After three grueling two in a carriage, Valeria felt like she was dying. To remain discreet, Lord Lohra had lent her a simple, average carriage—one that was horrendously uncomfortable. She'd thought the journey from the castle to Lohra was exhausting, but this was infinitely worse. Her body ached from the constant jostling over uneven roads, her bottom was bruised and sore, and she hadn't had a proper bath in weeks. Meals consisted of nothing but dry meat, cheese, and bread. Worst of all, it was the dead of winter. The bitter cold seeped into her bones despite her heavy cloak.
Only three more days. She repeated this thought like a mantra. Just three more days, and they would finally arrive at the village.
She was accompanied by a coachman and one of Lord Lohra's knights, Sir Asher, who rode alongside the carriage on horseback. The knight, a tall and broad-shouldered man with inky black hair and piercing dark eyes, had introduced himself on the first day. After that, he'd spoken only when absolutely necessary, no matter how much Valeria tried to engage him. The coachman was even worse—completely silent, to the point that she didn't even know his name.
Valeria wasn't an overly talkative person, but the lack of interaction was wearing on her. She'd been spoiled by Katherine's chatter during her brief stay at the Lohra estate, and now she was stuck with these stoic brutes who didn't seem to know how to treat a lady.
The carriage jolted to a stop, and the door creaked open. Sir Asher stood there, his expression as stoic as ever. "We're taking a short lunch break, my lady," he said curtly.
Valeria stepped out, half-expecting him to offer her a hand. Of course, he didn't. These men, she thought with a shake of her head. Truly uncivilized.
Asher handed her a piece of dry bread, a chunk of cheese, and an apple. "Thank you," she said, taking the food. As she ate, she paced in circles to stretch her legs and fend off the cold. Her breath came out in frosty puffs, but at least it wasn't snowing today.
"So, we'll be there in three days?" she asked, trying to make conversation. Asher was tending to his hoarse and the coachman was eating his lunch alone in silence a little farther away from them.
"Yes," came Asher's short reply.
"Do you know anything about the village where I'll be staying?" she prodded, breaking off a piece of bread and layering it with cheese before taking a bite.
"No." His tone was clipped and annoyed. Wow, the best conversation partner she'd ever encountered. Her old etiquette and manners teacher, Madam Lisa, would have smacked his palms with a ruler by now. The thought of the old, terrifying woman sent a shiver down Valeria's spine. Perhaps she should send Asher to Madam Lisa—if anyone could teach him some manners, it was her.
Valeria huffed in frustration. "Do you know the concept of sentences, Sir Asher? They involve using more than one word and stringing them together into something coherent."
Asher paused from tending to his horse to look at her, his dark eyes flat and unimpressed. "You talk too much, my lady," he said. "Do you know the concept of keeping your mouth shut? It involves pressing your sweet lips together and staying silent. Also, you eat quite a lot for a lady."
Valeria's jaw dropped. The audacity! She opened and closed her mouth like a fish, utterly speechless. No one had ever dared to speak to her like this. She was Lady Valeria Elsass, and this… this lowly knight had the gall to insult her!
Before she could come up with a retort, Asher walked toward the carriage door. "Great. Now that you've learned how to shut up, let's get back on the road." He said it so casually, so emotionlessly, that it only made her angrier.
"You infuriating man!" she snapped, stomping after him. "Do you have no manners? I am a lady of high standing, and you will respect me!"
Asher sighed, as though dealing with a petulant child. "When your temper tantrum is over, my lady, kindly get back in the carriage."
Would she go to hell if she murdered him right now? She clenched her fists and stormed past him into the carriage, muttering curses under her breath. But suddenly, she slipped on the small, ice-coated steps leading to the carriage. She closed her eyes, bracing for the inevitable impact and pain—but it never came. Instead, she felt strong arms catch her around the waist. Her eyes snapped open, only to find herself staring into Asher's stoic, yet somehow annoyed, face.
Before she could say a word, he lifted her effortlessly and set her on her feet inside the carriage. "Can't even manage the simplest thing alone…" he muttered under his breath, slamming the door shut behind her.
She sat there, momentarily stunned. Should she thank him or throw a well-deserved insult at his head? In the end, she settled for glaring at the door and crossing her arms with a huff. Such an infuriating bastard.
The journey continued, and Valeria stewed in silence. The sun was setting when the carriage suddenly came to another halt. Frowning, she leaned out the window but couldn't see anything unusual. It was eerily quiet for a few moments. The kind of silence that prickled at her nerves. Her own breathing seemed too loud, every inhale and exhale feeling like it might provoke something terrible into happening. Then she heard shouting.
"Stay inside the carriage!" Asher's voice was sharp and commanding.
As if she would listen. Anxiety churned in her stomach as a horrible thought crossed her mind: Had the king already found her?
She flung the carriage door open, her heart pounding—and screamed.
Before her stood Asher, sword in hand, locked in a brutal battle with an enormous wolf. The beast's thick fur was streaked with blood as the knight plunged his blade deep into its side. A horrifying squelch pierced the air as the wolf's limp body collapsed into the crimson-stained snow. The grisly sight made her stomach lurch, and she turned her face away, bile rising in her throat.
More howls erupted from the forest, an ominous and hair-raising chorus that seemed to echo from all directions. Asher spun around, his dark eyes locking onto hers. His chest heaved with ragged breaths, and his pale skin was splattered with streaks of the wolf's blood. The scene before her looked as if it had been torn straight from a nightmare.
"For fuck's sake!" Asher roared, his voice cutting through the chaos like a blade. He glared at her over his shoulder, his jaw clenched in frustration. "I told you to stay inside!"
But it was already too late. From the shadowed depths of the forest, four more massive wolves emerged, their glowing eyes fixed intently on their prey.