As soon as the ship's plank touched the dock, I was off. My legs wobbled from being on solid land for the first time in a few days, but I carried on, determined to show all the Kulkans that I wasn't a weakling.
The town itself was fairly small for a port city, with flat-roofed houses that would make a vigilante's work easy. The citizenry had gathered in clumps around the dock to see their prince arrive, and I didn't miss their star-struck gazes. Ammon was beloved in his country.
My stomach, however, made it very clear that before I tackled Neveri, I would need to eat. So I headed into the first mess hall I found, welcomed by the smell of freshly baked bread and roasted vegetables. I paid the woman one silver for a large plate and a tankard of mead, and settled in. The food was gone in minutes, earning me a chuckle from the man who was clearing the plates.
"We don't normally get people that eager to eat," he said, giving me a look. "Especially ones who've been in from sea."
"Let's just say my traveling companions weren't the best," I said, sitting back and growing tired from a full belly. "Speaking of, how do I get to Neveri from here?"
"It's southeast. There's a road you can take that'll get you there in about five or six hours. Three if you can get a horse," the man replied. "But you'll only get so far before they stop you. Ain't nobody crossing these days."
"I'm sure a few people are getting by—"
"Not for the past few weeks. Used to be that you could sneak across. Now they guard the road like it's precious gold or something." He blew air out between his lips. "It's getting bad over there. The border towns were used to getting fruit from this side of things—soil's a bit better. And we can't eat all that we produce, either."
"Yeah, I heard," I said with a grimace. "So no one's getting through? Not even with money?"
"Maybe with money. But none of us have enough to give up to cross."
I nodded. Luard would be able to pass, that was good. As for me, I'd have to figure something else out.
After finishing my meal, I set out onto the darkening streets, taking the route the man had given me. There was a chill in the air, but it was nice, and the wind had a salty taste. Children still played outside. Although they didn't seem to have a care, their parents all wore a look of uncertainty.
"Nervousness spreads." Nicolasa's words seemed appropriate even in Kulka.
I left the city, following a main road with signs pointing to Neveri. All of them had another sign pinned on top of them—border closed. My feet had begun to ache, but I strengthened my resolve every time I passed those signs, and the miles to reach the border ticked lower.
In the distance, a small city was visible—whether it was Neveri or not, I had no idea. Based on the last sign I passed, there were still ten miles to the city, so probably not. I checked my compass, which still pointed in a southeasterly direction, so I was going the right way. Perhaps it was another border city on the way—and perhaps, my swollen feet would get a reprieve and I could purchase an evening at the inn.
Hoofbeats pounded in the distance behind me. There was a group of riders coming on me fast. Kulkan soldiers, perhaps? Either way, I didn't want to chance anything, so I found a nearby bush to hide behind. I hoped the moonlight wouldn't give me away, but even with it shining fully, it was still difficult to see out on the empty road.
I held my breath as the riders passed by—four horsemen and…Ammon's carriage.
I didn't have the energy to scowl; if Ammon was headed toward the smattering of lights in the distance, that meant it was the Kulkan encampment. I would surely find a heavy contingent of Forcadelian soldiers on the other side of the border. Crossing there might not be the best option.
So, hoping the Mother and my compass would guide me, I turned on my heel and headed south, hoping I'd come across something better.
It didn't take me long to realize why the road was the best way to go. For a few miles, the ground was hard and grassy, an easy trek. But the smell of a swamp reached my nose, and soon my pace was slowed as my boots sank into wet ground with every step. Mosquitoes nipped at every bit of exposed skin and the cool air was now uncomfortably wet.
Thoughts of what might be lurking in the darkness of the swamp kept my heart rate up, but I forced myself to put one foot in front of the other. By now, I was too far into it to turn back, and eventually—eventually I would hit something. Either the Vanhoja river or Neveri. Or I'd be eaten alive by some monster swimming in the depths.
Every so often, my foot would land in a deep puddle, and cold, salty water would splash up onto my pants. So I'd edge my way around until I found solid ground.
"Well, Mother," I said, wiping grime off my pants for the umpteenth time. "If You were curious if I really wanted my crown back, I think You have Your answer."
As if to prove a point, a cold wind blew and the clouds obscured the moon, bathing me and the endless swamp in pitch-black darkness. I pulled out my compass, squinting in the dark to make sure I was still going in the right direction. But my hands, slippery from muck and water, couldn't hold it and the small piece fell into the murky depths.
"Perfect."
I closed my eyes to keep my temper from causing me more problems, and kept walking in the same direction.
By now, my tongue was dry and my eyes drooped. There was no relief in sight—no light in the distance, nothing that might indicate I was close to anywhere I could safely lay my head. I thought about the pounds of food lying in the road back in Kulka, about the uncertainty on the faces, and about the people in Forcadel who needed saving. They needed me to complete this mission, not collapse into the welcoming mud and die.
Although that did sound tempting.
In my distraction, I tripped over something and fell forward, landing in a stream. I pushed myself up out of the wetness, spitting the salty, dirty water and blinking. The clouds had moved, and the moon brightened the land with light once more.
I'd stumbled into a large river, and based on the size and my general location, I had a strong suspicion it was the Vanhoja river. In the distance, to the east, the faintest sunlight was creeping over the horizon, so I headed in that direction. The path was still slow and muddy, but with the improving light, I could at least keep a better eye on where I placed my feet.
