Veridia

Chapter 20

Aethiria, five days later

Aleksander didn't remember what laughing felt like. His facial muscles were physically incapable of doing so.

The days blended into one another. Wake up, eat, train, work, sleep. And repeat.

He was beginning to think that the war was never going to arrive. In the deepest parts of himself, Aleksander almost wished it would. Anything to break the monotony.

Sometimes he wondered if he would be a terrible king. A selfish one that would risk his people's lives for his own entertainment.

Well, that wasn't even an option before. Now it is.

Aleksander stared at his desk blankly, eyes going in and out of focus as he tried to force the contents of a document into his brain.

After five minutes, he gave up. The sun was just about setting, lighting up the sky in bright hues of rose gold and crimson.

All he wanted was to go to sleep and never wake up.

Isn't that death?

A tremulous voice whispered in the back of his mind.

Do I wish death upon myself?

No. No I don't.

Aleksander rose from his desk, hands trembling.

All he saw was the cold edges and glinting gold of his crown.

I need to get out.

Aleksander burst out of his room, vision swimming.

He slumped against the door, chest heaving.

A sharp pain was stabbing in between his eyes, and Aleksander closed them wearily.

He must have dozed off, because when he opened his eyes again it was pitch black. None of the torches in the hallway were lit, which was strange. Aleksander had a creeping suspicion that something was very, very wrong.

The hairs in the back of his neck tingled and Aleksander felt the muscles in his back tense.

Then, he felt a slight brush of wind. It was so light that one could mistake it for a butterfly's wingbeat. By the time he reacted, it was too late. Someone had him pinned to the floor.

A hand covered his mouth so he couldn't scream. Whoever was on top of him was clearly an expert, digging their knees into his ribs and using their weight to their advantage.

Use fire, you idiot.

Aleksander felt a roar of blood rush to his ears, and he was almost blinded by the burst of white-hot flame that erupted from his skin.

Immediately, the pressure on his chest lifted and Aleksander stumbled to his feet.

What the...

As soon as he got up, the blade of a sword pressed into his neck. From the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of long black hair, coiled tightly into a braid and tied off with an emerald ring.

Aleksander's heart stuttered.

"I don't want to kill you, but I will if I have to. Tell me where the king is."

Oh god.

"It would be a lot easier to talk if you could let me breath, Geneva."

"Wha-"

Geneva instantly released him, and Aleksander fell back, gasping in lungfuls of air.

"Oh my god."

Aleksander coughed, one hand propping himself up on the wall.