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I WOKE WITH A START and sat up, breathing heavily. I looked around in panic. Where was I? The sun was blinding. My insides were horribly twisted as if something was wrong, but I couldn’t work out what. Then an arm was on my shoulder and somebody murmured soothing words as the events of yesterday came flooding back. I squinted to the side and saw Cedric kneeling beside me, doing his best to calm me. As soon as I sat up, he moved his hand away as if touching me made him awkward.
I looked up at the prince. He was pale and his caramel coloured hair was a mess. There were dark shadows under his eyes and his bed fur looked unruffled.
“Did you stay up all night?” I mumbled, rubbing the sleep from my face. The rubbing brought pain and I realised I was sunburnt.
He shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep. Every time I closed my eyes I saw things...” He rubbed his face and shook his head. “So I thought I might as well keep watch in case any Tharans came close.”
I frowned. “You kept watch all night? You should have woken me and let me do the second half.”
He shrugged again. “I’m all right. I don’t think I could have slept at any point. I keep on seeing him... Chancellor Felix...” He pinched his forehead.
I hugged my knees and the movement reminded me I ached all over. I started to inspect the grazes on my hands, which were still weeping. Cedric handed me a ceramic pot of green paste. “Put that on your cuts. It will help them heal and stop infection.”
“Thanks,” I murmured and rubbed it into my hands and chin. I knew my worst grazes and bruises were on my hips and thighs, however. “Eh, could you give me a bit of privacy a moment?”
Cedric blushed. “Eh yes, um, of course.” He stood up so quickly he stumbled.
I raised my eyebrows at him. “By the Arts, Cedric, it’s not that embarrassing. I just need to put some on my legs.”
The prince walked the other side of the rocks and started whistling so I knew where he was. I shook my head and grinned. Anyone would think I was about to dance around naked from his reaction. I rubbed the salve into my grazes. My hips and arms were a patchwork of dark purple bruises and my stomach hurt when I pressed the spot where the Tharan had thrown me over his saddle. I dreaded to think what my back looked like. The wool of my dress was unravelling in multiple places and my pinafore was so torn I wasn’t sure if it would hold around my shoulders much longer. It was my turn to blush when I realised the skirts had multiple holes in the back. I couldn’t wear these clothes anymore.
I bent over to Cedric’s huge bag and rummaged through. I felt bad doing it while his back was turned, but I couldn’t exactly ask for him to do it while I was mostly naked. There were all sorts of boxes and pots and bottles full of herbs and salves. It was enough to start an apothecary. A very heavy bag of gold clinked as I set it aside. I doubted the whole of Vale had that much money. My fingers pushed other items aside as I dug deeper: A small knife with an antler handle. A rolled up document I couldn’t read but which looked important. The Chancellor’s gold chain, still speckled with dried blood. A velvet bag full of acorns, of all things. A few leather bags full of seeds. A wrapped up cheese, which I broke the corner off and chewed as I rummaged. Ah, there was what I was looking for. I pulled out the neatly folded clothes from the bottom and was surprised to find the green silk shirt we’d washed a few days ago. Mistress Claire had got the wine stain out completely. I grinned. How would she react when she found out I had worn it? Ioran silk; I couldn’t resist.
I tugged off my filthy, torn shift and pulled on the shirt and laced it up. It fell halfway down my thighs and felt soft and smooth on my skin, like the caress of water. It didn’t rub or itch like wool. Then I found a soft leather jerkin with a belt and some trousers that were too tight around my bruised hips. There was nothing I could use to wrap my hair, so I just combed the matted curls with my fingers and braided it behind my back, like I had as a child.
I called Cedric and he came whistling back around the corner. The noise cut short when he saw me in his clothes and his mouth hung open. He blushed all the way down his neck.
“I hope you don’t mind me borrowing your clothes?” I smiled sweetly, enjoying his reaction.
“No... no, not at all.”
I held out my hands to either side. “What?”
“I’ve just never seen a woman in men’s clothes before... and trousers... like a man.”
I chuckled. “If only Klia could see me now, dressed in a prince’s clothes.”
Cedric seemed to recover a little, but let his eyes look elsewhere and made his tone polite. “You look nice.”
I resisted rolling my eyes. The breeze tugged at my hair and it felt strange outside of its wrap. I smoothed it down and noticed him watching. “There wasn’t anything to cover my hair with.”
He shrugged. “Most women don’t in Herne, anyway. It’s a countryside tradition.”
“Really?” I asked, surprised. I’d never seen a grown woman with her hair uncovered outside of her home.
