The king watches as well, but his is a calculating gaze, like he’s measuring the distance between them and us. At some predetermined height, he jerks toward Rally.
“I want her inside, in her chambers.Now.”
I startle at his harsh manner. Where he was all control a moment ago, now he seems seconds away from falling into a rage. In truth, I would like nothing more than to be alone in my room and sort through this wild day, but I suddenly balk at the idea of being hustled off there like a disobedient child.
What would Mother say? Probably to keep quiet until I better knew this king, his strengths, his weaknesses. My sister Celeste would likely start crying. My oldest sister would have half the palace under her command by now.
In the end, I, Serah, the quiet one, say nothing as the king drops my hand and addresses his attendants.
“I want both of you on her.”
Rally steps after him as the king goes to leave. “Soren—”
“I saidboth,” the king snaps before stalking away.
Ty flings his arms out in exasperation at the retreating back of his king.
“Leave it, Ty,” his brother grunts. I stiffen as he rotates my way, but it’s only to bow. “Shall be off, princess?”
Tired and disappointed in myself, I simply nod and follow them. At least I’ll have a small look at the palace I’m to live in before evening sets in.
Instead of heading toward the main entrance, the brothers veer to the right, taking me down a covered walkway. To my surprise, the walkway’s edges are lined in beds bursting with flowers, and I feel a small but steady trickle inching along beneath my feet.
“Great efforts have been made to bring water here,” I say quietly.
I hadn’t said the words to anyone in particular, but in response, Ty sends his brother a barrage of hand signs, making the latter scowl.
“That’s hardly on the way.”
I watch them exchange a great number of signs before Rally sighs.
“Ty wants to know if you’d like to see the eastern gardens. Briefly,” he adds, with a cutting glance at his twin.
“Oh, yes, please,” I say, my heart clinging to this small bit of normalcy. Ty grins at me, but the grin disappears as a voice emerges from the corner at my back.
“The eastern gardens first? She’ll hardly want to see the others after that.”
I turn slowly, my mother’s teachings in my ear—Head up. Shoulders back. Never show a man fear. I couldn’t seemto remember these words earlier in the carriage, but I grasp onto them now as the man lurking in the shadows pushes off the wall he was leaning on, and in one fluid motion, sweeps a hand down to pluck a flower.
“Everyone knows you must save the best for last,” he says. Bowing, he presents the flower to me.
It’s a yellow desert rose.
10
My mother’s words on the ship come rushing back to me as I stare at the proffered flower.
“He will offer you a yellow desert rose to make himself known…”
Relief washes through me. So this is my mother’s contact, the one I’m meant to seek out if I’m in danger.
The man rises, revealing a strong chin and laughing eyes. He wears his long hair pulled back in a low tail much like many of the men of Vasna do, and he’s younger than I imagined. As I gingerly take up the flower, Ty lifts an elbow in the man’s direction and smacks it with the palm of his other hand.
“Now don’t be like that,” the man says, flashing a smile. “Just because I startled you doesn’t mean you can be vulgar in front of a lady.”
He winks at me.
Ty holds his hard look another second or two before grinning and clapping the man on the back.
