I looked at the ribbon on the scroll.
Pale blue. Tied like a wedding knot.
Erindor
I didn’t follow her out of the council chamber.
I didn’t catch her eye or ask if she was alright.
What would I have said? I’m sorry they’re chaining you in silks instead of iron? I’ll fight for you, even though I’m not allowed to touch you.
No, I did what I always do.
I found something solid. Something real.
The stable was quiet at this time of day. Warm with straw and the smell of horses, sharp with a salt air that had slipped through the open slats. The torchlight was dimmer here, soot-stained and flickering low. A good place to disappear.
Bran raised his head as I stepped inside, letting out a soft huff before pressing his heavy snout into my palm. I scratched behind his ears, and he leaned into me; warm, loyal, uncomplicated. I was thankful he had not been permitted within the castle's true confines. He didn’t belong in a place like that.
Neither did Wyn.
I leaned against one post and closed my eyes.
I could still see her, sitting across from Kaelen. Her face had gone completely still when he mentioned the contract. Not surprised, not afraid, but quiet. Like she’d stepped out of her own body and left only her smile behind.
Gods, I should’ve said something. Anything.
A footstep behind me interrupted the spiral.
“Found you,” Gideon’s voice said, too casually. “Figured you’d be hiding somewhere dramatic. Thought about the roof, but then I remembered you’re not the poetic type.”
“I’m not hiding.”
“Mm-hm.”
He stepped up beside me and glanced down at Bran. “He misses the velvet carpets and fancy ceilings?”
“He misses Wyn.”
“Don’t we all?” he muttered.
I didn’t laugh.
Gideon leaned his arms on the railing. “So. You gonna talk about it?”
“No.”
“Right. I’ll do it for you, then.” He angled toward me. “You look like you’re two breaths from throwing Kaelen off the balcony.”
“I’ve thought about it.”
“I’ve dreamed about it.”
That earned the slightest twitch of a smirk from me, and it vanished just as fast.
Gideon went quiet for a beat. Then: “She looked like she was drowning in there. You saw it too.”
I nodded in agreement.
