Prince Frank flexed his jaw.
“She has been saving up to move out,” Mitch added. “She might have enough by now.”
“What’s stopping her?” The prince gave Mitch a hard look.
“As soon as she says the word, I’m getting her out of there.”
“Good.” Prince Frank unfolded his arms. “Now what’s the big issue that Miss Stone seems to think I should know about?”
Mitch took a deep breath. “I don’t know the woman’s real name, but around here, she’s known as Grandmother.”
By the time Mitch had finished telling the prince about Tasia’s deliveries, what they contained, and how Granny planned to use them, both men had settled enough in the other’s presence to sit down. Prince Frank listened without interruption, then asked a few clarifying questions. His willingness to consider the word of a commoner gratified Mitch. It was a pleasant change from the treatment he usually received from authority.
The royal had a partial recollection of filemu being tested in the royal hospital. He didn’t have many details, but he was able to grasp the seriousness and nuance of the situation. Unsurprisingly, due to his geographic position much farther south, he was completely unfamiliar with Olev Rebane, Pozik, and Estutu, who tended to operate in northern Bavenpier and the mountains beyond.
Prince Frank also admitted that until now, he had believed the slave trade to be abolished. Diomland had had laws against the practice for centuries. That such a thing flourished to the pointof needing a full village’s worth of people to help with demand sickened him. He swore to investigate with his full power as a royal upon his return.
Despite his growing respect for the man, Mitch’s fuel for socializing had been exhausted long before the prince was ready to call it quits. Frank seemed happy to discuss the matter all night long, if need be. Mitch used the audible growling of his stomach to escape the situation with some of his dignity intact. He scarfed his dinner with unseemly haste in the nearly empty dining room, then hid in his room.
He had kept his promise to Tasia and survived the experience. Tomorrow, he would have to play nice again. Fortunately, Mitch could count on the buffer of her presence to make a huge difference.
Chapter Eleven
Which Contains Plans Conceived in Darkness
The next day’s dawn brought thick clouds with it. Though palpably warmer, the imminent threat of rain would no doubt ruin their plans to meet in the woods.
Despite her constant fretting the night before—and the accompanying movement that finally induced Chara to leave and sleep in her parents’ room—Tasia had been unable to think of an excuse to leave the house today. In the end, it didn’t matter. Mother Anthi and Chara had been invited somewhere for one of the last shared play times before the snows hit, Stavros had disappeared right after breakfast, and Pagona left soon after that, though not before bragging about getting to see the cider stash at Bunny’s house. From what Tasia could gather, none of the young ladies would betastingany of the village-renowned cider at this time; they were just enjoying the privilege ofseeingthe barrels.
Comparing the difference between what rural folks and city dwellers did for excitement distracted Tasia from her worrieslong enough to reach the meeting place. Since it was the same spot that she and Mitch met up, and returned to, each week, she found it without trouble.
At first, she only saw Prince Frank. Then the man she most wanted to see stepped out of a shadow, causing her heart to race in a silly manner.
“We can’t discuss things in the rain,” Mitch said by way of a greeting. “I know a place.”
Tasia wondered if Prince Frank knew what a gift the wolf-man was offering by forgoing the grunts to use real words. And more than ten words, at that!
The Diomlanders followed Mitch on a roundabout path that kept them fairly out of sight and ended at the ersatz library. By then, the clouds had darkened to an ominous deep gray, and it felt like twilight. Some careful jiggling with an object Tasia couldn’t see soon let Mitch open the door. He ushered them in while watching the road, then swiftly shut the door after letting himself in. The time it took to jimmy the lock allowed Tasia to read the small sign on the door, which informed library patrons that visiting hours were up to the discretion of the librarian. She got the feeling that said discretion was arbitrary and did not favor inclement weather. Fortunately, the business that shared a wall with the library was also dark and empty.
“We can’t risk being seen.” Mitch spoke for the first time since leading them here. He pulled a thick pillow from the single chair in the room and set it on the floor next to a wall away from the window. Prince Frank followed his hand motion and sat on the floor near the pillow. Tasia moved to do the same but was redirected by Mitch’s hand on her shoulder and found herself on the cushion that was more comfortable than it looked. Mitch then settled in on her other side, close enough to bump knees, if she felt so inclined.
Tasia’s cloak protected her from the damp coolness. As her eyes adjusted to the lack of light, the sense of casual wrongdoing sent a delicious thrill racing through her limbs. She bit her lip to hold back the foolish smile that would be hard to explain and rubbed her arms. Mitch looked concerned, so she waved him off with a real smile, then realized he could miss that in the near dark and touched his arm instead. She turned to Prince Frank.
“You’re a prince. What can you do?” After tossing and turning for too many hours, she came to the conclusion that the only royal in their midst should have the authority and knowledge to deal with this sort of situation.
The dimness prevented her from seeing his face clearly, but he shifted in a way that suggested his discomfort wasn’t caused by the floor alone. “Technically, I’m not supposed to be here,” he began.
“Why?” Tasia interrupted without thinking. “Beg pardon. Please continue.”
“Bavenpier has a thing about foreign royalty making themselves known to the palace before visiting or traveling through,” Prince Frank explained. “Since I came here incognito, I could cause Diomland a lot of trouble if I try to throw my weight around.”
“Huh.” Tasia wasn’t sure what to do with that information. Mitch continued to hold his peace at her side. Maybe that made the prince uncomfortable, because he felt the need to elaborate.
“Ha—” He coughed. “I have a friend with . . . royal connections who believes that policy is part of the queen’s paranoia, but whatever it is, my hands are tied.”
“How royal are your friend’s connections?” Mitch rumbled.
Prince Frank’s tone was wary. “Pretty royal.”
