Chapter 14
Yelena POV
Without thinking, she ran. How could have she been so disillusioned to think that he had been interested in her in the first place? She darted past soldiers training in the courtyard, and any guards that looked like they wanted to question her.
Stupid, stupid Yelena, she chided herself. She should have known. Of course such a highly ranked and respected man would have some sort of wife or sweetheart already. Not to mention the Valek. Women probably threw themselves at him on a daily basis. And she was just one among them.
Well, she'd have to marry Walnut now, and spend the rest of her life listening to his irritating commentary on what women should and shouldn't do.
No.
Such a life was not acceptable.
"Oi! We leave at sunrise, so load the carts and get a good night's sleep! If you're not there when we leave, you stay in Sitia until…well, until I don't know when!" the captain of the guards called out. Everyone stopped what they were doing and began to prepare.
Yelena's eyes darted frantically. She couldn't go home, and if she stayed here, she'd eventually be caught. There was only one option left: go to Ixia.
As the guards began loading the carts with their equipment and any luggage that the dignitaries and higher-ups had, Yelena snuck aboard one of the food carts. At any rate, she'd have a supply of food on the way there. The overpowering smell of onions made her slightly nauseous and she regretted choosing this cart to stow away in.
Too late. The cart began to move, bumping over uneven ground. The carts with supplies must have been scheduled to leave several hours early due to their slow speed.
In the darkness, Yelena's eyes began to droop in exhaustion. Today, her life had been changed completely. And as she fell asleep, she thought of Nutty and her sweetheart, Janco. It had worked out well for them, and she knew Janco would comfort Nutty after her disappearance. Her family wouldn't take the news well, and she wished she could have told Leif, at least. But maybe this was the best thing to do. Right now, all she could do was hope.
Valek POV
He couldn't sleep. When he closed his eyes, he kept seeing the image of Yelena's face, and the look of betrayal on it. Tomorrow the whole Ixian party was leaving to go home, and perhaps it was for the best. He would leave and this would all end.
No more letters.
No more Yelena.
And yet, the intuition that had kept him alive all these years told him that he hadn't seen the last of her yet...
It's been so long I had to go back and reread what I wrote lol
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