Flight of the Five Swans
Fate Chapter 34

Ayden

Dinner had been absolute torturefor Ayden. The tension around the dinnertable had been so thick that he felt he could have cut it with a knife—evenwith his butter knife. His father hadbeen most suspicious to replace out that one of the Kyorian princesses had beenliving under his roof for the last several weeks. He spent the entire meal shooting glancesacross the table at Svana—Raia, Aydenreminded himself—through narrowed eyes. This was likely a contributing factor to why Raia herself looked tenseas well, though Ayden suspected that the main reason for her unease was the manwho had sat next to her.

Soran,prince of Deturus—or was he the king? Whatever his title may be, he claimed to be Raia’s fiancé.

Yet Aydensuspected that there might be more to the story. There hadto be more to the story. All throughoutdinner, Ayden had seen that Raia sat as far away from the Deturian royal as shepossibly could, leaning her body so far in the opposite direction that she wasnearly falling off of her seat. And whenSoran insisted on escorting her to her room, she looked positivelyhorrified. She had glanced towards Aydenand the king with a pleading expression in her eyes. Yet there had really been nothing that he orhis father could have done. After all,from everything that Soran had said, Raiawas the one who had been in the wrong, fleeing her wedding and taking shelterin Ithcar under false pretense. In sucha delicate situation, their hands were tied. They could do nothing to intervene between the engaged couple withoutrisking antagonizing their newest royal guest—and possibly gaining a powerfulenemy in Deturus.

Still,Ayden could not get Raia’s face out of his head. She had looked so worried, sofrightened. The image of her eyeshaunted him even now.

Ayden stoodabruptly, knocking the chair over in his haste. He didn’t pause even a moment to right the piece of furniture before hehad stridden out of the library and down the hall towards the guest rooms.

A guard was standing outside thedoor to Raia’s room. Ayden wished thathe could say that he was surprised at the sight, but he had already guessedthat Soran would likely take some kind of precaution to ensure that Raia didnot flee again. From what little he’dseen of the man, Ayden knew that Soran wanted the Kyorian princess badly. And while Ayden could appreciate the girl’sallure perhaps far more than anyone else, he certainly would never have dreamedof stooping so low as to bar her—or anyone—in their room. Not to mention forcing her into a marriagethat she clearly did not want.

As Ayden had expected, the guardmoved to prevent him entering Raia’s room. “No one enters. King Soran’sorders.” The man said, and the curtnessof his voice told Ayden that the guard had no idea who he was. Fortunately, however, this was one occasion where Ayden actually had the authority tooverrule Soran’s wishes. After all, theDeturian may be royalty, but he was still a guest in their palace. The Ithcarianpalace—where Ayden was prince. Not only the prince, but the crown prince,heir to the throne.

Ayden could go where he damn wellpleased.

He straightened his shoulders andlooked the man square in the eye with a quelling gaze—one he never needed to use with his own men.

“I am Ayden, crown prince ofIthcar. You will let me pass.”

The man’s face whitened, and helooked for the world as though he were caught in between a rock and a hardplace.

“I…I’m sorry, Your Highness,” hesaid at last, his voice full of the deference it had previously lacked. “It’s just…King Soran said…he said theprincess was not to leave…”

“The princess will not beleaving. But I will be entering. Just for amoment—for a private word with the princess.”

Ayden did not give the guard achance to refuse. He simply strode rightpast the man and opened the door to enter.

Raia looked up as the door opened,and Ayden saw immediately that she had been crying. Her gray eyes were red and puffy, andmoisture still lingered in streaks on her cheeks. His heart clenched at the sight. Still, he took pleasure in the certainty thatshe was happy to see him. Raia’s sadexpression lightened slightly at the sight of him. The look in her eyes when she saw him—thejoy, the hope, the…Ayden had to caution himself against reading too deeply intothe emotion he saw reflected in her gaze.

“Svan—sorry, Raia.” He said, his voicestumbling over the still-unfamiliar name. At Ayden’s slip of the tongue, Raia’s expression became uncertain, asthough just remembering all the secrets still between them. Ayden stepped fully into the room and closedthe door slightly behind him. He leftjust enough of an opening to convince the guard outside that he and Raia wouldnot be planning her escape—though that was exactly his intention.

