Chapter 13

Horse riding was even worse than I had imagined it would be, and I couldn’t decide if Selene sitting behind with her arms wrapped around me made it better or worse. Even though we had been lucky, and the captain had turned out to be an old friend of theirs, he must have shared news of what was happening in Akka. Now, Selene sat tense behind me, and Karim glanced around as we rode.

The soldiers had been on their way to investigate the fire when we met them, but Eden, the captain, decided to escort us when we’d told him what we would do. At least on horseback, we would make it to Akka earlier and be there by the afternoon. Although I would rather walk than put my life at the mercy of an animal that probably detested the idea of someone sitting on its back just as much as I did. I wouldn’t blame it if it kicked us off.

“Relax, Rina”, Selene said quietly. “It will be fine”

I didn’t answer. I guess there were more reasons for my tension than just the worry about what lay ahead, and she was one of them.

We stayed silent as we continued our journey, passing by farmsteads scattered across the fields. The farmers barely turned their heads as we rode through, and I wondered if they had become so used to the soldiers that they were simply a part of their daily life.

It wasn’t until Uruk pointed into the distance that I forgot about everything for a moment. I could see the city of Akka on the horizon, and it looked so different from any city I had ever seen. It had layer upon layer of walls spiralling higher and higher, reminding me of a cake, and at the top, a castle towered over the city. To the side, I could see the river shimmering and the harbour that merged into the city.

I kept staring at it until we reached the city gate, and Eden dismounted and walked over to the guards. They peered at us as they spoke, and I could feel Selene’s body tensing behind me, but in the end, they nodded and opened the gates.

The people here were different from the farmers, and they followed us as we made our way to the castle. Their skin was darker than mine, and their ears were slightly pointy, but they still looked pretty human. Their clothes, though, were not normal. All of them wore flamboyant robes in all different kinds of shades, as if everyone tried to outdo the others.

We made our way up the narrow streets and only halted as we came to the gate of the castle. Selene helped me to get off the horse, and it seemed as happy about it as I was. Eden walked over to us.

“Farewell, my friends. May Goddess bless your path.”

He bowed and left, and two servants stepped out from the castle and gestured for us to follow. They led us inside, and I must have stopped because Uruk nudged me forward. We were standing in a large hallway, surrounded by walls covered in gold. I stared at it, and it was only when Karim gestured for me to follow that I woke up from my daze and hurried after them. Thick carpets covered the floor, muffling the sounds, and I carefully followed the others, trying not to leave a trail of mud in my wake.

The servants halted as we came to our chambers, and Selene smiled and patted my shoulder. At least we would stay close together, I thought. I followed the servant as he silently led me into my room, and I halted in the doorway. The room was as splendid as the rest of the castle, making the 5-star hotels I had seen in the movies look like my flat in comparison.

“Your bath will be ready soon, my lady”, he announced before he bowed and left.

I stepped inside but didn’t dare to move in case I would touch anything with my dirty clothes. A soft bell rang in the air, and a woman came out from a side door that I hadn’t even noticed before. She was older than I and wore beautiful yet functional clothes. She bowed.

“Your bath is ready, my lady, if you wish”

I only stared at her, and she chuckled at my awkwardness.

“Shall I be less formal?”

I didn’t know what to answer, but she smiled and gestured for me to follow her. We walked through the side door she’d come from and came out into a small room, and my eyes instantly drifted to a bathtub standing on the marble floor. It was lined with a beautiful mosaic, just like the walls. I must have stared at it, because the woman smiled.

“You have not seen such splendour before?”

Before I could reply, she continued, “Don’t worry, I know the feeling well. I did not grow up in the castle.”

She continued without me saying anything.

“My mother came from behind the mountains, and I grew up there. I’m Altea. What’s your name?”

“Rina”.

My eyes kept drifting to the steaming bath, and she followed my gaze and chuckled.

“I see I am keeping you with my empty talk. Please, don’t let me stop you”, she smiled.

I began to undress, and she came over to me to help me, and I shook my head.

“Y-you don’t need to…”, I blushed.

She stepped aside, smiling.

“Of course, my lady. But let me help you to make this a perfect bath for your sore body.”

She gestured towards a shelf full of colourful glass bottles.

“Some of these scents may feel too heavy for your taste”

I only nodded, not sure what I should reply, and carefully undressed. She looked at me with admiration.

“You are strong. Where do you come from, Rina?”

I remembered what Karim had told me and answered,

“From beyond the mountains”

“Ahh, just like me”, she smiled.

I dipped my hand into the water. It was perfect and fulfilled many of my latest dreams. I climbed inside, and as the warm water enveloped me, I could feel my body finally relax.

“Were you a caravan guard, Rina? I see you are carrying mighty weapons.”

“Yeah…”

She poured scented oils into my bath.

“May Goddess bless you”

She smiled, and her eyes found the aegis resting on my chest. Selene had told me to hide it underneath my shirt, but she had never told me what to do if I had to undress. It was too late to think about that now, but the woman didn’t comment and simply got up.

“I will bring you clean clothes. You will need it for the banquet.”

“Banquet?”

“Yes. You have the honour of being invited by the king with the rest of your companions. I am jealous”, she chuckled.

She left, and I slowly closed my eyes and let the hot water do its job.