“You are so kind, Father.”
The sarcasm in Leeta’s voice must not have gone over her father’s head because he laughed, and his boots hit the floor as if he were standing. “I am, I know.”
Bootsteps approached the doorway.
Horland backed up and spun on his heels, looking desperately for somewhere to hide. He quickly and quietly opened the next door and slipped into the room. Too late to risk making a noise closing the door, he held his breath as the king’s heavy boot falls passed by. Letting out a gust of air, Horland waited for Leeta to leave. Many minutes later she still hadn’t passed his way.
He realized then that she was probably reading the reports he had meticulously written each evening by fire or candlelight and trying to find an excuse amongst them to send him away again. He set his jaw and, flinging the door open, he strode to the planning room. Without knocking he entered to find Leeta curled up on the sofa, weeping.
His shoulders dropped. All thought of scolding her evaporated. “Princess Leeta, what is amiss?”
She lowered her hands from her wet face and sniffed. “You must go to Farsley and purchase those horses you wrote about in your report. The king wants them.”
“Farsley? But that is ten days’ travel away, and I have only just returned. Is that what has you weeping? Don’t you want to lose me again?”
Leeta and her sisters were like his very own sisters. They usually bandied words, insults, and compliments, friendly and teasing.
She swiped her eyes with her skirt. “That is not the reason for my sadness.” She threw her legs off the sofa and sat straight-backed with her hands in her lap. “You are not the reason for my sadness.” She inhaled a deep breath and her gaze flitted around the room as if she were looking for something. “It is just... It is just that Princess Tilly was looking forward to seeing you. She hoped you would dance with her at the Spring Ball.”
“Is that not Sir Garlain’s desire?”
“Garlain isn’t here and Tilly loved having a knight dance with her, and for this ball she has chosen you.”
“She didn’t say anything.”
“You have spoken to her?”
“Yes, in the hall, she showed me the new wheels Mark made for her chair.”
Leeta stood and walked to the window. “I wouldn’t have expected her to say anything. She would want you to request a dance at the ball without her having to command you to do so. She knows Garlain won’t be there.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why won’t Garlain and Patricia be there?”
“They are ... they are visiting Mark and Dianne.”
“And where would that be?”
“I don’t know, you will have to ask Father.”
He spun on his heels and headed to the door. “I will.”
Leeta rushed after him and grabbed a handful of chain mail. “Wait.”
Horland turned and raised his brows.
“He’s in meetings for the rest of the day. Our neighbors are claiming the horn as their own.”
“Which neighbors?” That was the very reason for his tour of the kingdom. He was to make sure all was well with all theneighbors and as far as he could tell, there was no dissent from any of them.
“Ah, the... the Angles. They know it is of no use. Those Anglo-Saxons know we the Cornovii will not allow it.”
“The Angles? But they are busy with their own sea borders, are they not?”
“Yes, that’s why they want Prater. They think they can repel the Viking horde from the horn.”
