Eda straightened at the sound, causing herself more pain. He was between the donkeys, reluctantly petting both. ‘One, apparently. But it feels like seven.’
He suppressed a smile and was almost knocked sideways by Rosemary when he withdrew his hand.
‘If you’ve come for your donkey, it might be a fight to the death. Basil’s very attached.’
He raised his hands. ‘Oh no. She’s all yours.’
Roul was so beautiful drenched in sunlight, even while covered in blood and dust. It almost made Eda wish she were not standing before him wearing a nightdress, muddy boots, a horse blanket, and a sling.
‘It’s such a relief to see you up and about. And to hear your voice.’ He swallowed. ‘I was worried about the shoulder when I saw it.’
‘The physician just popped it back in. I barely felt a thing,’ she lied.
Roul’s liquid eyes never left her.
‘How’s the wall?’ Eda asked, struggling with what to say next.
‘Still a way to go to completion, but everyone’s pitching in.’
‘Good.’ She pulled the blanket tighter around her. ‘I think it’s amazing that you came to warn the king after the way he treated you.’
‘Wasn’t much of a warning in the end.’
‘Still, I’m sure he appreciated having an extra soldier of your calibre on his side for the fight.’
A smile flickered on his face. ‘You could say that.’ His eyes swept the length of her, and his expression turned serious. ‘I’ve always marvelled at your ability to look like a goddess in a moth-eaten blanket you stole from an animal.’
She reached up and poked a finger through one hole. ‘I’m quite confident that you’re alone in that thought.’ She decided to be brave and close the distance between them. He smelled of a thousand wounds. ‘Are you hurt? It’s difficult to tell how much of that blood is yours.’
‘Just a few cuts and bruises.’
She reached up and dragged the neck of his tunic down, revealing red-and-purple marks. She let go when she heard his breath change. ‘You should wash in the creek. You’ll feel like a new person.’
He glanced at the water. ‘There are some things I need to tell you before I leave.’
Leave.
The word landed like a punch, knocking her off balance. He reached out to steady her.
‘Are you all right?’
‘Just a bit tired,’ Eda said, giving her best impression of a reassuring smile. ‘Go wash. I’m not going to run away.’ To prove it, she went and sat at the creek’s edge to wait. ‘I’ve something to tell you also.’
Roul nodded, removed his boots and socks, then stripped down to his braies before wading into the water. Eda studied his back, evaluating every cut and bruise. The cuts would fade to tiny silver lines like all the others. She watched him disappear below the water’s surface, then looked away when he emerged facing her. But not before noticing the way his muscled shoulders glistened in the sun.
He spent a few minutes washing himself. And she spent a few minutes practicing what she was going to say in her head.
I just want you to know I’m pregnant. Yes, it’s yours. And this is the plan I made yesterday without you. How do you feel about leaving meandyour child? How do you feel about breaking my heart a second time?
Then he was out of the water and coming towards her, and she was panicking. She opened the blanket to him, but he shook his head and sank down on the grass beside her, wet and clean. He drew his knees up, hands resting on them, and turned his face to the sun.
‘You once told me you wanted to build a house on this very spot,’ he said. ‘Remember?’
‘I remember.’
‘It’s a great spot.’ He looked at his hands. ‘Harlan told me you’re to marry a young lord in Toryn.’
She looked out at the water. ‘Afuturelord.’
