“Much appreciated.” I smile up at her. “Could I?—”
She waves me off. “Take as many scones as you’d like.”
Plucking a few extra scones to take with me, I wave my goodbyes and head back to my room. As I turn the corner, I notice a petite servant girl waiting by my door. She wears a clean, simple blue dress with her pale blonde hair pulled back into a bun.
“Hello there,” I greet her.
Her sorrowful brown eyes don’t lift to meet mine. “The king asked me to deliver this to you.” She hands me a rolled-up piece of parchment with a small piece of twine around it.
I take it from her, wondering what it might be. The servant girl curtsies before silently walking away. Closing the door, I set down the parchment and pull the string. As I unroll it, a castle map reveals itself before me. Wrath got me a map—how thoughtful. I did not think the King was capable of kind acts, let alone attentive enough to hear a small comment I’d made.
Taking a large bite of my scone, I let out a small sigh of pleasure, reveling in the warm, sticky-sweet pastry. I continue to eat my breakfast, my fingertips tracing the castle’s corridors as I study the map. That’s when something exciting catches my attention—the gardens. After seeing the Dormishade on our way into town, I wonder if there are more unique flora here in the North to discover.
Rolling up the parchment, I tuck it into my satchel in case I need it later. I set down my empty breakfast bowl, plucking my copy of the Warlord Chronicles from the bedside table as I exit my room. After wandering around for some time, I find the gardens.
The air is crisp with a slight chill, a sign that snowfall is imminent. The oak trees are tall and mighty, their branches thick with leaves, providing ample shade. Walking along thepath reminds me of the last time I went wandering around in a garden—the night the Elvarrans captured me. I sit on a shady bench beneath a tree, opening my worn copy of the Warlord Chronicles right to my favorite chapter.
Someone approaches me, and I startle at their footstep. My gaze meets Sebastian’s, and I give him a polite smile as he stops before me. His warm, brunette hair billows in the breeze. He wears a loose tunic that hangs comfortably over his frame, the fabric wrinkled somewhat as if he threw it on in a hurry.
“Sebastian,” I greet him. “We seem to be running into one another quite a lot.”
“I’ll admit I purposefully sought you out today,” Sebastian replies. “Will you take a promenade with me?”
I hesitate, then accept. “Sure.”
Closing the book, I tuck it in the crook of my arm as I stand. The two of us walk down a path that leads deeper into the gardens. I scan the space to ensure no one is watching us together. The last thing I need is a rumor spreading of my involvement with a duke.
“You’ll have to forgive me, Raelys, but it’s strange to find one of the King's guests working in a tavern that… unsavory.”
My brows lower. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
Sebastian’s steps are leisurely as he glances sidelong at me. “There are whispers of your house name floating around the castle.”
A thread of apprehension shoots through me. Sebastian’s usual lighthearted demeanor toward me has shifted into apprehension. I wonder what has changed since the last time I saw him.
“I belong to House Valantis,” I tell him forthrightly.
“Then you are the sole survivor of the attack on Avelisar,” he points out. “Which means you are still the queen.”
My heart nearly skips a beat. It is something I haven’t givena second thought to in weeks. I am technically a queen, but there is no point in being a queen of an empty castle.
I redirect his attention with a lie. “Ah, that would be true if the King hadn’t launched his attack in the middle of the ceremony. We did not complete our vows.”
“Then why did the King keep you alive?”
I give him a lazy shrug. “Perhaps he is using me as a negotiation piece with Cathros. I’m not mistreated if that concerns you.”
Sebastian grows quiet beside me. I can see he’s deep in thought as we stroll through the lush gardens. There are several things I need him to explain to me, so I steer the conversation away from me and towards him.
“Now that I’ve told you something, you must tell me how your negotiations with the King went.” I lighten my tone, stepping closer. Our shoulders accidentally brush against one another.
He releases a heavy sigh. “He will not listen to any of my king's requests. If this continues for much longer, Erynthe may ally with Rykaris. If that happens, it could leave your kingdom as an easy target for The Blade.”
That information is exactly what I need to inform Valentin about. The only issue is sending a letter without getting caught. Wrath may let me roam freely, but I am about to push the boundaries of our agreement.
I lean close and say, “I’ve heard whisperings of a rebellion.”
He chuckles. “You are well informed.”
