Page 181 of Salt in the Seas
CHAPTER 69
Aeliana paced in her room,which was starting to feel more like a prison cell than guest quarters. She’d opened the door twice, making excuses and asking for water or refreshments. But really it was to test to see if the guards were still there.
Sylmar was likely throwing a fit after them being separated for hours, and the thought finally made her smile in the midst of her concern. She’d tried sleeping and had even explored the room looking for any clues as to why they might have left her there, but it seemed like a standard guest room in a palace—far fancier than anything she’d ever stayed in. Still, there were four walls, a window that led to an impossible drop, and a door guarded by two armed men.
She wasn’t free.
The knock that sounded was brisk and formal and made her jump up from where she’d sat perched on the edge of the bed.
“Yes?” she called.
“Her Royal Highness is here to see you.”
Aeliana’s heart picked up its pace. Enla? It wouldn’t be Gaeren’s mother, would it? It had to be Enla. “Yes, please. Send her in.”
She smoothed down her linen shirt, remembering the silky waves that had billowed around Enla on her throne. But when the door opened, Enla stood there in loose-fitting trousers and a thin sleeveless shirt, far more casual than Aeliana had ever expected her to appear.The guards balked when Enla tried shutting the door behind her, and though she glared at them, she left it open and turned back to greet Aeliana with a surprisingly warm hug.
“My father imprisoned your family,” Enla murmured.
Aeliana stiffened, the warmth leeching from their embrace, but Enla tightened her grip and kept up her furious whisper.
“They’ve been released because you came, but I wanted to warn you—they were not well cared for. That will change now. I promise.” She pulled back and gave a light kiss to Aeliana’s cheek. “We’re practically sisters since Gaeren spent his dedication year with your family.” Her smile was too wide, not matching the troubled look in her eyes.
Clearly it was meant to show the guards that all was well, so Aeliana did her best to match the other woman’s false joy.
“If only I’d had a sister.” She squeezed Enla’s hands in hers. “So yes, I’ll claim you as mine.” Aeliana led the queen-in-training over to a set of chairs and small table, awkwardly inviting her to sit as though it were Aeliana’s home instead of Enla’s.
A host of women came in delivering plates, napkins, tea, and biscuits, as if Aeliana and Enla had rung a bell for service. The pile of fruit and cheese on the platter was far more than they’d given Aeliana at her request for refreshments, and it was far more than the two of them could ever eat.
Remembering Enla’s words about the prisoners’ treatment, Aeliana made sure to tuck a little of everything in the folds of her napkin while they stumbled through surface niceties, discussing the room, the weather, and how Enla’s day in meetings had gone. When the guards retreated to the hall, sufficiently bored, Enla let her inane chatter and laughter ring out as she helped Aeliana gather the food in napkins, shoving it all under pillows on the extra chair.
Eventually Enla leaned forward in the pretense of taking another biscuit and whispered, “Sylmar and Velden are angry that they haven’t seen you, but they’re catching up with your mother and Rildan in their room. My parents have offered to let the other members of your party stay in the palace, and I’ll ensure they’re kept safe. My father will have people listening in on everything they say, but at least they can begin making plans.”
“Plans for what?” Aeliana asked warily.
Enla frowned, and her eyes grew distant. “Ever since my brother arrived, the paths have multiplied. With your arrival, they’ve become impossibly branched. If I took the time to look at them all, we’d be past all the possibilities before I even saw them.”
Aeliana reached for Enla’s hand, squeezing it hard until the other woman looked her way. “I don’t want to see every possibility. I want to know what you, as queen-in-training and daughter of the king, think your father is going to do. Will he help us? Send us on our way? Or are we prisoners here?”
Enla started to shake her head, but then her eyes glazed over once more. She didn’t answer for so long that Aeliana wondered if she’d lost the other woman to the future. It seemed like something Gaeren wouldn’t want, but what was the best way to pull someone from such a trance? If she shook her, the guards would have her tied up before she could blink.
“You should speak with the man you call Marnok,” Enla murmured, then raised her voice to call for one of the guards.
When he entered the room, he gave a slight bow, awaiting her instructions.
“Please send for Marnok. Aeliana wishes to see him.”
“Of course, Your Highness.” He bowed once more before exiting the room.
Aeliana frowned. “I’d really rather see my mother. She was often confused when I left her. I want to make sure she’s well.”
“We are all a product of our pasts.” Enla’s smile held a sadness that left Aeliana anxious. “For some of us, that means our minds are forever altered. She is well, even if at times it seems she’s not.”
“Is that what Gaeren would say of you?” Aeliana asked.
Enla winced. “You know my brother well.” They stared at each other for a long moment, a strange understanding passing between them. “Thank you for helping him break his bond.”
Aeliana’s face heated, but Enla ignored her discomfort.
