How Shadows Turn to Ash

Chapter 37: Antonia

"Viséan," Antonia called as they climbed on their horses and began riding. The name barely left her lips before she regretted it. "Um, or, uh, your highness- First Chosen-" she stumbled, tripping over her words.

"Viséan is probably fine," Nema jumped in. Viséan turned to fix her with a curious look. "We're all friends here," she added, holding Viséan's gaze.

He snorted and gave a short nod of affirmation. Antonia felt blood flood her cheeks but pressed on. "How did you know I would be on that boat?"

Viséan patted the side of his mare's neck before gesturing vaguely around them. "I have spies. There were rumors of the rebellion in your country... and your gifts."

Antonia looked down at her hand. It appeared the entire world knew about her magic now. The idea didn't scare her as much as she thought it would. Viséan offered her a wry smile, nudging his horse forward.

"Where are we going?" she called, trotting after him.

Viséan laughed. "You wanted to meet my family. I'm guessing that's why you're here. Chosen magic is the closest to yours," he said, opening his hand to show off the white light. Once he had her attention, he flicked his wrist. The wind picked up, blowing sand in every direction before he reached toward the sky, grabbing a fistful. "For you," he said, placing the sand in her hand. It wasn't sand, though. It had transformed into three yellow jewels that glittered in the light of Viséan's palm.

Antonia's mouth dropped. Giving a low whoa, she leaned forward to inspect it closer.

"And why would you help her?" Nema asked. Viséan barely spared her a glance.

The act alone annoyed Antonia, who promptly threw the jewels back at Viséan. "Why would you help me?" she repeated Nema's question.

Viséan glanced at the jewels on the ground before snapping his fingers. When Antonia blinked, they were gone.

"If you're here, then you can't run off to Htraeh, can you?"

It was a more honest answer than she had been expecting. Antonia found herself puzzled as she mulled it over her mind. It made sense, she supposed, that the Cambrians would want to keep her away from the Htraeheans. But-

"You're allowing a Htraehean to travel with us?" she asked, looking back at where Elbon was arguing with Cretara. Neither had asked to join this adventure, but Antonia felt too awkward to make them leave. She was a little curious as to why Nema hadn't said anything.

Viséan's eyes followed, lips pursing when he saw Cretara's hands, but he made no comment. "It is helpful for our brave Htraehean diplomat to see we are not keeping you hostage and are here of your own volition," Viséan informed her sagely.

Right. Antonia's eyes moved to where Nema was silently riding, taking in the views of a vast field of wildflowers ahead. It had been a while since she learned anything about Cambria, but if they were in Nos, then she'd imagine they'd be traveling to Raja.

Romanov had a capital city, but Cambria had a capital country. It was where the Chosen Family lived and where most business was conducted. Her mother supposedly visited a few times as queen. Antonia hadn't known why it was such a big deal at the time. Only when she was older did she learn it was the ultimate form of trust from her father, knowing her mother would speak on behalf of Romanov to the Chosen Family and not try to use them to double-cross the crown.

If Antonia's strange vision was true... It might not have been her parents' only interaction with the Chosen Family.

"I'm going to ask for more than training," she said when they took a break a few hours later. Viséan got off his horse, setting up a meal with a snap of his fingers. Elbon ignored the food, instead reaching into his pack to eat alone, inching away from the magic.

"Is that Yrovas?" Nema asked, voice tentative. Elbon paused in unwrapping his meal to look at her. "My mother used to make that," she said, voice softening.

Elbon stared at her, green eyes narrowed before cautiously pulling out a second bowl and pouring what appeared to be some green soup into it. He put it on the ground in front of Nema.

"You don't have to-" she began, but Elbon put a spoon in the bowl before returning to his food.

Nema opened her mouth slightly before glancing at the soup. The smell of onions and garlic filled the air. "...thank you," she finally said and knelt to scoop it up.

Antonia's brows furrowed.

She wasn't sure why the interaction made her feel uneasy. Perhaps it was the realization she hadn't gotten a chance to speak alone with Nema since arriving in Cambria. What was she thinking? Did Elbon make her miss her mother? Would he convince her to go to Htreah? Was that why Nema didn't object to him joining? But what about Cretera? Nema had already said she didn't like-

"Princess?" Viséan called, interrupting Antonia's devolving train of thought to gesture her to sit at a long wooden table that hadn't been there before.

Could she do that?

Antonia swallowed as she sat down, watching as Viséan waved his hand. Food began to float from large leather packs a few horses had carried. It reminded Antonia of wind magic. Except there was no wind as the food zipped over to them, sizzling once Viséan twisted one of his hands, the chalky white practically glowing as he used his magic.

From their right, the sun sank lower in the sky, dousing the world in a golden tint. Streaks of pink darted across the side, revealing stars peaking as night approached. The gloom of Nos was far behind them, the beach morphing into a desert with hills of sand that the horses struggled to walk on. "You're going to ask for more than training," Viséan prompted, bringing Antonia's attention back to the conversation at hand.

Her stomach rolled - nerves almost dulling her tongue - but she managed to squeak out her request with all the gall she could muster.

"I want your family to help me get my family's throne back." Viséan raised a brow, sitting down across from her. "It belongs to my brother. If not him, then my sister."

"Not you?"

"I'm a last resort," Antonia said, eying the assortment of food in the middle of the table. "But it doesn't matter. Romanov belongs to my family. I need your family to help drive the Revolutionaries out."

"And why would we do that?"

What would Octavia say? Antonia glanced at where Nema was speaking to Elbon and Cretera, safely away from her meal with Viséan. As if feeling Antonia's stare, she turned, meeting her eyes with a small smile. Back on the boat, Antonia had told her she knew how to handle the intricacies of the looming war between Cambria and Htreah. She supposed now was the time to prove it.

"Because if you don't," Antonia said, picking up a plate and filling it with fruits. "I will go to Htraeh. It sounds like they might help me as long as I choose to fight alongside them against Cambria."