By the time the sun rose the next morning, the tents in the ward had been broken down. Arynn had just finished her breakfast when August stepped into her tent to tell her that they would march at sunrise. Her armour had been packed in satin sheets and kept in a trunk, her shield and helmet in the same trunk. She'd clipped the scabbard that held Alaris onto her belt before she mounted her horse.

"What happens when we reach Etrion," asked Arynn, the reigns gripped loosely in her hands. She looked different—her usually unbound hair was braided down her back, a plain shawl covering her head. And her green eyes were lined with kohl, making her cutting gaze all the more intense. She wasn't wearing her regular black suit, instead having opted for a tunic and loose pants.

Geoffrey was riding beside her, looking more like a boulder than a man on his horse. His chin-length blonde hair was pulled back from his face, stray hairs dancing in the wind. He slightly turned his face toward her, and said, "The first step would be to get you and your entourage settled." He threw a look over his shoulder, to where the four cohorts were marching, and blanched when he saw what lay between them and the soldiers.

Queen Laura had been wrapped in white sheets and laid in a wagon, which was pulled by two horsemen. They bore the banners of House Addinell, a red background bearing a silver crown. Arynn wondered if that crown would still make sense after she stole the throne right from under them. The remaining men of Geoffrey's army marched on the side of it, so that the wagon was protected on all sides.

"And then we bury Laura," he said, face pale.

Arynn cast an indifferent look his way and nudged her horse into a trot. The king had loved his queen; he'd been so blinded by it that he hadn't ever seen the evil writhing beneath her skin. Love was an alien thing for her—the only person she was certain she truly loved was Keelie, her Keelie. She turned her head to look at the boy who was animatedly talking to August. Fondness bloomed in her chest when he swung his arm too wildly and almost lost his balance.

There was glaring difference between the thick and green Tohari vegetation and the sandy and brown one of Icark. Sand blew in their faces every time the winds picked up their pace. They stopped in a small village about two hours away from Etrion to rest. The soldiers broke ranks to fill their canteens with water and made conversation with each other while they waited for the order to march again.

Arynn unmounted her horse and walked to where Keelie was talking to one of the town villagers. He offered the woman a copper piece and took the small paper parcel from the counter. "Klarx rai (thank you)," he said to the woman and opened the package as he walked away. He pulled a kokum, a think flat cookie made of dried coconut, from it and then offered one to her.

"Of course you spend your allowance on sweets," she said as she took one and broke a bite-sized bit from it. She washed the dryness of it down with water and declined the offer for more. She adjusted the shawl on her head while she walked back to where her horse stood. To August, she said, "Tell the men to get back in formation. We leave in ten minutes."

By the time the sun has reached its highest point in the skies, they were in the heart of the kingdom. They had passed many villages since the one they'd stopped in, the villagers all bowing when they saw the king's banners flap in the wind. The Wall was visible from a distance, a long onyx line that sat unmoving on the horizon. Arynn had hardly blinked once and they were already in front of it, the massive structure looming over them.

"When does this come down?"

Geoffrey motioned to the sentinels on the wall to open the gates, and said to her, "Right after you marry Iyer."

Arynn shook her head. "I want it done before then. There are two weeks until the solstice—two weeks until he's required to have a wife by law. You don't need two weeks to bring down this Wall."

The chuckle he let out had a sharp edge. "Do you not trust my word, Vaeilia?"

"Merely cautious, Onat Sojayxar (Your Majesty)," she said with a grin. She watched as the gates opened before them, exposing the inside of Etrion to her army—to her. She had trouble keeping her eyes from glittering in delight as they rode into cobblestone street that would lead the straight to the palace. "Consider it an early wedding gift."

The man only nodded at first, then said, "As it's still early in the day, I'll have your assigned handmaiden get you settled and then escort you to the garden for a luncheon. You'll get to meet Iyer then. That's better than seeing him for the first time on your wedding day, don't you agree?"

Her lips curled upward into a slight smile as she nodded. "When is the wedding?" They were riding past the square and market place, where people were bustling about. The scent of freshly baked bread spilled into the streets, filling up her nostrils with its sweetness. Her stomach grumbled.

"That has yet to be discussed," he answered as he waved to the people who now stood still to look at their king.

"I see."

A sudden shadow fell over them. They had reached the castle. Arynn's eyes slowly ran up the length of the slanted ivory towers as she took in the building in front of her. The Summer Palace was by far a lot larger than she had expected it to be. The spires shot into the skies, almost tall enough to touch the clouds, with the middle one bearing a single banner—that of the House of Addinell.

"Vodkar (Welcome) to your new home, Vaeilia," said Keelie with a playful smirk. He looked alarmingly at ease for someone who had just been led into the heart of a lion's den. "I hope you have a pleasant time and enjoy your stay, as you're stuck here for the rest of your life, really." But then again, he needn't fear when he had a serpent at his side. Arynn had to restrain herself from wiping the smirk off his face.