Almost as soon as the sun broke the horizon, I spotted the city—or at least the church spire. Tears fell freely from my eyes as I breathed in the air of my homeland, and I collapsed to my knees when I reached the first gravel road. I pressed my forehead to the ground, thanking the Mother for keeping me alive, for allowing me to see Forcadel once more.
I wasn't sure how long I lay there, and I must've fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, something was poking me in the back. Groaning, I blinked in the sunlight to see a form surrounded by light.
"Mother?" I rasped, my throat in dire need of water.
"Are you all right?" It wasn't the Mother, but a teenage girl. She placed a basket by my side and rolled me onto my back. "You look frightful. Did you walk through the swamp?"
I nodded, squinting and running a hand over my salt-crusted face.
"I thought you might be dead," she said. "Can you walk? My house is just up the road. I've got water and food there."
Although my body protested mightily, I pulled myself to sit then stand, and gingerly followed the girl back to her house. It wasn't lost on me that this girl was allowing a complete stranger, one covered in mud, into her house simply because I needed help.
With cracked lips, I smiled. Finally, I was back amongst my people.
The girl, whose name was Norah, took me back to a small house on the outskirts of town. She provided me with a fresh tunic and leggings, and allowed me access to her water pump to clean my boots and myself. When I returned to gather my things and thank her, she had set out a large breakfast for me.
"This is…too much," I said, but sat down at the table anyway. "Thank you for your generosity."
"We have to do what we can to take care of each other in these troubling times," she said, looking out the window. "How did you come to this town? Through the swamps?"
I nodded and took another large bite of food. "The border's closed, so I had to improvise."
"Make sure you don't advertise that fact," she said, coming to sit at the table. "The new captain in the city doesn't take kindly to trespassers from Kulka."
"I'm Forcadelian," I said, taking a large bite of the sweet roll and savoring the taste. It had been too long since I'd had one of Bea's amazing rolls. I'd almost forgotten they existed.
"To the Severians and those who swear fealty to them, it doesn't matter," Norah said. "The queen herself was in Neveri a few weeks ago to close the gates. She left one of her monster captains to oversee us, and things haven't been the same since. Our food supplies are dwindling, and no one cares."
My heart leapt when she'd said "captain," but I doubted Felix would be called a monster. I chewed slowly, noting the bowl of berries on the table weren't as bright as the ones I'd eaten the night before in Kulka. "What's the captain's name?"
"Maarit. She's Severian," Norah said. "Things were bad before she arrived, but now they're worse. They used to at least let people out through the roads. Searched and approved with heavy tariffs, of course. But now, they'll stick an arrow in anyone who dares pass." She cast a look at me. "You're lucky you didn't run into any of them."
"I took my luck in the swamps," I said.
"And lucky you were. Surprised you didn't get eaten by a river dragon."
I swallowed the berry before it got stuck in my throat and decided to change the subject away from all the things that could've eaten me the night before. "So this Maarit, what's her deal? Why did they close the borders?"
"Probably the incident in Skorsa, if the rumors are to be believed."
"What Skorsa incident?" I asked, a sinking suspicion in my stomach.
"Apparently, the mayor there let some ship through. Or a bunch of ships, he was getting paid off. So Ilara had him strung up in the city square and put a captain in both border cities."
My stomach rose into my throat. Kelsor's death wasn't on my hands. Ilara had made that call, could have very well have just thrown him in jail. But it was hard not to feel culpable.
"How far is the city from here?" I asked.
"Not far. Maybe thirty minutes south along the road," she said. "But they're checking everyone coming in or out. If you don't have papers—that is, if you can't prove you're Forcadelian—they won't let you inside the city."
I'd never heard of anyone having to have any kind of registration. It smacked of something dangerous and un-Forcadelian. "What kind of papers are we talking about?"
"It depends on the person who's checking entry that day, so I've heard," she said. "Last week, they let me in with my mother's discharge papers—she was in the Forcadelian army. But my neighbors were turned away with their annual tax receipts."
I nodded. "I'll figure something out, I'm sure." Even if it meant sneaking into the city.
"I'm sure you will, Your Majesty."
My head snapped up. "I'm sorry?"
She slid a crinkled-up piece of paper across the table. My likeness stared up at me, pronouncing my coronation three months before. It wasn't an exact match, but anyone who saw the poster might make the connection.
"I'm flattered," I said, slowly, looking up at her. "It's not the first time I've been mistaken for Brynna. But I assure you, I'm not her. Her nose is too big. And she's too…" I gestured to the poster. "Delicate."
"Ah, well, hope does spring eternal," she said with a heavy sigh, as she pulled the paper back to her with a forlorn look. "I've been praying to the Mother that she'd send the princess back to save us all."
"You hope the princess is alive?" I asked. "Why?"
"There's been precious little to be optimistic about. I've lit more candles in the church than there are stars in the sky, it seems." She sat back. "Maarit thinks if she squeezes hard enough, she can choke the life out of this city. But what she doesn't know is that the harder you hold, the more people resist." She shrugged. "And the harder it is to keep them in place. People are angry, and something is going to burst soon."
I glanced at my face again, oscillating between giving her that hope and keeping my cards close to my chest. For now, I decided to keep them close.
"For your hospitality," I said, placing a few gold coins on the table. "I wish I could give you more, but—"
"It is as the Mother wants," she said, pushing the coins back to me. "I hope you are successful in whatever you're here to do. If I can help at all, please allow me the honor."
I glanced up at her. Perhaps there was something. "Can you get me into the city?"
She beamed. "I can certainly try."