“Of course, Father.” Elias murmured obediently. His expression bore the resemblance of a discouraged young boy, earning a half-hearted sigh from his mother.
Once his family turned their attention back to other topics, I caught notice of a strange glint in Elias’s eyes. Ensuring his parents were wrapped up in their own conversation, he snuck me a knowing look. I raised my eyebrow at him, not certain of what he was trying to tell me.
In the blink of an eye, his sadden expression morphed into a malicious half-smile. I grinned back at him in reply, and he snuck me a serious nod before redirecting his gaze to his parents. He said no words, but once again, I knew exactly what he was saying.
This isn’t over yet.
chapter sixteen
Elias couldn’t sneak me back into his room until after night had fallen. It took some awkward hobbling to get back up the steps, but Elias allowed me to put a majority of my weight on him, which made it much easier. Despite the snack delivery he provided earlier, my stomach was growling viciously by the time we made it to his room. My nose instantly alerted me to the enticing scent of hot food once closed within Elias’s parlor.
“I asked Gillian for a second dinner,” Elias explained as he lifted the silver dome from a plate full of food. “I told her the stress of the day made me more hungry than normal. She tried to lecture me that I would gain weight, but she’s a softie at heart.” He sat me down in front of the meal.
My eyes shone with desire at the beautiful slice of roast chicken. “Thank you, I wish I could thank Gillian too, but I fear I wouldn’t get a good response.” I laughed slightly before shoving a forkful of food into my mouth. It tasted incredible.
“I’m glad you like it because you may not get another meal for a few days,” he said with a half-smile.
I froze mid-bite “What?”.
“I spent the day doing a little research,” he explained, seating himself as he spoke. “Isallan law is a tangled mess of protocol, oaths, and irritating rules.”
I stared at him in confusion. “You’re correct, but how does that help me?” I slowly took another bite.
“It doesn’t!” he stated proudly. I narrowed my eyes on him, secretly enjoying his self-amusement. “Isalla is the absolute worst! That’s why you’ll be starting your new life in the beautiful kingdom of Drancos.”
I nearly choked on my food. “D-Drancos?” My eyes widened, but he only smiled wider.
“Correct! You’ll find that their foliage is beautiful this time of year.” He ignored my befuddled expression and pointed at my plate. “Now eat up, you’ve got a ride to catch at midnight.”
“Hold on a moment.” The words half came out as a laugh. He was so ridiculous when he got like this, but I couldn’t help but be amused. “Please explain this grandiose plan of yours.”
He flashed me a braggadocious grin. “After my research, I learned that Isallan marriage laws do have one on limitation. The marriage is only valid in Isalla! Meaning, if you left the kingdom, your engagement would become completely meaningless. Theodore would either have to propose to you in Drancos or drag you back to Isalla.”
I chewed quietly for a moment as I considered his plan.
“What will stop Theodore from dragging me back across the border? He has already proven that my father is willing to send a magical hunter after me.” I awaited the inevitable flush of disappointment to cross his face, but his smile didn’t waiver.
“Oh my dear, Aurelia, do you know nothing of Drancos law?” His pompous expression drew an annoyed glare out of me, so he carried on without further preamble. “Drancos law does not permit women to be married under the age of eighteen. Plus, any citizen of Drancos cannot be removed forcefully from the kingdom without passing through their judiciary system. In other words, if you become a Drancos citizen, no hunter or angry betrothed can drag you back without dealing with Drancos officials. Plus...since you’re still under the age of eighteen, it’s unlikely that any Drancos judge would permit your removal for the sake of a forced marriage!” He crossed his arms, beaming with self-satisfaction.
“Bravo.” I applauded through my own joyful smile. “That may actually be a sound plan. So how does me leaving at midnight get me to Drancos?’
“Ah yes, that’s the tricky part I’m afraid.” His smile faded and he ran a nervous hand through his brown hair. “You’ll have to sneak onto the royal courier’s wagon.”
An anxious bark of laughter escaped my lips. “You want me tosneakonto aroyalwagon, which is likely guarded, in the dead of night?” I stared at him nervously, wishing he was joking.
“Yes…?” he answered sheepishly with a light shrug. “It can’t be that difficult. The courier stops at our estate just after midnight—all the judges receive letters at night to allow for immediate perusal in the morning. Since my father’s estate is the farthest outside of the capitol, his courier also visits Drancos before returning to the royal family. I know this because he complains about it every time he receives a delayed reply. When the courier wagon comes by, Bear and I can cause a distraction. Then you can climb inside the wagon and ride all the way to freedom.” He threw his arms up into the air for added flair.
I simply stared at him for a moment, wondering where his energy came from.
“Do you really think it could work?” I asked a little more desperately than I had intended.
His eyes met mine and all signs of jesting went away. “I do,” he answered softly. “I’ll make sure it does.” He reached his hand across the small tea table, taking one of my hands into both of his. “And if this fails, we’ll find another way. No matter what happens, I promise, I won’t let you marry Theodore. The fool doesn’t know what real wealth is. If he did, he would have spoken with you the moment he laid eyes on you.”
A flutter flew through my chest. His kind hazel eyes held such sympathy toward me, but there was a touch of something else. Was it admiration? I couldn’t be sure. The only thing I was certain of was that I didn’t want him to let go of my hand just yet—a strange sensation that came frequently when I was around Elias. At the same time, his warm touch weighed down my heart since I knew that once I left Isalla, I was sure to never see him again.
“Thank you, Elias.” I placed my second hand over top of his. “Before I go, there is one thing that I must tell you.”
No sooner than the words left my mouth, his eyes widened and his hands began to sweat. I wasn’t certain where this distinct reaction was coming from. Perhaps he already knew what I was going to say? Without wanting to further his unusual anticipation, I continued, “I think I know where your father is hiding his business documents.” Eagerly, I watched for his reaction to the news, but for some reason, he turned a bright shade of red and withdrew his hands. Had he been expecting me to say something else?