‘Thought that was you,’ Presley said, approaching on her mare. ‘What on earth are you doing out here?’
Looking up at the sky, he saw it was nearing noon. ‘I’m supposed to be clearing my head.’
‘And how’s that going?’
‘Not well.’
‘Then it’s a good thing I spotted you and not Cooper.’ She pulled her horse up a few feet away and exhaled. ‘Did you see the sunrise this morning?’
He nodded. ‘Seems the banning of Christianity and forced worshiping of a sun god no one really believes in is finally paying off.’
Presley laughed. ‘Seems that way.’ She looked around. ‘The farm was stunning washed in colour this morning. I wish you could have seen it.’
He adjusted his grip on the reins. ‘I can imagine.’
Presley exhaled and watched him a moment. ‘I always thought you would come back eventually. I don’t know why. Logically, I know any man who becomes a defender remains a defender, but you once loved this life.’
‘I did. Before Cooper.’
She nodded. ‘Before Cooper.’ Her eyes drifted to the house. ‘Doesn’t seem fair.’
‘What doesn’t?’
‘He gets to live your life. As the youngest of four brothers, with no inheritance, he should have ended up a farmhand somewhere, barely a penny to his name.’
Astin looked away. He did not like to think about what might have been. Yes, he could have returned to the farm when he was of age. He could have even kicked his stepfather off the land. But the man would have taken the rest of the family with him, and his sisters and mother would have paid the price for Astin’s so-called heroic moment.
‘Hayley Akerse lives a stone’s throw from the nobility gate,’ Presley said, changing the subject. ‘She said no cattle have left the borough via that gate in some time, excluding a carcass here and there.’
‘Seems they didn’t go to the nobility borough either, which only leaves one other possibility.’
They both turned to look at the outer-wall.
‘People are going to lose their minds if they find out he’s selling meat elsewhere,’ Presley said.
Astin struggled to imagine any king doing something so reckless, so damaging. But Borin was a special breed of king.
‘Tread carefully,’ he told his sister. ‘I don’t want you caught up in all of this.’
‘A bit difficult given the cattle came from our farm. They’re marked with our brand.’ Presley glanced at the grazing sheep. ‘If it comes to light they’ve been sold outside the wall, it won’t be King Borin who takes the fall.’
She was right, of course. Borin would claim ignorance and happily feed a crooked man like Cooper to the dogs. The rest of the family would be eaten up alongside him. Astin was going to need to make sure his mother and sisters were protected.
‘Where are you off to?’
Presley clicked her tongue. ‘To the square for the announcement.’
‘What announcement?’
She pulled her horse up, eyebrows coming together. ‘Aren’t you supposed to know before me? The king will be on the wall at noon. Everyone is expecting news of his betrothal.’
No.It was too early.
Then a realisation hit him like cold water. If the queen mother sensed a threat to her plan, she would act swiftly.
He swung his horse around. ‘I have to go.’
‘I might be wrong,’ Presley called to his back.
