Six of Ruin (Heirs of Irenwell #1) ✔

Chapter 9: Meet the Men

The journey from Irenwell to Bastia took eight whole days. We arrived during night. And I was done with journeys, carriages and bad food for the rest of my life.

Still, there was a way longer trip ahead. Even colder, even tougher.

The door of the carriage opened and a gush of cold air immediately scratched my skin. I clutched the fur coat tighter, let out the most exasperated sigh to prove a point and put my tiny silver shoes on the stony pathway.

Danilo eyed my pretty heels, "You have to wear something warmer."

"Why?" I giggled. "Did you want to help pick my outfit?"

"Irina." He warned. "We're here. Behave."

"Boring." I mumbled, grabbed the hem of my dress and stepped out of the carriage.

The sight that appeared in front of me was magnificent. A huge block of stone, with houses carved into the edges, stood on a hill in the middle of the mountain area. Balconies and terraces circled the entire thing and in between, thousands of stony stairs climbed all the way to the top. And there, a tall, proud castle stood right under the cloud-covered sky. Dark blue banners with a white reindeer waved from each level.

Stone walls circled the entire massive block, with huge wooden doors as the gate, guarded by fully armed men. The door opened for us and Danilo led me through. He didn't particularly stand out here, just another strong, brooding man.

But I stood out. My dress was way too colourful and way too revealing. I was the only one with flowers in my hair, decorating my silver crown. Women here wore a lot of fur and leather. Women in Irenwell wore silk and satin. This colour palate included black, brown and grey. Their faces were rougher and edgier, their hands weren't as soft as mine and their eyes were meaner and full of some unfamiliar anger.

People around here have seen dangers looming outside of palaces, away from mesmerizing fruits and gorgeous ladies. If life were a person, they would have seen its dark side.

And they were prepared to face it at all times. Their tense muscles proved their strength, their posture shouted perseverance and their weapons promised death.

People gathered in front of their houses as we walked ahead. Their looks fell on me, but there was no respect in their dark eyes. Suddenly, I was way too self-aware for a princess.

I moved closer to Danilo and let him lead me down the pathway to the first set of stairs.

"Are we going all the way up?"

He nodded.

I looked up. The castle was so far away I could barely see the top from where I was standing. A couple of clouds passed next to it, blocking the view.

Wonderful.

The stairs seemed endless and I was not in good shape. I had to stop twice just to breathe in the air so cold it burned my lungs. By the time we reached the top, I was completely out of breath, squeezing Danilo's hand and in desperate need of water.

Danilo and his men looked at me with concern. Probably wondering how would I ever survive the trip to Orathia. I was wondering the same thing.

And then I glanced around.

A landscape spread out in front of me. Mountains covered the entire area, some reaching the clouds, some breaking through the white puffs in the sky, others looming underneath. The mountaintops were bare, nothing but solid rock dipped in snow, but the lower hills cultivated pines, firs and spruces. Bare rock intertwined with evergreen leaves.