The Princess and the Odium by Sam Ledel

Author:Sam Ledel [Ledel, Sam]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781635558951
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2021-03-04T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

The rest of the day passed with the queen huddled near one of Eegit’s borrowed cauldrons, squinting at the cure’s recipe and muttering under her breath. Alanna slept most of the time, waking only to eat a crust of bread Coran had left her or when coughs shook her body. Rigo, true to his word, kept a steady watch over her sister, for which Jastyn was grateful.

Of course, Jastyn wasn’t sure anything could ever be as utterly heart pounding as Aurelia’s confession by the brook. Half the day, Jastyn kept pinching herself, sure she was in a waking dream. But the longing glances and pure, open smiles Aurelia gave her as they sheltered in Eegit’s meadow were real. They were the truest things Jastyn had ever known.

As much as she had been afraid to let her in, Jastyn couldn’t not open her heart to Aurelia. She was persistent, another attribute Jastyn adored. And Aurelia had been right. All her life, Jastyn had been forced into a certain way of doing things, forced to choose survival and nothing else. But with Aurelia, she had been given an opportunity for something more. She had somebody to hold on to, somebody who wasn’t afraid of who she was but actually loved her for it. Jastyn didn’t understand how. Part of her was terrified. Still, she’d fallen for Aurelia months ago, and she’d slowly began to accept that it was fruitless to fight her feelings.

This morning, Aurelia had given Jastyn the greatest gift: the ability to believe in the future. Maybe even one where they could be together.

When they’d returned hand in hand with the water for Dechtire, Jastyn had seen the king stop mid-bite into his apple and stare at their intertwined fingers. The queen had either pretended not to notice or really was too preoccupied with the cure. Either way, Jastyn was glad neither monarch had felt the need to bring it up.

Later, as they sat around the fire, night bringing a cold wind only partially blocked by the protection spell, Jastyn pulled her knees close to her chest. She’d draped her cloak over Alanna, who lay sleeping near the fire since sunset.

“More tea?”

The king held out a ladle of boiled water. Nodding, Jastyn let him pour more into her cup of loose chamomile. Rain fell steadily overhead and on the outskirts of the clearing, dissipating once it hit the shell of protection. Jastyn wasn’t sure if the royal family could have handled a night in both the cold and the rain but had to admit they were handling being on the run better than she’d expected.

Jastyn leaned back, taking in the dark blanket that was tonight’s sky. The rain clouds marred any starlight, but they would have been cast in shadow as the moon was nothing but a thin waxing crescent before autumn’s arrival.

“I can begin the process for the cure tonight. Then it will need three days to settle before she can drink it.” The queen kept her eyes on the vials in her lap.

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