"That was not the fault of Alaric," she shot back, fear bubbling up inside her. Had he planned the entire thing? Why had he even agreed to her being there if that was the case?
"He permitted a faction of his own people to gain enough momentum to allow an assassination attempt. What if it had been you, princess? What if they had realised they were looking at the wrong woman?" He sounded bitter, looking her up and down.
"I don't know," she whispered, hating herself. She was to blame for Yish's death, not Alaric.
"You and the drow will stay here as my honoured guests until after the war," he said simply, turning and making a gesture that she didn't recognise.
Looking up, she gasped as she saw guards moving for her. Turning to find the drow, Izziah was oblivious, dancing with a young woman who looked utterly enamoured.
Hurrying through the dancing crowd as quickly as she dared as not to cause a panic, she caught onto Izziah's hand before he could be taken by another woman, his face shocked as he found her before him and pulling him into the steps of the dance.
"Varsas is trying to have us captured. We need to get out, the war isn't going to be stopped. We have to get out and warn Alaric," she hissed, her eyes searching the crowd but the guards didn't seem to want to try and grab them and risk a scene.
"Right, we need to escape. I'll have the carriage arranged. Grab whatever you can," he growled, squeezing her fingers and they parted, him heading for the nearest maid and she for the doors to the throne room.
As soon as she was free of the throne room, she hurried for their rooms, picking up the hem of her skirt and almost running. Guards and servants stared at her curiously but they didn't seem to be aware of the situation yet.
Making it into her room, she gasped as she found six guards already in there and she backed up quickly, right into the arms of someone else.
The naga wrapped his arms tightly around her middle, holding her against him while she began to squirm, furious that they would dare try and contain her like that.
Turning, she drove her elbow into his ribs and he immediately let her go, allowing her to duck around under his arm and sprint for the hall. Izziah was in the hall heading her way, his eyes sliding past her to the guards after her.
His face paled at the sight and he reached out his hand. Clasping onto it as he pulled her along with him, the pair ran full speed for the front doors of the palace and thankfully, it didn't seem that anyone was aware of their needing to be captured just yet.
Feet pounded after them as they skidded around the corner and burst out of the gauzy fabric and into the humidity of the swamp.
"This way!" Izziah pulled her along with him, running for the nearest boat and all but throwing her into it as he grabbed onto the pole that allowed him to push the boat away from the land and steering them towards the next landmass where they could swap the boat out for another one.
"What did he say?" the drow demanded, looking around as the guards were piling into the other boats, some even jumping straight into the water.
"That we were to stay as honoured guests, that it wouldn't be safe in Ayathian." As soon as the next island was within reach, she pulled them closer and he jumped out, turning back to pull her out after him and then kicking the boat away from the island, leaving it to float lazily down the stream.
"Damn dress," she hissed as she bundled it up, the massive thing making it hard for her to keep up with him and being snagged on shrubs. "Why do they demand we wear these stupid things?"
"It's harder for a woman to escape if she's wearing that," Izziah said simply, looking around to see guards had been crawling out of the swampy water like monsters, after them in an instant.
They ran as fast as they could across the island, ducking between houses and alleys before coming to the next river and looking around wildly, spotting a boat further down.
Heading that way, she jumped into it and he poled them along quickly, anxious and sweating in the humid air.
"Not far now," Izziah gasped after a few minutes, his body straining to keep them moving. She knew he was getting tired but her reach for the pole had him hissing at her. Instead she reached for the shore again and pulled them closer, shoving herself up and out of the boat before pulling him out with her.
He looked exhausted, stressed and sweaty but he ran along with her as she tugged at him, knowing how difficult it was to get the boats to move and they reached the final crossing, shoving him into the boat before he could reach for the pole.
Pushing them off from the bank, she looked back at the guards who were starting to wilt under the heat and strain of running after them.
'Behind,' flashed in her mind and when she looked down at their boat, she shrieked to find a grey skinned, lizard looking reptilian crawling up over the gunnel.
Spinning the pole, she slammed it down on top of his head and he buckled, Izziah shoving him off the edge of the boat and back into the water.
Poling them along as quickly as she was able, she was left panting, her muscles aching as she worked to push them along, the boat seeming to not want to move at all.
Finally, he reached for a post to tie the boat to and they scrambled out. Turning, she shoved the boat into the face of another guard who was surfacing, sending him crashing back into the water before they ran, a carriage waiting for them up the dock.
"Oh, thank you, Mother!" Izziah cried, the pair running as quickly as they could for the carriage and almost falling against it as he turned for the driver, passing over several coins.
"We need to get back to Ayathian ten minutes ago," he snapped, the driver nodding quickly and opening the door for them.
Izziah shoved her inside and she scrambled into the sweet-smelling space, looking around curiously as she found it wasn't the same one that had brought them, the seats a plush crimson velvet and the walls stained so dark they were nearly black.
Deciding it didn't matter what carriage they had so long as they had one, she reached for Izziah and pulled him in with her, the man still gasping slightly as he clambered in and collapsed onto the seat opposite hers.
The door was slammed shut and she looked out the window to see arrows being notched.
Reaching for Izziah, she shoved his head down and ducked down herself as she arrows were loosed and thudded into the side of the carriage, two ending up inside with them.
Lifting her head, she pulled the circlet and veil off and stared out as more arrows were loaded but the carriage was already moving and the horses seemed to fly with their speed.
Looking back at Izziah as he straightened, he offered her a hint of a smile before slumping back against the seat and closing his eyes, just trying to breathe.