“Yes.” He scratched the back of his head. “I like it uncovered. I can see it better this way.”
I shook my head in mock exasperation. “Well, obviously.”
Cedric lowered his hand to rub his neck, shifting his feet. “Shall we get going then?” he suggested.
I nodded and started to roll up the furs and cloaks since it was far too hot to wear them. Cedric took my bundle from me. “Let me carry it, Avan.”
I started to object, but he cut me off with his hand. “I’ve been able to ride, while you’ve been walking these last few days. Also, I’m pretty sure you took more of a beating yesterday. It would be my honour to do the carrying.”
I smiled at him in thanks and let him carry my bundle strapped to his bag. In this heat I was more grateful than I wanted to admit. We started off through the trees. Now it was light, the straight road stretched out plain for all to see for almost a mile. We decided to walk parallel in the dead undergrowth. It slowed us, but we were less likely to be spotted by any Tharans or robbers. I was grateful to be wearing trousers instead of constantly having to stop to yank my skirts out of brambles.
I trudged forward in silence, hiding a smile as Cedric squirmed. It didn’t take long before he cracked and started talking. “It’s strange, you see,” he began and then paused.
I raised an eyebrow at him, my lips twitching. “What?”
“Well, I spend all my time wanting to be away from Herne, and now for the first time I’m eager to be back.”
I didn’t respond, but he continued anyway after a few stumbling steps.
“You see, I much prefer it out here in the countryside. When not being hunted by Tharans, of course, or attacked. It’s like I can breathe better, like I’m free.”
I huffed. “Well you’re not free from getting us to Herne as quickly as possible, however much you like wandering vulnerable in the woods.”
Cedric nodded seriously. “I promise I will, Avan.” The sincerity in his eyes softened my heart.
“Good,” I stated, as if I expected nothing less. I half tripped on a root and turned my attention back to the ground. “So if Herne is as amazing as you said yesterday, why do you want to be out here?”
“It’s just a lot less complicated. I don’t feel like everyone is nagging me or has hidden agendas that I’m meant to somehow know about. And you’re much easier to talk to than the court ladies.”
“I am?” I asked, shocked. I had hardly been nice or courteous.
He nodded. “Yes. You’re an open book, probably not attempting to kill anyone and not trying to make a fool of me. I’m finally doing something that makes a difference, on a journey I understand, and I get to do it with an actual villager. Being with somebody uneducated and untrained in combat or politics makes this all the more adventurous.”
I opened my mouth to snap a retort, then took a deep breath instead. He wasn’t trying to be rude, and what he said was true. I wrapped my arms around myself and rubbed my elbows. “Well, every bad situation has its positives.” I attempted his optimism.
He beamed at me. “Exactly, Avan. Exactly.” He looked forward again. “I mean with you I can be myself. I can say things like ‘I don’t know what I’m doing’ without risking mass political upheaval and starting every noble competing for the throne.” He smiled to himself. “It would be interesting to see which women became less attentive to me, though.” He paused. “Or more attentive I suppose... I do wonder why Lady May is always so nice to me.” He shook his head and became serious again. “Father is always telling me a good king must come across as completely confident, yet open to advice. Arrogant, yet willing to change his plans. Strong, yet never ignoring the weak.” He ticked each one off on his fingers and then waggled the three at me. “He must come across as so confident, arrogant and strong, that nobody can think for a moment that he shouldn’t be king. That he could be challenged.” Cedric looked at me helplessly and pushed back his fringe. “He makes it sound so easy, but it’s not.” He flung his hand away.
I looked at him in shock. I was a washerwoman, and a lazy one at that. Who was I to give advice to future kings? I just threw acorns at them. Cedric continued to look at me expectantly with those trusting eyes. By the earth...
“Well,” I fumbled. “There are many other traits a good king needs. Like being kind, being interested in his people and not looking down on others. And... I suppose being open with your struggles to somebody so they don’t all build up inside.” I took a breath. “In those ways you’ll make a good king.”
Cedric scratched his chin. “Really? I was thinking I should run away or something. Then Rupert or Killian could be king.”
I spread out my arms and twirled. “Well, if that’s the plan, now is the opportune moment.”
He smiled at me. “No, I made a promise, remember? To take you safe to Herne and rescue the Growers.”
“See,” I murmured. “You’ll make a good king.” We walked in silence for a few steps. “You know lots of people do jobs they’re not good at and don’t enjoy, and yet they still manage them.” I placed a hand on my chest. “I’ve never found anything I’m good at. But my problem is I’ve never enjoyed a job enough to try hard at it. It always seemed like every job was so... tiring. Repetitive. Boring. Maybe if I’d tried harder I would have done better.”
