“And how exactly do you plan on doing that?” Martusey asked, looking at me with disapproval. “Marta, you know full well that humans can’t get in there. The spirits guarding the outpost aren’t active and well-fed for no reason. Do you really think you’re the first to try sneaking into the Valley of Shadows illegally?”
“I have to do this, and that’s final!” I stubbornly repeated, ignoring every sensible argument the dragon threw at me. “Besides, you said humans can’t get in, but that doesn’t apply to dragons, does it?”
I stared at Martusey intently, trying to catch even a flicker of a reaction on his face that might give me an answer. As always, he remained impassive, his expression as stone-cold as ever, betraying no emotion in response to my words. Aha! If he’s putting on this much seriousness and feigned indifference, does that mean dragons do have a way into the Valley of Shadows after all?
With renewed determination, I pressed harder, pleading with Martusey to help me get there.
After Orest left the royal castle in Ledum, after our bitter farewell and my humiliating escape from the throne room (where I burst into tears and ran out, leaving both royal courts in shock), I fled to the Hideout. It’s a secret spot in the Right Tower of Ledum’s royal castle, a sanctuary for Princesses Ali and Maryana. That’s where the princesses found me, my eyes swollen from crying, my face darkened by grief.
“Don’t cry, Marta,” Ali comforted me, wrapping her arm around me from one side. “Everything’s going to be okay!”
“Yeah,” Maryana agreed, hugging me from the other side. “Tears won’t fix anything.”
I sobbed, replaying every moment with Orest in my mind—his words, his kisses, his hands, his lips… “Yes, Marta,” I told myself then, “tears won’t help your pain!” But I couldn’t bear to lose Orest. I just couldn’t. I love him. I can’t live without this guy who loved me for who I truly am—a clumsy, freckled, chubby redhead! All those harsh words I used to throw at myself in my inner dialogue now seemed ridiculous and childish. Because Orest taught me to respect and love myself. Through the lens of his love, I saw a different girl—cute, charmingly freckled, with gorgeous curves.
I had to get my beloved back. No matter how impossible or difficult it seemed, I would do it! Right there in the Hideout, I swore to myself that I would fight for our love until the very end, doing everything in my power to bring Orest home to me.
After that, a lot happened. We celebrated the beautiful wedding of my sister Magda and Olsen, the prince of the kingdom of Ledum. There was a ceremony in Salixia honoring Magda and me for our contributions to both our kingdoms. I met Aurelia, the dragon queen, for whose sake the dragon king had done everything—both possible and impossible—to rescue her from the clutches of the dark mage Tenebris…
All of it felt distant, like it wasn’t happening to me. Inside, I was numb, frozen. I smiled, talked, did things, met people, thanked someone, but it was just my shell going through the motions. My heart and mind were encased in the ice of grief, loss, and despair. Only one thought pounded relentlessly in my head—Orest, my love, save him, find him, do everything, don’t lose him…
Grandma Froza, who had been beside herself with worry after I disappeared from the Presentation Ceremony at the royal palace in Salixia, was overjoyed to learn I was safe—and even more so to discover I had found my sister. She came to Ledum for Magda’s wedding. She confessed that, yes, my mother had given birth to two girls, but after the delivery, the hospital told her one of the babies had died. So, I became the only daughter and granddaughter, while Magda vanished to who-knows-where. We’ll probably never know what really happened, but Grandma was beyond thrilled to have another granddaughter, not to mention gaining a prince as a son-in-law and becoming connected to a royal family.
When we finally returned home after all these events, I was able to tell her about my adventures. She listened with a stony face, stayed silent for a moment, and then said to me:
“Marta, I’m so proud of you!”
“What should I do, Grandma?” I asked desperately. “I can’t live without Orest. I love him so much!”
“You have to fight for your love!” Grandma declared, lifting her chin proudly. “Women of the Domazhkovsky family never give up!”
“Yes, Grandma, I remember. I’ve been thinking about what to do. But if I volunteer to take the Oath of the Shadows to get into the Valley, I’ll forget everything from my life up to now. I’ll forget you, Magda, Orest… I’ll forget my love. And I don’t want that at all. On the contrary, I want to bring Orest back to his senses if he’s forgotten everything, to remind him of us.”
“You’re thinking straight,” Grandma mused, deep in thought. “And that’s the problem.”
We brainstormed every which way, but couldn’t come up with a solution. Then, suddenly, an idea struck Grandma:
“Marta, only humans take the Oath of the Shadows. What about dragons?”
I froze in place, stunned. That’s right—what about dragons? Do they have some kind of relationship with the Shadows? Maybe they use a different path, one unknown to humans? And why would dragons even need a path when they have wings! Of course, if they have any contact with the Valley’s inhabitants, they’d just fly there. It makes sense.
I was overjoyed. I hugged Grandma and whispered:
“I’ll try to get the details from Martusey. He’s the dragon king; he’s got to know something. I’ll ask for his help. I’ll get to that Valley, no matter what it takes. I’ll fight to the end.”
“Oh, Marta,” Grandma said sadly, and I could hear her voice tremble. “I’m so worried about you. I don’t want to let you go anywhere. I don’t want to lose you like I lost your parents. But I understand you have to fight for your love and your destiny. So, I’m letting you go, with pain and anxiety in my heart.”
And now here I was, trying to convince Martusey to help me. He refused. I insisted. He dodged my questions, and I pressed him with even trickier ones.
“Martusey, I’m not backing down!”
After my firm and confident outburst, the dragon shot me a sharp look from under his brow and let out a weary sigh.
“Fine, I’ll think about it. But I’m not promising anything.”
I practically jumped for joy.
“Martusey, thank you, thank you, thank you! Just please, think fast. Orest might need help right now, and I’m wasting time here!”
“Geez, you sound just like my old nanny Solli when she’s trying to wheedle something out of me,” he said with a smirk. “Alright, I’ll give you my answer tomorrow.”
Oh, could it really happen? Could I actually get to a place where no human who hasn’t taken the Oath of the Shadows has been in ages? I was terrified, truly scared of the unknown and what awaited me beyond those towering mountains. But at the same time, I was incredibly excited to be getting closer to my goal, step by step.
As I walked through the corridor of the dragon castle (perched high in the mountains, inaccessible to any human), I was already daydreaming about being in the Valley. I was determinedly planning what to take with me, how to behave among strangers, where to find shelter and food. Just as I reached my room, I spotted Barmuto. As always, he wore a black mask covering his entire face and a black cloak with a hood. He saw me and called out:
“Marta, wait up!” He approached and stopped beside me. “I really need to talk to you.”
My heart ached with guilt whenever I crossed paths with him, even back in Ledum. Later, he had left with Martusey and Aurelia for the dragon castle, as it turned out he was their long-lost son. Barmuto had taken a temporary break from his stage career as a royal jester and theater actor, much to the disappointment of his devoted fans. The curse of Pramoza (which I had cast on him, something that tormented me endlessly!) had unexpectedly drawn even more admirers (especially female ones!) to him, creating a romantic, tragic aura around him. We hadn’t properly talked since that incident in the dungeon. I didn’t know if he was upset about it, if he took it in stride (as much as one could in such a situation), or if he resented me—or even hated me.
“Hey, Arsen, of course, come on in,” I said, letting him go ahead of me to give myself a moment to compose myself.
Barmuto stepped inside, waited for me to close the door, and then stunned me with his words:
“Marta, I’m not gonna beat around the bush. I want to go with you to the Valley of Shadows.”