“I don’t want gossip that we brought a prisoner back from Astranza,” Ky says. “Don’t make me regret it.”
Asher takes the reins. “No promises.”
Ky gives him a look, but the rest of his soldiers have caught up, so we ride on. At the crest of the hill, the border guards stand at attention as we ride past. All motionless, all silent. They’re all in the same black armor as Ky’s soldiers, and I feel the weight of their gaze as they take stock of me and Charlotte. In these clothes, it would be impossible for them to know which of us is the princess. The king says nothing, so I don’t either.
At the end of the line, a man steps forward, and his bearing tells me that he’s likely an officer. He holds out a hand to Ky and says, “By fury and flame.”
Ky catches his hand and grasps it. “For valor and truth.”
The men behind us slap a hand to their armor. “For Incendar.”
It makes Ky smile, and the relief in his expression is profound. “For Incendar,” he says in response.
Riding past the border guard seems to lift a weight from our group, as if Ky’s soldiers have all released a collective breath. They’re on their own soil, with allies at their back.
But Asher glances back at me, and the tension still clings to his eyes. He’s not relieved. Not yet.
Neither am I.
The king nods down at his officer as we pass. “Hold the border, Lieutenant.” Then he taps three fingers on his opposite shoulder, and rides on.
But as my own horse begins to move away, I’m still looking at the guards, so I see the lieutenant’s eyes widen slightly. There’s a new alertness to his stance, and he turns to the other men and repeats the three-fingered gesture. “Hold the border,” he says sharply. None of them say a word in response, but I see the same awareness in their figures as they shift to move into new positions. Ky’s own soldiers fall into line to follow us, but their bows are strapped to their saddles again, their vigilance less urgent.
My eyes shift to the king. “What did you tell them?” I say.
“To hold the border,” he says dryly. I huff a breath, and he adds, “No passage into Incendar.”
“And what was thesecretorder?” When his eyebrows go up, I tap three fingers on my shoulder.
He looks back at me and says nothing. His expression is still easy, but now there’s a cunning look in his eye that I absolutely cannot ignore.
“The morning we met,” I add, “you said that once we were in Incendar, you would show me anything I desire.”
“I’m not quite sure that was my promise.”
“Please?” I say sweetly.
The king heaves a sigh, then lets it out through his teeth. He glances at Asher. “Is this how she convinced you to force me out of the castle?”
Asher keeps his eyes forward, and his voice is flat. “Yep.”
I scowl, but when the king looks back, he smiles. “Very well, Princess. It’s not really an order at all. It’s a measure of severity.” He holds up one finger, then taps it against his shoulder. “Hold the border—but use your discretion. Question merchants and travelers, and let them pass if it seems legitimate.” He holds up two fingers, then taps them as well. “Hold the border, but restrict access. Don’t allow anyone through without a valid reason to be here. Inspect wagons, search carriages, that kind of thing.” He shrugs a little and repeats the two-fingered gesture. “Basically,don’t pick a fight, but stand your ground.”
I remember he tapped two fingers last night, when Roman and Nikko were moving into the hallway to stand guard. Now I understand.
“You used three,” I say, and this time Captain Zale glances back, over his shoulder.
“Yes,” Ky says. “I did.” A note in his voice tells me his lesson is over.
But Asher was paying attention. He taps three fingers. “Hold the border,” he says. “Use lethal force.”
The king says nothing. His captain says nothing.
But that says more than enough.
Asher glances back at me, and there’s a look in his eye that reminds me that the king and his men seem relieved...but Asher doesn’t.
I remember the way the king tricked him, then let my brother’s guards take him away—to protect himself, and to protect his soldiers.
