He’s quiet for a moment. “I pushed you to confront him. I didn’t intend to cause you so much distress.” He pauses. “I’m sorry.”
“No, I needed to do it. I’m glad you pushed me.” I roll my eyes. “I do wish I hadn’t thrown up on him.”
“Are you kidding? That was my favorite part.”
That makes me giggle, and it’s enough to chase any risk of tears away. But eventually, silence grows between us again, and I don’t want sorrow to fill the space. “Was Rian right?” I say softly. “Are you worried about facing the king if we get back?”
He makes a frustrated sound. “Thatwas Rian attempting to manipulate you. Or maybe he and his people really do suspect the worst of everyone from Kandala.” His jaw tightens. “But I volunteered for this journey, so I’ll see it through. I swore an oath to the king. In all those long hours I’ve stood guard over countless meetings, I’ve never once heard himnotdo right by his people.”
I nod, remembering the first time I sat and faced King Harristan myself. I remember being surprised by the same thing. So many people in Kandala think he’s horrible, but he isn’t. Not at all. He truly cares, and he’s trying to protect everyone the best way he can.
We hit a bump in the road, and Rocco makes a small sound of discomfort. He shifts on the bench next to me, pressing a hand to his side, then shifts again, before sighing and shaking out the reins, clucking to the horses to pick up the pace. I look over, and it’s tough to tell in the moonlight, but his jaw is still tight.
“You’re in pain,” I say. “How long has it been bothering you?”
“I’m all right, Miss Tessa.”
I don’t believe him. He didn’t even eat all of the food we bought. “Can I take the reins?”
He makes a face, then shakes his head. “A lot more can go wrong with horses than a rowboat. We don’t have much farther.”
I flatten my lips into a line, but I nod. I think of the way he was helping to load the wagon. “I wish you’d said something.”
“I wasn’t going to make you stay at his palace.”
I frown and look back at the road, feeling guilty. I announced that this morning, how I didn’t want to risk staying near Rian. “I would have,” I say quietly. “You’ve been risking yourself to guardme. I might not know how to fight, but I’ll do what I can to protect you, too.”
As soon as I say it, the words seem silly. He doesn’t need my protection. But he glances at me in the darkness, and he gives me a nod. “Thank you, Miss Tessa.”
We trot on in the moonlight, and I recognize the woods when we get back to the path where we met Olive and Ellmo. I’ve been listening to Rocco’s breathing for the last twenty minutes, and I’m trying to determine whether it sounds strained, when a smattering of rocks hits the side of the wagon, and a light bit of laughter rings through the trees.
Rocco draws back the reins and sighs as the horses come to a stop. “I don’t have the patience for it now, boy. I might just shoot you this time.”
I expect Ellmo to fire back with a saucy comment or scamper away through the trees, but he leaps up onto the wagon like he’s been invited. “Mama and I have been watching for you. I ran ahead.” His eyes are wide in the moonlight. “Look at all thisstuff.” He begins poking through the wagon, and the hens go wild with clucking.
Rocco twitches the reins, and the horses walk on. “I’m glad you’re here,” he says. “We need a five-year-old to help unload.”
“I’mseven!”
“Is your mother nearby?” I ask him, just as I hear Olive call his name from the shadows ahead. Rocco draws the wagon to a stop again when we reach her.
She has a small lantern, and she holds it up toward the wagon.She whistles low between her teeth at all of our wares. “I see ourkingsought to curry your favor, Tessa Cade.”
I hear the tone in her voice when she sayskingand wonder if she means that as an insult. “No,” I say. “He refused everything I asked for.”
Her eyes widen. “Exactly what did you ask for?”
“Passage home.”
She meets my gaze and holds it. “I see.”
“Since he refused,” I say, “I asked for supplies to set up an apothecary here. I won’t sit around waiting for him to grant my wishes.”
She blinks in surprise, much like Henry in the village. “You’re going to set up an apothecary . . . ?here?”
“Yes. I heard there were people who might be sick or injured. Now we have a wagon, so I’ll help if I can. I used to make rounds in Kandala, so I may as well do the same.”
“The people might not trust your medicines,” she says. “There’s still a lot of worry after the way Kandala betrayed Ostriary.”
