Queen of Ashes │ Season 1 │The Journey

6 │Questions

The rustling of the wild underbrush was the only sign that anyone was moving in this dark, endless wilderness. This blissful silence was disturbed only by the sounds of fauna living in the shadows—of animals captured in the constant game of prey and predator. The air was humid but quite warm. Conditions were favorable for travelers, considering that truly wild areas were still ahead. The sparsely overgrown road allowed the moonlight to peek through.

"Tell me about your king, please."

Freya could no longer bear the prolonged, uncomfortable silence. They had been traveling for several hours now and so far neither of the men had spoken. Well, maybe except for the moment when she really had to relieve herself and almost fell off the horse wriggling unhappily on the saddle. Fortunately, Prince Leander noticed her uneasiness and suggested a quick break. Freya's reprieve was so huge that she almost took the fall from her horse because of her eagerness. She was still trying to avoid his gaze, intimidated by their earlier interaction at the lake, but secretly she thanked him profusely.

However, at this point she was so weary from the journey that she had buried her pride deep within herself and decided to start some casual conversation.

"You should start addressing him as your king as well. Not that anything will change for you from now on in this regard," Qadir snarled.

That prick. Well, forget about casual.

"Right... My request is still valid though," she rolled her eyes at his grumpiness. She was aware of her hopeless future, but if their journey together was going to run in such an atmosphere, the gods could end her suffering here and now.

"He's someone you shouldn't make an enemy out of," he replied as if that answer should explain everything. Well, it explained one thing for sure. That Qadir was not to become her favorite person.

Freya scoffed, earning a disdained glance from her king's adviser. "Surely, for someone having such an important position as yourself, your conversation skills could definitely use some upgrade," she couldn't keep the sarcasm out of her voice. But seriously, nobody ever managed to piss her off as quickly as this man.

In the corner of her eye, she noticed the Prince's amused expression. Qadir seemed to notice it as well but decided to dismiss it. Freya was curious if his silence was associated with their relationship dynamics or if it was a random thing. He sent Freya a freezing gaze though.

"Let me give you one piece of advice... Better for you to drop this type of attitude. The King won't be delighted that after so many years of waiting all he gets is a vixen woman."

Freya gasped, not entirely sure at what—surprise or anger... "I'm not too thrilled about this situation either, but here we are. A bastard daughter forced to travel in the middle of the night in the company of creatures she had no idea existed."

"Don't tell me later I didn't warn you,"—was all Qadir decided to say.

Freya ignored him. With each passing moment, Qadir was getting on her nerves more and more. Perhaps the Prince's silence was irritating in the long run, but at least once he spoke, she didn't feel like he was spitting venom along with his words.

She sighed. The overnight journey was already taking its toll on her. She wondered if her companions had planned a rest stop at all. Did they even need it? Gods... She knew absolutely nothing about them! How could she become their queen?

"When do you plan a break?" She looked at the men with hope.

The Prince's gaze rested on her for the first time in a long time. His face showed absolutely no emotion, the earlier smirk was gone. It was the face of a trained soldier, she thought. Freya couldn't compete with that. Her face probably betrayed more than she had wanted.