Cedric glanced at me. “What did you do?”
“First, I learnt to turn flax into fibre and weave it into linen, like my mother. But she and I were never designed to spend all day, every day together. I wanted to do something else, so Mistress Claire took me on as a washerwoman.” I had to keep myself from looking away in embarrassment. Did he realise how different our lives were?
“What are you going to do in Herne?” Cedric asked, with no hint of judgement or amusement.
I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
The prince grinned. “I’m sure I can find you something you’ll enjoy more. Maybe a lady-in-waiting to the princess? Elenor’s nice. Or head maid? You get free accommodation if you live in the castle, you see.”
My cheeks heated. “I don’t know, Cedric. I don’t know anything about those roles and they sound important. I’m always being told off for not taking my responsibilities, or in fact anything, seriously enough.”
Cedric gave me an innocent sideways glance. “Court jester? I feel you would be a real bundle of laughs.”
I opened my mouth in mock offence and pushed him with one hand.
“No? That’s a pity. The court loves being mocked. See, your sarcasm is rubbing off on me.” Cedric stroked his lips. “Hmm. I’ll think of something.”
We stumbled through the dead bracken and brambles and talked about disjointed topics. Cedric was interested in Vale and how one made linen or washed clothes in a drought. He was full of praise I wasn’t sure I deserved. He asked about our country dances and compared them to ones in Herne, and spoke at length about the palace gardens. I turned the conversation to the far more interesting topic of the prince’s gift of Growing.
Suddenly, Cedric cut off and pulled me down. I almost yelped as the movement yanked my sore hips and bruised limbs. He put a finger to his lips and pointed to a large eagle perched in a tree. It was so still I didn’t know how he had spotted it. It was watching the empty road and didn’t turn towards us.
My heart thudded in my ears and my whole body over-reacted to the emotionless bird. I took a deep breath and tried to let it out slowly. “Could be a normal eagle?” I breathed.
“Could be,” Cedric said, sceptically. “Come on.” He took my hand and pulled me further away from the road, bent double. His hand was warm and calloused and when the eagle was out of sight, I slipped my hand from his grip. “It’s gone. You can’t just take a girl’s hand, you know,” I hissed. The coldness in my stomach and my thudding heart made me irritable. Why was my body responding so extremely?
Cedric looked sheepish but held his tongue until we were well away from the road. My heart calmed and my stomach eased, leaving me with a vague sense of nausea.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I did it automatically. Makes less noise and movement than talking or gesturing, you see. And I think those boy’s clothes make me forget you’re a woman.”
I put my hands on my hips. “You forgot I was a woman?” I repeated dryly.
Cedric blushed. He was just too easy to tease and I was grateful for the distraction. “Well, not that you’re a woman underneath, just that I’m meant to treat you like a woman.”
I suppressed a smile. “A woman underneath? Underneath my clothes?” I raised my eyebrows and the prince’s blush deepened.
“I... I... well... eh...”
I snorted a laugh and Cedric tried to weakly join in. “Look,” he said, suddenly. I looked where he was pointing, sure he was just changing the topic. The skeletal trees were thinning ahead and the sun shone brighter between them. “We must be close to the next settlement.” He glanced down at me. “Maybe you should stay here. I’ll scout around the place and return. If it’s safe, we can then go together.”
I shook my head, feeling the coldness around my stomach again at the thought of being completely alone in these woods. “Don’t start treating me like a lady now. I’m coming with you.”
He frowned at me. “But you can’t fight.”
I glared at him. “But I can run and hide. Anyway, I’m not a Grower. They’re not even after me, they’re after you. Maybe I should be the one who goes and you stay.”
Prince Cedric paused for a moment. “I hadn’t thought about that. Fine, we’ll go together. Try not to draw attention. No glaring.”
I put my hands on my hips, trying to hide my relief. “What do you mean, ‘no glaring’?”
“Well, you’re doing a pretty good example right now. Don’t glare at people. We want to be easily overlooked until we know we’re safe.” He started to walk towards the edge of the wood, but I didn’t immediately follow, making him turn and raise his eyebrows at me.
“Cedric, I don’t just glare at random people. Only ones that are really annoying me.”
The prince turned and strode forward on his annoyingly long legs. “Keep up,” he called back. Then he threw a large floppy hat at me from his bag. “And tuck your hair into that. Pretend to be a man.”
