A Thousand Heartbeats

As I drained the last of the water into my mouth, I thought of home. Though he was the person I wanted to see the least, my mind kept going to Nickolas.

He didn’t even check over his shoulder for me.

I thought of our argument, of his refusal to give me time alone as newlyweds. I wasn’t sure what to say to him once we met again. And even if I had words, could I say them? Our engagement was public now. It all made me feel a little bit helpless.

You just escaped your captors, Annika. You kept your cool. You broke out of a dungeon and walked through a forest your father thought was impenetrable. You somehow convinced the man who killed your mother to let you live. You are not helpless.

I stopped for a moment, standing still in a field. It was true. I’d just survived something even Escalus would have struggled with. I’d made it.

I flipped Lennox’s cape behind my shoulders so it lifted in the breeze, and I pulled my exhausted, broken body taller. I was not helpless.

Encouraged, I moved forward, knowing that, no matter how long it took, I was going to make it home. As I marched, I saw, breaking over the horizon, something that looked like an army. It was a line of horses, maybe forty across and I couldn’t see how deep. The sun was still high enough that I could make out the pale green of a Kadierian flag being held by the flag-bearer to the left of my father, whose crown glittered in the fading day. To his right was Escalus. And to Escalus’s right, I could make out the prim figure of Nickolas.

“Escalus!” I screamed, running with all I had, my voice breaking in relief. “Escalus!”

“Halt,” someone called, and the entire company stilled.

“Annika!” Escalus called, dismounting and charging toward me through the tall grass. Behind him, the entirety of the men they’d brought began cheering; their princess was safe.

I couldn’t help myself; I started weeping. I could hardly move anymore, but it didn’t matter. Escalus was coming to me, and all would be well now.

He crashed into me with tears in his eyes, holding on tightly, and I didn’t even mind the pain. “Annika, what are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here? What are you doing here?”

He laughed. “Coming to rescue you, of course. Blindly heading east and praying we found you.”

Tears streamed as I smiled and smiled. “It’s all right. I rescued myself.”

“Ha!” he called, lifting me into his arms and spinning me around. “I can’t believe it. I was so afraid we’d lost you.”

“You very nearly did. I have so much to tell you.”

But before I could, Father and Nickolas approached.

My father looked into my eyes, and for one beautiful second, I thought he might say everything I’d been aching to hear. Forgive me, or Marry who you’d like, or I love you. But my father was still the king, and his mind went to matters of state.

“What do you need to tell us?” he asked, looking me over and realizing I was in my underclothes and mud.

“I met Jago’s son,” I told him. “There is an army out there, Father. You were right; Jago wasn’t working alone. But it isn’t a neighboring country waiting for us; it’s something much worse. A war is coming, and we need to prepare for it.”

“Are you sure?” Nickolas asked.

“Oh, look who’s awake,” I snapped. “Thank you so much for watching out for me in the forest.”

“Annika,” Father said, his tone a warning. “Without Nickolas we’d have had no idea what happened to you.”

“I’ll tell you what happened to me,” I said, staring into my father’s cold eyes. “I was left alone in the hands of a murderer.”

Father huffed. “Then you won’t go riding anymore.”

I rolled my eyes. “That is not the answer.”

“Perhaps not, but neither is scolding your fiancé.”

“Enough. We need to get home,” Escalus said, ever the voice of reason. “Annika, you’ll ride with me.”

Father went ahead, calling to the men of our preemptive victory. They cheered and sang, lifting their swords up and down in time with their song.

“Should we send the men ahead?” Nickolas asked. “After all, she’s hardly dressed.”

Escalus looked at my unfortunate fiancé and spoke on my behalf. “Dear Nickolas, do shut up.”