Eda said nothing, only listened.
‘I always ask myself what is best for the Chadorian people at this point,’ Fayre continued. ‘It is a difficult thing to push aside one’s pride in order to assess a situation in an honest manner.’ She paused, looking to the trees at the edge of the lawn. ‘I believe we shall soon fall under King Edward’s rule if we do not act, and all our progress will be undone. England’s food situation remains dire, which means the few food resources we have would be depleted in no time.’ She glanced sideways at Eda. ‘That is why Chadora must remain independent for now, until the world replenishes itself.’
Eda nodded. ‘Can I ask you something?’
‘Go ahead.’
‘Why does the prince refuse your letters? Not returning to claim his crown is one thing, but his refusal to speak to you reeks of a falling-out.’
Fayre lifted her chin. ‘It could be due to any number of my shortcomings as a mother, which is why I must approach him as a queen. First, we must free him from England’s clutches. Then I can mend what is broken between us. At present, he does not trust himself to lead—and he does not trust me to teach him.’
Eda stopped walking. ‘You saidwe.Who is that exactly?’
Fayre turned to her, eyes gleaming. ‘I am going to send you to Harlech Castle. I want you to bring my son home.’
Eda’s hands went limp at her sides. It took her a moment to reply. ‘You said I wasn’t ready.’
‘And then you proved me wrong. While it is important to follow orders, it is more important to be fearless and decisive in one’s actions.’
Fayre resumed walking, and Eda followed her. They passed the stables and continued towards the front of the house.
‘I shall have the warden put together a unit to escort you,’ Fayre said when the carriage came into view. ‘Tomorrow we shall spend the day preparing you, and then you will depart the following morning.’
Eda almost tripped over her own feet. ‘You want me to leave in two days?’
‘In truth, we barely have that to spare.’
And in truth, Eda would have left that very moment. All she needed was enough time to say goodbye to her family—and Roul.
Roul.
‘Unless you have changed your mind,’ Fayre asked when she did not immediately reply.
Eda looked at her. ‘I’m as willing and ready as the day I broke into Eldon Castle to tell you I was willing and ready.’
They had done a full circle of the house now, and Queen Fayre stopped in front of her carriage. ‘Come to me in the morning. We shall discuss everything then and have you fitted for some dresses.’
‘I do actually own dresses.’
‘Dresses fit for an English court?’
Eda swallowed. ‘Not too many of those, no.’
Fayre pressed her lips together, holding back a smile. ‘We may have made a soldier out of you, but we must make a lady out of you too.’ She nodded once, a farewell.
Eda curtsied, lower this time to show just how much of a lady she could be. There was amusement in Fayre’s eyes when she rose. The queen took the driver’s hand and stepped up into the carriage, settling herself in the seat.
‘No need to scale the wall,’ Fayre said, eyes ahead. ‘The gate will open for you this time.’
Eda watched the carriage pull away, then returned inside to face her family.
* * *
The infirmary was overflowing, so only those with life-threatening injuries made it inside. A tent was set up to house the rest of the injured defenders. The men sat on bloodied blankets, awaiting stitching and bandaging from exhausted physicians and healers doing rounds.
It was pitch black by the time Roul returned from the merchant borough, where he had assisted with the clean-up. His arms and legs ached, and his head pounded with fatigue as he made his way to the outdoor wash area. He stripped down, carefully cleaning the superficial cuts that peppered his body before scrubbing the rest of him clean. He had just finished dressing when Harlan appeared through the dark, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms.
Roul took in his body language. ‘Everything all right?’
