“Given all that I’ve put Martis through over the years, I’m going to say yes.” Vi ran a hand through her hair, sorting the carefully plaited braids.
“Careful, you give that kind of leeway to the Southern court and they’ll walk all over you,” Jayme said without looking up from her work. It sounded like something Romulin would say.
“I’ll deal with the Southern Court when I have to.” Romulin’s letters had painted the court as a garden of roses—fresh smelling, beautiful at a glance, but with thorns attached and filled with vipers at the root.
“An apt advisement, I’m certain Prince Romulin would say much the same,” Andru interjected, as though he could read her mind. Vi nearly jumped out of her skin. The man had an innate and unnerving quality to go unnoticed—which was unusual for a man as equal parts handsome and awkward as he was. “They can be quite brutal.”
“More or less brutal than the Senate?” The question left Vi’s lips before she had time to even think.
“That depends on who you ask.” Andru did not look at her when he spoke. He was so transfixed on the other corner of the room that it drew Vi’s attention as well. But there was nothing there, and when her eyes swung back, his attention was solely on her.
“Senates and courts, boring and far away.” Ellene shifted to the edge of her seat. “Can you go over things with my mother later, Vi? The Winter Solstice market is beginning to set up and we’re going to see this year’s layout.”
“Given our incident in the jungle, I’m not going to push my luck.” Plus, the sooner she got these lessons out of the way, the better. Vi needed to master her magic and be done with all of this Yargen business.
“I could go with you,” Andru said suddenly. All three sets of eyes were on him. “I would be happy to see the market.”
Vi stared at him. Just what was he trying to do? She didn’t think for a moment he was genuinely interested in the market.
“It’s a girls-only trip.” Ellene spared Jayme and Vi having to turn him down.
“Any particular reason?” Andru was back to looking in the other corner of the room. But he quickly brought his eyes back to Ellene.
“You don’t ask girls what they’re doing during girls-only time.” Ellene laughed.
“Is there anything else we can do for you?” Vi asked, trying to give Andru a graceful out.
Luckily, he took it. “No, I shall be off.”
With that, he all but bolted for the door, head held high. The momentary discomfort Vi had observed was gone entirely.
“Goodness, he’s strange…” Ellene murmured. “Did they send him to try to make you so uncomfortable you’ll heed the Senate’s every word just to get rid of him?”
“You could be nicer,” Jayme chided.
“You said yourself he was unbearable on the road,” Vi pointed out. Jayme merely shrugged.
“Anyway! Back to the market.” Ellene was like a dog with a bone. It was times like this that Vi recognized she was just toeing the line between girl and woman, not decidedly one or the other. “Jayme is going to meet Darrus for the first time.”
“I met Darrus in the spring.” Jayme stole the words from Vi’s mouth.
“Briefly. And he’s changed so much since then. He’sgrown,” Ellene said with a somewhat dreamy look, clutching the sheet music to her chest. That motion alone made Vi suspect that the song had something to do with the young man.
He hasn’t, Vi mouthed to Jayme while Ellene wasn’t looking.
Jayme hid a snort of laughter with a particularly swift movement of her blade over the stone. “It’s hardly been seven months.”
“Practically a year.”
“Seven months is more like half a year.” Jayme rolled her eyes and began to pack up her things. She paused, looking to Vi. “Should I go with you?”
“Go with me? Why?”
“I am your sworn guard.” Jayme had a small smile, one Vi hoped was from pride at the fact.
“I’m staying in the fortress. You go make sure this one’s feet stay on the ground so she doesn’t fly away with that boy.” Vi pointed to Ellene.
“Hey!”
