“You’re a good man, Destrian,” Ava said, and though the prince’s opinion of her had never been much of a worry amidst this war, I could hear her relief. “And a kind friend.”
He held out his hand palm up, and when Ava set hers in it, he lifted it to his lips to press a kiss to the back. “I wish you all the happiness in the world.” He let her hand go and turned to me, bowing deeply. “Take care of her,” he told me with a friendly smile.
“I promise,” I said, bowing in return.
He passed a final, amicable look at both of us, and then headed off in the direction his parents had disappeared. Ava helped me limp over to the cart, and though Haunt had a difficult time climbing up into it because of her injury, I knew better than to try and help her. She managed on her own, and Ava and I sat down too. As the cart started carrying us off toward the wall, Ava wrapped her arms around my torso to hug herself to me, resting her head on my shoulder. We were heading toward the tents, and tomorrow we’d likely be heading home, but in the few minutes of silence as we sat there, I realized that I didn’t have a home. There was no need to stay in the Vigilant caves anymore, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the caves emptied as everyone really did go home, but Ava didn’t want to be queen at Guelder, and my cottage had burned down.
“Ava,” I prompted, wrapping my own arm around her to set it on her waist. “I don’t have a home to take you to…”
All she did was hug me a little tighter. “Tonight, home is a war tent in a battle camp.”
“And tomorrow?” I asked.
She angled to peck me on the cheek. “Wherever we should find ourselves, so long as we’re together.”
I nuzzled against the top of her head when she set it back on my shoulder, and for the first time since I’d met her, I truly understood what she meant when she said that I felt like home. “Can it be somewhere we could hide away for a while, just the two of us?”
Ava laughed one of the lightest, easiest laughs I’d ever heard from her. The kind of laugh that let me know she already felt happier than she’d been in a long time. “Wherever you’d like.”
Chapter 26
As we rounded one of the final bends in the road on our journey to Ronan, the castle of Midsummit came into view. It was a beautiful fall day, the cloudless sky painting a picture of serenity over the capital that made my heart swell. It had been just over two months since the end of the war, for a total of eight since Ava and I had been to Ronan, and the exciting circumstances of our visit would make our first journey back a rewarding one. In two weeks’ time would be Nira’s coronation ceremony, for her not just to act as queen of Ronan, but to be queen. A brief glance at Ava, who was on her own horse at my side, let me know that she was just as delighted to be arriving as I was.
Nilson had been chattering away behind us from the saddle of his own small horse, but in the midst of his talking, he caught sight of the castle. He stopped midsentence, drawing in a long overdue breath. “Look!” he yelled to our mother, who winced at his volume because she was riding right beside him. “That’s where Akamar lives?”
“And where you will too,” I told him over my shoulder, “for the next month.”
Ava glanced back at him, adding, “That’s one month to eat all the sweets you can get your hands on.”
Nilson’s eyes widened, and his heels kicked back so his horse would go a little faster, taking him ahead of us. “Come on, then.” He pointed a mile into the distance. “Race you to that crossroads.”
I glanced back at my mother to see if she was up for it, but she waved her hand. “You lot go on, I’ll catch up.”
I looked ahead at Nilson, preparing to tease him and tell him I’d give him a head start because his horse was smaller than mine, but before I could, Ava went galloping by us. “See you there!” she hollered back.
Nilson’s jaw dropped with offense, and as he kicked his heels again to take off after her, he called at me, “She’s a worse cheater than you are!”
I simply laughed, watching as they both got farther and farther ahead of my mother and me. After a few seconds, my mother asked, “Aren’t you going to race them?”
Pulling lightly back on the reins, I slowed my horse enough to ride at her side. “I’ve already got them beat,” I told her, and to further my air of nonchalance, asked, “what are you most excited for about staying at the castle?”
She hummed, thought about it, opened her mouth to answer, and then set to thinking about it again. While she did, however, I watched her eyes go from me to down the road to check where Ava and Nilson were at in the race. She hummed again. “I think…” She paused, glancing once more at the road. “Well…”
It only took another moment for me to realize what she was doing. “You’re trying to make me lose this race!” I laughed. “I’m not sure who’s the biggest cheater of the lot.” I climbed out of my saddle to dismount, and handed my reins to my mother so she could keep track of my horse for a few minutes. “See you at the crossroads,” I told her, taking a few steps back.
In a snap, I was gone. Shot on a flash of sparks a mile ahead and landing at the end of the race while Ava and Nilson still had a quarter of a mile to go. To tease them even more, I sat down at one corner of the crossroads, folding my legs beneath me to make it look like I’d been sitting there for a while. Ava was the first to reach me, only a few seconds ahead of Nilson.
“You!” Ava exclaimed, trying not to let her amusement show as she pulled back on the reins, bringing her horse to a stop.
“What!” Nilson yelled, halting next to her.
“Took you long enough,” I said, rising to my feet. “Been waiting for ages.”
“You’re the absolute worst,” Ava accused, but she was laughing and teased right back, “I think you owe one of our horses a ride for that lazy display.”
“Lazy?” I chuckled, striding up to her and tapping her foot so she’d take it out of the stirrup. “Magic is hard work, you know.” Once she’d removed her foot, I pulled myself up to sit in the saddle behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist. “Or perhaps I just wanted an excuse to ride with my wife.”
“Oh, is that it?” she asked, twisting enough to look at me, and she set her forehead against mine. “You could’ve just said so.” I didn’t say anything to that, but took the opportunity to kiss her for the first time in hours, which was surely far too long to go without kissing her.
“MUM!” Nilson shouted up the road, even though she was still too far away to hear him. “THEY WON’T STOP FLIRTING!” Ava’s lips curling into a wide grin pulled her away from me, and I could feel my cheeks heating with a blush even though I was laughing. “You two,” Nilson addressed, his voice playfully stern, “admit that I won the race because I’m the only one who played fair.”
“Alright,” I said, smiling. “All hail the champion, Nilson!”
“Take your victory bow,” Ava instructed with a giggle.
Nilson didn’t just bow at us from his seat in the saddle—he rode his horse around us in a victory lap, waving his hand and saying proud ‘thank you’s while trying to keep his face serious because of how amused Ava and I were, however unsuccessfully. We waited there at the crossroads for another few minutes until my mother reached us, and then we continued the rest of our short journey to Midsummit. It didn’t take long with how close we were, and soon we were riding through the gates, being greeted by a small welcome party of staff who led us to the stables. Our horses were taken by some of those staff, and the few others began to lead us into the castle.
Unlike our first time arriving here, we weren’t taken into a tower and upward, but rather were led through a large entrance and to a place that we’d never been to before at Midsummit—the throne room. Our guides pushed open the massive, decorated doors, revealing the long room, at the end of which was a group of people. Nira was the first one I spotted, standing just in front of the large throne and discussing something with an important looking woman in green robes, who was gesturing toward another robed man who was holding the crown on a pillow. Akamar was nearby, staring up at the ceiling with his hands folded behind his back, looking bored out of his mind. He was the first to glance over at our entrance, appearing desperate for a distraction, but his entire face lit up when he saw that it was us.