SWNOVELXO Chapter 39: Chapter 39
"But you won't leave immediately, right?" Valeria asked hesitantly. Her injuries were healing, but pain still lingered, and the thought of living alone for the first time in her life filled her with dread. And what if the king found her? She would be utterly defenseless. Anxiety gnawed at her chest.
"We have to leave already, my lady, but we'll be back in two weeks," Asher replied matter-of-factly. "For now, we need to report to Lord Lohra that you've arrived safely at your hiding place, and there are other matters we need to attend to."
Valeria pressed her lips together, unsure of how to respond. Protesting would only seem ungrateful after everything they had done to bring her here. Asher and Elias were already preparing to depart, not even taking time to rest.
"There's food in the kitchen—either pre-cooked or simple to prepare," Asher explained, walking her through the supplies. "We've also stocked firewood, which should last you until we return in two weeks."
Valeria nodded along, a blanket draped over her shoulders as Elias steadied her with a firm hand. She was still weak, but at least she could stand with his help.
"You're not allowed to leave the cottage for now," Asher continued, his tone firm. "We don't want to risk anyone recognizing you. It's best for you to stay hidden for the next weeks until the king gives up searching for you. Do you understand?"
Valeria suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at his condescending tone, as though he were speaking to a child. She wouldn't risk leaving, especially in her current condition. "Yes, Sir Asher!" she replied mockingly, throwing in a sarcastic salute.
Asher scoffed, but Elias's lips twitched into a faint smile. Valeria was warming up to Elias, and it seemed the feeling was mutual.
"Just don't get into trouble. You're not exactly great at following orders," Asher grumbled, glancing at her bandaged torso. The memory of the wolf attack still lingered—she'd ignored his command to stay in the carriage, and it nearly cost her her life.
"That was different," she shot back defensively. "You could have warned me there were wolves."
"Just listen this time, okay?" Asher said through gritted teeth, his patience wearing thin. "We need to leave now."
"Okay, okay," she relented, waving him off. "Have safe travels and don't get killed by wolves."
"That's not funny. You almost died!" Asher snapped, his voice sharp with frustration, before storming out without a goodbye.
Valeria let out a heavy sigh. She didn't understand why he was so salty toward her. Joking about things like that helped her cope. Katherine would have laughed at her joke. She missed her best friend. Lately, her world had been filled with far too much toxic masculine energy.
Elias's gentle squeeze on her arm pulled her out of her thoughts. She glanced up at him, meeting his apologetic gaze.
"No, don't," she said, shaking her head. "I know what you're trying to say, but we just have to accept that he's a humorless, stern bastard."
Elias patted her head lightly, then reached into his bag and pulled out something wrapped in cloth. "Is that for me?" she asked curiously.
He nodded, placing the bundle in her hands. She quickly unwrapped it, her eyes lighting up as she revealed a dagger. It was beautiful—its Damascus steel blade shimmered with intricate rippling patterns.
"Wow, it's stunning. Thank you, Elias," she said with a bright smile, leaning forward to hug him. Elias stiffened at first but then awkwardly returned the embrace until she pulled away.
Before leaving, he ruffled her hair playfully, eliciting a small laugh from her. Then, without another word, he turned and walked out the door. Through the window, Valeria watched as Elias and Asher mounted their horses. They left the carriage behind, deeming it unnecessary weight. The journey back to the Lohra estate was much faster on horseback without the carriage. The two knights rode off into the night. She stayed by the window until their figures grew smaller and disappeared into the darkness. At least the sun would rise soon, sparing them from traveling too long in the cold night.
Exhaustion tugged at her, and her body ached with every movement. She made her way to the bedroom, deciding to explore the cottage properly the next day and come up with a plan for moving forward. Crawling into bed, she burrowed under the blankets, but it was still too cold despite the fire Asher had lit before leaving. She hid her new dagger underneath her pillow and gripped the hilt tightly. It gave her some sense of safety now that she was completely alone.
Every sound from outside made her flinch, her paranoia keeping her awake. After an hour of tossing and turning, the sun began to rise, and its brightness made sleep even more impossible. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Valeria sat up and decided to put away the things Katherine had sent with her.
She slowly walked to the small bag and pulled out three thick cotton dresses with simple designs. A smile tugged at her lips—Katherine really knew her well. She carefully placed the dresses into the small wardrobe in the corner of her bedroom.
Then, as she reached into the bottom of the bag, she let out a shriek of delight. "God, I love you, Katherine!" she exclaimed, pulling out as many books as the bag could hold. "I wish you were here so I could hug you."
She placed the books on an empty shelf, admiring the growing collection. Now she would at least be not too bored here. Finally, at the very bottom of the bag, she found a letter from Katherine. Grinning, she grabbed it and sat down on the bed to read it.
My Dear Best Friend,
I already miss you and wish you could have stayed longer. I'm still furious with my father for not letting you hide here with us. If anything happens to you, if the king captures you again, I will never forgive myself for not trying harder to protect you.
But let's not dwell on the darker things. I hope you love the books I sent you! I picked ones with romance and exciting, heroic plots. And don't worry, none of the male leads are kings. I figured that would be… a little too on the nose, given your situation.
Try to think of the next few weeks as a vacation, not as hiding from a deranged psychopath. I know it's easier said than done, but maybe it will help. Of course, it would have been far more fun if I could be there with you, but for now, this letter is all I can give you.
Oh, and I drew a picture of us at the end of this letter so you won't miss me too much.
I love you more than anything.
Your best friend, Katherine
Tears welled in Valeria's eyes as she read the letter. By the time she finished, they were streaming down her cheeks. She hurried to wipe them away before they could smudge the precious paper. A choked sob escaped her, mingling with a soft laugh as her gaze fell on the crude drawing at the bottom of the letter. Katherine's attempt at capturing them both as stick figures was… atrocious, to say the least, but it was so unmistakably her.
Valeria clutched the letter to her chest, her heart aching with longing. "I miss you so much," she whispered to the empty room.
Still holding the letter, she lay back on the bed, curling up under the blankets. Her tears continued to fall as exhaustion overtook her. She cried herself to sleep, her best friend's words a bittersweet comfort in the silence of her new reality.