“He believes I’m Prince Corrick of Kandala,” I say. “And we desperately need his help to reach the king.”
CHAPTER NINE
Tessa
Since we don’t have horses or a carriage, we’ll need to walk to Rian’s palace. I only vaguely know the direction, because on the night we arrived on the barely functionalDawn Chaser, I didn’t care where I was going. I just wanted it to beaway from Rian.
Luckily, Erik paid closer attention. He says most of the roads seemed heavily traveled and well-marked, so it shouldn’t be hard for us to find our way. It took about an hour by wagon, so he estimates it’ll take twice that on foot. That almost makes me reconsider going atall, because I remember him wincing when he tossed the nets. I didn’t want him to lose consciousness in the middle of the ocean, and I don’t want him to collapse on the side of the road either.
When I tell him this, Erik sighs and finally allows me to redress his injury. I mix a new poultice in the kitchen while he peels the old one free. The wound doesn’t look worse, but it doesn’t lookmuch better. I still don’t think he should have been rowing or hauling nets, and I tell him so.
“I can walk, Miss Tessa.”
I scowl, and I double wrap the bandage so it’ll sit in place snugly. “Forfour hours?”
“I saidtwo.”
“Well, we’ll have to walk back. I’mnotstaying there overnight.”
He regards me evenly. “The longer we wait, the less leverage you’ll have. And you should not go alone.”
“Fine.” I put away my things while he pulls down his shirt. “I’m ready to go whenever you are.”
He frowns, then studies me more critically while he reaches to unlace his boots. “Perhaps you should arrange your hair. Do you have any pins? Maybe a dress, too.”
I look at him like he’s grown another head. “You want me to arrange myhair?”
“Regardless of your feelings, Rian is the king here. Wearevisiting his court.”
Right.I somehow keep forgetting that.
“Well, I don’t care.” I set my jaw. “If Rian doesn’t like my hair, he can go suck a—”
“There is more than one way to fight.” Erik looks at me levelly, then yanks a boot free, and I try to ignore when he winces again. “I remember the day you came to face King Harristan. The way you challenged him about medicine, how he offered to have you meet with the royal physicians. Do you think he would have listened as clearly if you’d arrived like this?”
That gives me pause. I do remember that. I was terrified of theking, but Erik is right. Harristan barely believed my theories as it was. He probably wouldn’t have listened to a scared girl from the Wilds atallif I’d been dropped in front of him in my patched skirts with uncombed hair.
The clothes and makeup in the palace hadn’t even been my choice. Not really. Quint had been the one to send me an attendant, to order that my closets be stocked with clothes, my dressing table filled with cosmetics. At the time, I found the silk and lace and powders and creams to be frivolous, but it wasn’t. It was just another type of armor. I didn’t realize it at the time, but Quint was sending me into battle, fully prepared.
And Quint wouldneverlet me go see Rian like this.
Quint.Telling him about Corrick will be as bad as telling the king. My chest tightens, and I have to force the emotion away again. “You’re right,” I say. My eyes skip over his trousers and tunic. He’s pulling off the second boot, but more gingerly, and he doesn’t wince this time. “Are you changing, too?”
“I am.”
I nod. “All right. Let me go see what I have.”
Despite the condition of Rian’s ship, most of my finer things survived the journey, but I haven’t bothered to unpack these trunks yet. I lay out my dresses across my bed, and all the silk and chiffon and velvet is pressed into creases from being folded in the trunk for so long. Since we’re walking so far, I don’t want to wear anything too elegant, but I locate a light muslin dress that isn’t too wrinkled, with tiny blue flowers embroidered along the bodice and the hem. The short sleeves leave most of my arms bare, but it has a leather belt that works perfectly for holding one of the daggers I found among the weapons in the guards’ chests. I’ve beensleeping with it under my pillow. It’s not as decorative as the dagger Corrick once gave me, but the hilt is leather wrapped and gold-plated, stamped with the crest of Kandala.
It’ll still stab someone, so I don’t care how pretty it is. If I get the chance to stab Rian, I actually wouldn’t mind a little rust.
A collection of hairpins is stashed among my things, and I brush out my hair to twist it into fresh plaits that I twirl artfully on the back of my head. There are cosmetics too, but I leave those in the trunk. Armor or not, I won’t give Rian the satisfaction of thinking I care about his opinion of me.
I find some jewels as well, wrapped up in velvet pouches and nestled among the dresses. Nothing that wasmine, as I’ve never owned anything so expensive, but again, Quint must have ensured that I would be prepared for all manner of events in the Ostrian courts.
Thank you, Quint.
I don’t want to wear any of the jewels, but I consider that we don’t have any money here, and we don’t know who or what we’ll encounter on the road, so we might have the need to trade for something. My life in the Wilds also makes me wary of thieves, so I can’t be too ostentatious. I settle on some demure hairpins that have tiny blue stones at the ends, and a small bracelet made of gold and opals.
