OathBlade (Wattys2015)

51. Family Ties*

Elery didn't know whether night had fallen or whether the travel and stress had claimed what little energy she'd recovered while bathing. After stepping out of the warm water she felt as though she would collapse. It was a struggle simply to dry off and dress using the towels and clothes one of the keepers brought. Time of day did not exist within Ortuna. With no way to see the sky or judge the passage of time by the sun and moons, only the natural body cycle could give any sense of day or night.

The keeper led her and Isandel down the street toward the next section of identical houses. Even as exhausted as she was, Elery was still alert enough to see she was the center of attention. None approached them. Rather, they peered through windows and from positions beside the street. They whispered to each other, looking occasionally at her face, but focusing almost exclusively on her wrist. The wrist that no longer bore her bondmark.

The keeper walked past a set of Suthri guards and opened the door to a house. "The Suthri king dwells here. We thought it best to group the dignitaries together, so unless you have some objection—"

"This is fine," Elery murmured as she slid her hand over her bare wrist and rubbed. For the first time since removing it, she truly regretted the choice. She recognized many of the people stopping to stare. They were citizens of her kingdom, people who'd once loved and respected her family.

They walked inside and the keeper bowed. "Sleep well, M'lady." She closed the door, leaving the two alone in the dark foyer.

The lights were all extinguished, allowing the home's occupants to sleep in peace. Only the light from the lantern stones outside filtered in through the large windows, offering a muted glow by which to view the room. Though the outside was quite plain, the inside was decorated for comfort. Tables with flowers sat on each side of the foyer. A line of hooks on the wall to their left each held overcoats, though why they would be needed underground eluded her.

She peeked through the open doorway to her right as they walked and caught glimpses of a long, plush settee in front of a large bookshelf. If she weren't so exhausted she imagined she would sit up long hours in that seat with books in her lap. She wished she could. She couldn't recall the last time she read for leisure.

Isandel took her wrist and tugged, then gestured to the stairs at the end of the hall. The light from the lantern stones didn't reach there, leaving her struggling to see what was around her. Her foot hit against the bottom stair. She stumbled and caught herself on her newly-healed arm. Though it no longer hurt, stiffness had set in from disuse.

"You're going to hurt yourself again," he whispered. "Clumsy princess."

"If you can see where you're going, then prevent me from hurting myself," she replied in a whisper. "Stupid dragon."

Isandel stopped and stooped low. He swept his arm under the backs of her knees and swept her up in his arms to begin ascending the stairs.

"Wh-what are you doing?" she gasped. "Set me down!"

"I'm preventing you from hurting yourself," he said. The amused tone leaking into his words made him seem more like the dragon she'd met and less the enigmatic creature who'd proven her expectations wrong time and again. "Just as you suggested."

She squirmed in his arms but relaxed midway up the staircase. "Insufferable creature."

He chuckled. "You're too weary to fight back, regardless. Just relax, I won't drop you."

"You haven't yet," she said. "I hope my armor is treated well...and that sword. I dislike being parted from that most of all."

"You needn't worry about that. The sword is never far from your reach." He reached the top stair and turned to walk down the hall. He found the first partially-open door and nudged it to walk inside. After depositing her on the bed, he held out both hands. His palms faced up as if waiting for something to fall into them.