Whispered Vows (Mistborn x Reader)

Chapter 20

I was growing very tired of the scenery between Luthadel and Fellise. I'd made the same trip at least a dozen times during the last few weeks—watching the same brown hills, scraggly trees, and rug of weedy underbrush. I was beginning to feel as if I could individually identify each and every bump in the road.

I attended numerous balls—but they were only the beginning. Luncheons, sitting parties, and other forms of daily entertainment were just as popular. Often, I traveled between the cities two or even three times a day. Apparently, young noblewomen didn't have anything better to do than sit in carriages for six hours a day.

In the near distance, a group of skaa trudged along the towpath beside a canal, pulling a barge toward Luthadel. My life could be much worse.

It was still midday, but there weren't any important events happening until the evening, so I had nowhere to go but back to Fellise. I kept thinking about how much faster I could make the trip if I used the spikeway. I longed to leap through the mists again, but Kelsier had been reluctant to continue my training. He allowed me out for a short time each night to maintain my skills, but I wasn't allowed any extreme, exciting leaps. Just some basic moves—mostly Pushing and Pulling small objects while standing on the ground.

I was beginning to grow frustrated with my continued weakness. It had been over three months since my encounter with the Inquisitor; the worst of winter had passed without even a flake of snow. How long was it going to take me to recover?

At least I can still go to balls, I thought. Despite my annoyance at the constant traveling, I was coming to enjoy my duties. True, my life would be forfeit if my secret were ever discovered, but for now the nobility seemed willing to accept me—to dance with me, dine with me, and chat with me. It was a good life —a bit unexciting, but my eventual return to Allomancy would fix that.

That left me with two frustrations. The first was my inability to gather useful information; I was getting increasingly annoyed at having my questions avoided. I was growing experienced enough to tell that there was a great deal of intrigue going on, yet I was still too new to be allowed a part in it. Still, while my outsider status was annoying, Kelsier was confident that it would eventually change.

My second major annoyance wasn't so easily dealt with. I still hadn't heard anything from Vin. Kelsier had assured me time and time again that she was fine, that she was just working and from her current position she couldn't contact me directly.

But every time I thought about it, I got this strange sick feeling in my stomach, like....like something was wrong. Each time I did, though, I brushed it off. I trusted Kelsier.

I had no more contact with Elend other than a friendly nod from across the ballroom, thankfully enough. In fact, he didn't seem to attend the balls much anymore. He'd show up, eat, disappear, and then come back at the very end.

I wouldn't care so much if it weren't for Shan Elariel. I didn't run into her often, thankfully—but when we did meet, Shan took every occasion to deride, insult, and demean me. She did it with a calm, aristocratic manner, even her bearing reminding me just how inferior I was.

I shook my head, putting Shan out of my mind.

Ash had fallen during my trip to the city, and though it was done now, its aftermath was visible in small drifts and flurries of black blowing across the town's streets. Skaa workers moved about, sweeping the soot into bins and carrying it out of the city. They occasionally had to hurry to get out of the way of a passing noble carriage, none of which bothered to slow for the workers.

My brow creased as we passed a group of ragged children who were shaking aspen trees to get the ash out so that it could be swept up—it wouldn't do for a passing nobleman to get an unexpected dump of tree-borne ash on his head. The children shook, two to a tree, bringing furious black showers down on their heads. Careful, cane-wielding taskmasters walked up and down the street, making certain the work continued.