A Crown Of Blades(ARTK, Book 3)

Chapter 139-140

Anug 21st,3330 A.G

Aenor Rand hadn't lied. A little over an hour after they'd changed directions; after the dragon had quickly been out of the line of sight of anyone at camp- they'd arrived at old westwend. At first, Nara were too busy basking in the feeling to notice how some of the villagers ran and hide. She did not care that a little girl cried, that a grown man ran inside and hid as if that would save them if they were here to burn anything- and she certainly didn't care that a woman outside the inn crossed her arms and stared up at the beast- nothing but fascinated.

  When they landed, Nara needed a moment to steady herself. For as much as she wished to pretend that traveling that fast had no effect on her, her head were beginning to spin. And seeing as she were so close to giving birth, well- that couldn't be a good thing.

  "My queen?" Aenor furrowed a brow. "Are you alright?"

  It were more of a rhetorical question; Nara Ashhand were so pale he were surprised her eyes hadn't rolled back in her head yet- but he already knew better than to question her.

  "I am fine." She insisted, still breathing through her mouth for the most part. That paleness slowly began to fade and were replaced with her normal amount again, but Aenor's gaze would not leave her at first.

  It were very annoying. Nara started to speak, to say they should find some way to make themselves useful while here- hold court at the very least, but then she were interrupted as the woman outside the inn ran up to them.

  Bold. Nara liked her already.

Vaelaynth huffed but did not turn their head, giving no indication that he were annoyed enough to open fire.

  The woman in question were quite beautiful; with the brown hair that reached her chest and appeared freshly trimmed, the thick eyebrows that just worked on her- and those eyes. She had the sort of eyes that pulled everyone in, that said she could have anyone she wanted if she just said the words. She were clearly a working woman; with the simpler way she'd dressed- but even that complimented her.

The long, green dress possessed a few stains. Some red, a few brown- and even one yellow- but one's eyes were quickly pulled away from them and back to the girl's face. Aenor did not seem to be stuck on it the same way Nara was, but he did look very happy to see her.

When she ran up to them, it took only a moment for Aenor to wrap his arms around her and the woman to reciprocate.

Then for a moment Nara were frowning. Aenor Rand weren't the type to-

"Little Arabella-" he laughed. "I remember when you were even shorter than you are now."

"And I remember a time when you traveled by horse and carriage like everyone else." Arabella remarked, glancing over at Vaelaynth.

Arabella.

Eudo's friend.

Nara may have slapped herself, were people not watching from their windows. Nara Ashhand did not forget things. Nara Ashhand, the queen of two continents- were supposed to take every bit of information she learned and store it away on organized little bookshelves in her brain until she needed it.

She could blame the babes. Ysmen'd said this might happen.... But Nara would not allow it to happen again.

"Yes well- those days are certainly gone now." Aenor remarked, a sadness passing over his face. "I was sorry to hear about what happened to you and your family. Though it were so many years after the incident when our paths crossed, and months after that when I heard the rumor- I would have liked to do something more for you than have the servant of mine bring you coin but-"