Chapter 2: Northern Encounter
***Cadiz***
I woke up to a gray, cold morning. I'd barely slept, my mind full of Father's threats and my coming marriage to someone I'd never met. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw faces twisted with pity and heard whispers about how the Ashfordes must be desperate.
My maid Mari showed up at my door with traveling clothes. Her eyes were red, she must have been crying. She laid out a formal jacket in Eberhart cream and silver, trying not to look at me.
"The carriages are ready, young master," she said quietly. "Your father wants you ready within the hour."
An hour. Not even time for breakfast or a final walk through the gardens. Father really couldn't wait to get rid of me.
"Mari, will you help me say goodbye to Camilla? I don't think Father will let me see her."
Her face cracked a little. "She's waiting in the rose garden, my lord. She's been there since before sunrise."
I hurried to the garden and found my little sister sitting on a stone bench among the flowers. Her silver hair was messy from sleep, and she was still in her nightgown with a cloak over her shoulders. When she saw me, she threw herself into my arms.
"I don't want you to go," she whispered. "It's not fair. You didn't do anything wrong."
"I know, Cam." I held her tight. "But sometimes life isn't fair."
"Cassius doesn't think it's right either. He told me Father was being cruel."
That surprised me. I wouldn't have expected Cassius to care much about my situation.
"Here," Camilla said, pressing something into my hands. It was a small leather journal wrapped with a pressed winter rose. "So you can write to me. And so you'll remember that someone here loves you."
My throat closed up. "Camilla..."
"Promise me you'll be careful up north. Promise you won't let them convince you that you're worth nothing, because you're not. You're the best brother anyone could have."
I hugged her one more time before Mari appeared to tell us the carriages had arrived.
The courtyard was busy with activity. Black carriages with the silver raven of House Ashforde waited in our driveway, horses stamping in the morning chill. Ashforde servants loaded my trunks with quick, impersonal movements.
Father stood on the manor steps in formal robes, talking to a space over my left shoulder.
"The journey north will take several days," he said. "You will conduct yourself with dignity and remember you represent House Eberhart. Do not embarrass us."
"Yes, Father."
An Ashforde man approached us, bowing to Father before turning to me with less respect. He was middle-aged with a stern face.
"Lord Cadiz, I am Henrik, steward to House Ashforde. I'm here to deliver you safely to Ravenshollow Keep."
"Lord Raizel sends his regrets that he could not escort you personally, but urgent business required his attention."
Of course Raizel hadn't come himself. I was just a political necessity being delivered to him like a package.
"Thank you," I managed.
"We should leave soon. The northern roads can be dangerous this time of year."
I nodded and looked around for Cassius, hoping for a proper goodbye, but he was nowhere to be seen. Probably still sleeping off the celebrations.
The carriage was lined with dark leather and thick curtains that blocked out the light. It looked more like a vehicle for funerals than a fancy wedding carriage.
"Farewell, Cadiz," Father said as I paused at the door. No warmth, no regret. Just a man getting rid of an unwanted burden. "May this union bring honor to both our houses."
I climbed in without another word. Henrik settled across from me and immediately pulled out papers. The wheels began to turn, carrying me away from everything I'd ever known.
Two days of silent travel taught me Henrik was a man of few words. He spent the journey reading documents or staring out windows, only acknowledging me when necessary.
I might as well have been traveling alone.
As we headed north, the countryside got wilder. Hills turned into rocky cliffs and thick pine forests. The air got colder with mountain winds. Even with my cloak, I felt a chill.
On the afternoon of the second day, Henrik finally spoke.
"We'll reach the meeting point soon," he said.
"Meeting point?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.
"Lord Raizel will join us for the final approach to Ravenshollow Keep. It's tradition for the groom to personally escort his bride for the last part of the journey."
My stomach twisted with anxiety. After two days of dreading it, the moment had finally come, meeting the alpha who had chosen me despite supposedly hating my kind.
The carriage slowed and pulled into a clearing beside the road. Henrik got out and I followed. I saw another carriage with the Ashforde emblem, surrounded by guards in dark armor.
And standing beside the carriage door was Raizel Von Ashforde.
