“There’s naught to her but weak arms. You’d think a witch could give a strengthening spell or two.” It was the laundress I’d passed in the hall. Others muttered their agreement.
“She won’t last one cloud’s shade in battle,” a man declared.
I opened my mouth to protest—I’d survived one whole battle already, even if I spent most of it hidden with Omar behind a rock—but Amelia was already speaking.
“Not if I can help it,” she said. Amelia fitted a leather frame across my torso and fastened the buckles. Splint mail, she called it.
“So, this goes under the metal armor?” I asked, ignoring my audience.
Amelia tipped her head back and laughed. “And what would you do with full plate armor? Tilly here’s got it right. The Dark Mage’s servants wouldn’t have to capture you—you wouldn’t be able to run away under the armor’s weight. You’d have to ask them to lend a hand if you tripped.” Others chuckled as she ribbed me, and I gave a small smile back.
She dipped down to fasten something around my waist, and I caught a glimpse of long, silky hair across the room. My heart thumped.
Ironclaw was speaking to an older man, thin, with thick eyebrows. He handed Ironclaw a long wrapped item.A new sword?
Ironclaw turned to leave but caught my eye. He looked my splint mail up and down, and I felt myself blush. I shook my hair to the side slightly to give him a better view.
“Good to go.” Amelia slapped me on the back.
I thanked her, but she had already moved on to the next person in line.
I left through the same door Ironclaw did, hoping to catch him. I had to make him see I wasn’t an enemy if anything was going to bloom between us.
I rushed into the hallway, guessed that he went left, and hurried around the corner. I ran full force into something that knocked me flat on my back. I struggled to sit up in the still stiff leather armor. Before I could take a breath, I was lifted to my feet.
“Following me?” Ironclaw was so close I could smell wood smoke and sawdust on him. And...something floral?
I swallowed back words, as they wouldn’t come anyway, and shook my head, still collecting my breath. I pointed at the leather strapped across my chest. He had seen me in the armory. What else would I be doing? I mean, besides following him, which I absolutely was doing.
My voice came back. “I don’t know the layout of the castle,” I said weakly, and cleared my throat. “Could you help me get back to the great hall for dinner?”
The set of his mouth didn’t flex, but something in his eyes shifted. “Are you okay?” he asked gruffly.
“Oh yeah, it’s good luck to break in new armor, right?”
“I’ve never heard that before.”
“Right...the great hall?” I prompted him.
He gestured ahead and we fell into step with each other.
I cast about for some way to convince him I wasn’t a political threat and was, in fact, a ravishing beauty he should invite to ride double with him tomorrow.
His black doublet had a bear claw woven in silver thread on his chest.
“Where I’m from,” I said, pointing at it, “we have three types of bears—brown, black, and polar.”
He took that in. “I’ve seen bears with both brown and black fur. What is polar?”
“A polar bear. White fur. Ten feet tall. Hunts people.” It was a good thing I hadn’t mentioned panda or sun bears.
He eyed me warily. “And you’ve seen one of these beasts?”
“Yes,” I said, thinking of my trip to the Lincoln Park Zoo. I turned, forcing him to stop. “I’m from a distant land, but I’m not your enemy, nor an enemy to your queen.”
“I see.” He paused, seeming to fight for words. “It’s true I was hoping to have a word alone with you, Lady Mayfair.”
Something lit inside me.
