“You look after each other now,” Mara calls to us from her doorway.
“Tell that to grumpy over here,” Kael says, giving me a tap on the back before taking the reins of his horse and swinging into the saddle.
“I’m serious, boys. I’ll see you soon,” she calls back.
“We’ll be fine, don’t worry!” Kael replies easily. I shake my head, giving Mara a quick wave. I turn just in time to see Elodie struggling to lift her leg over the saddle, her movements more determined than graceful. She huffs under her breath, trying again before cursing to herself. I stand to watch her, crossing my arms with a smirk. She turns to see me watching, her cheeks flushing red.
“I was going to offer to help,” I say, “but this is far more entertaining.” She tilts her head at me, rolling her eyes.
“Look, horses aren’t exactly the mode of transport back where I’m from, okay? I wouldn’t normally ride my horse to work.” She says, giving up her attempts to mount and landing on her feet. I give her a faint smile before moving towards her.
“Are you going to let me help you, or were you trying to prove a point?” She looks up at me, hands on her hips, the sun catching the freckles across her nose. I quirk a brow, waiting for her response before she drops her shoulders and releases a quick breath.
“Fine. Rowan, will you please help me get on the horse?”
“So polite,” I say.
I step in close, close enough that I catch her holding her breath. “On three,” I add lightly. She meets my eyes as I count from one.
“One, two…” Placing my hands around her waist, I lift her onto the saddle. “Three”
“Thank you,” I look up at her on the horse before Kael coughs in the background.
“Guys, I’d tell you to get a room, but you already did that and the tension seems to be worse,” he says, laughing to himself. Giving him my usual stare that gets him to shut up, I turn to look up at Elodie in the saddle, whose cheeks are now burning a soft crimson. I swing my leg around to sit behind Elodie, pulling her into me, then slipping my arms around her to grab the reins.
“Let’s go. Aldric won’t be happy if we keep Elodie from her task any longer.” I feel her stiffen in front of me at the reminder of her duty here, and I almost feel bad for causing it. “I’ll lead,” Kael says.
“No, you’ll follow. We want to get there quickly, not take the scenic route back through town just so you can stop for more bread.”
“I would argue with you, but you’re not wrong.” He gives me a mocking salute and manoeuvres behind our horse before we set off back to the castle.
Leaving Elodie at the glasshouse, I make my way to the King’s throne room. I slow down as I near the doors. Something shatters inside, the sharp crack of glass followed by a roar of fury that rattles the stone itself. A moment later, someone wrenches open the doors, and a man stumbles out, pale and breathless. He hurries past me without a single glance. I wait before knocking twice on the doors, but no command comes to let me in. I push the door open anyway, the throne room in complete disarray. Shards of glass glitter across the floor like ice. Red liquid spills down the side of his desk from an overturned glass. The King is facing away from me, staring at his bookshelf.
“You know when King Haster died,” he says, turning to face me. The light reveals his hollow, grey face. “They didn’t tell me he went peacefully, that he slipped away in the night.” He throws a book down on the floor in front of me with a slam. “They told me he suffered, that he felt every slice of pain in his frail body.” His eyes are hollow, a dark shadow lining his jaw.
I don’t respond.
I already know where this is going.
“You took her to the village. Whilst our land disintegrates, you took her to the village,” he says, his eyes turning dark.
“She is making progress, sir.”
Is she?
“She must remain in the glasshouse from dawn until dusk. Every. Day. She is not here to be comfortable. She is my…” He lets out a ragged cough, “last hope.” Walking towards me, he presses his face close to mine. I assume it’s a threat, but I stand much taller than him.
And I know the man he really is.
I have just been oath-bound to ignore it.
“You know the plan, Rowan,” he says. “You know what happens if this fails.” I nod in response, my jaw tightening.
“I will not fail,” he says, not to me but to the room.
To the ghosts of the men who came before him.
To those cursed with the title of king.
