The Witch's Retribution

Chapter 10

"I don't think even Eloise would complain this much." Violet murmured as she forced her horse into an irritatingly slow walk.

Acacia risked a glance back at the panting king they escorted, six of his own rough-hewn knights following at a far slower pace. "We'll almost to the castle." She tried to encourage, though she remained just as eager as Violet to rid themselves of their unfortunate burden. It was already well past noon, and at this rate, it would be sunset before they returned home.

The sunlight streaming through the trees nearly blinded her as she looked up at the sky, praying for patience. Her sister's dislike for their allied king wore on her nerves just as much as Char's complaints. It was hard to believe the man had once been a fierce knight, ready to charge into battle at a moment's notice. Now it seemed he was only good for his whining and drinking away his kingdom's riches.

"You ladies travel much faster than I would imagine. Must you be in such a hurry all the time?" Char asked.

"Must you be so slow all the time? Life will pass you by quickly enough if you simply spend all your time standing still." Violet argued.

"The time will pass either way. I like to enjoy it while I can."

"I can see the castle from here." Acacia interjected, causing Violet to close her mouth with a soft smack. "Can you make it, Milord?"

Violet rolled her eyes at the show of respect and whispered in her twin's ear as she passed. "Don't encourage him. His ego already reaches the stars."

"Aye," Char made an exaggerated motion of wiping the sweat from his brow, although from his jerky motions it might not have been that much of an exaggeration. "I suppose I can make it. Just a little farther, right? I do hope your brother has plenty of ale in store."

"He does," Violet replied, half under her breath," but I doubt he'd let you drain our supplies."

"Don't we get much of our supplies from Anura anyway?" Acacia asked.

Anura was the biggest trade kingdom there was despite its small size. They traded everything from silk to ale to rare oddities never before seen in the kingdoms. It flourished in a way many of the other kingdoms never would as they were more than willing to trade with the pirates who occupied their harbors. Even if that decision did chase away many of their people.

While Pierake was known for its ruthlessness and Railark for its kindness, Anura was known for its recklessness. It was almost impossible to believe the kingdom was still standing, but Acacia knew it was foolish to underestimate Anura's king. Sure, he seemed like an overgrown child far too fond of the drink, but he was just as powerful as their brother. Just as dangerous. If he wasn't, he would have been overthrown years ago. Although, Sage was far better for polite company, and in Acacia's opinion, a far better king.

The shimmering gates of Railark rose before them, giving the entire company a sense of relief as Char released a gusty sigh. "I'm sure I can manage from here." He told the twins as he passed them, nearly knocking Acacia from her horse as he rode too closely to her. "Enjoy yourselves, boys." He said to his knights with a wave over his shoulder.

The twins' glares matched as the knights, dressed in orange-tinted gold jackets and pants, glanced at one another nervously. They clearly didn't want to "enjoy themselves" as Char implied. In fact, the twins suspected the knights would be on their best behavior during their stay. The twins led the way into town, their citizens skirting past with wary eyes that only eased once they caught sight of Violet and Acacia among the pirate-turned-knights. They attempted reassuring smiles that turned into stark relief as they watched Char and his knights dismount their horses and begin the arduous journey up the path to the castle.