Leya’s expression shifted as my words sank in. Her brow furrowed, thoughts clearly racing behind her eyes. She let out a frustrated breath, walked over to the cot, and sank down heavily, hiding her face in her hands. After a moment, she rubbed her temples and looked up at me.
“You’re really leaving?” she asked.
“I am,” I answered.
“Why?”
“Because I hate it here.”
“Where will you go?”
“That doesn’t matter,” I said. “As long as I’m free.”
Leya sighed in frustration, shaking her head. “Fine.”
“Fine?” I echoed.
“I won’t say anything about you. We’ll reach the outskirts, and you’ll leave. You’ll never come back,” she repeated, almost as if to reassure herself. “Did anyone see you near the carriages?”
“No. Well, aside from the three men with Sir Regis. But you took care of that, didn’t you?” I arched a brow with the words.
She bit her lip, holding back her tongue. “Because of you, my life is at risk now. Are you absolutely sure?”
“Nobody saw me come to the carriages. I told my squire I was heading to the royal abbey for the solstice blessing. I lost him in the crowd there.”
Leya seemed to relax a bit, the tension easing when she heard that. But then a frown crossed her face. “A squire? When did you get a squire?”
“Sir Karst was also ordered to accompany the prince to Torhiel. The squire is his replacement.”
Despite the tension between us, Leya looked mildly amused. “Sir Karst assigned a squire for your protection in his place? How embarrassing.”
“Actually, it was the prince’s order,” I corrected.
“Please, spare me the theatrics tonight.” Leya let out a dry huff. “The prince would never do that to his favored.”
“It’s the truth.” I shrugged. “I made him upset.”
“Oh.” She studied me for a moment, skepticism in her eyes. “Well, if that’s the case, I suppose you’ve brought this on yourself.”
“If you say so.”
We both turned at the sound of shuffling outside the coach. A few loud shouts echoed, followed by a heavy thump near the front. The coach rocked slightly, as if someone had just settled into the box seat.Soon, horses whinnied, and the carriage lurched forward with a sudden jolt. The wheels began to spin, and my heart skipped a beat.
Was this really happening? Or was I imagining it all? I glanced at Leya, and the weight of it hit me. This was real.
For the first time in ages, something inside me flickered to life.
Maybe, just maybe, I’d see Brier Len again.
13
“Can I ask you something?”Leya asked after we’d settled into a quiet truce of sorts. She was sprawled on her cot, draped in furs. We’d begun to speak freely, knowing if anyone had heard us, they would have come by now.
“What is it?” I replied, sitting on the bench, absently fiddling with the pocketknife to distract myself.
“Did you hate being the prince’s favored? Is that why you’re leaving?”
I thought about it for a moment. “I wouldn’t say I hated it,” I clarified. “I enjoyed my nights with the prince. It was the life we were forced to live that I hated. I found no joy in being chained to the will of the chimes. Everything was an order, never a choice. You realize that, don’t you?”
