She swallowed. ‘Mothers carrying their dead children around the village when there’s meat on the other side of that wall.’
He said nothing.
‘When will this end?’ Her voice broke.
He drew her closer, an arm still wrapping her waist. ‘Stop talking, and breathe for me.’ He nodded to the defender on duty as they passed through the port gate. A few minutes later, they were across the sand and standing at the water’s edge.
‘Look at the water,’ he told her. ‘Don’t worry about what’s happening behind you.’
She slowed her breathing and watched the waves roll in, grateful for the cooling breeze that blew in off the sea. Astin bent and dipped his hand in the water, then brushed her hair to one side, placing it on the back of her neck. Her eyes closed at the sensation.
‘Better?’ he asked.
She nodded. ‘Better.’
He withdrew his hand, leaving droplets of cold water on her neck. Opening her eyes, she stared out past the waves to the horizon.
‘Can I ask you something?’ she said.
‘Yes.’
She took a moment to select her words. ‘Before all this, when I was just a merchant buying a boar I couldn’t transport down at the port… did you see me?’
He turned to her. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘Did youseeme?’ She swallowed. ‘Or was I just Blake’s irritating sister? Easy prey for your jokes?’
He was silent a long moment, and then he brushed a finger down his nose. ‘I saw you the day you marched out into the middle of the road and blocked the king’s horse, demanding he help you get a letter to your uncle.’ He shifted his feet. ‘I saw you when you came to your sister’s defence in the port a few weeks after that. I saw you stare down arrows in the square and confess to a crime you never committed. I saw you unable to stop crying at Blake and Harlan’s wedding, because their happiness was your own. I saw you very clearly when you danced with all those men at last year’s festival. I saw you laughing at the things they said.’ He paused and took a breath. ‘I’ve been trying to un-see you ever since.’
She was utterly speechless for a full minute. She stared up at him, expecting him to tell her it was another one of his jokes, but he remained silent. ‘Oh.’
Reaching up, he ran a knuckle down her cheek. ‘Look at you. You’re the only sunshine left in this place.’
Her skin prickled and her pulse quickened. Talk about bad timing. The merchants were depending on the match with the king to go ahead. She could not be acknowledging feelings for another man at this point in the game—especially one she could not escape.
‘Astin’ came a familiar voice.
His hand fell away, and they both turned to see Presley walking towards them.
‘Sister,’ Astin said. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘Looking for you.’ She closed the distance between them. Then, drawing a breath, she checked her surroundings. ‘There’s something I think you should know.’
Chapter 24
For dinner with the king, Lyndal changed into a blue dress with an embroidered bodice and sharp neckline that had Astin looking everywhere but at her. Her golden hair was bundled atop her head like a halo. He watched her from behind as they walked towards the hall, where everyone was waiting for her.
‘You can’t say anything,’ Astin warned her for the seventieth time. ‘The king can’t know we suspect anything.’
She looked over her shoulder. ‘It’s all right. I’m not about to throw your sister under the wagon. Besides, speaking up won’t really make a difference. The king’s not going to suddenly develop a conscience because he was caught.’
‘We need more information before we start drawing conclusions.’
Lyndal sped up. ‘A bit hard not to. He purchased forty head of cattle and gifted one to me. Are we not to assume the other thirty-nine animals went to the nobility while merchants continue to die of starvation before his very eyes?’
When they reached the hall, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop. ‘You need to be very careful.’ His voice was a whisper. ‘This is not just about my sister. You’re in a very vulnerable position.’
She plucked her arm free from his grip. ‘Isn’t Thornton supposed to be watching me?’
