Farrin entered the room and closed the door behind him. “Bunny,” he said, “I have an assignment for you.”
CHAPTER 15
A MILITARY PROMOTION
Rakel forcibly turned her attention from the feast—she had never before experienced such a celebration with music, brightly colored clothes, and so muchjoy—and focused on her dinner partners. “Thank you for holding this celebration, Constable Tryggvi.”
Tryggvi bowed his head. “It is my pleasure, Princess,” he said as he gave her a bright, genuine smile. “I cannot tell you how honored I am to finally meet you. Since hearing of your actions at Fyran and Vefsna, I have had the impertinence to consider myself your servant.”
His comment made Rakel feel a little awkward. She had decided not to tell him—nor Pordis, who was also in attendance—that she had previously met him under far different circumstances. She wanted the chance to see if they would act differently.
Rakel watched servers deliver food to some of the tables—the room was so stuffed with surfaces to eat upon, there was barely room to walk. “I was pleasantly surprised to receive your invitation.”
Tryggvi leaned across the table, concern etched on his wrinkled face. “I beg your pardon, Princess, but why?”
“I didn’t know how you would feel, having a magic user as your dinner guest,” Rakel said.Phile is detrimentally affecting me. I never would have asked such a question before befriending her.
Phile was supposed to be seated with Rakel, but the Robber Maiden hadn’t been spotted since the previous day.
Tryggvi’s forehead wrinkled. “Princess, you are saving the country. No one could begrudge you such an honor.”
Pordis, seated next to him, set down her wine goblet. “Moreover, you are changing our very culture.”
Rakel blinked, surprised by this unexpected development. “I beg your pardon?” she asked, echoing Tryggvi’s earlier words.
Pordis gestured around the room. “Magic isn’t feared like it once was—at least not in northern Verglas. Folk might be uncomfortable around it, but magic users aren’t hated. That would be your doing, Princess. Even the army is more welcoming of magic. Wouldn’t you say so, Colonel Vardr?”
Colonel Vardr, a Verglas officer who sat next to Rakel, focused on his food. “Of course,” he said woodenly.
Struck by the merchant leader’s insight, Rakel looked away to give herself a moment.Attitudes are changing? Does that mean it is as I hoped, and if I throw out the Chosen, magic users really will be accepted?She watched Oskar—whose red hair was radiant in the flickering torchlight as he moved from one table to the next, charming everyone he came across—as she ruminated on Pordis’s words.
“Around here, folk loved you even before you saved Glowma,” Tryggvi said.
Recalling Phile’s advice to show more emotion, Rakel smiled at Tryggvi and Pordis. “I thank you for your compliments. I hope as a result of these new attitudes, more magic users will step forward to help us when we march on Ostfold,” she said, shifting the topic. As much as it warmed her heart to know they didn’t hate her, she found it a little embarrassing to be told so.
“Ahh, yes. I heard the Chosen troops stationed here had to retreat to join up with the rest of their regiment in Ostfold,” Pordis said.
“It is the most likely location they would retreat to, as Ostfold is the most heavily fortified in the region,” Rakel said. “Captain Halvor can better explain the situation.”
Where is he, anyway?Since her initial conversation with the captain after waking up, Rakel had seen nothing of him—which was unusual, as he seemed to live for meetings.
“I could offer my expertise,” Colonel Vardr said.
“Certainly,” Pordis said.
Rakel studied the loud, cheerful crowd of celebrators, her eyes tracing over the faces.
“Are you looking for someone in particular, Princess?” Tryggvi asked.
Rakel hesitated. “Yes, Captain Halvor.”
“Oh, I do not know if he received an invitation.” Tryggvi scratched the back of his head.
“What?” Rakel said.
“We gave the army an allotted number of invitations and let them decide who should attend,” Tryggvi said. “I assume you invited the captain, Colonel Vardr?”
“No,” Colonel Vardr said, his lip curling with distaste. “As he is only a captain, and there were several majors held prisoner in Glowma, we prioritized by rank.”
