This love is like a curse (36)
Talia hesitated, unable to find words to justify herself, but silently moved her lips. She wanted, as usual, to assume an impudent appearance, but both physically and mentally she was at the limit, and her thoughts were confused.
She pulled her hood up sharply to hide the confusion on her face and tried to sneak past her brother, who was blocking the entrance. However, Gareth quickly grabbed her wrist.
“I asked why you were rummaging through Longboat’s tent.”
- Let me go!
She jerked her hand furiously, but Gareth's grip was as sticky as tar.
He pulled her towards him and growled with the fury of a hungry wolf:
- Tell me what dirty trick you tried to pull!
The fingers squeezed her hand, as if intending to crush the bones - Thalia bit her lip in pain.
“If you have strength, you don’t need intelligence,” she thought with rage.
Without hesitation, she kicked him in the shin with all her might. It looked like he was unarmoured: Gareth jumped up with a yelp, swearing through his teeth.
Without missing a beat, Thalia snatched her hand away and rushed as fast as she could out of Longboat’s tent. A crash was heard behind her - as if something was being destroyed - apparently Gareth was chasing her. But she did not look back and continued to rush between the tents.
Soon her carriage appeared. She jumped inside, slammed the door and pulled all the bolts, then hid in a corner, curled up in a ball.
She was overcome with anxiety: what if Gareth, in a rage, tried to break down the door? But time passed, and silence reigned outside the door. Apparently he stopped the chase for fear of attracting the attention of others.
Thalia exhaled in relief and buried her face in her knees. But then she was overcome with self-loathing. She despised her own stupidity.
“Why the hell did I lose my temper over worrying about him? Why did you let your emotions take over and show weakness in front of Gareth?”
What if he suspected something?
Thalia bit her lip nervously, then cautiously looked out the window.
The knights were dismantling the tents. No one seemed to notice the commotion.
She pressed her face to the glass, looking around worriedly, and then pulled the curtain.
The sky gradually brightened, and the knights, having saddled their horses, lined up in a column. Among them she noticed Longboat. He, as always, checked the formation - and when he approached her carriage, Thalia instantly recoiled from the window.
“Maybe Gareth told him something? - flashed through her head. “Is he going to interrogate me?”
She feverishly came up with excuses, but Longboat, stopping nearby, only gave some orders to the knights, and he himself returned to the beginning of the column.
Talia went limp. At that moment the ringing voice of a guardsman was heard:
- We're moving out.
She didn't answer. Apparently, no one expected an answer from her - the knight simply rode forward. Thalia's carriage followed him.
Leaning back in her seat, she watched through the gap in the curtain as the sky gradually brightened. It seems like nothing happened, which means another tiring day begins.
The hike, which began at dawn, was interrupted before sunset.
Gareth, losing patience, announced that they would not move any further today.
Formally, the decision rested with Barkas, the commander-in-chief. But who would dare to contradict the future emperor?
With his tacit consent, the camp was set up in the middle of the wasteland, although the second shrine - the hills of Ullgram - was just a stone's throw away.
The ordinary soldiers, who were trying to leave the plain as quickly as possible, were not pleased with this decision, judging by their faces. But Thalia was even pleased. Without food and sleep, her strength dried up.
She was lying on the seat, her eyes closed from dizziness, when an annoyingly familiar voice came from outside:
- Your Highness, I brought some fruit.
Thalia frowned. After yesterday's sharp refusal, the behavior of the persistent knight seemed almost mysterious to her. Unless he has some ulterior motive, why fawn on her like that?
She said abruptly:
- Get out.
“You said that you wouldn’t eat something that could be poisoned.” And these are fresh fruits - unprocessed.
She remained silent. Then the knight, violating all decency, opened the carriage door and shoved a tray of fruit in her face.
“I'm just worried that this is really going to end in a funeral procession.” Please stop being stubborn and at least eat this.
She stared at his face with an expression of extreme indignation, then lowered her gaze to the silver tray. On it lay rosy apples, plums and green grapes.
Thalia looked at the tray silently, as if she didn’t even have the strength to be angry, and muttered quietly:
- How do I know if the peel is not smeared with poison?
In his place, someone else would have waved his hand, but the knight did not move an iota. He sighed heavily, took one of the apples from the tray, took a large bite from it, and then handed the bitten fruit to Thalia.
- Are you happy now?
“Are you suggesting that I finish eating after you?” This is disgusting! Take it away!
An expression appeared on his face as if he was ready to strangle her. But Thalia didn’t even think of paying attention to him - she simply turned away. In fact, she was terribly hungry, but could not bring herself to touch the food that someone was already holding with their hands. All the same, if he pushes through force, then he will only vomit.
- That's it, leave me alone. Get out.
- “Get out” is the only thing you know how to say?
The knight's behavior became more and more impudent, and Thalia's irritation grew.
She jumped to her feet. Her vision immediately grew dark, but she stubbornly tensed her legs, not wanting to show weakness. When her vision cleared, Thalia stepped out of the carriage, ignoring the knight's gaze.
The sky, recently bright blue, was now painted a soft orange. Holding her gaze briefly, she headed to the edge of the camp, avoiding curious glances.
She wanted to be alone, where no one would bother her. But as soon as she walked away, the knights would immediately follow her.
After thinking a little, Thalia turned into an overgrown forest, a little away from the carts with things.
From this distance, they will probably be able to see her, which means they won’t interfere under the pretext of guarding her.
She sat down, leaning her back against a thick spruce tree, and took a deep breath of the cool evening air. It’s unclear how long she sat there, but suddenly a light laugh was heard somewhere nearby.
Thalia's eyes snapped open. It seems that she was not the only one who decided to relax in a secluded place - Ayla walked lightly and leisurely between the sparse fir trees.
Thalia's face twisted.
She was exhausted to the limit - physically and mentally. I didn’t have the strength to look at this happy face.
She stood up sharply. I just wanted to leave, but then someone else appeared from behind a tree.
A man for whose life she was ready to pray to fate in the morning.
Thalia stared at him with a dull look. He walked behind Ayla, holding Torque's reins in one hand. There was a calmness on his face that she had never seen.
She had gotten used to his cold gaze, to his eternally frowning eyebrows - and now his quiet expression on his face seemed alien and strange to her.
Does he always look like this around Isla?
She looked at him as if spellbound, and at that moment Ayla pulled Longboat by the hand, stood on tiptoes and raised her head. Realizing what she wanted, Thalia held her breath.
She didn't want to see it. I didn’t want to capture a scene in my memory that I would then remember for the rest of my life, chewing it over and over again in my head.
But despite her inner scream, Thalia couldn't take her eyes off the couple. Maybe... she was hoping that he would push her away. What he will reject. But Barkas obediently, like a faithful hunting dog, fulfilled her wish.
He leaned towards her.
Talia turned sharply and ran. But she didn’t have time to go far - someone grabbed her.
She looked up in surprise. Gareth stood in front of her with a drunken blush on his cheeks, tightly squeezing her hand.
His searching gaze made her look down. But it was too late - he had already noticed the tears.
“Are you really…” Gareth chuckled quietly.
Talia twitched convulsively, trying to pull her hand away, but the crown prince did not let go.
He looked at her as if she were a curiosity—a face that did not have time to hide the storm of feelings. And suddenly he laughed out loud.
- So that's what it's all about!