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“Do we know who selected her sister?” Phoebe asked.

“She said he wore green,” I said roughly.

I forced my focus on her, easing off the edge of the cot at last. Reuben’s look was full of understanding without malice or coddling as he wordlessly took the place I’d occupied, his hands bloody already from trying to mend her leg. I clenched my hands and shoved them into the pockets of my ruined pants to keep from reaching for her. I needed to bathe and redress before the Votarists arrived to confirm how everything transpired on Magefall.

“Which most likely means Senona, though I’m not positive.” I shook my head. “I wasn’t able to ask her anything more about it. I was more concerned with getting her to Reuben so he could heal her leg.”

And the entire altercation with Enoch hadn’t helped cultivate a chance for information to be shared between the two of us. Phoebe was not the person to divulge that information to, though. I needed to speak with Phillip about the possible repercussions of the altercation before we began traveling in the next day or so. He would be able to organize my guard as well as the rest of the soldiers that came as part of the typical retinue unattached to my attendance. I sent a silent prayer to Liam, the God of Peace, that my actions would not harm the others in the court who had chosen to participate this year.

Reuben did something that had Amethyst flinching even while unconscious, and I swallowed another vicious growl, though not quickly enough to silence it entirely. The three women helping all glanced up, their eyes wide. Amaria seemed the most resolute, returning to her work within a few long heartbeats. Emma and Shelby took longer.

“Arden is asking about travel plans,” Simeon said from outside the tent’s entrance. “And James has the items requested by the healer.”

Phoebe quickly allowed my primary servant into the tent. His eyes stayed trained on me, his cheeks flushed. Reuben rose from the cot and took the two steps to us, his hands and brown pants bloody. Unease twisted through me, and the large fire jar brought in flickered in response to a lapse in control over my magic.

Reuben’s eyes softened as he saw the slip, the lines around his mouth fading as his frown lessened. He took the metal bowl of supplies from James and then instructed Emma to take the new bucket of water at his feet. Shelby finished braiding Amethyst’s hair, using her own magic to twist the simple leather binds into frilly, ornate bows. She was even more pale than on Magefall, her veins blue under her skin and her cheeks absent of all color. Her lips were a pale rose, at least, the color of cyclamen on a spring morning.

Reuben wiped his hands with a rag and then pulled one of the devices from the bowl of supplies. “Go sort through everything else, Callum,” he said softly. “She’ll be safe with me. You can come sit with her until it is time for you to sleep.”

He was the best healer our kingdom had, serving the court for the last sixty years, double the amount of time I’d even been in the court. All of the court respected him, trusted them when worries rose or when Freia blessed one with a child. For me, he was something more than that, though, nearly a separate father figure altogether. He’d been there when my mother died during birth to my younger sister, had held me the next morning when I was drowning under grief and Simeon made it clear I could not allow such weakness to show around the court. Reuben had simply shut the door on the mage and pulled me into his chest, keeping me in his arms as I’d wept all of my fear and sorrow. I’d hardly been a man, only a few years had passed since being brought into the court at fifteen. He’d told no one any part of it.

He looped his fingers around my wrist. “She’ll be all right. Go sort through your duties while she sleeps through the worst of it.”

With a nod, I left his tent, politely acknowledging Simeon as I headed to my tent to clean and redress. James followed a few steps behind.

When a conversation did not start between my mage and me, he said, “I’ve had a small tub for cleaning drawn and prepared for you. Mallory made sure the water stayed warm.”

Simeon pursed his lips but didn’t say anything. I knew he was irritated it had been Mallory and not one of my personal mages that had been requested to perform the magic. It was their job, after all. I didn’t have the energy to worry about why the choice was made.

“Thank you, James. Will you alert Phillip I’ll need to discuss some things with him?”

James nodded and then peeled off, rushing down one of the other rows of tents.

I stepped into my own tent to find the small tub just as he had promised. Without a word to Simeon, I set the circlet on the bottom of the travel wardrobe and stripped out of the tunic and pants, then carefully washed all of the mess off of my arms and face and hands.

“Are you content with the women you pre-selected?” Simeon asked, referring to Amaria and Shelby. As young women in the court and both children of Rite unions, they were safe options as potential ladies-in-waiting when I began planning my participation this year. It was a relief to see them both jump in to help Reuben with no real hesitation at all. I hoped they would blend well with Amethyst.

I slowly redressed, opting for one of the warm sweaters I wore most often rather than the other tunic that was the official regalia of the court. Even if the dinner tonight was typically formal, no one here would begrudge me eschewing the dress code given Amethyst’s current state. Simeon pursed his lips, an eyebrow rising, and I amended the thought. Most wouldn’t begrudge it. But that was nothing new between me and Simeon. Any other day, and I would probably just do as he expected, but Amethyst’s leg was still mostly shattered, her head only partially mended so Reuben could focus on the catastrophic bleeding of her leg. If I could get away with not sitting at all for the dinner tonight introducing the omegas, I would.

“They both seem fine as of now,” I said, pulling my hair back and securing it with a simple leather tie. “I’ll give her the ultimate decision when she’s well enough to meet them in a more complete capacity as they’ll be her acquaintances and not my own.”

Simeon nodded.

“Have the others returned, Hugh and Elise?”

“They have,” Simeon said. “All four of you selected someone.”

Some of the lingering stress faded with the news. “That should make my father pleased, then.”

Simeon gave a noncommittal hum.

There was a sharp rap on one of the support posts of my tent, and then Phillip entered, dressed down rather than in his armor and uniform. I quickly glanced over his shoulder, noting the sun creeping closer to the horizon. Getting Amethyst settled with Reuben had taken significantly longer than I’d expected. Without any word from Simeon, I switched into the formal tunic, knowing the Votarist would be here within another hour or two to confirm selections and cross-reference their records.

“You wished to speak, Your Highness?” Phillip asked, keeping his hands behind his back. He wouldn’t drop into any kind of informality with Simeon present.

I kept my sigh behind my lips. I appreciated Simeon and Phoebe both. They’d been stalwart support as I found my footing and weathered the various challenges of transitioning from temple life to the royal court. But sometimes the titles and stuffiness of the formality chafed at my skin.

“I do,” I said. “Is there word of when the Votarist will be here?”