Chapter 237: An Arrow To The Heart

[ Loraven ]

It was the morning of Selvin’s and Osian’s departure. They were leaving at first light with King Thalinal and his guards. The evening before, Loraven remained with Selvin despite her mother’s warnings. Leaving him was more challenging than she initially thought it would be.

That night they didn’t even take advantage of each other’s bodies. They cuddled and spoke of anything and everything. It was more intimate than removing their clothes. Only Selvin was able to break down the icy walls she’d built. Only Selvin was the one to see how she really was.

It was the last she would see of him. Loraven knew that. Though she had no intention of marrying Prince Theoden of the wild fae, she knew Selvin had to marry another. Even thinking about it caused a ripping feeling in her chest, like her heart was being pulled apart. It was like nothing she’d ever felt before.

It both disturbed the Lyvarian princess and saddened her. Loraven couldn’t say it aloud. But in one fleeting week, her heart only beat for one man. She’d fallen for him. Now the only thing she could do to ensure he stayed safe and had a happy life was to remove herself from it.

When Selvin’s breaths grew heavy with sleep, Loraven slipped out of his hold after steadying her own breaths. She left his chambers with tear-filled eyes, a hand over her mouth to smother the sob trying to escape from the root of her being. But her eyes landed on an unexpected figure lurking in the darkness.

Osian.

Loraven held his gaze for a moment, hoping her tears would dissipate. Instead, they trickled from her eyes, and she forced herself to look away.

No one else had ever seen her so vulnerable. They would never again, either.

Now Loraven sat on the ’balcony’, the spot that became hers and Selvin’s hideout. Her legs dangled over the edge with the ongoing fire that never ran out at her back, a fur shawl over her shoulders. She could not bear to see them leave, they would go before the others woke, but her heart screamed out to see him one more time, to not let him go.

Now, Loraven had to scheme about how to get out of this marriage with Theoden. How Theoden controlled the wild fae was beyond her, though whenever she had met with the Prince, they did indeed have a joyous time, each enjoying the snowy peaks of the mountains and fighting off creatures than dealing with a court full of those wanting to conspire against you. That didn’t mean they were compatible for marriage.

Theoden had a harem, and Loraven was not about to be a part of it. She knew the Prince only needed her for the connections and alliance between a kingdom known for their more merciless ways. Most, including fae courts, were against them. They were too wild even for the superior, aristocratic fae that enjoyed torturing their servants.

Finally, when Loraven was sure the party of princelings and her friend, Thalinal, had left for their journey, the princess climbed up from her favourite hiding spot, the edge of the mountain and started back to her chambers, feet bare, nightgown kept warm by the white fur covering most of her torso, revealing some of her pale shoulders. She walked languidly, feeling her heart growing heavier the more she walked down the colourless halls, the placing feeling empty.

The echo of armour squeaking and feet stomping swiftly drew Loraven’s attention to the main corridor that led to the entrance. Tightening the fur around her shoulders, Loraven sneaked down the halls until her head rounded a wall, and she watched as Edric, her mother’s right-hand man, was dressed in his outer attire, swords on his hips, a twinkle in his eyes that meant only one thing.

Blood was about to sully the snow. Edric had been ordered to kill someone.

Dread instantly drained her face of colour. The doors closed behind him with a loud thud. She had a bad feeling about who his next target was.

Loraven dropped her fur shawl as she sprinted back to her chambers, instantly pushing the doors back with a loud thud and raced around her large rooms, changing into her ranger attire, her swords sheathed into place along with a bow and quiver.

Instead of following Edric out the front, Loraven slipped down to the tunnels, her knowledge of them better and quicker to get to the route she knew the party would take. Keeping her pace at a quick jog, Loraven swerved in and out of tunnels, almost slipping a few times and bumping into the rocky walls. The darkness did not help, but she knew these tunnels like the back of her hand.

Besides, nobody was travelling by horse. All she needed to do was catch up to Edric. Then what? Take him out?

Edric could easily die in the wilderness, and nobody would question it. But Loraven knew Queen Iolena ordered Selvin’s death. She just knew it. Her mother was not the type of woman to threaten her. She was the type of woman who actioned it.