I sighed and coiled my braid on top of my head, holding it in place with the hat. Cedric didn’t stop and it was hard to place the hat right while walking. His gait was so fast he was rapidly nearing the edge of the wood. “By the earth...” I muttered, breaking into a stumbling run. I only lasted a few steps before my hips hurt too much and I attempted a fast walk.
He was just past the last of the trees by the time I caught up, panting heavily. “Are you sure you could outrun Tharans?” Cedric asked with one eyebrow raised.
I ignored him and looked at the farmland ahead. The trees opened up to a valley with a village either side, the road veering through one, then the other. There were signs of life here. One field looked freshly harvested and there were people walking on the road between the two nests of houses. Even from here I could see the first village’s bright green town oak.
“Will you tell them who you are?” I asked as we walked towards the road. There was nowhere to hide in the fields.
“I’m not sure which is safer. It would be awfully handy if we could get some horses and some hot meals, and I have money for that. No need to throw my title around unless it would help us, especially as someone might want to rob us. I doubt we’ll meet soldiers now. Survivors from the raid will probably travel to Herne quicker than us to get the news ahead to my father and gather reinforcements.”
I pushed through the last dead bushes and stepped onto the road of hard-packed dirt. My legs felt lighter without all the undergrowth pushing back and we picked up speed. “Horses and hot meals sound good, since your ‘Tharan bred war horse’,” I mimicked his posh accent, “ran away. We can ask around for any villagers from our group. They might still be here, or only recently left.” I doubted Klia and her family would have stopped so soon with two horses between them. Joff was a hunter tracker and knew shortcuts through the forest away from the villages. But if Reg’s wound had been bad, they might have had to.
We neared the village and were soon drawing questioning glances from the inhabitants. It wasn’t common to see strangers travelling on the roads between the southwest villages. Still, two Farthi men in well made clothes weren’t odd enough to stop to question. They probably thought we worked for a local lord. None looked closely enough to see the embroidered squirrels of the royal house of Arden.
We walked past the dreary wooden houses. Some had been built between two living trees, though many were now dead, their branches snapped and lurking sinisterly over the roofs, casting sharp shadows in the glaring sun. The road led straight to the town oak and had few side roads. Traditionally the inn always faced the oak to make it easier for travellers to find, and sure enough there was the painted sign of the bright red tree.
Cedric asked why the country inns all had the same sign and I was surprised at his ignorance. Surely kings and princes knew everything? I explained quietly, feeling as if the hushed town was listening. “It’s a blood maple tree. They’re also known as the journeyman’s tree because of how far the seeds travel before landing. They’re bright red and spin in the wind. Really pretty and distinctive. Travellers are like the seeds, you see?” In spring, it was common to see stray bright red double keys spinning down every path, each flying a haphazard journey alone.
We walked up to the inn and Cedric opened the door for me. I was grateful he had money and we wouldn’t have to beg. This would have been so much harder on my own; people weren’t so generous with food these days. The inn was empty, probably because it was not yet lunchtime. The only noise was the clatter of the innkeeper unstacking chairs onto a newly mopped floor. I wiped my boots self consciously. “I’ll do the talking,” I whispered to Cedric. His fancy accent would stick out.
“Sir?” I called. “We’re from Vale, two villages south down the road. We were attacked by Tharans a day’s walk away. Have any others from our party reached here? A man who was shot in the shoulder?”
The skinny man leant against a table to study us and I knew my disguise wouldn’t stand up to scrutiny. His expression stayed neutral so I couldn’t tell if he minded I was in male clothes or not. He was older than I had expected and had only a wispy rim of hair. One of my ma’s favourite sayings came to mind: ‘Never trust a thin cook, baker or innkeeper.’ Then again, she never trusted anyone. I grimaced at the memory of my ma, finding I didn’t really miss her, at least not yet, despite all that had happened. Though I did hope she would come and find me in Herne.
“There was a group of three. Two lasses and a man. They stopped to get water at the well and food then returned south. Then this morning there was a lass by herself. She couldn’t afford a room so is staying in the baker’s attic. She was from Elmhill. That’s further east than Vale, aye?” He looked us up and down and the well made clothes. “Looks like you won’t have the same problem.”
I sighed at how much he was bumping his prices up in his head. Maybe it was a good idea for nobody to know quite how rich Cedric was. “We’re not looking to stay,” I blurted. “Just a hot meal, some provisions and we’re looking to buy two horses.”
The innkeeper rubbed his chin. “You won’t be finding any horses for sale here, times being what they are. A hot meal I can do, though. Are you sure you don’t want to stay the night? The two of you look like you could do with a wash and some rest.”
“A bath would be great,” agreed Cedric. I looked at him wide eyed and the innkeeper laughed.
