They all turned in her direction, looking suitably guilty.
‘Well, I guess that answers that question,’ Astin muttered.
An uneasy feeling grew in Eda’s belly as she looked between them. ‘Are you talking about Roul? Did they release him?’
Blake walked over and took Luella from her, which only made Eda more nervous. ‘Can someone please start talking?’
Luella started to cry, and Blake bounced her. ‘He’s going home.’
Eda thought she must have misheard due to the noise. ‘What?’
‘Thornton is going home, to Carno.’
There was sympathy in Blake’s voice, which irritated Eda. ‘What do you mean, he’s going home? He can’t. He’s not allowed. The minimum length of serv—’
‘Prince Becket banished him,’ Astin said quietly.
Eda blinked. ‘Who told you that?’ The pity on his face was unbearable. ‘Who?’
‘Our paths crossed on my way here.’
She was having trouble comprehending. That was what came of being sleep-deprived for days on end. ‘He told you that?’
‘Yes.’
Roul had told Astin he was going home. He had said those words. She laughed, despite nothing being funny. ‘He’s leaving now? He’s going to travel at night?’ When no one spoke, she said, ‘He wouldn’t just leave without telling me.’ Because that would break her, shatter her heart into shards so small they would be carried away by the slightest breeze.
‘He didn’t want to upset you further or risk you doing something rash,’ Lyndal said, not quite meeting her eyes.
Eda took an involuntary step back. ‘He thoughtnotcoming was better?’
Her stomach twisted, and her heart…
She could not be walled inside this kingdom without him. That was not a life. That was a sentence. Who would she laugh with? Play with? It would be half a life. ‘How long ago did you see them?’
‘Eda,’ Blake warned.
She did not wait for a response. It was too urgent. Astin’s horse was still tethered out front, so she ran for the door.
‘Eda, wait!’ Lyndal called after her.
There was not a chance in hell Eda was going to wait even one moment. She was out the door and running for Astin’s horse in the next breath. Untying the reins, she sprang up into the saddle and galloped away from the house.
She did not have a plan as such, only knew she had to reach him. Then they could make a plan together like he promised.
‘We’ll figure it out.’
That was what he said. All their secrets were out in the open now. There was no need for them to quarrel about anything ever again. At least nothing as big as assassinating a king.
She was almost at the north gate when her horse began to tire. She pushed the animal through it, knowing she was nearly there. Up ahead, she heard the sound of the gate closing. Not opening—closing. She pushed the horse faster still.
Finally, she spotted Harlan. He was facing the gate, the one Roul had just passed through. He looked in her direction, and she saw the same irritating pity that had been all over Astin’s face.
‘Open the gate!’ she shouted. ‘Open it!’
Harlan moved his horse into her path, forcing her to pull up. Undeterred, she leapt from the saddle and dashed past him, running towards the portcullis. She glimpsed Roul through it, about fifty yards away.
‘Roul!’
