When he doesn’t reply, I think he might have fallen asleep, but after a moment I hear his familiar baritone and a smile in his voice. “I look forward to it.”
Chapter Nineteen
Aren
The sound of footsteps wakes me from my sleep. I’m still half dreaming, the early-morning sunlight dim behind my closed lids. I feel a presence pass above me. It must be one of my sisters. I wonder if I’m late to open the Raven’s Beak, but then I remember I’m far from home, and the hand on my shoulder is unfamiliar. I jump awake, only to find a young woman looming above me. She jumps, too.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?” I wildly assume the worst, even though some part of me wonders why an assassin is dressed like a lady’s maid.
“Oh! I’m so sorry, my lady. I’m Lydia. I’m your bridal attendant.”
“My bridal…what?”
Lydia looks a bit like me—the same coloring, about the same height, with dark hair and eyes. She wears ribbons in her hair, woven into her braids. Her accent is Loegrian. She’s broad-shouldered with defined muscles in her forearms. Her hands, now clasped at her waist, are callused, like any working woman’s hands.
“I’m your bridal attendant,” she repeats. “I’m here to see to your every need while you journey with the prince. I thought you knew…” She looks worried, as if she did something wrong.
I let out a ragged sigh and glare at the wall separating me from Dietan. Did he even think to mention Lydia to me?
Annoyance snaps me fully awake. If I’d known about having a lady’s maid, I wouldn’t have jumped down the poor girl’s throat. A week ago, I’d more likely have been in her position than mine.
I can only guess what else Dietan has failed to inform me about.
“No, I’m sorry,” I say. “You just startled me. You move quietly.”
The girl bows and accepts my apology. She hurries about my room, dutifully preparing a morning routine more elaborate than what I’m used to at home, as I throw the covers off and stretch. My back aches from sitting in the carriage all of yesterday, and my spine cracks wonderfully.
Lydia presents a small basin with a towel for me to wash while she lays out my clothes.
The water is cold, briskly waking me up for more hours on the road. I’m patting my face dry when I notice the garments Lydia set out. One is a traveler’s coat unlike any I’ve seen. It’s made of a heavy wool, dyed Loegrian blue, with a large hood to keep out the rain and sun. Ornate embroidery and beading run down the front. It’ll easily go past my knees, and the cut is meant to flare out at the waist, the silhouette of the latest city fashion. It isn’t ostentatious, but it also isn’t plain, and it’s exactly the type of coat I always wanted to wear but could never justify making for myself. Practical but stylish. I’m amazed. I run my hands over each bit of the coat, luxuriating in every detail.
“The seamstress’s stitchwork is of the Loegrian variety, with crystal and pearls in each loop, but I added the Alarician knots in the buttons to make it feel more like home for you,” Lydia says proudly.
I look up at her, stunned. “Thank you.”
Lydia nods, her smile small but demure. “It was an honor.”
A yearning homesickness washes over me as I blink away tears. These little touches of home are reminders of why I’m doing what I’m doing.
“Prince Dietan had it made especially for you,” she says. “He hopes you like it.”
“I love it,” I tell her, feeling warm all over. Somehow the idea that he thinks of me at all makes me sweat, even though I know it’s not personal—I need nice clothes to look the part of a princess-to-be.
Lydia helps me into the coat, securing each button with a twist of her fingers. It’s a perfect fit. I look at myself in the mirror as she starts fixing my hair, and for a moment I don’t see a barmaid, but the royal bride that the people expect me to be. A future queen. For a moment, I believe it, too.
When I meet Dietan downstairs for breakfast, his eyes light up when he sees me wearing the coat. “You look ready to handle anything this journey throws at you,” he says.
“Well, as long as it can be met with a deadly frying pan.” I can’t help but grin, and Dietan’s smile deepens.
…
We depart from Elspeth at first light, making good time as we rejoin the high road south. With our supplies restocked and spirits high, the hours pass quickly.
When we stop again in Port Tyralis to feed and water the horses, Dietan informs me that the small town is important for regional trade. This time, I’m prepared for what comes after Dietan helps me out of the carriage. All eyes are on me, Dietan’s bride-to-be. The prince holds my hand steadily while he addresses the crowd, but I don’t hear a word of it. My heart is beating so hard that he must feel it through my skin. My lips tingle with anticipation.
Dietan looks at me, eyebrow raised, asking if I’m ready. I nod, as ready as I’ll ever be. My heart is galloping like a horse, but when he leans in, he merely brushes his lips on my cheek once more.
Oh.
