“The ambassador?” Brenn asked.
“Yes,” said Freya. “He’s demanding, though not in the way you’d expect.”
“I’m planning to stay per your wishes. But know the sacrifice I am making.”
Freya leaned her head against the wall. “I know. Thank you.”
Brenn watched the sight through the window. It looked out onto the courtyard, where a couple sat at a fountain that no longer ran. They whispered to each other, completely unaware of their onlookers. So carefree.
A dull ache throbbed in Freya’s chest.
Brenn broke the silence. “If something bad is going to happen, I can’t prevent it. Neither can you.”
“Of course. Anything we can do is better than nothing.” Not true, but what else could be done?
“And…I’m worried about you.”
Freya dropped next to Brenn on the small lip of the sill. “About me?”
“I remember how it was back when we first escaped the human wars. How protective you were. Looking out for me before yourself.”
Discomfort itched at Freya’s skin. She did not like the attention on her, nor did she know how to react to the gratitude in Brenn’s voice.
“I don’t need looking after anymore.” Brenn traced the pattern on the window with one finger.
“No, you’ve carried on well,” Freya said.
“I’m not talking about me. I’m talking aboutyou.”
Freya waited for one furious beat. Her instincts screamed at her to slither out of this conversation. “I have to get back to what I was doing. The ambassador brought some attendants I mean to interrogate now that I know more about him. Would you like to accompany me?”
Brenn laid a hand over Freya’s bouncing leg. “The queen will be safe for half an hour. She’ll be safe for longer, too. She’s got the most loyal guard in Torden. Nothing bad can happen to her here.”
Freya made a conscious effort to keep her legs still. “What about the prediction from the goddess? The loss?”
Brenn shook her head. “I wish I hadn’t told you the truth.”
“What? Why?”
“Have you seen the bags under your eyes?”
“It’s my duty to protect the queen and to keep her appraised of all pertinent information. Maybe, yes, if I don’t have all of the information I need… Maybe not being able to perform my duty prevents me from sound sleeping. Is that so odd?”
“It’s different, is all I’m saying.” Brenn took back her hand and placed it primly in her lap. “From when you took care of me.”
“Brenn,” Freya said, “please be plain.”
“You’re so intense about Queen Astrid. I worry that you have an unhealthy attachment. Do you think your well-being is dependent on your proximity to the queen?”
“Why would I think that?” Freya asked.
“You notice your surroundings. Every detail,” Brenn said. “I’ve seen you check the exits three times since you brought me here. But you don’t noticeyourself.”
“You think I’m not self-aware.”
“I think you could benefit from more introspection,” Brenn agreed diplomatically.
Maybe it had been a mistake to invite Brenn to the castle. Any priestess would do for the purpose of conveying the goddess’s visions, for the purpose of healing magic, illusion magic—but Brenn was the only priestess Freya trusted.
