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Rainger sighed as he pushed up from the table in the barrack office. It wasn’t until the journey home from the Keep that he realised just what their relationship had done to Kellin. The position he had put her in. But then she didn’t blame him; instead, she had held him closer on the rare occasions he could get close to her during the journey. Despite Meg’s fears, Kellin was happy and excited, and she was sure her sister would allow them to be together.
And now they were further apart than they could ever be. They had only just returned, and he was sure the queen had no idea her sister carried his child in her belly, but he had been so quick to say that the princesses needed them to remain close. He had been too quick to say a lot that day.
Anger had flashed across her face before she had grinned as she announced that he would do as directed and remain where the kingdom needed him to be for as long as she needed him out there. There were benefits, she had claimed, accommodation befitting a man of his station and the power to do as he required without censure to keep the area safe.
He had climbed down from his horse and looked over the cabin in the barracks with the same feeling he had when they had arrived at the Keep. It was not as promised. And he worried night and day for Kellin and the child.
The knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts before the door squeaked open to reveal a young soldier standing in the dim morning light. Rainger collected two letters from the table and handed them to the young man, who tucked them into a satchel he wore over his shoulder.
“Directly into her hand,” he said, gripping the man’s shoulders and looking him in the eye. “You understand? You are not to give it to anyone else—directly into her hands only.”
The young man nodded mutely.
“And do not let the queen see it,” he said quickly. “Go to her before you deliver the letter to the royal commander.”
The young man stared at him, clearly concerned, but he nodded again.
“Commander Brent will cover for you in any way you may need.”
He nodded more quickly and turned for his horse.
Rainger stood in the doorway watching the dust blow about the yard as the young man kicked his horse into a faster gait and disappeared into the morning light. He rolled his shoulders and stretched his head from side to side before tugging at his breast plate.
He walked along the quiet road from the barracks towards the town centre. Very few people were about at this early hour, and he nodded politely to those he passed. It hadn’t taken him very long to sort out the trouble in the town. It was the distrust of Tands on the other side of the border that had been the main problem.
He stopped and looked across the open fields to the north, but he couldn’t see anything, and he wondered just how close Tands might be. He had received a message from the queen directing him into the fields beyond the border, but he had ignored the instruction. An action he was sure would cause him trouble later. But he was too well aware of the trouble it would cause now, and in particular to the people of this town.
The quiet movement of the morning had begun, and the market was coming to life. Carts from the south would soon arrive carrying products of Rocfeld that the stalls would then sell on to traders from Tands. Once they unloaded their goods, some of the carts would then make the journey along the dusty road towards the towns and markets of Tands to see what goods they could find there. Along the way, they would pass Tandian traders travelling to Rocfeld to either trade their goods or buy from Rocfeld traders.
The marketplace was quiet now, but it wouldn’t take long to turn into a loud swarm of people larger than the market in Rocfeld itself. It had amazed Rainger just how many people could move through the town in a day, as well as the amount of produce that traded hands. The fresh fruit of Tands was the best item traded, he thought, the sweet smells seeming to penetrate the whole market. He would buy what he could eat in a day, trying things he had never seen before and marvelling at the various flavours.
He tried to describe them to Kellin in his letters, but part of him wondered if she had not already tried them. He had never experienced its like in Rocfeld, but then he was sure the princess had access to many things that he did not. He sighed at the reminder of their differences and saw the cook walking quickly towards him.
“Is there a problem?” he asked quickly.
She smiled at him and shook her head. “The men are demanding more apples,” she said quickly. “I hoped that I could buy a barrel before the market is overrun with traders.”
“Then head over to that stall,” he said, turning and pointing to his left. “They seem to have the earliest arrivals from the north.”
“Thank you, Commander,” she said, bobbing into an awkward curtsy and rushing away.
He watched her chat with the stall holder as they started to set up for the day, and he wondered why she had stopped to talk with him. She was a member of the town, commissioned to look after them at the barracks. Then she turned back, smiled across the market at him and raised her hand.
He nodded and turned his back. She was young and pretty and a good cook, and he had paid her no real attention because his mind was always elsewhere. He wouldn’t tell Kellin about her in his letters, although he had told her much of the accommodation and those that had travelled with him.
He didn’t want her to worry, for she worried enough. Her letters were filled with longing and fear and little news. She seemed to see few people but Meg, occasionally visiting the Hall but nowhere else. She had mentioned the Temple, but he wondered if she spent the time there that she used to.
Rainger remembered them walking by the river at the Keep, but they had rarely visited the little chapel. Meg’s attack had seemed to mark it as somewhere not to go. He had prayed often though, he remembered, hoping that the idea of the gods being everywhere was true.
“Any sign of trouble, Commander Rainger?” a squeaky voice asked behind him and he stopped, bit down on his lip to prevent the sigh and turned.
Rainger bowed slightly to the well-dressed, weedy man standing before him. “Counsellor Corrun, how do you fare on this fine day?”
“Well enough, thank you,” he said, coughing a little to clear his throat. “Is there any sign of trouble?” he asked, his voice still squeaky.
“No, sir,” Rainger said softly. “There hasn’t been any trouble for some time now. The townsfolk have realised that the traders pose no threat.”
“But do Tands?” he asked, and cleared his throat again.
“They do not appear to, Counsellor. There have been no soldiers, no trouble, no hint of unrest from the Tandian side of the border.”
He nodded slowly and looked out along the road from Tands. Carts still headed north, and Rainger knew that before too long there would be carts headed south. Just as the thought entered his head, the first of the Tandian carts rattled towards them loaded high with barrels, which he hoped were filled with apples for the men.
“The queen understands our predicament?” Corrun asked.
Rainger nodded without turning from the carts moving quickly along the road.
“I thought she might send you north,” he said.
Rainger turned from the view to look over the little man. “We don’t want to be the start of something,” he said softly. “Good day to you.” He turned and walked back towards the barracks. There would be enough men in the market if trouble were to start, but he knew it wouldn’t. Or at least he hoped it wouldn’t, and he didn’t think his being in the town would do anything to change that.
He sat back at the desk and reopened Kellin’s last letter. He sighed as he ran a thick finger over the delicate, curled handwriting that covered the page.
My love, how I have missed your smiling eyes and strong hand around mine. If only Elalia would send you home, but Meg assures me that she won’t anytime soon.
Meg is, as ever, supportive. She forced me to visit the Hall and I am glad she did. I had missed the music and the chatter and the gossip. I was so nervous, worried that everyone would know of my condition, but instead everyone was friendly. It was helped by Brent remaining close and Malin, who seems to have changed so while we were away.
I feel uncertain in my own skin, which grows tighter every day. It is a strange transformation and yet the nurses assure me that the child grows well. I think every day of our time together at the Keep and long for us to settle back into such a life.
It is so hard without you here. Write and tell me what you are doing and how it differs from Rocfeld and the castle and the Keep.
My only hope is that you return soon.
Your Kellin
He tried to imagine her changing body and her bright eyes. He rubbed at his face and shook his head. At least Meg was watching over her, and as long as she stayed out of the way of the queen, she would be safe. For what else could Elalia do to them?