Gloria blinked back a few brilliant rays from the bright setting sun. A soft tepid breeze toyed with her hair, and smoke curled out of the chimneys where the hard-working villagers hurried home for a well-earned dinner.

  “Want to see if we can make it to that cart and back?” Seth pointed ahead to an empty cart halfway down the street. Gloria nodded quietly and Seth turned them down the muddy street where they walked at a slow steady pace, trying to avoid puddles and sucking mud.

  Neither of them said anything for a long time.

  Gloria peeked up at Seth. His face was pale and pensive. She wondered what he must’ve sounded like when he called out for her.

  Don’t indulge in such silly fantasies, Gloria, a familiar hideous voice in her mind said.

  Seth interrupted before she could formulate a response. “How was your day?” he blurted out. Gloria flinched and looked up at him. He laughed a little, then blushed. “Sorry, that didn’t come out how I meant it to.”

  Gloria’s shoulders relaxed a little and a tense laugh left her chest. “It’s okay,” she said, trying to calm her racing heart. “Well… why don’t you tell me your day instead.”

  Seth started to protest, but Gloria interrupted him. “Please? Mine was boring. Besides I was asleep for so long, I’m sure you have so much more to say anyway.”

  Seth’s face flushed bright pink. He stammered then chuckled a little. “W-well, if you insist.”

  A flutter of warmth blossomed in Gloria’s chest. It’s so good to hear your voice. The thought slipped out before she even realized it.

  “My day?” Seth fumbled over himself until he brightened and turned a smile on her. “I plowed today.”

  “Have you plowed before?”

  Seth shook his head. “Never.”

  “Never?” Gloria looked at Seth in surprise. “Not even at home?”

  “Never,” Seth repeated. “Didn’t need to, we were a smithing family, so we often got paid in goods. Mom had a garden that she’d make me weed, some chickens growing up, but we didn’t need much beyond that.”

  Gloria relaxed a little more. “Did you enjoy it?”

  Seth smiled. “I did. There’s something about watching the dirt churn into that fertile dark soil ready for seed that’s just satisfying; makes me feel like I’m doing something important.”

  Gloria smiled. “I’ve never thought about it that way before.”

  It wasn’t long before they reached the cart, but fighting the mud left Gloria winded. She leaned heavily on Seth, wheezing for breath.

  Seth glanced down at her in concern. “Why don’t we sit down and take a break?” He started to lift her up by her waist, but Gloria tensed and shook her head.

  “No, it’s fine. I’ll be fine.”

  “You will collapse if we don’t rest for a moment,” Seth insisted. He sighed and his shoulders sagged. “Gloria, please trust me; I’m not going to hurt you.”

  Gloria glanced at the white scars on his arm and bit her lip. It would be nice to sit down.

  The ugly voice in her head balked. Trust him? After what he—

  “Alright,” she conceded and looked up at him. “Taking a break would be nice.”

  Seth smiled a little, then lifted Gloria up by the waist, into the front of the cart. Her heart fluttered as she rose into the air. I forgot how strong he is….

  She settled herself down and looked down at Seth who leaned on the cart. “Aren’t you coming?” she asked.

  Seth gripped the edge of the cart and was about to pull himself up, but he hesitated for a moment. He looked away and let go of the cart, shaking his head. “I think I’ll stay down here.”

  Before she realized what she was doing, Gloria patted the seat next to her. “Sit with me. Please? Unless you like to sit in wet mud, it’s not going to be very comfortable down there.”

  Seth’s eyes flicked between her and the empty seat. He pursed his lips, then gripped the cart again and climbed up to sit beside Gloria. “Alright.”

  As he settled down beside her, their shoulders touched. Gloria tensed, and Seth stiffened, making the air awkward again.

  Gloria folded her hands tight, and together they watched the sunset in silence until there was only a red sliver on the horizon and the orange-red clouds were darkening to violet.

  Seth cleared his throat. “Gloria?”

  “Yes?”

  “So…now that The Lady is gone…”

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Oh no… Gloria clenched her knuckles and stared at the darkening sky. Here it comes.

  “I was wondering if… Well, what I mean is since you can’t go back—” Seth growled and dropped his head in his hand, muttering to himself. “That’s great, Seth, let’s just pour more vinegar on that wound, why don’t we.”

  Gloria frowned and peeked back at him. If he wasn’t going to demand her secrets, what was he going to say?

  He bounced his leg anxiously and fumbled over himself until he finally blurted out, “I need to go home. I… I think—No, I want to be king.”

  Gloria stared at her hands in the fading light. “Oh…” She smiled sadly. “That’s… that’s wonderful. I’m glad. When do you leave?”

  Seth stammered on. “Ah— um— Well, I—” He broke off and hit his knee with his fist.

  Gloria frowned and looked at him. “What are—”

  “Come with me.”

  Gloria’s heart stopped and she stared at him. He swallowed and met her gaze.

  “Please… Would you come home with me?”

