‘You’re back,’ she said.
He stopped six feet away. ‘Not staying, I’m afraid. I came to tell you that I’m heading over the wall for good this time. I’m going home.’
She did not seem too surprised. ‘I don’t suppose you’re here to ask me to go with you?’
He looked down. ‘That was never the plan.’
‘I know.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘I know.’ She drew a long breath and looked over at the boats. ‘You always said you would leave. I guess I was hoping you would change your mind.’ She gave him a sad smile. ‘You know, I saw you on the beach the day you brought the recruits down to swim. The others left, but you waited for her to finish.’
Her. She was talking about Eda. ‘It’s my responsibility to make sure everyone makes it safely out of the water.’
Hildred crinkled her nose. ‘I saw the way you watched her, the way you talked. Everything made sense then.’
He did not deny any of it. ‘Well, she’s not coming with me either.’
‘Bet you wish she was though.’ Hildred pushed off the post she was leaning on. ‘Safe travels, defender. Maybe I’ll see you back in our port one day.’ With that, she turned and went inside the tavern.
Roul returned to Harlan and the horses.
‘Where to now?’ Harlan asked as they climbed. ‘Wright House?’
Roul looked out at the water, breathing deeply. It would be a long time before he saw the sea again. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea.’
‘You’re not going to say goodbye?’
‘It won’t end well.’
‘Because Eda will scale the royal borough wall and demand an audience with our new king?’
‘Or worse.’ He nudged his horse forwards. ‘She’ll say she’s coming with me—and she’ll mean it.’ He shook his head. ‘Better that she’s angry at me for leaving.’
Harlan nodded. ‘Did something happen between the two of you over the wall?’
Something life-changing. He had fallen in love. Or perhaps the correct term was deeper in love, because he had loved her long before then.
‘Yes, something happened.’
* * *
Eda rehearsed all the things she was going to say to Prince Becket while she dressed. If all went well, Roul would be out of the tower before dark. Roul was a good man, the best kind, and Prince Becket knew it. He was simply too blinded by his anger to see it.
She heard Luella stirring in the next room. Taking a final look in the mirror, she went next door to fetch her niece from her bed. A wide grin spread across the infant’s face when Eda appeared above her.
‘Yes, you remember me. Your favourite aunt.’ She picked Luella up and placed her on her hip, then headed downstairs. ‘Let’s go find your mama.’
It was time to act. Eda would not stand idle while Roul was unjustly disciplined—especially when she was the reason the secret got leaked to begin with. She would go to the castle and plead Roul’s case on his behalf.
As she reached the top of the stairs, she heard people speaking below. She recognised Astin’s voice and froze midstep when she heard him say, ‘Harlan’s escorting him there now.’
Lyndal, Blake, and Astin gathered near the front door, talking quietly.
Lyndal bit her lip. ‘I feel like we should tell her. She’ll never forgive us if we wait.’
‘Tell who what?’ Eda asked.
