53
TREW
Both of us dressed in fresh leathers, and I led Isi through the winding corridors of the castle, my hand wrapped around hers like it had been forged there. The stone walls whispered secrets with every step as we passed tapestries and murals on the walls depicting ancient battles, long-forgotten ancestors, and bonded beasts. I couldn’t stop tracing idle circles over her knuckles. Small claims, each one saying what I hadn’t yet told her.
The distant clamor of pots and laughter pulled me toward the kitchens. I veered us left.
“No adventure starts on an empty stomach,” I told Isi, giving her hand a squeeze. “And I know who to rob for provisions.”
She arched a brow, her pale blue eyes sparkling with that mix of curiosity and challenge I was starting to crave like air. “You mean your own staff?”
“Precisely. Watch and learn, Minx.” I pushed open the heavy oak door, and the kitchen exploded into view, a cavernous space alive with controlled chaos. Flames danced in the massive hearth, and mounds of dough and crates of vegetables still dewy from the gardens sat on the wooden countertops. Steam rose from bubbling pots on the stoves, andthe scent of herbs swirled through the air. Bonded companions darted through the fray, including a tiny cat no bigger than a fist perched on a shelf, puffing silver smoke rings, plus a bright blue bird skittering across the flagstone floor, pecking at fallen crumbs with eager chirps.
The five staff members paused as we entered, their faces lighting up like I’d brought the sun into the room. But it was the way their gazes slid to Isi, curious, assessing, and warm, that made my chest swell. They saw the way I held her hand like she was my everything.
Mine, my instincts growled.
“Your Majesty,” Betina bowed, but her eyes were on Isi with barely concealed excitement. “My lady.” She straightened from where she was kneading a massive ball of dough, her flour-dusted apron stretched taut over her bulky frame. She wiped her hands on a rag.
“Good morning, love,” I teased her. “Still hiding the best loaves from me? I swear, if you don’t hand over something fresh from the ovens, I’ll have to declare it treason.”
She barked a laugh, her cheeks reddening. “Treason? You’d starve without me, Sire. But for you and your lovely companion, I’ll make an exception.” She turned to slice into a steaming loaf.
“Willa,” I said to the slight woman chopping herbs with a knife, her sparrow companion hopping on the counter to her left, stealing scraps. Turning, Willa curtsied, her eyes wide and warm. “Keeping everyone else in line as always?”
“Someone has to, Sire,” she said with a laugh, glancing at Isi.
Maurice stood at the stove, stirring a pot of oatmeal, his tiny mouse companion on his shoulder, its whiskers twitching.
“Save some of that oatmeal for me,” I said. “When I return, I’ll collect a bowl.” I glanced Isi’s way. “Or two.”
Nodding, he stirred faster. “I’ll put some aside. It’s an honor, Your Majesty.”
I spoke and teased each person in the room before turning back to Betina, who handed me a cloth-wrapped bundle full of bread andthick slabs of cheese. I’d snuck into the kitchen many times while growing up, first trying to steal sweets, later to sit and visit, and she knew just what I liked.
I could feel everyone’s unspoken questions hanging in the air. What did this woman mean to their king? I didn’t explain. Let them speculate; it only made the truth sweeter.
“Tax paid.” I saluted Betina, stuffing the bundle down the front of my tunic, the warmth seeping through to my skin. Isi rolled her eyes, but her fingers tightened around mine.
I led her out the back door of the castle, the heavy portal creaking open to a crisp, bright morning. The lawn stretched behind the castle, followed by the forest and the trail we took with the scent of pine tinging the air.
Isi’s hand in mine felt like the only real thing in my world. I stole glances at her profile, taking in the way the light caught her lashes and the determined set of her jaw that hid a vulnerability only I got to see.
Fates, she was everything. Fierce and fragile, a storm wrapped in silk, and I’d burn worlds to keep her safe. To keep her mine.
The forest gave way to rocky outcrops as we approached the cliff, the ground rising sharply until we reached the aerie perched at the top, a crown of stone and mortar. Its long, hulking structure housed a fleet of dragons.
Gavelle and Pherin swooped in close before we entered the aerie, landing softly on our shoulders.
“There you are, sweet floof,” Isi said, stroking Pherin’s spine.
Gavelle gave me a look that said something like,why aren’t you calling me sweet floof as well?
I grinned, loving this day.
Loving this woman beside me.
You won’t want to go with us,I sent his way, and with a huff, he launched off my shoulder and soared across the open area between the aerie and forest with Pherin fluttering behind him.
