"General," a deep voice called from outside their tent. "We have a complication."
Ryas glanced over at Yuliah before he stepped out.
Curious Yuliah tipped toed towards the drapes of their tent and listened.
"A message came for Junior Advisor Biah, and we were able to read the letter before they delivered it to him. The Northern King sent soldiers, and they should be here in a days ride, along with Advisor Biah's Father.
"Tell the King, I'll be on my way soon," Ryas answered, and the Captain left.
Great, another Biah would be here. That meant m Advisor Biah's already informed that they found her.
"Did you hear that?" He asked.
"Yes," Yuliah nodded. "I'm sorry." She made their situation worst. For King Taher to send Advisor Biah and royal soldiers, it meant they were going to arrest her for going against the King's orders.
"I won't let anyone hurt you," his hand brushed over her cheek. "Sooner or later you and I will have to see them regardless," he held Yuliah by the hand. "It's better to face it now. Come, let's eat before I leave," and led her to a small table, one that could be folded and easily packed away. On the table, sat two plates of food: fresh fruit and cooked game meat.
"We're headed to Murai tomorrow, our last stop before we enter into the Ethereal Forest, and then home," he chewed slowly.
He didn't eat much. That must be how Ryas lived as long as he did. It would also explain why she could go long periods with very little food. Yuliah went for the heartiest of choices today. Being on the road meant little to no food at times, and bit down on a piece of meat. Her face soured. It tasted different today. "What about the soldiers coming from the Capital?" The meat scraped against her throat as she forced it down.
Ryas handed her a cup filled with water, "They can meet us in Murai. What's wrong?"
"I don't like the smell," she held the game meat in front of her face and sniffed. Immediately her expression pinched up. "Maybe it's spoiled?"
Ryas watched her for a bit, "It's not. Eat this instead," and set a piece of fruit on her plate.
All this food and she couldn't take a bite. Yuliah sighed. Maybe the poison's still making its way through her body, or stress that's why she had little appetite. Yuliah took a bite of the fruit and swallowed.
"Better?" One of his brows raised.
"Much better," she helped herself to more of the fruit.
He ate slowly, but the weight of his eyes Yuliah sensed from across the table. When she finished Ryas spoke, "Yuliah come here," he smiled.
She liked it best when he did, for Ryas' face hardly changed from serious but it softened, and warmth radiated from his eyes. It filled her heart to the brim and Yuliah hopped right out of her seat and onto his lap. Unable to contain her happiness, Yuliah's hand traced the sharp lines of his face. There were moments Yuliah pinched herself, afraid she dreamed him all up. He's the feared
and respected General Ryas Ib, the Geneoshi King and she - a coin less, homeless, woman on the run, with no family, or dowry. All her inadequacies appeared out of nowhere. Yuliah would bring very little to their relationship, but baggage. The more she thought about it, the further apart they were in status. Yuliah started to doubt if she were good enough for him. "Am I enough for you?" Yuliah let out a sigh.
"Of course," Ryas entwined his fingers around hers. "Do you not feel that you are?"
"I don't." She didn't have anything to offer him not even the backing of a strong family.
"Then your home already," he spoke in a deep voice that cut through all Yuliah's fears.
Before she knew it, her lips were over his. Ryas turned all her bad into good, with only a few words or gestures, and she felt even more deeply for him. "Promise me you will never leave again?"
"I promise, even in death," he returned her kiss.
A heat inside her ignited, and immediately Yuliah's fingers glided up inside his shirt, while the other hand went for the claps of his pants.
"I can't tigress," Ryas gently moved her hands aside, careful not to hurt her pride. "It's important that I meet with Zehan right away. Wait here for me," he stroked her cheek. "You can't see Ward today. I'm sorry because Liang's out with his soldiers patrolling our camp for you. I don't want you to run into him, not without me," and kissed her forehead before he left.
The moment he passed through the drapes, Yuliah exhaled. All the pent up desire for him burned through her body. Yuliah walked over to their bed and plopped down.
She wanted to see Ward but couldn't, and Ryas told her to stay inside all day. Maybe she could dress up as a Maid and sneak out? No, she shouldn't go against his word. She made one too many terrible decisions lately and decided to listen to him instead. Who knows what might go wrong if she ran into Liang.
Yuliah waited all day for him, and late into the night, but Ryas did not return. After she forced herself to eat more fruit for dinner, she crawled into their bed. Unable to sleep, she worried about where he had gone. Maybe she could go and ask King Zehan, but it's too late to disturb the King. Hours later, sleep took her.
That night she dreamt of the First Twelve. What the spirit from the God's Tower showed her. There were twelve Geneoshi King's who betrayed the Ethereal Spirit for Aleric. She watched in horror as the dark powers twisted them into Nomens. When they grew too powerful for Aleric to control, he used more of his dark magic to create the Nomen Mark. A mark that could control Nomen blood by bleeding the King's dry. Aleric bounded their blood and souls into the Mark. One blood. One life. The corpse of the first twelve chanted in her dreams. Their twisted mouths and hollowed eyes jolted Yuliah from her sleep.
Sweat poured down her face, and the blood vines coiled up her arm, burning her skin. Yuliah took deep short breaths to relax her body. She concentrated on retracting the Mark, with each deep breath, the mark uncoiled until it faded back into the crescent indent.
A dim light came from the candle that burned almost down to the stump. Yuliah quickly relit another candle and crawled back into bed. Where did Ryas go? She could use his comfort right now but had to settle for an extra blanket. Yuliah eventually fell asleep again, but this time she dreamnt of nothing.
Ryas finally returned by mid-morning the next day and slipped into bed. "It's midday, and you're still asleep?" He brushed the hair from her face.
"Where have you been?" She closed her eyes again. Yuliah could not find it in her to get up. She stayed up too late, waiting for him.
"Taking care of a few things," he pulled her closer. "Do you want me to stay in bed with you all day?" He placed tiny kisses along her neck. "I'll tell Zehan I have personal matters to attend and we can go see that bastard friend of yours."
Yuliah opened her eyes, "So you've been gone all day and night, then suddenly want to spend an entire day with me and take me to go see Ward too," her sleepy eyes narrowed. "What did you do?" She questioned him. He must be up to something; she could sense it.
"Nothing," he smiled at her. "I can leave if you prefer. Now that I think about it. I have too many things to do," Ryas got up from their bed.
Yuliah wrapped her arms around his waist, "No. Stay," she said. "I miss you, too much and there's nothing to do here." She couldn't leave, and Nian already went to Murai, Sit and sleep the only two things to do inside the tent.
He swept her hair aside, "I can think of a hundred things to do with you inside this tent," and kissed her.
Ryas smelled of pine and woods. All the times, they spent together flooded into her thoughts. Yuliah let out a soft moan. Suprised by one of his hands that were already around her breast. His hands were quick; she didn't even know he did things until they happened already. "I want you," she undid the enclosure of his pants.
He smiled and held his hands to the sides, ready for her to undress him.
"General," a Man called. "King Zehan needs to see you immediately. I'm to escort you over right now."
Yuliah sighed, "I'll see you later," she kissed him quickly before he sprung from their bed and left. Once he was gone, she rolled over and screamed into her pillow. Ahh! Again!