“Even outside of a drought it’s a rare day I have a customer expect a bath! Nay, it will be a half bucket of warmed well water and a cloth.”
I looked at Cedric meaningfully. “Wash water, and a meal will be enough, thank you.”
The innkeeper gestured to a table and pulled back a chair for me. When he left, I grinned at Cedric. “See, he still manages to remember I’m a woman, despite my clothes.”
“I didn’t really forget. Anyway, I’m sorry that few of your village are here.”
I shrugged and pulled off my hat, shaking my braid free. There was nobody here, anyway. “It doesn’t change anything. We still need to get to Herne to send people to rescue the Growers.”
The innkeeper returned with two mugs of ale and I thanked him. His lips gave a subtle downward twitch at my uncovered hair, even though he hadn’t blinked at the clothes. Cedric nodded to me. “I’ll lead the expedition myself. That should give it more momentum. That and Felix’s death.” He grew subdued and nursed his drink.
“Did he have family?” I asked.
The prince nodded. “He has a wife, though she’s rarely at Herne. Then he has two married daughters. The eldest is Elenor. She’s married to my youngest brother, Killian. Quite a force to be reckoned with.”
“Do you have two brothers? You mentioned Rupert before.”
Cedric’s gaze turned wistful. “Yes. Now Rupert is the man who should really be king. He always seems to know what to do. But he’s actually just mine and Killian’s half brother. My father had a mistress, you see, so Rupert isn’t in line to inherit.”
I frowned. “Seems unfair to me if he would do a good job.”
The prince nodded. “Indeed. However, that’s not the way the nobility sees it. They like the line of ascension to be clear to reduce conflict and the mother to have a rich family behind her to insure funds.”
The innkeeper returned with a meal of fried vegetables and even a tiny piece of meat. “Not allowed water for a stew anymore, so just sauce, I’m afraid,” he muttered.
“Of course,” said Cedric, eager to redeem himself from his blunder about the bath. “It looks delicious, my thanks.”
The innkeeper raised a sceptical eyebrow at the eager young man and disappeared back down the stairs.
“Is your half-brother married?” I asked. “Rupert?”
Cedric shook his head. “Father is happy to leave him to choose for himself.”
“And what about you?” I asked carefully. “Why is your younger brother married before you?”
Cedric sighed. “Father is taking his time choosing the best future queen. He uses it as a prize to play lords off one another.”
“Oh,” I said, imagining what that would feel like. “You must have a lot of ladies after your hand then.”
Cedric scratched his head. “I suppose. After my crown more like.” He grimaced. “Father always likes the crafty ones for some reason. They make me uncomfortable.”
I took a few mouthfuls of a shrivelled fried carrot and it tasted surprisingly good. I was saving the few bites of meat until last.
Cedric gestured at me, asking me a question just as my mouth was full. “And you? You’re quite old to be unwed, aren’t you? I thought country girls got married young?”
I choked on my carrot. “What do you mean I’m old? I’m not that much older than you. I’m nineteen.”
“Older than me?” Cedric puffed himself up and grew an inch. “I’m twenty, I’ll have you know.”
I looked at his face and shoulders again. “Twenty?” I filled my voice with scepticism.
Cedric blushed. “I’m still growing,” he mumbled. “Anyway, stop avoiding the question. Are you engaged?”
I shook my head. “I don’t have a father to play matchmaker like yourself. My mother is a bit of a recluse, and I suppose I’ve never appeared responsible enough to run a house yet.”
Cedric raised his eyebrows. “I’m surprised somebody like you would need a matchmaker.”
I opened and closed my mouth in surprise, then tried to cover it up by pretending to chew and swallow before taking another bite.
After we had finished our meal, the innkeeper returned to clear our plates and direct us to a room we could wash in, one at a time. As he handed us towels he said, “I thought about where you might find a horse. Instead of following the road to Hollythorne, the next village, go straight north. There’s a track that takes you to the top of the hill. There’s a windmill at the highest point where the wind blows the strongest. Mari lives there and her son just left for Herne as a Grower. Good lass. She is probably looking to sell a few things to make ends meet.”
Cedric frowned. “Poor woman.” He turned to me. “We should help her in her son’s absence. I wonder why she didn’t leave too?”
The innkeeper sighed and grumbled, “Actually I never got why people would give up all they worked for and lived for to move to the capital where they don’t know a soul. I wish none of our Growers had left.”
“Herne will send food, you’ll see,” said Cedric.
The innkeeper eyed him tiredly. “I hope so, lad. I hope so.”