He looked up at her, his expression wry. “I’m not exactly the luckiest person, my lady.”
Her eyes widened again, and this time her voice softened, her earlier enthusiasm dimming. “Oh… I see.” A brief pause, then, “I’m sorry, Felix. I don’t mean to pry. It’s just… it would be nice to get to know each other. It’s going to be a long journey.”
Felix regarded her in silence for a moment, her words turning over in his mind. She was not wrong, but there were things she did not – should not – know. It would be better, easier, if they maintained a polite distance. He turned back to his work, giving the tent a lot more attention than it needed. “I prefer not talking about myself,” he said, his tone making it clear the conversation was over.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her shoulders slump. She lingered for a heartbeat longer, then walked back toward her own tent, where Garren had just appeared to assist her.
Felix exhaled. He’d expected relief at her withdrawal, but it somehow never came.
***
It was only a few days later that she engaged him again, apart from polite exchanges about travel matters. The sun hung high overhead, casting long streaks of light through the trees as the group followed a trail that had widened enough for two horses to walk abreast. Felix rode a short distance behind Isolde, his thoughts preoccupied with scanning the surrounding forest. Garren had gone up to speak with Luella, their low voices carrying from farther up the path.
Isolde cast a thoughtful expression over her shoulder. She slowed down her horse until she was alongside him.
“I only left Azuill twice before this.” Her tone was casual, with only a hint of uncertainty shining through. “When I was a little girl, we went to visit family in Lledia. I barely remember any of it, except having to sit in a carriage for what felt like forever. The house there was very dusty and dark. I hated it. My aunt was so nice, though. I wished she lived closer.”
Felix glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Why was she telling him this?
“The other time was just a few years ago. My father told me we were merely going away for the season, but later I found out it was because of the Aetherglass Feud. We spent the summer in Taruel, down the river. We took a barge to get there – it was wonderful.” She sighed wistfully.
Felix remembered the Aetherglass Feud very well. He had more than a few scars courtesy of that affair, and he had been flush with gold for a good while afterwards. ‘Wonderful’ is not how he would have described it, but there had been worse times. He felt her watching him, waiting for some kind of response. He kept silent, but the ghost of a smile crept across his face at her piercing expression.
Her lips pressed together briefly, but she didn’t seem deterred. “Apart from those trips, I’ve spent my entire life in Azuill,” she continued. “I’m an only child. My mother died when I was little, and my father never remarried.”
Felix glanced at her again. She spoke with little emotion, but the way she kept her gaze fixed on the trail ahead suggested careful control.
“I like books,” she added after a moment. “And nature, and animals. And learning new things. I’ve been studying alchemy and reading a really exciting book recently calledTales of the Sands.Until…” Her voice faltered, the words hanging in the air.
Felix risked a proper look at her this time. Her expression betrayed nothing, but the faint shimmer of magic swirling around her was impossible to miss. It pulsed, the energy wild and unsteady. Her mare flicked its ears and shook its head, agitated by the sparks.
“I’m sorry,” Felix heard himself say, “for what happened. I can’t imagine what this must be like for you.”
She turned towards him and blinked. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “I really appreciate that.”
“I’m still not going to share my life story.”
Isolde huffed. “I didn’t expect you would. You can be as mysterious as you like.” A glint of mischief sparkled in her eyes. “I have plenty of time.”
Felix thought she was very odd for a highborn lady.
***
Apparently, as Isolde was concerned, the ice between them was well and truly broken now. She talked freely, sharing stories about her life, the subjects she had studied, and her favourite childhood memories. All that afternoon she stayed beside Felix, her enthusiasm unrestrained. The following days were no different – she would often ride alongside him, pointing out trees, plants, and even fungi with genuine delight.
Felix kept waiting for the irritation to set in, expecting to grow tired of her chatter, but to his surprise it never happened. Instead, he enjoyed her company. There was something infectious about her energy, and how much sheer knowledge she possessed quietly impressed him. Even the driest facts about the forest seemed to come to life in her voice. He had been prepared to travel alongside aspoiled princess, crying and complaining. It would still have been worth the gold, but only just.
He’d never thought she would be someone so likeable, or that she would be so persistent in trying to befriend him. She was funny and smart, and she treated him like an equal. He liked her smile as well. It was contagious. He was dimly aware it was risky to allow himself to get close to her, considering that on top of everything else, she was stunning, and he wasn’t blind. But, well, when had “risky” ever put him off anything before?
Isolde didn’t ask him direct questions about himself. Instead, she’d tell him something about her own life, or share her opinion on a topic, and then fall silent, casting a sidelong glance at him as if waiting for his response. Felix would just grin, his silence speaking volumes, and she would roll her eyes before moving on. But she never pushed it, and Felix appreciated her all the more for that.
The spectre of Lord Trevalyan’s instructions lingered in the back of his mind. Sometimes he glanced at Isolde’s face as she was lecturing him on plant lore, or history, and wondered if he’d be able to do it. If it came to it, if there was no other way. But the Nexus was far away, and many things could happen before they reached their destination. He decided not to worry about it too much.
***
The forest floor grew rocky, and on higher parts of the trail, they could spot low mountains in the distance to the west. Birds chirped high in the canopy, their songs mingling with the soft crunch of the horses’ hooves on the leaves.
Isolde’s sharp intake of breath broke the quiet. She brought her horse to a halt, her gaze fixed on a patch of vibrant blue flowers. “Wait! Over there!” she said, her voice full of excitement.
