Annika sat across from Fin in the cheery pub and studied him closely as he sat sipping his ale contentedly. Their food had come swiftly and sat enticingly in front of them. Chicken sandwiches stacked thicker than the average man could fit in his mouth, along with a bowl filled with apples, grapes, and berries.
She hadn’t spoken since Fin had guided her by the hand into the pub, and she had waited calmly while he spoke to the serving wench and placed their order.
At long last Fin turned to stare at her, a small smile on his face.
“You thought I was running away from you?”
Annika’s dulled anger flared up once again.
“I haven’t heard from you since the day before yesterday, and then I learn from my maid that you are leaving the castle grounds with a bag.”
“So you dressed as a peasant and followed me?” Fin asked slowly, his smile replaced with a look of curiosity.
“Nonsense. I was already dressed this way. Since the arrest of my brother, I’ve decided to stay at my estate in Austice. I sent out a decoy carriage then disguised myself in case any of his men decided to seek revenge,” she snapped.
“Then you finding me in the crowded street was a happy coincidence?” His dubious tone was not lost on Annika, who folded her arms and crossed her legs in response. It was a wonder no one realized she was nobility—no peasant woman would dare to look so bold.
“You walked down the main street of Austice and took only one right. You then continued your way down toward the sea; I happen to have to take a similar path to get to my estate.” She shifted then, realizing that a couple men at a nearby table were glancing at her curiously.
“If you aren’t running away, then what are you doing?” Annika demanded while lowering her voice and leaning her elbows on the table.
“His Majesty asked me to take care of some business for him. I will be returning to my duties in a week.” Fin’s expression became shuttered, and it was clear to Annika their last encounter had resurfaced in his mind.
“You don’t have to tell me,” she retorted while picking up her sandwich and taking a very unladylike bite out of it.
“Very well,” he countered smoothly while picking up his own sandwich and biting into it himself.
The two ate without sparing another word and when they finished, Fin paid the bill. He held the door open for her and, once they faced each other in the bright street, looked properly discouraged by their pending farewell.
“Guess I will see you back at the castle sometime …” Fin’s right toe had just turned to leave when Annika edged closer to him.
“Why don’t you just stay with me at the estate?” she blurted out suddenly, her eyes darting around at the people who strode by them.
“I … er … uh, is that … appropriate?” Fin blushed while lowering his voice even further.
“Not at all, but I have minimal staff who are overpaid not to wag their tongues or comment. There have been several instances where they have been tested, and they have all proven themselves. Come. Don’t pay for a tavern with bedbugs, just … at least come so that we might talk a bit more.” Without realizing she had done it, Annika was clasping Fin’s hand in both of her own.
Looking down at her two small hands grasping his own calloused scarred one, Fin blinked several times as though in disbelief before lifting his eyes once again to her.
“As long as it won’t cause problems for you,” he agreed, his cheeks beginning to deepen in color.
Annika smiled radiantly as Fin laced his fingers through her own. Stepping forward shyly, he directed their steps farther down the road toward the water.
“Do you even know where you’re going?” she asked after the giddiness of him holding her hand in public had worn off.
“Not a clue,” he announced, suddenly stopping in his tracks, making Annika laugh.
“Alright then, come with me.”
As the couple walked, they noticed that no one spared them a second glance, as they appeared like any other unremarkable young peasant couple. It baffled Fin because, to him, the graceful way Annika moved seemed like a dead giveaway that she was on another level entirely.
“Another right here.” Annika steered him to an even narrower side street, working them farther south into the city. Fin frowned when he saw at the end of the road there was nothing but the rocky cliff wall that the city was built into.
“Do you live in a cave?” he speculated dryly.
“Aren’t you the court jester, hm? Just follow my lead.” Annika gave him a wry smile before tugging him along.
They passed by quaint gardens with flowers and vegetables all lovingly tended to by the residents of the city. The homes with their rust-colored tile roofs grew smaller and smaller, until they became quaint cottages rather than tall, narrow houses. Hidden just before the street ended by the cliff was another quieter road that continued down the hill.
At first Fin wasn’t sure what it was that was so strange about the road, until he realized that not a single home faced the street. There was neither a window nor a hole that could provide a view, and its cobbled street was worn and broken in several spots. The air of still desolation chilled Fin in a way he didn’t fully understand, and he was about to say as much to Annika as they drew even closer to the sea, when she tugged him toward a dirt turnoff that he would have once again missed were it not for her guidance.
It was a wide drive that sloped down into a stony beach that was completely hidden by the strange setting of the homes and cliff. As they turned down the road, Annika glanced around them carefully, then picked up her skirts and began the journey down. Fin noted that while the road did slant down until they were at the water level, a stone archway marked the rise of another hill on the other end of the beach.