  The ugly voice reared its head and laughed. Oh yes, that’s rich. A mudsprite going with the king to reclaim his throne?

  Gloria looked away and stared at her feet. “Go with you?”

  “I-I mean, you don’t have to,” Seth quickly added. “But I would…” he trailed off and folded his hands before sighing. “I understand if you don’t. You’ve been through a lot and Fenguar is a long way from here. I can take you back to Westfjord with Elias if you want.”

  Gloria snapped back to the conversation. “You’re not bringing Elias?”

  Seth shook his head. “No. He doesn’t know who I really am. Besides, he’s still a kid. I’ve put him through enough and after his hand…”

  Gloria frowned. “His hand? What’s wrong with Elias’s hand?”

  Seth looked back at Gloria. “Don’t you remember?”

  Gloria slowly shook her head.

  Seth watched her closely. “How much do you remember? From…you know…?”

  Gloria looked down at her hands. Only fragments came to her—she remembered his strangling hands, the glowing talisman, then an oppressive darkness, a desperate embrace, and a warm golden light….

  “Not a lot,” she whispered.

  “So you don’t remember…?” Gloria looked at him and Seth searched her eyes. His eyes widened. “Oh…you don’t.” He looked away and leaned on his elbows, deep in thought.

  Gloria’s stomach dropped and she tried to catch Seth’s face. “What? What don’t I remember? What happened to Elias?”

  Seth tensed. “Well…when he grabbed her heart. His hand…the skin…” His face fell and he shuddered.

  Gloria touched his arm; Seth flinched a little and looked back at her. “What happened?” she insisted.

  Seth dropped his gaze. “His hand…it looks like he stuck it in a furnace.”

  Gloria gasped and struggled to climb to her feet. “What are we doing here then?” she cried. “Let me see him!”

  Seth grabbed her arm before she lost her balance and fell off the cart. “Where are you going?”

  “He needs—”

  His grip tightened around her arm. “No, conserve your strength! You just woke up.”

  Gloria whipped back to face Seth, her eyes glowing with fury. “We can’t—!”

  “I’m not ignoring the problem either,” Seth said firmly. “But I don’t think this is something your magic can heal. But I’m confident that Father Verdas—”

  “Father Verdas?” Gloria spat, “Your solution is that pompous, stuck-up bas—?”

  His grip tightened. “Yes.”

  “You can’t be serious!”

  “We don’t have any other options,” Seth answered quietly. Regret flashed across his face, and he shuddered. “Besides, I need to take him home. I can’t put him through anything else. I can’t…”

  Gloria’s heart softened. She sighed and sank back down beside him before folding her arms and scowling at the sky. “I still hate him.”

  Seth chuckled softly. “I don’t like him any more than you, but he is Elias’s best chance.”

  Gloria sighed, softening her posture as she continued to stare at the stars. He’s right. She hated it, but if Elias needed the help, then that’s what was more important. “Alright…fine. We can take him to Father Verdas.”

  There was a long pause. The sun had vanished behind the horizon now and a few crickets chirped while an owl hooted in the distance. The cart shook a little as Seth’s leg anxiously bounced.

  “’We’…” Seth murmured. “Does… does that mean you want to come with me?”

  Gloria blinked. She had said ‘we’. Was that what she wanted? Gloria glanced at Seth—it was getting harder to see his face in the dark. Do I want to go with him?

  The ugly voice whispered in her ear, Ah, yes. That’s a wonderful idea. Leave the only land you know for a man who’ll abandon you once he becomes king.

  Seth wouldn’t do that…

  Are you sure?

  The Lady’s illusion of Seth locked in a passionate kiss with the beautiful alabaster woman flashed into her mind. Her stomach dropped and she tried to banish the painful memory, but The Lady’s whispers tickled her ear. Rag doll. Distraction.

  Gloria shook the thought away. It was just a trick... He’s better than that. Right?

  Are you willing to bet everything on that?

  A soft breeze blew and Gloria tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. She gave Seth a soft smile. “Yes,” she answered quietly.

  Seth exhaled in relief and leaned back in the cart. “I was thinking we would leave in a day or two,” he said. “Give you more time to rest. Then after we drop Elias off, head to Stormvale on the other side of the Fjord Plains. There's a ship there, The White Lily. Captain Burdock let me earn my passage when I came up here. I bet he’d be willing to do it again.”

  Gloria nodded in the dark. “Will Elias be okay waiting that long?”

  “I hope so. He hasn’t told me otherwise.”

  Gloria and Seth grew quiet. A moment later, a breeze blew, and Gloria shivered.

  Seth stood in the cart and stretched. “Let’s get you back to Mrs. Angie. I don’t want you to catch a cold.” He hopped down and came around to help her.

  Gloria let Seth carry her down and they began the walk back to Mrs. Angie’s. She leaned on him, beginning to relax, but the ugly voice in her mind snorted derisively at her.

  Soak it up while you can. It’ll all crumble away eventually—joy always does.