The General and the Princess

Chapter 39 || Kiva

When daybreak shattered the darkness, Kiva found herself curled against Riyel outside of the garrison. After the events of the night before, they had fallen asleep together under the night sky. Exhaustion had silenced her fear, giving her a few hours of respite. The memories of the night before were foggy, but she remembered the horrible nightmare, the screaming and convulsing, and the truth. The truth. It had become so foreign to her, but she had finally said the words aloud. It was my father.

She looked at Riyel, who had tucked her head under his chin while they slept, and smiled. She had peace about his depth of knowledge about her, peace that he was the right person to trust with the secrets of her past. A flicker of sunlight played across his auburn beard and Kiva looked up at the sun and realized that they needed to be on the move.

She gently caught Riyel's scruffy jaw under her thumb and whispered, "Riyel. It's time to get up."

Riyel started instantly at her voice. "What? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Despite the grogginess of his voice, he worriedly looked from her face to their surroundings as if trying to detect the danger. One hand rested around her waist and the other on the hilt of his sword.

Kiva stood up, offering him her hand. "Nothing's wrong, I'm alright now. I promise. But it's morning, and we have to go. We need to reach the eastern border today."

He accepted her hand and stood to his feet, wiping bags under his eyes from sleeplessness and worry. "You'll tell me? If it gets bad again?"

"I've already told you everything. I won't stop now." Kiva gently touched his shoulder, a longing to stay near him filling her.

He rested his hand on the back of her neck, curling her long, bedraggled hair in his hand. "May I?"

With her nod, he eradicated the distance between them and kissed her. This was even sweeter than before, and his tenderness demonstrated his understanding. Breaking the kiss, Kiva leaned forward to rest her head against his shoulder and hugged him, a magnetism between them pulling them closer. Kiva could not be near enough to him.

"We have to go," he whispered in her ear.

Kiva sighed and ran a hand through her hair as she followed Riyel back to the garrison, mentally preparing herself for another day of riding plus the added worry about the rider from the west whose purpose was still a mystery. Riyel rubbed sleep from his eyes, and as she turned towards the door, he touched her shoulder gently.

"Thank you. Thank you, Kiv."

Kiva closed her eyes, the weight of her surrender and vulnerability realized again. But she smiled. This was right. He knows now. He knows.

By the time Raul, Trysti, and Tal had awoken and gathered their things, they were ready to make their way east. Kiva was anxious to ride along the eastern border to gain news of the movement of their foe. She tried to forget the screaming and panic of the night before, hoping that the rest of the group would ignore it as well. Raul and Tal said nothing, but Kiva could read the worry in Trysti's eyes. As they saddled their horses, Kiva gently squeezed her hand. Trysti motioned to Riyel in question, and Kiva nodded. I'm alright, she mouthed, and for once, she meant it.

Hours and hours passed as they rode hard to the east, their focus set and the apprehension tangible. Kiva wracked her mind for a possible explanation for the rider from the west and exploited every worst case scenario to the quickening beat of her horse's hoof beats. By afternoon, they reached the northeastern garrison and ate a quick meal while thoroughly questioning the men stationed there. These soldiers looked as haggard as the travelers and even more anxious.