Brow still furrowed, Rally sheathes his swords and moves toward the balcony. I grab at his sleeve.
“His arrow isready,” I cry. Does he not know what nockedmeans?
I startle as Ty lays a gentle hand on my shoulder. The smile he gives me clearly says,It’s all right, and his brother, though unsmiling, seems of the same opinion.
Are they mad?
With great reservation, I release Rally. I watch as he steps within the archer’s sight.
As he lifts an arm and waves.
“Esino is one of Tirenth’s best archers, Your Highness,” Rally says. Dropping the arm, he comes back inside. “You have nothing to fear.”
Nothing to fear? I push myself off the wall. “The man’s arrow was ready to fly.”
“His Majesty requires them to always be at the ready.”
Them? Rally must misinterpret my expression, for he says, “No fewer than six of Tirenth’s finest archers watch over your garden at any given time, Your Highness.” His chest puffs out a little. “Don’t worry. You are well-protected here.”
Ty nods along with all of this.
Six archers? Watching this one garden? I gape at the pleased pair in front of me.
“Why would I be worried to walk onto the balcony of my own room?” I ask, my voice somewhere between whisper and wheeze. “Why would I need six archers to oversee that?”
Here, Rally pauses. “His majesty wished for you to feel secure,” he says finally.
My mouth works in an effort to produce an acceptable response. “How thoughtful of him. Perhaps we could ask the archers to wait until a threat is seen to nock their arrows.”
Both start shifting around as if I suggested we sit down and braid one another’s hair.
“I’m afraid we would need to ask the king,” is the reply.
Deep breaths, Serah. “Very well.”
More shifting about follows. “If you don’t require anything else,” Rally says, his voice trailing off. Ty is already slinking toward the door.
“Wait, please,” I say, starting after them. “I’ve yet to hear…what I mean is…” I’m sure they aren’t the ones I should ask, but theirs are the most familiar faces. I struggle not to bite my lip. “Do you know of my engagements? What I’m meant to be doing?”
Rally looks relieved. “A feast is to be held in your honor tomorrow evening, Your Highness.”
“But today…?”
“Ah, I believe the king thought you would enjoy resting today.”
My cat friend comes to wind himself around my ankles. “That’s very kind of his majesty,” I say as I bend to pet my friend, “but I’m not tired. I would prefer to tour the palace, or perhaps meet some of the…people of Tirenth.”
The brothers’ eyes dart toward one another, reminding me of two children set on not revealing a guilty friend.
I am a hundred percent confident I know who that friend is.
“We’ll be right back,” Rally says, and before I can argue, they bolt from the room.
I stand there in stunned silence as my cat friend rubs his face on my leg. “Did you think that strange?” I ask him.
He answers by strutting to the band of sunlight streaming in from the balcony and flopping over on his side there.
“At least one of us is unbothered,” I grumble.
