Shea scrubbed a hand down his face. “And you didn’t think about leading with that information?”
“How could I? You marched over here and declared my wife was friendless, which of course left me no course of action but to defend her honor.”
“You trust this little birdie to give you good information?”
“It was Lizzie’s lady-in-waiting, Audrey, so yes. She said that Lizzie was so disgusted by the idea of marrying a complete stranger that she went straight to her room, gathered a few things, and left on a horse before dawn.”
“And this lady-in-waiting just sat back and did nothing to stop her?”
“Audrey has known Lizzie her whole life and was therefore just as upset as Lizzie was with the whole idea, if not more so.” Freddy narrowed his eyes. “I rather got the impression that she was hoping Lizzie would marryyou.”
“What can I say? It’s the eyepatch—makes me look brooding and mysterious.”
Freddy snorted. “You look like a fastidious pirate. But anyway, once Audrey realized who I was, she was more than happy to reveal Lizzie’s plans.”
“Why Anura? I was under the impression that the relationship between Anura and Nedra was rather strained since the incident with Prince Dorian.” Shea shouldered his bag, and they began walking along the perimeter of the wall towards a small, rarely used gate. “It seems strange that she would choose that as her destination when she could be sure of a much warmer welcome in Kysta.”
“Thankfully, Dorian is a decent fellow and has never held what Belinda did against Lizzie.”
They reached the wooden gate, weathered and covered with green moss. Freddy looked up and down the wall for any sign of approaching guards, then slipped a large brass key out of his pocket. He wiggled it back and forth. “Compliments of Audrey.”
The lock took a little bit of convincing, but after a few moments the key turned, and he was able to swing the door open as the hinges groaned in protest. They ducked through the low opening, stepping out into tall grass and thick trees. The ground sloped downwards a few meters ahead to the banks of a rushing river.
Shea pulled the gate shut behind them. “Remind me again why we’re sneaking out of the castle like vagrants?”
“Because Malakai Fidelis is a wandering minstrel and not a prince.” Freddy pushed his way through the dense undergrowth as he made his way to the river bank. “Heisa vagrant. But if you would prefer to go back and ride on your fancy horse all the way to Anura, I wouldn’t blame you.”
He stumbled forward a few steps as Shea gave him a friendly shove between the shoulder blades in retaliation. “And leave you to your own devices? You’re not soft by any means, Fred, but I don’t think I trust you to walk to Anura on your own withoutgetting swindled into giving all your money away to the first beggar you see with sad eyes. Someone has to look out for you.”
A sudden rush of gratitude, warm and comforting, filled Freddy’s chest. He looked over his shoulder, meeting his friend’s eye. “Thank you, Shea.”
Shea lifted an eyebrow. “For becoming a vagrant with you? Don’t worry; you can pay me back by being the one to explain to my uncle the reason behind my extended leave of absence.”
“You mean the fact that you’re afraid of the delicate princess who will become your bride?”
Freddy sidestepped another attempted shove with a laugh. He sobered. “But I mean it, Shea. Thank you—for coming with me, for helping me last night, and for sending that letter in the first place.”
Shea’s shoulders pulled upwards in an uncomfortable shrug. “You don’t have to thank me. We’re friends; of course I was going to warn you that your fiancée’s father was essentially trying to auction her off to the highest bidder.”
“You could have sent the letter and left it at that. I don’t know that even Hadrian would have been willing to come all the way to Nedra in order to help me get into the Nedran palace unnoticed, and he’s like a brother to me.”
“He would have, only he’s horrible at anything resembling lies or subterfuge. I was—am—happy to be of assistance.” Shea dropped his shoulders and his footsteps slowed as his voice took on a more contemplative tone. “War taught me many things, not the least of which is that friendships are too important to be taken for granted. I know that you would do the same for me, if our positions were reversed. Now stop being so serious. It’s making me nervous.”
“I thought you wanted me to be more serious.” Freddy turned his head to face forward again as the ground began to grow soft and uneven by the river’s edge.
“I changed my mind.”
Shea’s words were nearly drowned out by the rushing river. The Serpens was nearly five meters at its deepest point, and the waters flowed swift and cold. The opposite bank was a thin strip of brown 50 meters away and lined with the same thick foliage that Freddy and Shea had worked through. Though the Serpens cut through the center of Nedra for most of its journey, it curved as it traveled north, eventually forming a natural border with Anura.
“I certainly hope you’re not planning on swimming.” Shea came to stand beside Freddy’s shoulder as he looked out across the river.
“Of course not. It would be a shame to leave my wife a widow before she had a chance to learn she was married.” Freddy bent down and grabbed a rock, then watched with satisfaction as it skipped three times over the surface before disappearing. He brushed his hands together to clean them. “Audrey said that there was a place about a mile upriver where we could hire a barge.”
“The lady-in-waiting was truly a treasure trove of information.” Shea adjusted his bag and matched Freddy’s steps as he turned to walk along the river’s edge. “I’m assuming we’re taking the river rather than the road in hopes of making up for her head start?”
“Exactly.” Freddy breathed deeply, reaching for humor to keep the nerves at bay. “There’s no better way to start a marriage than intercepting a runaway bride.”
A small barge moored to a short, wide dock came into sight just as the sky began to drizzle. Beside it, far enough up the bankto be out of danger when the river swelled, stood a cozy wooden structure with green shutters over the windows. Freddy gestured with his chin as he spoke.
