He was practically jogging now.
They exited the castle and headed for the steps that led down to the butts. He flew down them so fast, he was surprised she did not fall in her effort to keep up.
‘Can you stop a moment?’ she said at the bottom, out of breath.
He did not stop.
‘Astin!’
He spun around, forcing her to pull up fast. ‘It’sFletcher. That’s how you’ll refer to me from now on. That’s how it works in this world you’re diving into.’
She swallowed hard but kept her head high. ‘I thought we were past all the hostility and silly games. I thought we were friends.’
‘Is that why you ignored me for days on end, then went and made a life-changing decision without saying a word about it?’
‘I’m telling you now.’
He crossed his arms, and she shrank back from him.
‘She’s luring you into a life of misery with a shiny crown and promises she can’t keep.’
‘She wants to help the merchants, and she knows I want the same thing.’
‘She knows you’re naive and can be easily manipulated.’
Lyndal’s eyes widened. ‘She’s grooming me, I’ll give you that, but I need grooming for this to work.’
He leaned in. ‘Can you hear yourself? She’s putting you in bed with her son, all the while whispering instructions in your ear.’
Lyndal’s face fell. ‘It’s not like that.’
‘So what’s it like, then? Tell me. Are you not about to show up at the butts and be all charming and seductive, stroke the king’s ego, then something else later?’
Her face fell, and he hated himself.
‘I’ve spent three days going over and over this in my mind, going crazy with indecision.’ Her words were breathy. ‘And for you to stand there and cheapen this situation…’
She stepped back from him and looked like she might retreat to the castle. Instead, she set her jaw and marched ahead of him in the direction of the butts. He had no choice but to follow her. It was his job to protect her, and she needed his protection now more than ever. She would be a walking target the moment the nobility got whiff of this plan.
‘You’re discharged, defender,’ Lyndal said over her shoulder.
He exhaled and caught up to her. ‘It doesn’t work like that, genius. You don’t have the authority to send me away.’
She laughed, a short sharp noise. ‘Not yet.’ She looked up at him without slowing. ‘Do you think this is easy for me? Do you think I just woke up this morning liking that man?’
Rhetorical questions, so he did not reply.
‘Every time I look at him, I see a red-faced boy screaming “traitor” from atop the wall—and I want to claw his face apart.’ Her voice broke. ‘And we stood in that square, unarmed, just trying to keep each other alive for a moment longer.’
‘Stop walking,’ he said quietly.
She marched on. ‘And I’ve been handed this opportunity to do something, to help, perhaps stop anything like that ever happening again.’
Mud sucked at her boots, trapping one of her feet. She fell forwards as she tried to yank it free. He caught her with one hand and righted her, and they both fell silent. She was panting and clutching her skirts, eyes on the ground between them.
‘I have three weeks to see if this can even work,’ she finally said. ‘My family will lose their minds when they learn of this. The nobility will likely come after me with pitchforks.’ She lifted her eyes to him. ‘But I owe it to the merchants to at least try.’
Rain began to fall, fat drops landing in place of the tears she was holding back.