“Where is your estate?” Fin asked as the road leveled out beneath his feet and he stared out over the rocky beach at the horizon. Merchant ships dotting the waters appeared peaceful to him from such a distance.
“Just around the bend of the hill.” Annika panted slightly before shooting him an excited smile.
Fin joined her in climbing what she claimed was the final hill, admiring the rising view and privacy as he went, and then he rounded the corner and stopped dead in his tracks.
A courtyard large enough to fit several carriages and a grand regal manor stood before him; it was carved into the cliff with stone balconies jutting out of several open doors and rooms. Gauzy curtains fluttered in the fresh sea breeze, while roses of various colors climbed the walls by the base. A fountain stood in the center of the courtyard with various mythical sea creatures wrapped around a large rock where at its top sat a mermaid. The water that flooded out came from somewhere within the rock the mermaid sat upon, and Fin would’ve taken longer to admire and examine the piece of art, but he noticed two lines of servants coming down the front steps.
Fin released Annika’s hand then and instead grasped the sack over his shoulder more firmly.
It had been easy to forget Annika was a viscountess when they both lived under the roof of the king back at the castle. The extraordinary home and wealth of servants in front of him, however, brought back the reality all too vividly.
“Come, Fin. Remember, not a single soul amongst them will breathe a word.” She gave him a reassuring nod before turning back to her home.
As Annika approached her servants, she stripped off the covering for her hair and straightened her posture.
Clara appeared from within the open front doors that rose in peaks and had stained-glass windows glittering like jewels in the sun.
“Why am I arriving before the carriage?” Annika demanded without saying anything about Fin who was approaching the lines of servants cautiously. The serving staff curtsied dutifully to Annika as she passed, creating an impressive wave as she moved, but as the redhead drifted by, they stared through him as though he weren’t there.
“Troivackians attacked as you anticipated,” Clara answered briefly before glancing over Annika’s shoulder and raising a thin eyebrow. She then turned back to her mistress with a masked expression.
“He is to be my guest. Please prepare his room,” Annika declared forcefully as she spared only a brief look over her shoulder at him.
“Yes, Viscountess.” Clara waved her hand at two serving women who marched back into the keep immediately. “Will his room be next to yours, my lady?”
Fin was quite certain there was amusement glittering in the maid’s eyes.
“Yes,” Annika snapped, her cheeks turning crimson. “I’m going to freshen up and change. Have the solar prepared, I want to hear what happened to my carriage.”
“Of course, my lady; would you like a change of clothes prepared for Mr ….?” Clara looked at Fin pointedly; the good-humored sparkle in her eyes was not lost on him, and it made him give the telling reaction of blushing.
“His name is Mr. Wit. Now one more word from you and I will deduct your pay,” Annika added churlishly.
Clara made the wise decision to curtsy submissively before rising and gesturing toward the redhead to follow her. Annika had already swept through the doors and disappeared within the keep, leaving the witch, the maid, and majority of her serving staff in the wake of her whirlwind arrival.
If he didn’t know better, Fin would’ve thought that Annika was being shy because of him, but surely the composed, confident woman he knew wouldn’t feel such things … right?
Standing with his shoulder propped against the open balcony doorway, Fin gazed out over the sea pensively. His arms and ankles were crossed as he tried not to think about the room behind him that felt too lavish to be touched. There was a cream-and-gold-threaded carpet on the floor, and chairs and a couch that matched with their wooden feet and handles gleaming from a fresh polishing. The bed was a four-poster bed with crisp white linens, gauzy curtains draped around it, and a fireplace with a magnificent stone mantel was the cherry on top of Fin’s intimidation. At least with the seaside view he didn’t feel guilty in enjoying …
A soft knock at the door had him turn around, and he found himself staring at Annika, her hair brushed until shining, falling around her shoulders and back with only a small section tied back; she was wearing a white flowing gown without sleeves. A gold bracelet encircled her wrist and gold dangled from her ears. The dress was made of a chiffon, and unlike anything a noblewoman of Daxaria would dare to wear.
“You … You look …”
“Ah. When I’m here I … I dress as the Troivackian noblewomen do during the summer. We tend to not worry about thick clothing or small amounts of leg.” Annika kicked out her right foot to reveal a slit in the dress that climbed up until a spot little above and over from her knee.
Fin swallowed with great difficulty.
“You look quite different yourself.” Annika nodded at the fine cream-colored tunic Fin wore with the gold thread embroidered down its front. “As annoying as Clara can be, she proves herself useful more often than not.”
