The Crimson Chains That Bind Us

Chapter 5: A Journey to Dragmyr

It had been a few hours since we had left the Brecht lands. And the horse-drawn carriage had constantly lurched over the weathered earth, ascending into the enigmatic mountains. The constant bumps had made my stomach unwell, I tilted my head toward my new husband, who sat opposite, somberly contemplating the desolate panorama through the sleet-streaked windows. We had spent most of the ride in silence.  "My lord," I rested my hands over my stomach. Forcing myself to keep myself together. He looked at me, his arms crossed. "Perhaps we could stop and take a break. I feel unwell." He knocked on the roof of the carriage, but nonetheless we stopped.

I could hear the knights outside groaning from the halt of our journey. I leaned back, closing my eyes. Hoping the contents of my stomach to calm down. "Narrate me the chronicles of Dragomir, your grace ," I bade him, perhaps the cold start of our marriage would change. I opened my eyes, looking at his handsome face.

Ashton turned inward for a moment, his gaze lingering on the carriage ceiling above our heads. "It is a realm of both allure and anguish," he declared. "Perched precariously, the castle looms over the edge, as though to touch the celestial heavens. Its Gothic spires pierce the sky, a sinewy silhouette that can't be shaken. Yet within this monument to a forgotten epoch, lingers a melancholic echo of what was once."

He paused, his thoughts swirling like the churning sea. "The citadel was designed to resist any attack yet couldn't shield us from a threat originating internally. A fire, ignited by whom we'll never know, ravaged our sanctuary with a ferocity that belied its unnatural speed." Ashton's voice trembled as the memories of that fateful night resurfaced.

I looked on at him sympathetically, and yet I could see the scars of his past still raw and contrite. "My condolences for your loss," I murmured, looking down at the embroidery in my hands. I had been working on a handkerchief with my husbands, at the suggestion of my dear elder sister Helena. He knocked on the roof, signaling for the driver to continue our journey.

Ashton nodded, acknowledging my empathy with a gruff nod. His tone grew brighter as he continued, "And yet, amidst the ash-strewn debris, the castle's enchanted stones remain standing, a vestige of a bygone age and a symbol of our wishful hopes. Beneath the cliffs lies a rugged coastline and a spectral band of sand, treacherous to navigate yet mesmerizingly beautiful."

A few more hours had passed, I had even drifted to sleep, only to be awaken by a large bump. When I sat up, Ashton's cloak had fallen to my lap. He must have covered me in my sleep, I looked out the window and saw the fog lifted slightly, revealing a glimpse of Ashton's homeland in the distance - towering structures standing sentinel over the jagged cliffs, overlooking the storm-tossed sea. "Let us stop and have a meal." He pounded on the roof of the carriage. I stared out the window, captivated yet unsure of what secrets awaited me in this mysterious new land and its quiet regent. The mountains loomed higher as the horses struggled up the trail.

"Finally," Ashton ordered a halt in a secluded glade, his voice commanding through the crisp mountain air. "Let them rest and graze," he ordered his men, and opened the carriage door for me. He stepped out first, staring out at the land before him taking it all in for a brief moment before holding up a hand for me. I took a deep breath before laying my hand in his leather-gloved hand and felt the cool mountain air fill my lungs, taking in the rugged terrain that burst dulled colors of early winter. Snow has yet to reach here.

Ashton laid out a small feast on a cozy woolen blanket. I watched silently as the knights in our party worked silently tying the horses up to graze. When Ashton had finished laying the feast down he beckoned me. And with a shiver from the cold, I shyly kneeled beside him.

As we broke bread, cheese, and after he sliced an apple for me, he pointed out landmarks steeped in ancient magic. "There, perched on that solitary peak, forest spirits are rumored to dance at solstice under a raven blood moon. In the valley below, a healing spring bubbled up from the earth, its waters promising renewal for both body and soul."