“Morning.”
I couldn’t ignore the man. That would be terribly rude. He smiled when I glanced his way, but I could not return the gesture.
“You’ve got this, Lance?” Frederick clapped the lieutenant on the shoulder, then cast one more look my way. “Let us know if you need help with the little lady.”
“Little. Lady?” I ground out.
“Fern is perfectly capable of looking after herself,” Lance said as the two men walked off, then glanced around the landing. “Where are Kael and the others? I got stuck in meetings this morning, but I thought they at least would be at your door.”
“Apparently, Royal Riders take the uniform very seriously and some officers have the silver riders running around the keep due to an infraction,” I said, tugging at my cuffs. “I have to be careful I don’t also get in trouble due to the state of my dress.”
“You look just fine to me.”
The way he gazed down at me, the twinkle in his eyes. Before we arrived back at the keep, it would’ve had me feeling all warm inside, but not now. I wasn’t the only one to see the look of yearning in his eyes when he stared at the Runaway Queen.
“Thank you,” I said stiffly. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to make my way down to the university.”
“Weneed to go to the university.”
He frowned slightly as he fell in beside me, following me down the stairs and into the courtyard out the front of the keep.
This university is like a library?Auren asked.I will fly you to this place and demand they provide you the information you need.
You catch more flies with honey than vinegar, I replied.
Why are we catching flies?she asked.I thought we sought information?
“Now if I can find a carriage…”
Looking around me, I saw several riders stationed by the entrance. Surely one of them would know?—
“I’ll call for one.” He walked over to the exact place I was headed, then chatted to one of the riders there. With a nod, Lance returned to me. “Carriages come past here all the time. So where are we headed?”
I turned slowly to face him. “Master Lance?—”
“Nothing good ever comes after those two words.”
He tried a smile and failed.
“You’ve been incredibly kind, escorting Auren and me to the keep,” I continued. “Ensuring my safety.”
“That’s something I intend to continue to do, Fern.”
He was moving closer, ready to take my hands, but a step backwards had him stopping in his tracks.
“There is no need. A misplaced sense of duty, or perhaps your honour as a gentleman?”
“Carriage is here!” one of the riders called out.
“I must go, but you have classes…”
Right in the middle of my big speech where I let him off the hook, he was there, opening the carriage door and ushering me in. Settling into the seat across from me, he frowned, ready to reply, but the door was wrenched open again.
“Leaving without us?” Kael pulled himself into the carriage and suddenly the space became a whole lot more crowded. I went to slide over to the other door, but Lorien sat down before I made it. Dain took the last place beside Lance, then studied the door fixedly. With a sigh, Lance tapped on the roof, letting the driver know he could walk on.
“Surely there is somewhere else you need to be?” I asked, settling back against the seat.
Lance watched my every move from the seat opposite me, his eyes going heavy lidded.
