Mina’s letter.
Without thinking, I grabbed it from the shelf and shoved it into my pocket. Then I yanked the doors shut and locked them.
Cole grabbed a bag from the ground and slung it over his shoulder. He didn’t say anything, but waited for me to lead the way to the south field. Once there, he pulled things from the bag. He had a wedge of cheese, a loaf of bread, and smoked sausage. I could see there was still something else in the bag, but when Cole didn’t take it out, I ignored it.
We ate in silence, passing the food back and forth as we each tore off chunks of bread and sliced cheese and sausage to go on top. When the last crumb disappeared, Cole sighed, and I knew my reprieve was over.
He reached into the bag once more and pulled out a bottle. He popped off the cap and handed it to me. “Mina heads back to the palace first thing tomorrow.”
I didn’t bother to look at the label on the bottle and took a large swig. Whiskey burned down my throat. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Taking a second sip—more cautiously this time—I realized that Cole’s words weren’t merely a prod to get me to speak. They were a confirmation that he knew who Mina was. He knew that I had spent the day making nails not because of my frustrations with the village council, or because Mina was leaving, but because she had lied to me.
“That’s fine,” Cole said, grabbing the bottle and taking a sip himself. “You don’t have to talk. But I gave you two days to brood on your own. You’ll have to finish brooding in my presence.”
I rolled my eyes. “Brooding isn’t effective with company.”
“Too bad. Two days is my limit. Look what happened last time.”
I reclaimed the bottle. “When are you finally marrying Gemma?”
As far as topic changes went, it was abysmal. Talking to Cole about marriage did not help me avoid the thoughts I was so desperate to avoid.
“Harvest Festival,” he said, his expression turning soft.
I swallowed more whiskey. “I’m surprised you’ve waited this long. I always thought you’d marry her the day she came of age.” Gemma was a couple of years younger than us, but that still meant she had turned twenty nearly two years ago.
“My parents still needed help on the farm. Gemma didn’t want me to abandon them until Tyler was old enough to shoulder more of the load.”
“It’s hard to imagine you standing behind a shop counter instead of working on a farm.”
“Hah. We all know I’ll be the one moving everything around and carrying boxes while Gemma does the real work. Mistress Penniwellhas already informed me that she expects me to carry her basket for her when she shops.”
I snorted. “You sure marrying Gemma is worth it? Mistress Penniwell can talk for hours about nothing.”
“Gemma is worth it,” Cole said, all hints of levity gone. “She makes my entire world brighter just by existing.”
The words hit like a punch to the gut. I knew exactly what Cole meant. Mina had brought brightness into my life, too. But that light had dimmed. I no longer knew if the woman I had fallen for actually existed.
Twenty-Seven
Mina
???
A guardsman arrivedin Skorsa the evening before I was to leave. Dressed in civilian clothing, he pretended to be a relative here to escort me back to the city. I informed him that I had revealed my identity, listened to his lecture about the risks of doing so with no guards present, and let him summon the rest of my escort into the village.
The other guards wore uniforms, their jobs clear. The people who had wondered if perhaps my confession the day before had been an elaborate prank recognized the truth. With the guards installed in the limited rooms of the tavern, the last bit of comfort I had in the village disappeared. It was one thing for people to learn I was the princess. It was another for them to see it.
In the morning, I pulled Sam into a tight hug after I had said the rest of my farewells. “I need you to promise me something, Sam.”
“Of course. What do you need?”
“I need you to convince the village council not to be fools. I know my revelation distracted everyone from the situation with Powell and Alan, but when the council meets again, they can’t dismiss Alan’s years of work here.”
Sam leaned back, trying to get a good look at my face. “Shouldn’t you be asking me to trick the council into driving him out, pushing him toward Haiwella?”
“No. If he comes to Haiwella, I want it to be because he wants to, not because he has no other choice.”
