Thane winked and flung open the door to his chamber. I breathed a sigh of relief. Emi stood near the tall, arched window with the princess.
Here, I was simply Lyra. I did not need to be the melder.
“Lyra.” Emi waved. She kept the black fur cloak of a Stav Guard on her shoulders, but underneath was the fine blush-dyed dress she’d purchased at the silk merchant. Her lips had a touch of color on them, and she’d added gold bars through holes in each of her earlobes. “Come meet Yrsa before your time is stolen. Thane thinks you both will get on.”
“Of course they will.” The prince sauntered to a table with ewers and polished wooden drinking horns.
Yrsa’s brown skin had been painted in gold shimmers and her dress reminded me of the star plum skin—silver over sea blue with a cloak made of furs dyed to appear as honey over her narrow frame.
“Princess.” I bowed my head.
“Yrsa has shirked her ladies by lies and deceit all to debauch with us,” Thane said with a laugh.
Yrsa clasped her hands in front of her stomach and looked away shyly. “You know howfitfulI find travel. My insides are not well at all. I suspect I have a bit more time before someone tries to enter the washroom to check on me.”
“And until then, we drink and laugh and avoid the masks we wear.” Prince Thane handed Yrsa a horn of pearly wine. “For you, my bride. Nightlark, what will you take? Lyra?”
I waved a hand. “None for me. Not sure I could stomach it tonight.”
“Unsettled by people again?” Emi touched my arm. There wasn’t judgment in her tone, more a call to arms to those in the rooms to keep me in their sights.
“She ran into Tomas Grisen.”
Emi’s nose wrinkled. “Arrogant ass.”
When Thane offered a sort of salute with the second drinking flute, as if to say he understood, a wash of affection bloomed in my chest. They ought to be my enemies, but I found a sort of belonging here, in this room, with these people.
Yrsa tilted her head, smiling my way. “So, you are the melder.”
“I am.”
“You saved his life.” Yrsa gave the prince a tender smile. “You don’t know me, but I thank you for it.”
It was heartening to see a genuine fondness between an arranged match. They hadn’t shown affection through touch, but the smiles, the comfort with each other being near, it was clear Yrsa and Thane held each other in high regard.
“I was not alone,” I admitted. “Without Sentry Ashwood I wouldn’t have known the prince was injured at all.”
Thane chuckled and looked over his shoulder. “Did you hear that? Something else to get all haughty about. I wish you hadn’t said it, Lyra.”
Heat and a strange pinch to my chest fought to double me over when Roark emerged from the prince’s bedchamber, securing his seax on his belt.
Gods, he was captivating. Like a warm memory.
Tonight, his eyes were brighter than a sunrise after a rainstorm. His hair was freshly braided on the sides, and the oakmoss scent on his skin was a beautiful tether, drawing me nearer.
Roark’s mouth was set into a smug sort of grin, like he knew exactly what he was doing to me.
With one hand, he lifted my knuckles to his lips, then with the other gently spoke against my cheek.Red suits you.
“Oh. Thank you.” I patted at the simple woolen gown, dyed a rich crimson. My heart bruised my ribs, as though I no longer knew how to be around the Sentry. “I don’t know what to say,” finally slipped out in a low breath.
He tilted his head.About what?
“What you did for Edvin and Hilda, for bringing their families here.”
Roark seemed to gnaw on the words.You were right when you said they ought not be punished for the actions of others. Craft should not deny you the people you love.
My throat tightened with emotion. I refused to grow weepy, and Thane seemed to agree.