As Ayden approached several steps,Raia stood, wringing her hands together in her nervousness. Ayden also suspected that the princess was ata loss as to what to do without her ever-present knitting keeping her fingersbusy.

He took a deep breath and blurtedout exactly what was on his mind.

“You don’t want to marry him!”

Ayden had meant to phrase it as aquestion, but it did not come out as such. Yet he did not think that his statement was false; from observing theinteractions between Soran and Raia since the Deturian king’s sudden arrivalthat afternoon, Ayden was certain that marriage with Soran was the very lastthing that the Kyorian princess desired.

Raia shook her head vehemently, confirmingAyden’s suspicions. He felt a briefmoment of happiness, a flutter of hope.

“Then you won’t!” He told her fiercely, and was immediatelyencouraged by the flash of hope that appeared in Raia’s eyes as well. Mind racing frantically, he immediately beganformulating plans for an escape. Hebegan to pace the room, his voice a hushed whisper.

“Even as prince of Ithcar, I do nothave the authority to intercede between the relations of a couple onceengaged.”

Raia nodded in resigneddisappointment, her eyes following him as he walked up and down the room. Ayden came to a stop and faced her oncemore. Though his voice was low, itreflected his utter determination. “ButI’ll help you escape, Raia. I know thispalace like the back of my hand. We canslip out, run away where Soran won’t replace us until it’s too late.”

The happiness in Raia’s eyes dimmedat the mention of his idea. Ayden feltdisheartened.

“What is it?” He asked her, atrifle desperately. He had left his planpurposefully ambiguous in case he had misread the signs. Yet he had believed that Raia would jump atthe chance to escape Soran’s grasp—and he had thought that she would bewilling, even eager, to have Ayden along for the flight.

Raia did not have her chalk andslate, and so had to resort instead to using hand motions to communicate. She fluttered her hands as though they werewings. Understanding immediately,Ayden’s heart sank a little.

The swans. Of course. Ayden did not comprehend Raia’s utter devotion to her swans, but he knewinstinctively that she would never hear of leaving them behind. And no matter how Ayden racked his brain, hecould not think of any way to sneak five large and likely noisy birds out ofthe palace undetected. They were sure tobe spotted or heard, and then they would be in the exact same situation asbefore.

No.

The situation would be worse than before. While Ayden knew that running away with theKyorian princess would bring no small trouble for the relationship betweenIthcar and Deturus, he would be willing—morethan willing—to risk the difficulty if he could be sure of helping Raia out ofharm’s way. But being caught in the actof fleeing would be a different story; not only would the relations between thetwo countries suffer, but he—and Raia—would be undergoing the risk only fortheir plans to end in failure.

He looked at Raia sadly, and sheread his response in the depths of his eyes.

“They are truly precious to you,aren’t they?” Ayden asked her softly. Raia nodded, holding his gaze and placing her hand over her heart.

“Precious enough to sacrifice yourown freedom?” Again, she nodded withouthesitating, and he could not tell by her expression whether or not she haddetected the undertone of bitterness in his voice. He winced internally on hearing ithimself. Shoulders slumping slightly, hestepped closer to Raia and her hands into his own. He gazed deeply into her eyes, whichreflected his own sadness and disappointment back at him.

“Then tell me, Raia.” He said, hisvoice barely above a whisper to prevent the guard outside fromeavesdropping. “I can’t call a stop tothe wedding. You can’t—or won’t—escape. But is there anything—anything—that I can do to help you?”

Raia’s eyes searched his owndesperately, as though there was something she was longing to tell him. Finally, however, she pulled her hands fromhis grasp and made yet another motion with her own.

Her knitting.

“You want me to bring you yourknitting?” Ayden guessed, and Raia smiled slightly through the sheen of newtears. “Where did you leave it? In the gardens?”

Raia nodded, her eyes shining withemotion. Desperately, she caught at hishand again. She tapped his palm with herown, shaking her head almost frantically. Ayden took another guess.

“And…don’t touch?”

Raia’s fingers curled aroundAyden’s, and she nodded again. Twistinghis hand deftly, Ayden caught Raia’s in his grasp. He bent over it, kissing the back of it forthe first time.

“It shall be done.”