“I’m sorry about that,” the woman continued. “She’s been asking about you for weeks, and she bolted the moment she saw you.”
Grave went to wrap a hand around me but stopped himself. And for a fleeting moment I longed for his touch.
“This is Audryn,” Grave said. “She’s visiting from Rivale.”
“That’s … interesting,” the woman said and squinted at me.
He gestured to her. “And this is Dolcie.”
“Hello.” I extended my hand.
She let the greeting go unacknowledged and returned her attention to the king. “I’m glad to see you’re back. We’ve been working on a little something at home and I would love for you to stop by. Tomorrow night, maybe? I could cook something for dinner. I’ve been saving a few items for a special occasion.”
“Sure, but perhaps a different day. I’m showing our guest around.” He smiled at Dolcie and then back at me. “Audryn’s been generously working on a project with my sister.”
My stomach twinged. For his sister? Hadn’thebeen the one to ask for my help?
“Do you want to buy a picture?” The girl tugged at the hem of my shirt. I knelt down and looked on as she dug out a folded scrap of paper from her pocket. The folds were worn, and thesheet was nearly falling apart. The drawing had a sun with several wyverns flying near a big puffy cloud.
“Oh wow, this is very good,” I said, pointing to the drawing. “You captured the sun’s rays with these lines perfectly. How much are you asking?” I traced the lines extending across the top.
Dimples popped in her cheek, and she straightened her back. “Two coins, please.”
The request was enough to catch Dolcie’s attention. She dropped her hand from Grave’s shoulder and pulled her daughter back. “Don’t bother the woman with your drawings,” she admonished.
Digging into my pocket, I found two coins and pulled them out, displaying them in the palm of my hand. The girl snatched them quickly and went running down the street, leaving the paper drifting down to the ground in the wake of her chaos. I folded it, placed it in my pocket, and stood next to a smiling Grave.
“You didn’t need to do that,” she chided.
“It’s a lovely picture, it’s only right to pay for her hard work,” I said, but the compliment didn’t land.
She turned back to Grave. “Will you be going to the celebration at the end of the week?”
He nodded and offered a wave to several who passed with curious eyes. A look of disappointment crossed the woman’s face as she watched him expectantly, but whatever she’d been hoping for the king didn’t give.
“Oh gosh,” Dolcie said, before running off after her daughter, who was flashing her coins to a group of children.
Grave offered an arm, and I reluctantly took it before he led us down the street. Groups of people paused and whispered as we passed. Every fae held the same thin frame. Even those in the slums back home had more meat on their bones than those whofilled the streets; yet every face bore the same wide smile as they looked to their king.
“Everyone’s so thin.” I lowered my voice. “Do they not make enough money to feed themselves?”
“We live on rations. Each week we’re given an amount of food to supplement what we’re able to grow.” Grave selected two pastries from a vending cart and dropped several coins into an outstretched hand. “In addition, some choose to sell handcrafted goods on the street, while others cook specialty foods available for purchase.” He handed me one of the sweets. “But all are given enough food to sustain their bodies. It’s something I’ve worked on since taking over King Graystorm’s position.”
“Your father,” I corrected.
He shrugged. “Sure, we’ll go with that.”
I bit into the pastry filled with strawberry jam and raised a brow at him in question.
“Yes—he was my father.” Grave looked away. “Though I wish he weren’t.” He guided me to the door of a small building. “Would you like to send your father a missive? I doubt your prince has let him know you’re away.”
“He’s notmy prince.” I groaned. “And I don’t have the money to pay for such a service.”
Affluent families took advantage of messenger hawks, not people like me. Even when I’d sent the pendant to my mother, I had to send it by horse. Though, my parents had scraped enough funds to send word of Kamden’s scheduled execution by messenger hawk.
“It’s covered.” Grave pulled open the door and gestured me inside.
The blank sheet of paper stared back at me as I contemplated what to write. So much had happened since the last time I saw him, and I wanted to give an explanation—though I wasn’t sure I could offer a reasonable one. Telling him Ryder found out about Kamden and his involvement with the resistance wouldonly cause him to worry, so I kept it short and stuck to the basics:
