Serena followed Livia unwittingly and down the flight of stairs, she pulled her hand back and was met with a stern-looking expression. What a strange person the woman was.
Livia merely rolled her eyes and picked up her skirts and continued on her path. Serena increased her steps and mirrored the stern expression on Livia’s face and huffed.
"We need to have Darius in the right spirits with absolutely no distractions, including you," Livia replied in an irritated tone.
Serena stumbled and kept her pace with Livia, it rubbed her off in a weird way that she was considered a distraction to Darius. Did they think she practiced malicious magic or something of that sort?
"I see," Serena said to chase away the silence between them.
Their boots echoed in the awkward silence, Serena was deep in her thoughts and Livia on the other hand was reviewing the course of action that she and a few of the other council members had gone over the day before.
Serena exhaled once they finally got out the building, the women exited from the south of the building. There a few staff were roaming around in an urgent fashion. The air carried a hint of festivity. Serena wished she could stop and stare at the ongoings but she knew Livia would bark at her to continue walking.
She clasped her hands behind her back and followed closely behind Livia.
Down the stone steps and past the stables, where the horses were being brushed and saddled in preparation. The scent of oil and leather was heavy in the air. Two stable boys bowed low as they passed, their eyes quickly darting away from the women.
Livia didn’t acknowledge them. She kept walking until they reached the open yard where a few guards were already mounted and waiting. There were flags flapping, carts being loaded with crates—documents, ceremonial gifts, food, and wine for the welcoming feast. A full procession.
Serena slowed for a moment to look at the wagons. There were ribbons tied around the corners of the carts, in Ironshade grey and muted red. It felt like they were getting ready for a parade.
"Don’t lag behind," Livia called without turning her head.
Serena snapped her gaze forward and quickened her pace. "I wasn’t," she muttered under her breath.
They reached the first line of horses. A tall, pale beast with silver dapples shifted on its hooves and let out a soft huff. Serena recognized it—Darius’s horse, she thought. Fresh chapters posted on N0veI.Fiɾe.net
She scanned the other horses but didn’t see his familiar frame. She bit down on the inside of her cheek and stared at the saddle, wondering if he would join them at the last minute or simply appear in Longdale like some conjured spirit.
"He’s not riding with us," Livia said, noticing Serena’s eyes.
"Of course," Serena replied, dragging her eyes away.
A woman in a fitted black riding coat handed Serena a pair of gloves and gestured toward a horse already prepared for her. She mounted quickly, thankful her dress was tailored for travel and not all flounce and flourish. Once seated, she adjusted her posture, ignoring the tight twist in her stomach.
Livia was already atop her own mare, holding the reins with ease and grace like a seasoned noblewoman. She gave a sharp nod to the guard who seemed to be coordinating the group. He barked something Serena didn’t catch, and the procession began to form.
The gates of the keep creaked open, and with a practiced fluidity, they began their descent down the winding trail toward the lower valley. Longdale was only a few hours’ ride away, but Serena felt like it was on another continent entirely. Each hoofbeat on the path thudded in her chest.
Behind them, the Ironshade keep loomed, proud and grey as ever, but distant now. Like she had been cast from its heart and now only circled its outer walls.
She stole glances at the landscape as they rode. The trees bore the early signs of summer, still shy but promising. Birds scattered at the sound of hooves, and here and there the common folk stopped to watch the council ride past. Some bowed their heads. Others simply stared. One child even waved.
It was strange, she thought, being part of something that looked almost celebratory. For a moment, she imagined how this would have looked if things were different—if she and Darius had been public, if Crimsonclaw had not been a mark of scandal and suspicion. If she were not still wondering whether the past would eventually bury her future.
"Keep your eyes ahead," Livia’s voice cut in.
Serena did as she was told. But her thoughts did not obey.
She remembered Darius’s hand pressed to her cheek, his voice quiet in the hallway outside the war room. We’ll get through this. He’d said it like a promise. And promises were the cruelest kind of lie when they couldn’t be kept.
The terrain began to level out as they reached the flatlands leading into Longdale. The town itself sat nestled in a wide green bowl, its roofs catching the sun. There were banners already strung between two high poles at the entrance gate.
"They’ve arrived," someone up ahead announced.
Livia leaned back slightly and gave Serena a look over her shoulder. "You’ll speak when spoken to and not before. Understand?"
Serena nodded once. Her mouth was dry.
"Good," Livia said and turned back forward.
Serena felt the weight of the upcoming moment settle over her shoulders like a cloak soaked in cold water. The Dawnbreak wolves would see her. They would recognize her by scent, if not by face. There would be no more hiding after this.
She took in a slow breath and adjusted her gloves. This was what she’d signed up for—diplomacy, strategy, alliance. She was no longer just a survivor of Crimsonclaw’s ashes. She was something more now.
At least, she hoped she was.
The gates of Longdale opened wide to receive them.