He kissed her back as she slid from his arms, plucking her robe from a nearby chair. As quietly as he could, he rose and gathered his clothes.
‘You can leave via the solar,’ she whispered, ‘but be on guard in case Eda jumps you at the door.’
Astin stumbled around the room trying to get his boots on. ‘I’m on duty at noon,’ he told her. ‘Try to wait until then before speaking with the queen. I want to be nearby for the fallout.’
‘There may not be any fallout,’ she whispered back. ‘The king may end things himself after last night’s disaster dinner.’
Astin pulled on his second boot and went to kiss her swollen lips.
‘It’s Wright’ came Harlan’s voice. ‘Open up.’
The pair looked at the door, then at each other.
‘He’s going to find out sooner or later,’ Astin said, belting on his weapon.
Drawing a breath, Lyndal went to open the door. ‘Good morning, Commander.’
Harlan looked between them, then stepped inside the room, closing the door behind him. ‘I’m not going to ask.’
Lyndal shrugged. ‘I wasn’t going to tell. Is everything all right?’
He crossed his arms and looked at Astin. ‘Your sister came to the gate looking for you. When I couldn’t find you at the barracks, I asked her if I could pass on a message.’
Astin’s eyebrows came together. ‘And?’
Harlan hesitated. ‘She found out where the livestock went. Seems this is bigger than we realised. The animals went to King Edward.’
Astin took a moment to let that sink in.
‘My guess is his mother is driving the entire thing,’ Harlan said. ‘And for reasons I can’t understand, King Borin agreed.’
‘What is it with kings unable to say no to their mothers?’ Lyndal asked, walking off her frustration.
Astin pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘Every kingdom and country in Europe is desperate. The demand for healthy livestock has never been higher. Edward will play along in order to get what he needs, as any king in his position would.’
Harlan shifted his weight. ‘Slightly surprising that Borinagreedthough.’
‘Chadora’s army might be the most highly trained, but England’s army outnumbers ours six to one,’ Astin said.
Lyndal appeared surprised by that number. ‘While that’s an uncomfortable statistic, it doesn’t change the fact that we have people starving to death while our king hands over the little food we have. If the merchants find out, there will be a revolt like nothing this kingdom has ever seen. No number of defenders will be able to stop them.’
The adjoining door opened, and Eda walked in. She paused when she saw the three of them standing there, her eyes darting between them.
‘Now that it’s officially a family meeting,’ Harlan said, leaning against the wall, ‘do you two want to let us in on what’s happening here? Is there to be a royal wedding or not?’
Eda’s eyebrows lifted.What have I missed?
‘A slight hiccup in wedding plans,’ Lyndal said.
Harlan rubbed his forehead. ‘I gather the “no bride” part is the issue.’
Lyndal crinkled her nose. ‘Turns out we’re ill-suited. Who knew?’
‘Everyone,’ they all said.
There was another knock at the door. ‘It’s Thornton,’ Roul said through it.
Lyndal moved to open the door. ‘Come in. Everyone else has.’
