Never Yours ✔️

Ch. 20

"Arysa?" Demian's voice called from behind the door.

She did not answer.

"I'm worried about you. You haven't come out of your room in three days."

She stared at the wall and clutched her blankets to her chest.

"I'm coming in."

There was a pause, then the door opened and Demian came to her and sat down on the bed beside her.

"Hey," He said softly. His black hair fell in waves across his brown skin.

Arysa didn't look at him.

"I know it's still soon, but you should get out some, walk around town, maybe?"

His bright blue eyes bored into her, and she felt their weight like an anvil on her soul. But she felt the weight of Regana's passing even more so.

"Arysa, please, just say something." He pleaded.

Her eyes flit up to his for a brief second. Her sea-green gaze was empty, void of life.

Demian sighed and stood. He hesitated before he left, staring at her curled up in her bed for a long moment. Then he was gone.

As soon as the door clicked shut Arysa threw the blankets off of her and sat up. She was already dressed in a dark green tunic and black trousers. She grabbed her belt and clipped it around her waist, feeling comforted by the familiar weight of the daggers hanging at her sides. She pulled on her boots and lifted her cloak off the wall. She walked silently to the balcony and slipped out the doors, making sure they didn't make a noise as they shut. Then she hopped up on the railing and swung her legs around, hooking her feet into the notches in the wall. She climbed down to the empty city street below her and lifted her hood over her soft blonde hair. She swept through the streets with a vivid determination and arrived at the Vella encampment in record time. Lara was waiting for her at the hospital and together they started off towards Queen Arla's tent.

"I'm sorry about your friend." Lara said quietly.

"She wasn't my friend," was Arysa's clipped response.

Lara pressed her lips together. "Still, I'm sorry."

Arysa nodded and they didn't speak again until they reached the queen's tent. Vare stood guard outside. She met Arysa's eyes evenly and Arysa clenched her fists and bit her tongue.

They entered the young queen's tent. She sat on the hard packed ground behind a makeshift desk, rifling through papers. She didn't look up at them.

"Lady Arysa. Lara. Welcome." She said.

Lara smiled softly. "Queen Arla," she greeted.

Arysa said nothing. Her jaw was clenched. Queen Arla waved at them to sit and they seated themselves around the short crate that made up Arla's table.

Arla slid the papers into a single pile and set them behind her. She looked up, straight at Arysa.

"Have you heard anything about your cousin's spy?"

"No, I haven't heard anything." Arysa said. "Other than that she's been deployed."

"Hopefully, we'll have some answers soon then." She lifted a cup of water to her lips. "How is your training going?"

"As well as it should." She replied.

"We're running out of time, Arysa. You must work harder." The little girl's eyes were piercing.

Arysa nodded. "I will for the remaining time I'm here. I'm leaving in a few days for Dasimah."

"And what do you hope to find there?" Arla stared evenly at her.