to a small cupboard near the washstand, where he withdrew a washcloth and an unadorned green bottle. He sat back down on the bed beside her and motioned for her to lie down.
He moved aside the torn shreds of her gown with as gentle a touch as he could muster and tended to her wounds. He started to comfort her, but he couldn't say the words. Anger outweighed his sympathy. In all fairness, she was right, he didn't know what he could have done, but not telling him was unacceptable. She naturally would be guarded, given her childhood and the events of the last few weeks, but it wasn't an excuse to harbor such secrets. This, even for Garren, was extraordinary.
The cuts looked much better with the blood washed away. He placed the top back onto the bottle and laid it with the washcloth on the night stand.
'Are you angry with me?' she asked, her voice not much more than a murmur.
'I'm not pleased with your discretion, but I wouldn't use the word anger,' he lied, not wanting to say much more for fear of revealing his real sentiments. She didn't respond, but lay still and wordless instead, as though she were waiting on his permission to move. He put his hand on her shoulder. 'If you're well enough, change clothes. I will meet you in the hall. You are under no obligation to go if you aren't ready. There is always another night.'
She shook her head. 'I'll be ready in a few minutes.' Her back was to him, her breathing still shallow.
He rose from the bed and walked toward the hall. Once outside, he leaned against the wall, his arms crossed on his chest. Blood throbbed in his head, blurring his vision. How could he intervene when the enemy was miles away? He'd expected the Ereubinians to grow in strength with their victory in Palingard, but this was unlike anything he'd ever witnessed. They'd displayed moderate powers of a trivial nature, like levitating objects or a mild persuasion, but nothing this malevolent.
He hadn't noticed the dog before, but Michael suddenly felt hot breath on his legs. Koen was sitting next to him, whimpering. He must've been locked out of the room. He ran his hand down the dog's head and back. 'I think she would appreciate the company.' He cracked the door enough for Koen to go through. Though it was muffled, he thought he heard Ariana cry out Koen's name and his heart sank. Was it really necessary for him to have been so harsh with her? She was miles away from what she'd known as her home, and though he felt he'd known her forever, she had more to take in than just his existence. She needed time to get used to everything — to get used to him.
As he waited, he paced back and forth through the hall. It was a habit of his. He'd worn furrows in the floor when Genny was ill. But this was so different. He'd at least known what to expect with her sickness. He couldn't begin to prepare himself for an enemy who could injure from afar.
Michael had stopped pacing and was leaning against the door when it moved behind him. He turned to see that her eyes were red and puffy. The gown she'd changed into was a deep navy blue with a silver beaded bodice and a white fur-lined cloak. Her hair fell in blood red ringlets past her shoulders.
It took him aback to see her in the dress, having only seen Genny wear it on one occasion — the ceremony for Michael's father. There'd been no body to bury, so they had held a vigil, lighting candles in his honor. All of Adoria had been united on that day.
'Ariana…'
'Not right now, please.' She looked tired.
Nodding, he started to put his arm around her shoulder when she stepped out of his reach and walked ahead of him.
It was for her own good that he remained distant in his sympathies. As rightful ruler of Adoria, he couldn't entertain any notion of Garren's virtuousness, no matter how much it pleased his sister to do so.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The room was filled with people. Michael had told her that it would be, but somehow it hadn't readied her for their reception. As she and Michael entered, every Adorian fell to his knees. He held her hand outstretched as they descended a wide set of steps. All eyes were on her and she felt vulnerable, naked. As upset as she was with Michael, she gripped his hand like it was the last thing she'd ever do.
The room was vast, stretching three stories to a cathedral ceiling made entirely of stained glass. Tall, white columns framed the edges of the room and set off several sections in the middle. Open balconies were mounted on all sides. She was in the process of wondering about the stairs when she saw several Adorians fly to take their places. It certainly explained why the ceiling was so high.
The decor was intricate from the doorways down to the designs on the marble floor. Painted tiles were scattered across the walls among paintings and tapestries, much like those in her room. She heard music and singing coming from somewhere behind the crowd.
The elders greeted them at the foot of the stairs. Their robes were dark navy, matching Ariana's cloak. She recognized Jenner, who emerged from the group first. He took Ariana's hand in his as he bowed, and kissed it. She wasn't sure how to respond, and was grateful when he rose to face them.
'Lady Ariana, begotten of Gabriel Briony of Leiden and Caelyn Edessa of Lipsius, we are honored to welcome you home. Antu oinai worno ethomos.'
All of the elders then came to her, one by one, to grant her the same Adorian blessing. When they were finished, everyone cheered.
Michael leaned over to quietly inform her they'd be moving into the dining hall. She walked beside him, still keeping a firm hold on his hand. Although she was anxious about being the cause for so much fuss, she couldn't get Garren's face out of her mind and it brought heat to her cheeks. Michael mistook it for nerves.
'It's alright. You should feel loved. You're a part of this realm now, a daughter of Adoria.' He smiled, but she couldn't even bring herself to nod in acknowledgment, nor could she force the feel, from the dream, of Garren's hand on her cheek. Her cuts stung despite the salve that had been used and she wasn't in the mood to hear Michael's idealistic banter. It wasn't that she didn't think he believed what he was saying, he appeared to take every word of it as absolute truth, but after seeing the dissolution of so many promises in her life, Ariana couldn't recall the last time she'd had faith in anything substantial. How could she just accept that everything was going to be fine when nothing ever was?
They walked through a large set of doors into a room of identical proportions, filled with long rows of tables. A separate table was set on a large platform at the far end of the room, no doubt for Michael's and Ariana's use. Michael approached the table and pulled out a chair for her. They sat down, facing the room.
Servers brought out many kinds of game — pheasant, venison and quail — and other animals that she couldn't begin to name and had no interest in learning. It was a shame that she still had no appetite. Scores of Adorians came to speak to her as the night progressed, repeating their names over and over in the hopes that she'd remember them. It was hard enough to appear interested in what they were saying, much less keep track of their identities and the purpose they served in Cyphrus.
Michael must have sensed her state of mind and leaned over to check on her several times throughout the meal. She nodded respectfully each time, but declined to enlighten him further. She was pleased to see Duncan, who came around the table to hug her. She held on tightly this time, happy to see a familiar face.
He kissed her cheek. 'I know this is all strange to you. It's nothing like home, but you'll come to love it here, I promise. Are you settling in alright?'
Ariana shrugged, hoping that her lack of a response would answer his question.
'If you'd like, we can ride sometime soon. I can show you a bit more of Adoria.'
'I would love nothing more,' she said, giving him a genuine smile in return.
'Then it's settled. Tell me when you're ready.' He gave her one overzealous pat on the back, unaware of her wounds, before he turned to leave.
'Wait, Duncan?' She swallowed back the newly revived pain that spread now from one side of her back to the other.
'Yes?' he asked, kneeling down in front of her.
'Do you think any of them are still alive?'
