‘Apologies, sir.’
‘At least you did not throw your weapon at me.’ His eyes went to Lyndal. ‘Queen Fayre wants to speak with you.’
‘Now?’ Astin asked before Lyndal could reply.
Shapur nodded.
‘Kendra is all but asleep,’ Lyndal said, stepping out from behind Astin.
‘Leave her. She only asked for you.’
Lyndal looked down at her creased dress and tucked the loose pieces of hair behind her ears. ‘Very well.’
‘Fletcher will escort you.’ His gaze shifted to Astin. ‘Queen Fayre wants a word with you also.’
The bodyguard shifted. ‘Yes, sir.’
They watched the warden turn and walk off before looking at each other.
‘You heard him,’ Astin said. ‘Let’s go.’
Lyndal opened the door to check on Kendra, then quietly closed it again. She noticed Astin was glued to her side on the walk there, eyes moving over every shadow and nook they passed.
‘You’re rather on edge given the castle has been secured,’ she said quietly.
‘I know better than to be complacent, especially given we don’t know how the intruders got into the borough.’
Lyndal looked up at him as they walked. ‘Have you checked for tunnels?’
He sighed. ‘I’m not really in the mood for your jokes.’
‘Who’s joking?’
They arrived at the queen’s quarters, located in the east wing. The guard posted at her door disappeared inside to announce their arrival. He reappeared a moment later, nodding at Astin. The pair entered and found the queen seated on the lounge wrapped in a robe. A book lay open beside her.
After a formal greeting, Astin asked, ‘Would you like me to wait outside?’
Fayre rose from the lounge chair. ‘No, you should stay.’
Astin nodded.
The queen mother clasped her hands in front of her as she looked to Lyndal. ‘You may have heard that all our guests will be leaving in the morning. The warden has deemed the castle unsafe at this time.’
Relief pulsed through Lyndal. In the morning, she would be going home. ‘Well, the warden does know best.’ She tried to keep the unbridled joy out of her voice.
Fayre watched her a moment. ‘You know, I watched you closely this evening, in the hall. You did not panic. You did not make a fuss. You calmly followed Fletcher’s orders and assisted others.’
Lyndal wondered where the conversation was going. ‘I prefer to be useful in a crisis, though that’s not to say I wasn’t falling apart on the inside.’
‘A woman’s strength is measured by her ability to internalise that fear, because one slip and we are labelled as hysterical.’
Lyndal was not sure how to respond to that, so she waited for the queen to continue.
‘I like to surround myself with strong women. I truly believe our kind draw strength from one another. And I wonder, would you be open to staying under the circumstances?’
Lyndal saw Astin’s weight shift in her peripheral vision. ‘Did you not just say that guests would be leaving in the morning?’
‘I did. But since you both only arrived a day ago, I am hoping to keep you for a while longer. I am certain Lord Thomas will agree as long as we take extra precautions with your safety.’
