Riyan snapped into attention. General Hyton grabbed his soldier by his sleeve and dragged him off to the side. They were unseen, but anythingbut discreet.
“Are you stilldrunk, Bloodstone?”
“Uh, maybe?”
“Damn you, boy!” General Hyton hissed with rage. “You better not make a mess of this, everyone will be watching you. And you need to impress that girl if you have any hope of making this work! You are doing a piss-poor job atwooing her!”
The understatement ofthe decade.
“What am I supposed to do, General? You know I don’t knowhow to—”
“First, stop throwing her on the fucking ground. Second,charm heror you will reap the consequences of your actions. Third, lay off the damn wine, you are as bad asmy brother!”
General Hyton’s angry footsteps grew closer and I kept my eyes forward, pretending I had heard nothing. General Hyton fumed over tohis brother.
“Get this over with, the boy is a complete mess,” he growled to the Duke. Duke Hyton smiled wryly and motioned for me to take Riyan’s hand again. My eyes flitted to the steps, preferring to stare at the bricks over meeting theDuke’s eye.
Then, Mother did something she had not done in years—she hugged me. She grabbed me and crushed me into her chest so suddenly that I did not know whatto think.
So I did not think. Ijust breathed.
My heart slowly thudded as I closed my eyes and leaned into the warmth of her skin and the smell of herbs in her hair. I was a little girl again—so small but still so safe. My only responsibility was to mind my nursemaid. Erik and Endre were ready to play all day.
But just as quickly as the hug came, Mother unlocked her arms and moved out of the way as Riyan appeared on myleft side.
And then I could not pretend I was safeany longer.
“Good morning…Madame,” Riyan slurred. He clumsily grabbed my left hand in his right, the fresh scars on our palms meeting again. “You look,uh, ravishing?”
I took everything in me not to roll my eyes at him. He was not a monster, but he was still anannoying drunk.
Trumpets blared and the crowd cheered. As Riyan and I stood on the palace steps, I could see the crowd outside the palace gates waving Bloodstone and Ravenwood banners. Many of them were the same peasantsfrom yesterday.
Riyan was supposed to lead me down the steps, but he was too lost in his drunken stupor. I gently tugged on his massive arm to get him down each step but still smiled at the crowd, pretending everythingwas normal.
I looked to my right and found Derrick, dressed again in his coronet and spectacular blue cape, standing next to Grigory and Annalisa. Brietta and Duchess Hyton were nowhere to be found. Derrick could not keep his eyes off me as I led Riyan down the steps. I leaned down and subtly patted where the dagger rested on my leg and he gave me a soft smilein response.
Riyan and I miraculously reached the bottom of the steps without a fall. Duke Hyton approached us and faced the crowd at the gate. “Join me in saying farewell to Sir Bloodstone, Hero of Lycaster, as he takes hisbride home!”
The crowd cheered. I picked up my skirt and made it into the carriage by myself, only pretending to use Riyan’s hand to guide me in. I looked out the carriage window back at Derrick one last time. His beautiful blue eyes glistened as he mouthed, “I love you.”
Regardless if I were a Bloodstone or not, Derrick was still mine. Making sure no one from the crowd could see me, I subtly blew him a kissin response.
Derrick gave me a forlorn smile while Grigory fumed next to him and glared at the crimson crowd. Grigory huffed and wrapped his arm around Annalisa, who had her hands clasped in front of her and looked at me withwatery eyes.
I waved to Annalisa through the window. “Write to me, Anna! I willmiss you!”
Annalisa’s face perked up and she waved back to me. “I will!I promise!”
A whip cracked through the mid-morning air and the carriage lurched forward. Derrick kept his eyes on the carriage for a few heartbeats before turningto Grigory.
Then the carriage passed through the palace gates and Derrickwas gone.
We rode through the city and the carriage shook from the cobblestone path. I stuck my head out of the window and looked up at the people cheering and waving down at me from their tall houses. I timidly waved back, but I soon realized they were not waving at me, but at what wasbehind me.
I looked back. Riyan walked behind the carriage with heavy footsteps, effortlessly keeping pace with the horses. The decorated Lycaster cavalry flanked him on either side, guarding him as he paraded through the city. Riyan did not wave at the crowd. He kept his expression steeled and his tired eyes bolted forward, not that I expected much morefrom him.
As we rode on, the city faded into a town, the town faded into a village, and then the village faded into the countryside. I jumped up in my seat as the carriage bumped onto astone bridge.
