He had her on the backfoot again. ‘Not exactly.’
He smirked at her through the flame. ‘Oh dear.’
She folded her arms. ‘There’s a beast in these mountains. I wanted to see if I could help it.’
His eyebrows lifted. ‘So, the rumours are indeed true.’
Couldn’t he hear it keening, even now? Didn’t he sense its mighty presence in these ancient tunnels?
‘Is it truly a dragon?’ he said, voice hitching.
‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘We won’t know until we find it.’
And free it.
Though Alarik would never allow it.
‘I need to speak to the king.’
‘Leave the matter to me,’ said Elias, quickly. ‘I am, after all, his most trusted cousin and spymaster, while you are … well, an attendant to the king’s animals. It’s not quite your place, is it?’ His smile curled. ‘In fact, you should scurry back to the arena. I don’t need to remind you that we’re about to go to war. You have your own beasts to worry about.’
She winced at his words. He was right, of course. She had been gone for over an hour, and she was supposed to start working on battle formations with Captain Vine today. Not that she was particularly looking forward to it.
‘Please don’t mention this to the king.’
‘I’ll deal with it.You get back to your post,’ said Elias. But when she turned into the darkness and stubbed her nose on a rock, he lunged, taking her by the elbow. ‘On second thoughts, I’ll walk you back myself. If anything happened to you in here, Alarik would beheadme. And what a terrible waste of handsomeness that would be.’
Greta worked the beasts all morning and through lunch, grabbing a sandwich to eat on the go. In the fields behind the palace, she joined a stressed-looking Captain Vine, who had an uncanny ability for barking orders that made everyone in a half-mile radius stand to attention. Together, they paired off the animals with different groups of soldiers, working through several key attack and defence formations.
They went through the motions again and again, until everyone, on two legs and four, was run ragged with exhaustion. When the dinner bell rang out, Greta could have wept with relief. In the dining hall, she sat with Aren, who looked on admiringly as she scarfed down two bowls of lamb stew and half a loaf of brown bread.
When she returned to her bedchamber, there was a letter waiting on her desk. She expected it to be from her father, who had already written to her twice at Grinstad, but was pleasantly surprised when she recognized her sister’s messy scrawl.
She ripped the letter open and sank on to the bed to read it.
Dearest Greta,
Forgive me for not writing sooner, but I was waiting for something cheering to say. This past month hasn’t been the same without you. Kindra and I miss your singing in the mornings, although you will be glad to learn that your beloved Lupo has invented a particularly ear-splitting howl to fill the quiet you’ve left behind. The weather remains a horror. It’s no kinder to us now than when you left, but Mikkel has kept us fed with fresh mackerel and Mama’s chickens have begun to lay eggs again, though not as often as we would like.
Your gift arrived this morning on the postmaster’s ship. When Papa opened the package from Grinstad, his tongue fell out of his mouth. Even Mama squealed like a stuck pig, and we all fell about laughing. Of course, we knew your work at the palace would be well compensated, but it’s been long years since we’ve seen such a grand sum! You must know this is enough coin for three barrels of potatoes, a month’s worth of lamb’s meat, a new coat for Mama and a bolt of silk for Kindra’s wedding dress. She hasn’t stopped grinning all day! I had forgotten how beautiful she is when she smiles. I hope you’re keeping some wages aside for yourself, little nightingale. You must be working so hard for the king. I imagine the days are long and lonely there, and you are missing us as sorely as we are missing you.When the weather clears in the spring, I promise I’ll come to see you, even if I have to steal a boat and a sled and a pack of wolves to do it. You know I always keep my word.
For now, write to us of your beasts, and the king, if you have managed to make his acquaintance. Is he truly as beastly as they say? Or has Tor been right to defend him all these years? There must be gossip in between all that hard work and hopefully a handsome soldier or two to distract you. As your eldest sister, I demand to know everything. Don’t make me send Aya to spy on you!
Love always,
Hela x
Greta read the letter twice, trying to make sense of her sister’s words. What coin was she referring to? Greta’s first official wage was not due for another two days. She’d spent the last four weeks anxiously waiting to send coin home, but here was Hela, telling her it had already arrived. And in great excess, by the sound of it.
Her fingers trembled as she set the letter down, her gaze snagging on those telltale words:when Papa opened the package from Grinstad …
If the coin had come from Grinstad and she had not been the one to send it, then who else would have been so bold? Who else knew how her family had been suffering?
Greta closed her eyes at the sudden sting of her tears.Alarik Felsing was the only person at the palace with such knowledge, not to mention the means and the authority to do something about it. Butwhywould he do something about it?
Why were the needs of the Iversens suddenly so important to the king of Gevra?
Had he done it for her? Or was it his loyalty to Tor that had moved his hand? And why on earth hadn’t he mentioned it to her? They had seen each other every day since the ball, often walking together in the mornings as they looked over the beasts, or sharing a flask of tea late in the evenings, whenever he caught her closing up for the night. He had a knack for coming upon her at exactly the right time, though she knew in her heart she would never refuse his company, even if he offered it in the midst of a snowstorm.
