Bard and his men were waiting for them at the castle gates.
“My Queen,” he acknowledged upon her dismounting her horse.
She handed the reigns to him and gave him a full once over, noticing his wearing his best gamebeson and having brushed his long hair. “Bard,” she managed as she started ridding herself of her riding gloves. “You’re looking delectable today. What’s the occasion?” she asked.
“Your brother asked that we attend the banquet he is holding in your honor tonight,” he replied.
“And where is my brother? Could he not be bothered to welcome his favorite sister back to the safety of our home?”
“He waits for you in the Throne Room, ma’am,” Bard replied.
Aydra frowned. “The Throne Room? Why there?”
“I do not question my King,” Bard said. “I only heed his orders.”
Aydra heard Lex snort at the sentence, and she looked around her horse to see her Second laughing. “Perhaps you should take pointers from Bard here, my Second,” Aydra smarted.
Lex grinned at her. “What would be the fun in that?”
Aydra almost laughed, and she shook her head before turning back to Bard. “My horse is tired. Have her fed and watered and a thorough washing. I will go to my brother after I’ve bathed myself of this riding stench.” She turned and gave Lex a nod. “Get some rest before banquet. Perhaps we’ll have an eventful night.”
“I look forward to it,” Lex said, giving her a wink before Aydra turned on her heel.
Aydra pushed her way into the castle then, stripping herself of her riding clothes with little care as usual to those passing her. She’d hardly reached the steps leading up to the level her room was on when she heard Willow calling behind her.
She paused and waited on the brunette to join her. “My Lady, your brother—”
“Yes, I’m aware he is waiting on me,” Aydra said as she began walking once more. “I doubt he would want to see me with four days stench attached to my body. Whatever he wants can wait until after I’ve bathed.”
“He had me lay a dress out for banquet tonight,” Willow informed her as she caught the clothes Aydra was tearing off herself.
“You’d think he would have learned by now not to bother with such,” Aydra replied. “What is the color?”
“Blue.”
Aydra rolled her eyes. “He’s an idiot,” she muttered under her breath. They reached her room then, and Willow followed her in to start the bath.
She unpacked her bag on her bed while she waited for the water. Her clothes, she tossed into a bin to be washed, and she threw away the scraps of food left inside. But something dumped out that she didn’t recognize at first glance. She did a double-take and frowned at the trinket and baggie that didn’t belong to her.
Draven’s pipe. And a small amount of the herb from his garden.
It was what was written on the note inside the bag that made her nearly throw it out the window.
In case your favorite needs help bringing you to your end again.
“Asshole,” she muttered.
Willow told her the bath was ready soon after. Aydra excused Willow from the room, and then she sank herself deep into the warm water. The pipe twirled in her hand as she thought about whether she wanted it that night. There wasn’t much of the herb. She would have to be selective.
Finally she sat it on the table by the tub and simply sank herself beneath the water.
The dress her brother had chosen stared at her from the bed. The navy blue color she didn’t mind. But it was heavy, bejeweled, and she didn’t much care for such things.
So she grabbed for one of her own navy dresses from her closet and put it on instead, hoping he was stupid enough to only remember the color of it. Her dress tonight was form-fitting, long sleeved, and totally open on the back, V-ing at the dip in her hips and hugging her curves. She took her hair out of the plait and fluffed the curls before grabbing her crown from the vanity.
The note Draven had left stared back at her from the bedside table. She shook her head and left the room, only to find Lex leaning against the opposite wall waiting on her.
Lex frowned upon seeing the look on Aydra’s face. “What’s wrong?”
