara prosperous.” Spencer snickered softly to himself. “Besides, you’d be surprised what you can get away with by providing the Chancellor of Rienne with a little extra incentive.”
Zora remained silent, chewing the inside of her cheek. She knew better than to provoke Spencer by asking questions, but she did so anyway.
“My Prince, do you not believe that every person should receive equal respect and opportunity, regardless of caste?” Spencer didn’t seem thrown off by her question and continued to stare straight ahead.
“Give me an example of any country in our Realm who was not risen to greatness by the work of slaves.”
“Why Samaria!” Zora exclaimed. “We ourselves were slaves to the Nomans once, and we learned from their mistakes. My ancestors discovered that if all Samarians were given the opportunity to rise among the classes of society based on their own self-interests then they would have more incentive to work harder and be more productive. Hence the reason Samaria is such a flourishing country. Our citizens see the fruits of their labor instead of being forced into submission.”
Zora bit her lip waiting for Spencer’s reaction. From the little she knew about him, he didn’t like women who spoke their mind. Instead of appearing angry, Spencer began laughing at her.
“Obviously your mother kept you in the dark about a lot of things,” he said through chortles. “Samaria is on the brink of collapse because Queen Evangeline doesn’t know how to manage her people and her resources. How could you not notice? It was like a ghost town walking through the streets of Alumhy when we came in. This only proves the Winnser family’s idea of egalitarianism is a complete failure.” He laughed again and shook his head, his ponytail slapping the back of his shoulders as he did so.
Brink of collapse? I knew the mines were in trouble, but I didn’t know it was that bad, Zora thought flustered.
“I guess that’s the significant difference between our countries,” Spencer continued. “Social hierarchies are very much defined in Cara, as they should be. But don’t worry, as soon as we get to Montanisto, we’ll fashion you a new crown deserving of a Carian Lady.” His eyes moved down her throat to the hourglass pendant hanging above her chest.
“And what’s that?” he asked. “It’s a rather plain trinket, don’t you think? I’ll replace that as well, with one of more opulence.” Zora’s hand went to her necklace protectively.
“My Prince, this pendant has sentimental value. I’d like to keep it. Surely you can understand that.”
“If you like,” he responded. “By the way, did you obtain that diamond gem piece I asked you about last evening? For my wedding token?”
He does remember some things from last night. Zora thought proudly.
Even though the previous evening was such a mess, she was happy that her brewing talents were better than she’d thought. Unfortunately, Zora had completely forgotten about the promise of his wedding token, but it’s not as if she’d had a lot of time to secure such an item anyway.
She looked up, and Spencer was staring at her expectantly with wide eyes. Zora was about to tell him she’d never intended to get the gem piece, but the young woman suddenly remembered she still had Loral’s brooch tucked away with other personal belongings in her bag.
“Aye, My Prince. I did bring such a gift. I can give it to you now if you’d like.”
Spencer looked as excited as a child getting a honey cake, so she turned around and rummaged through her belongings before finding the brooch. She dumped it out of the pouch and handed it over to him. Spencer picked it up between his thumb and forefinger to examine it, put it close to his eyes then far away. He ran his fingers over the gold engraved design.
“This isn’t a diamond,” he announced crossly.
“No, it’s not,” Zora admitted. “It’s something far better.”
“There is nothing better,” Spencer seethed, his face tight with coming anger.
“This is azurite, My Prince. It is an extremely rare gem. I assure you there is no person in the Realm who has a piece quite like it.” Spencer looked extremely skeptical, so she continued on. “What makes it so unique is that it’s too hard to cut, even harder than a diamond, therefore gem piece makers are reluctant to buy them. And they are very uncommon. Our miners had to dig deep and far into the mountain just to secure such a small stone.” She picked the brooch up out of his hand and moved it around in the sunlight to showcase its beauty. Spencer thought about it for a moment.
“I guess this will have to do,” he agreed, slightly convinced. “Since no one else in the Realm will have anything like it, it’s got to be worth a decent amount.” He grabbed the brooch back and pinned it to his coat. Zora sighed to herself, relieved she’d won Spencer over for the time being. Azurite was honestly rare in gem piece form, but she’d seen plenty of it used as parchment weights in the advisors’ offices.
Spencer had gone silent, so she glanced at him from underneath the hood of her traveling cloak. Although not an overly attractive man, her betrothed had an air of confidence and regality about him that commanded respect from others. For as much as she disliked him, almost Zora felt jealous of his traits.
“Will you tell me a bit about Montanisto? What does it look like?” Zora was eager to change the subject.
“Well, it’s al
ways hot,” he replied. “And the humidity is so thick, it’s like a second skin. The land is low and flat, quite opposite of here. To the north we’re bordered by Carian prairie and to the south is nothing but swampland.” He shrugged. “I guess that about sums it up.”
Zora gave him a blank stare. It all sounded miserable, but hopefully the disappointment she felt didn’t show on her face. Then again, Spencer didn’t seem like he wanted to get to know her well enough to tell when she didn’t like something.
“Dakota!” Spencer called out. The soldier came trotting up behind them. “I have to go convene with our hired scouts,” he told him. “Please continue to escort Lady Winnser safely.” He caught Zora’s curious gaze at the phrase ‘hired scout’.
“A handful of essential roads throughout the Realm have been destroyed due to the rain storms,” he explained. “They are unfit to travel, so we’ve hired scouts to seek out detours. No worries though. They got us here successfully enough.” He gave Dakota a knowing glance before nudging his horse in the sides and rode off to the group of men in front of them.
Zora’s muscles tensed up. She was reluctant to be left alone with Dakota. He had a spiked mace fashioned to a belt around his hips and a sword strapped across his back. Further inspection revealed a rather large scar that ran from his left ear to his jawbone where a chunk of skin was missing and poorly healed. Zora wondered where Dakota had obtained such a horrendous scar. For all she knew the Realm was at peace, save for the couple of attacks on Samaria’s border by the Nomans over the last few years. She didn’t plan on asking him.
“Dakota, do you mind helping me dismount? I’m not accustomed to riding horseback for so long and it’s quite uncomfortable.” She stopped in the road while others kept on passing her by. Now that she wasn’t obligated to entertain Spencer, her mind was free to think. It was at this moment she remembered Milo. As each member of the caravan passed by her, she scanned their face looking for Milo. So far, she hadn’t been able to locate him.
Azurite (Daughter of the Mountain Book 1) Page 18