I Must Save the Evil King

Chapter 35

I watched in horror as Runa and Ardin disappeared behind trees as they raced towards the mountains. The wind whipped snow into my face, punishing me for hanging my mouth open in shock.  

"What did I do to deserve this?" I muttered to myself. I watched despondently as Emilee tied up her hair and hiked up her skirt. 

"Come on!" She declared as she began marching ahead through the snow. I looked around but I couldn't see any sign of any other human for miles, so I reluctantly began following her. At least I wasn't wearing heels anymore. Ardin and Runa had given me a pair of big furry snow boots to wear for our journey, I had almost forgotten how comfortable shoes could be. 

The snow was heavy and trapped my foot with every step. I tried lifting up my skirt as Emilee had done but then my cloak would be pushed open by the wind. So instead I walked with one hand on my head and the other clutching the front of my cloak like my life depended on it.  

We walked for a while like that until I physically couldn't move another inch. The sun was starting to set, and I had barely gotten any sleep on the way here. Emilee finally stopped a good five feet ahead of me, turning around with an angry look on her face. 

"Why are you stopping!" She shouted over the wind. 

"I'm exhausted!" I called back, "Let's just camp here for the night!" 

Emilee looked back ahead of us where the carriage tracks had long ago been covered by the snow. Then she reluctantly trudged over to me.  

"We must keep going," She said, taking my arm in hers, leading me forward down the trail. "We are almost there." 

"Do you know that for sure?" I asked as I pushed my body forward against the cold wind. "Do you even know what the place we are going to looks like?"

Emilee didn't answer. 

"Great," I groaned. This was going so great. 

It's been weeks now since we left the palace. I don't even know if we are still in the same country. I don't even know if this Polaris group is the one that is going to try and kill me in like a year. And then there was Julian. 

In the small moments of sleep I did get I was filled with nightmares of him returning to the tower, only to find me long gone. That's when Camilla would come in and yell at me for keeping secrets from her, for leaving her when I had just promised to let her in on what I was doing. 

I had made so many promises, and in only one day I seemed to have broken them all. 

My legs fell out from underneath me, my arm slipping from Emilee's as I fell to my knees. What was the point? In forcing myself through this? From the moment I got here, I have done nothing right. Darienella, and Claudette, they gave up so much for me to be here only for me to fail at every junction. I am no closer to saving Julian than I was... almost a year ago. 

A year. Have I really been here a whole year? That's longer than any foster home. 

"Claudette!" Emilee's voice cut through my haze. She was kneeling in front of my shaking my shoulders. 

"Ettie," I mumbled, still in a daze. She paused for a second, her constant scowl relaxing into something almost kind. 

"Ettie," She said softly. "You have to get up now, okay? I know it's hard but I need-" her voice cracked, as she tried to choke back tears. "I need to get home and see my daughter. And you need to get home too, Cordelia needs you to get home, and although he won't ever say it your uncle does too." She stopped mulling over her next words carefully. "I need you to get home, Ettie. And I know it is going to be hard, but I am going to be with you every step of the way."