A stomping grew louder from down the hall. Vhalla inhaled sharply, and Aldrik pulled her tightly against him. Every horrible thing that could happen raced through her head: soldiers coming to take her from him, to put her away, to put her back in those awful chains. They shredded what strength she’d mustered. The door shook as the person banged on it.

“Brother, get back here before we have a civil war on our hands.” Baldair slammed his fist against the door again. Aldrik took a deep breath, his face buried in her hair. “I know what Father did was wrong,” Baldair lowered his voice. “It was foul really. But are you honestly surprised? Vhalla shamed him in front of his leaders. He was losing his power and needed to prove that he still had control. Father is nothing but a prideful man—”

Aldrik left her side to throw open the door.

“So I am to allow his actions to be forgiven for his tender pride?” Aldrik scowled.

“The Western majors are up in arms that he would use the cuffs. That it will hurt the West’s trade relations—”

“As they should be!” Aldrik’s anger was back, and it was being taken out on his brother. “She is an inspiration for the East, a beacon of hope, a new era, and he would send the message that he would treat Windwalkers as they were treated more than a century ago, hunt them, chain them, kill them. He outright called her a tool! Not even a person to him but a thing. I do not blame the Western leaders for not wanting anyone to think that the West is still in bed with such archaic thinking—as my uncle supplied the means!”

“They are threatening to ride home.” Baldair held out his hands, pleading and ignoring his brother’s righteous tirade. “Erion is leading them, and he’s not listening to me because I am not, ‘of the West’.”

“Good, then Father will see why he must respect the people whom he depends on,” Aldrik spat.

“Aldrik,” Vhalla cut into the conversation, commanding the attention of both princes with her tone alone. She crossed to her dark-haired lover and reached up to Aldrik’s cheek. He sighed softly under her touch. “Go.”

“But—”

“No.” Vhalla shook her head. “You need to show them that the future Emperor is a bigger man, a better man than the current one. I want this war to end; I will swallow any offenses against me for that goal, and I need you to do the same.”

“Vhalla,” Aldrik whispered softly.

“Go, find an end to this,” she begged of him. “You said you would take me home.”

“You are an amazing woman.” His hand went up to hers, and Aldrik looked at her lovingly.

Vhalla smiled softly at him.

“So, you’re coming?” Baldair hovered in the doorway.

“Yes.” Aldrik nodded. “And I plan to make it known that my compliance is the result of a woman who my father would rather have locked up like an animal.”

Baldair threw up his hands in defeat to Aldrik’s mood.

Her prince leaned forward and kissed Vhalla’s forehead lightly once more. She closed her eyes and sighed softly. If she was honest, she wanted him to stay. Aldrik’s presence reassured her, it made her feel safer. As though when they were together, nothing could stop them. But he did what she had asked, what he needed to do. Aldrik released her and walked over to his brother.

“Vhalla,” Aldrik spoke tenderly, but firmly. “If anyone other than me opens the door or tries to force entry, you will fight them. Lest my father try something underhanded while I am away from you.”

She nodded tiredly. “Good luck, both of you.”

The moment the door closed, the events of the day settled upon her all at once, and Vhalla leaned against the wall for support. Her knees buckled, and Vhalla slid into a ball by the door. She grabbed her arms tightly and tried to stave off the shivers, to fight off the memory of Rat and Mole and Egmun.

Vhalla also wondered in horror what the Emperor now knew about her and crystals. The cuffs were meant to work on any regular sorcerer, perhaps Aldrik’s lie of her not being able to manage the magical stones would still hold. If the Emperor knew she could manage them then that could turn her into something more. It could turn her into the Emperor’s means of unleashing a legendary power from the Crystal Caverns. Her head hurt trying to think about what that awful man may be scheming, and Vhalla pressed her eyes closed.

She must have fallen asleep, because the next thing she knew, Aldrik was shaking her gently.

“Vhalla,” he whispered.

“Wh-what?” She blinked sleepily.

“Why are you on the floor?” His voice was thick with exhaustion.

“I don’t ... I guess I fell asleep.” Vhalla didn’t want to tell him about her fears. She was certain he knew of them already. “What time is it?”

“Late,” he yawned, helping her to her feet.

They were quick to strip down to the most basic of clothes. Vhalla savored the level of comfort they had found with each other. She had to savor the few things that could still give her ease.

“Were you meeting all that time?” Vhalla asked.

“I was—we were.”

“I made a mess of things,” she muttered, sitting heavily on the edge of the bed.

“No, my father made his own mess. It was actually refreshingly amusing to watch him try to clean it up.” Aldrik crossed to stand before her.