Whether Loraven stayed with Selvin the night before or not. Her mother had already made up her mind. With her twisted thinking, Iolena would gladly allow the younger Prince, Osian, to leave freely, aware that his brother’s death was not entirely an accident but without any proof to go to war with Lyvaria about it.

Loraven hoped it was all in her head. But she knew her mother well.

Slipping out of the tunnels, Loraven drew her hood over her head, smiling lightly at the choice of white furs to keep her camouflaged with the snow. She wiped the sweat on her brow away before running across the snow. Luckily, this was her playground. She was accustomed to running and surviving in the brutal snowy weather.

Running in the snow to someone living primarily in the palace or to those from southern the border was immensely hard. But Loraven was outside more than she was in court. Edric and his men were not that far ahead. Already she was tracking their printed footsteps in the snow.

The wind was strong this morning, sending shards of ice to scratch against her skin, though her skin was hardened, and remained like smooth marble even in these harsh weathers. Still, Loraven pushed on, adamant about stopping what was about to happen. Her hood flew back, revealing her dark, messy hair she didn’t bother pulling back in her rush.

It didn’t matter now, though. Loraven saw the first signs of Edric’s men. They were all dressed in white, moving slowly into position. Ahead were Selvin and Osian, utterly unaware of what was about to happen.

Loraven pulled out her bow and arrow, aiming it at the man with long black hair pulled back in a half-up hairstyle. He’d raised his own bow and arrow while the others sneaked further ahead. Thalinal and his company led the procession, so it kept them apart. Before his arrow could leave the bowstring, Loraven released her own, knocking the weapon to the side, which released his arrow, aiming wide and whizzing past in the opposite direction.

She set off another few arrows, shooting the other men so their jackets were pinned against the trees, unable to move further, leaving Iolena’s right-hand man to spin around angrily. Edric’s blue eyes were wild as he searched for the person that ruined his bow and the perfect ambush they’d set in place. The others struggled to get the arrows from the tree and clothes while scanning their surroundings for the person responsible.

Loraven marched up to Edric, the sound of her boots crunching into the snow alerted him to her arrival, and he froze upon seeing her.

"*Princess..*" The anger on his features sobered, but his eyes narrowed subtly. "*What have you done?*"

Loraven stopped before Edric, her face stoic as she assessed his sharp features. "*What were you doing, Edric? Trying to assassinate Prince Selvin and prince Osian?*" She snapped while putting her bow over her shoulder and staring him down.

"*You know I had no choice-* "

"*Is that the excuse you would give King Thalinal? He is travelling only meters ahead with his men. He is sharp enough to understand your goals but also smart to use it against us and state the Lyvarians attempted to assassinate him too,*" Loraven admonished, while relief flooded her at distracting the man who was set out to kill Selvin.

Loraven had no qualms about killing Edric if he was adamant about succeeding. He was nothing more than a good soldier with lands and titles and a sharp mind, following Queen Iolena’s orders. He was someone to be wary of.

Loraven’s eyes followed the men disappearing in the distance, attention lingering on the two princes, that grew smaller and smaller. Her heart ached after Selvin, but her shoulders sagged. It looked as though Edric had no intention of fighting her or following the party further into the wilderness.

Edric was used to the brutal weather, but he was more accustomed to palace life now and preferred to be in its warm clutches.

"*You know what will happen to me if I do not succeed,*" Edric pleaded, almost sounding sincere. If he really had no choice, he would be fighting for his life, fighting her and chasing Selvin.

It sickened her how such words and acting would work in the palace to those unaware of his charms and fatal dishonesty.

Loraven’s gaze flicked back to the handsome elf. "*I’m sure there are other ways you will make it up to my mother,*" she snapped, her voice like ice as she felt disgusted at even saying those words aloud.

Edric lowered his head in a small bow, understanding he could not speak further on the matter. Loraven turned away from the scene, aware it was over. Selvin was leaving, and in one piece, and she was to return to her icy battles within the court, and whatever else fate spun her way.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read