Married To Darkness-Chapter 404: Emma’s House And The New Carriage

We are close.

"My house... it’s just past those nets since this is a back road’, there!"

She pointed to a sagging shack surrounded by broken lobster traps and torn fishing lines.

Alaric nodded.

But Salviana’s hand tightened around his. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

"This doesn’t feel right," she whispered.

"Nothing’s ever this easy."

He squeezed her fingers reassuringly.

"Stay sharp," Lucius murmured behind them.

"I don’t trust small towns. People gossip even faster than they breathe."

Still, they had no choice.

If they could just reach Emma’s mother without being spotted, they could disguise themselves, regroup, and maybe, maybe find Thalia and Heappal before it was too late.

The group moved cautiously, hugging the crumbling fences and weaving between fish barrels.

Somewhere ahead, a door creaked open and a figure stepped into the light, a wiry woman with a scar down her cheek and sharp blue eyes that narrowed at the sight of them.

Emma let out a shaky laugh and tore the scarf from her face.

"Ma!" she called.

"It’s me!"

The woman’s expression didn’t soften.

"Brandt girl," she said, voice rough as gravel, she always called her daughter by her surname.

"I brought trouble" Emma whispered.

The moment Emma’s mother pulled open the battered door and saw Emma’s face, her whole posture changed.

Gone was the wary, guarded woman; in her place was a fierce, relieved mother.

"Brandt girl! By the spirits, you gave me a fright!" she cried, pulling her daughter into a tight hug, nearly crushing her.

Then she leaned around Emma and looked at the others, sizing them up in one quick glance.

Her sharp blue eyes lingered a beat longer on Alaric, something sparking there , not suspicion, but respect.

"You brought trouble," she said gruffly, stepping aside. " I told you to bring a husband but you brought trouble. Get in. Get warm."

Emma avoided Jaefel’s teasing look at that comment from her mother.

The group didn’t need to be told twice. They filed into the tiny house, ducking low under the splintered doorway.

They exchanged greetings and show of respect before looking around.

The inside smelled of salt, herbs, and something delicious simmering over a low fire.

Nets were strung from the rafters, heavy with drying fish. The table wobbled on three legs, and patched curtains hung crooked on the windows.

Emma’s mother, everyone called her Miri, bustled around without a word, tossing them bundles of old clothes.

"Why are all of you dressed as pirates?" Miri asked.

"We are just coming back from sea," Salviana replied with a smile. Her face didn’t hold any of the horror she had gone through this few days.

"I see," Miri nodded

The group explained all their reasonable explanation for what’s happening and how they need Miri’s help.

She was utterly surprised they were actual royals. Her tone slowly changed and she went up to get some things.

"I made these wanting Emma to wear them to balls, galas and get a lover." She grinned proudly, missing a tooth. "Never thought they’d be for trouble, though."

They chuckled weakly and immediately started changing.

There was no real privacy, so she gave them the hallway , only a flimsy curtain pulled across one corner , so they turned their backs, moved in shifts, and laughed a little awkwardly at how crowded the tiny house became.

Jean nearly tripped over Jaefel trying to wriggle into too-tight breeches.

Samion had to crouch because his head nearly brushed the ceiling.

Salviana pulled on a worn navy coat that hung past her knees, and Alaric found himself in a faded white vest that made him look far more rogue than royal.

When they were done, they hardly recognized themselves , scruffy, rugged, exactly like wandering traders who wouldn’t draw a second glance.

They’d just sat down at the narrow table, steaming bowls of fish stew before them, when the sound of hooves shattered the peace.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The house went still, every muscle in the room tightening.

Lucius’s hand drifted toward the knife tucked into his belt.

Samion and Jaefel exchanged a grim look.

Sarah’s spoon clattered to the floor while Salviana held her palm in comfort.

Alaric stood slowly.

Jess’s mother didn’t waste time , she marched to the door and cracked it open, just a sliver.

Outside stood a figure , short, stocky, bundled in a heavy cloak against the cold.

"It’s me!" the man hissed. "Manni!"

Jean blinked, then beamed.

"Manni! It’s Manni!"

The others relaxed , marginally.

Emma’s mother swung the door open wide, grabbing the man by the sleeve and yanking him inside before anyone on the street could get a good look.

Manni pulled off his hood, his old brown hair tousled and windblown, cheeks red from the cold.

Behind him, through the door, they caught a glimpse of a beautiful, sturdy black carriage, glossy even in the low light, drawn by four strong horses.

