The king who hadn’t been seen in Malheim or Ralheim for over a decade.
My gaze flickered to the courtyard. It was still quite busy, with numerous servants still performing tasks. “It seems to benefit them the most.”
She shrugged. “Imagine how it must benefit the person who issued the decree then.”
My mind fog cleared, and I remembered who I was talking to. “I’m sorry but I didn’t catch your name.”
She dipped her chin. “The apology is mine. I should have started with that before griping about the one-child ruling. My name is Ena.”
“Ena.”
“Yes, like the fruit.”
I had no idea what fruit she was talking about, but I didn’t want her to know that. “I’m Runa.” I moved my hand to perform the formal greeting, but Ena waved it off.
“I don’t perform the greeting of the oppressors.”
The word she used sent shivers down my spine. I had never heard anyone else refer to either viscount in that way, or to decline a greeting.
“You shouldn’t either.” Her eyes remained fixed on the bucket of water at her feet. “You are nothing but a tool to them.”
I swallowed. The conversation had taken a very dark turn, and I wasn’t sure how to deal with it. I wasn’t sure if I should even still be having it.
Somehow, she must have sensed that, because she pointed to her eye, finally giving me a good look at what I had been silently wondering all along and continued, “I’m no Seid, but many servants who have come through here over the years were. I recognize the ring.”
I nodded, not sure how to process all of this information. If many Seid had come through here over the years, where were they now? One look at Ena told me she couldn’t be that much older than I was. I decided to switch the topic back tosomething else. “I, uh . . .” The courtyard hustle and bustle was the same as before, hopefully still enough to provide continued privacy. “I am looking for my cousin, actually.”
“Ah. Your cousin is also—” She pointed to her eye.
“Yes.”
“Okay, well, I haven’t seen her, but I’m sure Hansen will call for her soon. He’s desperate to win this battle against Adis. So desperate he’s getting sloppy.”
“You know a lot for a?—”
She cut me off. “A servant? Let me tell you a secret, Runa.” This time it was her who looked around before beckoning me closer. “They have long underestimated us—both Adis and Hansen. I heard what you and your cousin did for the servants there.”
So, news had traveled.
“And I think people in both Ralheim and Malheim are suffering. They are tired of watching their children fight what will be an endless war. Tired of giving any child beyond their first to the government. The populations in the villages have been shrinking while the number of servants and soldiers has only grown. But Adis and Hansen forgot one thing.”
“What?” The word was barely a whisper.
“That we all come from the same place. We all have the same background, and we are all angry.”
I nodded. I knew what I needed to tell her next. I still wasn’t sure I could trust this woman, but after this conversation I had to hope I could. “Listen.” I moved even closer, sinking down to my knee beside the chair. At this point, I would rather people saw me acting abnormally than hear what I was about to say. “There will be an attack in five days. The attacker has agreed to spare anyone who crosses into the woods with me. I want you to come with me.”
Ena didn’t appear as shocked as I had assumed. I had specifically left out details, like the time of the attack, just in case this was still some sort of elaborate trap.
“And then?”
“And then you help us fight the war.”
“On whose side?”
I hoped Otho didn’t mind that I was about to steal his words. “On your own side—the side that is tired of being forced to build this Heimland up and serve it without receiving any of the benefits or the rights afforded to those in charge.”
Her head bobbed and I swore I saw moisture gathering in her eyes. “I’ll be there.”
