Her father rounded the corner and stopped upon seeing them.
“Good eve, Father,” Ari greeted.
Her father’s glare shifted from Finn to Ari and back.
“Finn was escorting me to my room,” Ari explained with a smile taunting her lips. She could feel Finn’s presence beside her, making her tingle all over.
“Yes,” her father said, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. “I was coming to see how you felt.”
She glanced at Finn. “Better, now.”
Her father clenched his teeth, and his gaze bore into Finn. “I can escort her the rest of the way. Thank you, Finn.”
Finn nodded and started down the stairway. “I’ll see you again, Ari.”
Her father stood, blocking his path, his gaze moving over Finn’s face. He eventually stepped aside just enough to let Finn pass, but not without lingering suspicion.
Ari continued up the stairs, but her father quickly caught up to her.
“What are you doing, Ari?” he demanded.
“I’m going to my chambers,” she said, confused.
“I mean what are you doing with Finn. I see the way you look at him. It’s not fair to him, Ari. He can’t win this contest.”
She attempted to step around her father. “Everyone has a chance to win,” she insisted, annoyed that her father thought Finn couldn’t win.
He grabbed her arm. “Not a commoner. It has to be a nobleman or a knight. Someone who can lead the people with fairness and strength.”
She yanked her arm free of his hold. “Are you telling me you think Kage is a better man than Finn?”
He opened his mouth to respond.
“Think on that before you answer,” she warned. “Think about the type of person Kage has always been.”
Walter shook his head. “There are others who are honorable men and would treat you kindly.”
“I don’t want those men.”
“You are being stubborn,” he said, shaking his head.
“You are, Father,” she replied angrily. “You need to see through the wealth and to the man. Would he make a good ruler for your people? A good father to your grandchildren?” She marched down the hallway. “We have all the wealth and lands we need. Now, we need to find a good man to be lord for your, forourpeople. And for me.”
The next morning, a soft mist hung in the air as the first rays of dawn pierced through the dense canopy of trees. The air was cold and crisp, carrying the earthy scent of damp leaves and the distant song of waking birds. Finn sat below a mighty oak tree; in his hands, a carving knife danced with practiced precision over a piece of wood. He carved delicate lines and intricate patterns into the lumber. His eyes were focused intently on the figure emerging from the piece of wood.
As he worked, the forest around him seemed to come alive. The gentle rustling of bird’s wings and the distant murmur of a nearby brook provided a soothing backdrop. He had always found solace in the forest, away from the clangor of the bustling blacksmith shop.
“I didn’t know you did that.”
The singsong voice made him jump and whirl. Ari stood behind him, gazing over his shoulder at the figure he was working on. “Don’t sneak up on me like that! I almost sliced off my finger.”
Ari sat beside him, tucking her feet beneath her long green skirt.
“How did you manage to escape your suitors?” he asked, placing the carving knife into its sheath on his belt.
She shrugged. “I left before most were awake. I’ll be back to break my fast with them. But I wanted to see you.”
A sense of joy flooded his heart and mind. She wanted to see him over the other men.