"I changed it to a bigger and easier to blend," Manni said, turning to Alaric and bowing low.

"Best carriage we had. Took the back roads all night." he added.

Alaric’s shoulders sagged in relief for the first time in days.

"You’re a godsend, Manni," he said sincerely.

Manni grinned.

"Would’ve come faster, but there’s soldiers sniffing around the main harbor. Had to be careful."

They clapped him on the back and pulled him inside fully, bolting the door.

"Eat first," Miri said firmly, already ladling a bowl of stew for Manni.

"You’ll move faster with something warm in your belly."

So they sat again, this time a little less tense, the fire crackling merrily and the smell of stew filling the air.

They ate in near silence, only the clink of spoons against bowls and the occasional muffled laughter from Jean or Jaefel breaking it.

Outside, the city of Wyf-Haven shivered in the cold, but inside that little house, for a few precious moments, there was safety.

There was a plan.

And there was hope.

"How did you even survive all the hunters?" Lucius asked Samion with narrowed eyes.

Samion rolled his eyes, "I’m a knight,"

Everyone laughed and resumed their food.

Unnoticed by the others, Salviana leaned closer to Alaric as they ate.

She dipped her finger lightly into her own bowl, unseen beneath the table, and let a small, careful drop of her blood slide onto Alaric’s stew.

It shimmered for a heartbeat , a soft silver glint , then disappeared into the food.

Only he would taste it. Only he would know.

When he brought the first spoonful to his lips, he froze mid-motion, his dark eyes widening slightly.

Flavor.

Real, rich, mouth-watering flavor exploded on his tongue.

The salt of the fish, the warmth of the herbs, the smoky depth of the broth , it was alive in his mouth.

It had been so long. Too long. Forever

He glanced sideways at Salviana.

She smiled faintly, pretending to focus on her food.

He knew.

And his heart , if it had ever truly stopped, swelled with emotion.

For a while, they ate in peace. Even Jean seemed relaxed, swaying her legs under the table as she finished her third helping.

After a long, satisfying moment, Alaric set down his spoon and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Manni," he said, voice low but steady, "how did you find us?"

The room hushed a little, all ears tilting toward the coachman.

Manni, still chewing a mouthful of bread, grinned around it.

He swallowed and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"Magic," he said simply.

Emma’s mother clucked her tongue. "Figures."

Manni chuckled. "Tracking spell. Old one. Smelled the princess’s blood on the winds, and a few strands of...well, luck. Magic’s messy here, but it pulled me right to you."

Miri arched a curious eyebrow. "You’re a wizard?"

Manni waggled a hand. "No longer a proper one. I dabble. The prince has better ones, but they’re stuck back at the castle with the king sniffing up trouble."

Alaric’s gaze sharpened.

"Speaking of trouble," Manni continued, growing serious, "the streets are crawling with bounty hunters now. Your faces are starting to spread, especially his."

He jerked a thumb toward Alaric. "You look too noble for your own good, Highness."

Emma’s mother stood then, wiping her hands on her apron.

"That means you need to leave. Right after you finish eating."

There was no anger in her voice , just firm practicality.

"We’re grateful," Salviana said, her voice soft but sure.

Miri nodded, and for a moment, there was a rare exchange of respect between two strong women, both protectors of their own.

The group finished quickly after that.

Bags were packed.

Weapons hidden beneath the pirate clothes.

Miri tried to make Emma stay back but the maid was loyal and refused, she wanted to be with her lord and lady until they find a solution through all these.

Emma, Sarah, Samion, and Jaefel made quick work of cleaning the table so it would look like nothing had happened here at all.

The night outside was thick with mist when they finally slipped out the back, one by one, moving quickly toward the waiting black carriage.

The horses stamped their hooves eagerly, steam curling from their nostrils in the cold.

Alaric helped Salviana up first, lifting her as if she weighed nothing.

Jean scrambled in next, pulling Jess behind her.

Lucius refused to enter, he was a vampire after all and the night was his companion.

Manni took the reins, his face grim and determined.

As they climbed in, bundled against the chill, the carriage door slammed shut , a soft but final sound.

They didn’t look back at the tiny house, tucked away in the crooked alley, where kindness had kept them safe for a single night.

Ahead was danger, uncertainty, and the cold edge of war.

But for now, they were together.

And that was enough.

Manni snapped the reins sharply.

"Hold on tight," he said with a wicked grin.

"We’re riding into hell."

The carriage rumbled into the mist, carrying them deeper into Wyf-Haven... and toward whatever fate awaited them.