I knew it was him immediately. He was more striking than I'd expected. He stood confidently in rich black and silver clothes that fit his body perfectly. His dark hair looked perfect despite the wind. He had sharp features, but his good looks felt intimidating, not welcoming.
Then his eyes found me, and my breath caught in my throat. Heat rushed through my cheeks and I suddenly felt hot all over.
His pale blue eyes stared at me sharply, like he was examining a weapon. They seemed to see right through me but revealed nothing. In that single glance, I felt weighed, measured, and found exactly as lacking as I'd expected.
"Lord Cadiz." His voice was deep, steady, and cold. But it sounded nice to my ears.
He didn't bow, didn't extend his hand, offered none of the expected courtesies. He simply said my name like he was confirming a delivery had arrived.
"Lord Raizel." I forced my voice to stay steady and gave a small bow. "Thank you for meeting me."
Those pale eyes flicked over me once, taking in my travel-wrinkled clothes and uncertain posture. His expression didn't change, but I felt even smaller under that calculating gaze.
"Henrik," he said, turning to his steward without acknowledging my thanks. "Any difficulties during the journey?"
"None, my lord. Lord Cadiz traveled well."
"Good. We should reach Ravenshollow before dark. The weather looks like it might turn."
He gestured toward his carriage curtly, like directing a package. No offer to help, no consideration for my two days of uncomfortable travel.
The interior of Raizel's carriage was more luxurious, with soft cushions and fur throws against the cold. But the atmosphere was even colder. Raizel settled across from me and immediately turned to his correspondence, reading letters with focused attention.
I tried to break the silence. "The northern countryside is beautiful. Very different from the south."
"Yes." He didn't look up.
I waited for more. Nothing.
"Have you always lived in Ravenshollow?" I tried again.
"Yes."
Another long silence. It was clear now, this man wasn't interested in getting to know his future spouse. I was only a political necessity he was required to transport, nothing more.
Stupid me, what was I expecting?
The landscape grew darker as we entered the mountains. Thick forests pressed close to the road, their shadows dark between the trees. As the sun set behind western peaks, the Ashforde fortress came into view.
It was nothing like the graceful manor I'd grown up in. This was a fortress built into the mountainside, with black stone walls rising like natural rock. Narrow windows glowed against the gathering darkness. It looked like something from an old story, beautiful and terrible and completely impossible to break into.
"Welcome to Ravenshollow," Raizel said without looking up from his letters, his tone like he was discussing the weather.
The carriage rolled through massive iron gates into a courtyard paved with dark stone. Servants appeared immediately, tending to horses and carrying luggage with practiced efficiency. They bowed respectfully to Raizel, gave me brief bows and curious glances, then worked without a word.
Raizel finally set aside his correspondence and fixed me with that cold, assessing stare. "Mrs Garrett will show you to your chambers and explain the household routine. Dinner is served at seven. Don't be late."
He stepped down and walked toward the keep's main entrance without waiting to see if I would follow. His duty in escorting me was finished.
I stood in the courtyard with my travel bags at my feet, watching my future husband disappear into his fortress home without looking back. The message was clear, find my own way, follow the rules, and stay out of his path.
A kindly looking woman in a dark dress approached, her smile warm despite the chill. "Lord Cadiz? I'm Mrs Garrett, the head housekeeper. If you'll come with me, I'll get you settled."
At least someone in this place seemed pleased to see me.
As I followed Mrs Garrett up stone steps and through heavy wooden doors, I caught one last glimpse of Raizel in the entrance hall. He was speaking with a man in rich robes who had the same pale eyes and dark hair. Family, certainly. From the way they both glanced in my direction with cold calculation.
I had the uncomfortable feeling I was being discussed like a problem to be managed.
Tomorrow, I would marry this man. We would exchange vows in whatever cold ceremony passed for a wedding in this place, and then I would spend the rest of my life as the unwanted spouse of someone who looked at me like a disappointing business transaction.
It wasn't love, but I'd never expected love.
And maybe, if I was very lucky and very careful, I could find some small corner of peace in this mountain fortress where I could disappear and be forgotten.
That seemed like the best I could hope for now.