He nodded. Focusing on anything other than the slit in the dress was proving to be incredibly arduous for him. Then again, they were completely alone, in a room with nothing to interrupt them …
“Shall we go hear what happened to my carriage?” Annika asked quietly as though sensing the shift in mood.
Fin worked on clearing his throat, but only managed to bob his head again before gesturing toward the door.
Smiling nervously, the viscountess exited before him, leaving the redhead to say a silent prayer to the Goddess that no harm would come from his risky decision to live and breathe within the same walls as Annika Jenoure.
Sitting in the solar, Fin waited patiently as the serving staff brought in a pitcher of water and a tray of fruit before Clara began to speak. It was made even more uncomfortable when they bowed before leaving, and Fin felt himself want to cringe and leave with them.
“Your decoy carriage left as planned, with Zuma disguised as you in a cloak, and me following in the carriage behind. We were perhaps about halfway down the main road when the Troivackians attacked. They killed Zuma, and attempted to interrogate the footmen regarding your whereabouts, but fortunately Captain Antonio arrived as per the arrangement and arrested them. We will hear if there is any luck in the interrogation over the next few days, though it’s doubtful.”
Annika didn’t move or say a word as she stared at the fruit in front of her and periodically tapped the finger that rested against her thigh.
“Were any of them men my brother arrived with?”
“No, they weren’t. So without a confession or reliable evidence, it will be difficult to add this to his crimes.”
“Where are they keeping them?”
“In the magistrate’s cells. We won’t risk having them anywhere near the castle or Lord Piereva.”
Annika didn’t say anything as she continued mulling over the situation tentatively.
“Pardon me, mistress, but are we sure Mr …. Wit here, should be hearing these details?” Clara asked while sliding her gaze over to Fin for only a moment.
“Everyone will have heard about this; it makes no difference if he knows as well.” Annika dismissed the concern easily. She was still lost in her own thoughts, though, as she turned the situation over and over in her mind.
“The knights should interrogate anyone who saw the men moving through the streets before the attack and try to figure out from witnesses where they originated.” She leaned back into the sofa with her arms folded.
No one said anything for a long while, and during that time all Fin could think was how he should have been searching Austice already. The men who attacked Annika’s carriage were likely from the very group he was supposed to be locating …
“I think I may head back into town for a bit and peruse around. I’ve not really seen the city since moving here,” Fin spoke out as the thought of anyone attacking Annika unawares flashed through his mind, bringing about violent urges.
Both women looked at him before sharing a quick glance.
“Very well, I’ll walk you back to your room.” Annika stood at the same time as Clara, unnerving Fin even more somehow. The two were clearly very in sync with each other.
The trio walked back through the winding narrow halls without uttering a word to one another. The sound of the crashing waves far beneath them and the call of gulls were the only sounds thrumming through the keep.
At long last, Clara curtsied and excused herself when they reached what looked to be her own chamber.
Feeling increasingly sheepish, Fin walked beside Annika and wracked his brain for something to say. Fortunately, she saved him the trouble.
“Should we talk about our argument? Strangely we haven’t discussed that at all …” Annika pretended to be casually looking out the windows as they walked, but Fin could see the tension in her forehead.
“We haven’t. To be perfectly honest I was just happy getting to see you so suddenly that I hadn’t thought of it since we met this afternoon.”
Annika’s cheeks deepened in color as they neared their respective rooms.
“I can’t always tell you everything.” She turned to face him. Staring squarely up into his bright blue eyes that seemed even more brilliant from being by the sea, she did her best not to become flustered.
“I can’t always go on blind faith,” Fin countered with equal sincerity.
The two shared a long-suffering silence.
“Where does that leave us then?” Annika asked tightly, her heart skipping several beats.
Unsure he had the ideal answer to such a question, Fin opened his mouth to reply, only to have the sound of incoming footsteps make him usher her into the nearest chamber door with him close behind.
“Where that leaves us is with each other. Faults and all. I agreed to try this, Annika. I know I have a ways to go to be worthwhile to you as anything more than a … a …” He couldn’t find the words. Instead, he cleared his throat and looked away. “Regardless, perhaps we could try to meet each other halfway?”
Annika fidgeted slightly before she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
“We’re in it together, Fin. Good or bad, that’s what we said when this started.” Annika agreed with him, a swell of warm hope filling her. She looked up at Fin, her gaze so uncharacteristically vulnerable that all other thoughts left his head.
Reaching out, Fin drew her into himself, and once she was in his arms again, there really was no way they could argue against finding a middle ground. Especially when part of the middle ground involved crisp white linens and a room all to themselves.