“How much farther to Fort Vigil?” Ken whispered.
They had traveled by dogcart from Meria to Vanderin, amassing troops behind them along the way. It was now their third day of travel, having left Vanderin on foot, and despite trudging through mud for hours that day, there was no fort in sight. The only structures they’d seen were the broken husks of raided homes.
Ken tried again. “I can see the Norlach River up ahead. Are you sure we haven’t veered off course?”
Father, who liked to travel in moose form, changed into a man and looked up into the trees. “Not at all. In fact, we’re here.”
Ken followed his gaze upward. To his surprise, a suspension bridge stretched above his head, barely visible between branches. Contrary to its name, the security of Fort Vigil came not from fortification, but from concealment. The fort was in the trees, high enough above the lowest branches to remain unnoticed from the ground but still low enough to stay out of view from above as well. “How do we get up there?”
Father walked over to a five-yard-wide spruce. It was hard to see at first through the bark camouflaging them, but stairs spiraled around the trunk forty yards up to the middle of the tree to meet the bridge. A rope, nailed to the tree in intervals, was the only handhold.
“Go ahead, Son.”
Ken climbed carefully around the tree. With every step he took and every person who climbed behind him, the tree swayed ever so slightly—until he reached a platform at the top. There, the movement was more pronounced, though at least it had a railing.
Two soldiers bowed and parted to allow him passage to the suspension bridge. On the other side, an enclosed structure wrapped around and between three trees that had grown close together. From there, more bridges linked between the other trees and enclosed structures. He opened the first one and found hammocks and packs strung everywhere in tidy rows. Several of the hammocks held sleeping soldiers. Ken closed the door quietly.
“Take the bridge to the left,” Father said.
Ken followed the narrower bridge to a smaller enclosure than the first. Inside, a table and several stools filled much of the room. On the left, a ladder led upward to a loft, where three hammocks hung.
Father motioned for him to move deeper inside. “You and your guards will stay here. Leave your packs, and report to the infirmary. It’s just over the next bridge.” He turned and walked back the way they’d come.
Ken climbed up to the loft and hung his pack on a hook near the middle hammock. A soft light filtered in through a window by the ladder, illuminating the cramped space. He chuckled. “Well, this is…cozy.”
Val and Herman hung their packs without a word. Herman had always fallen into stoicism easily, but Val’s silence was spiteful. He blamed Ken for their current situation, for choosing a grand gesture instead of running in the days leading up to the feast—and he was right.
“Right, anyway…” Ken continued as if the conversation were not a one-person affair, “let’s check the infirmary, shall we?” He descended the ladder and headed across another bridge. A gust of wind rocked it, and Ken grabbed the rail to right himself. The unstable footing would take some getting used to.
The infirmary enclosure was almost as large as the first barracks, though it held far fewer beds. The hammocks were more structured: the feet were tied to posts around the room instead of both ends against the wall, allowing for a range of movement around both sides of any given bed. At the back of the room, a tiny brazier was being used to boil a pot of water. It was the only fire he’d seen in the fort. None of the barracks had a place for it. Since smoke was a good way to find someone in the forest, it made sense that there’d be as little as possible here. Still, Ken was thankful that he’d packed warm clothes and an extra blanket. A stretcher hung from a pulley over a trapdoor in the middle of the floor. Of course. That explained how the injured could get up there. Those stairs at the entrance were hard enough for a healthy man to climb. How many other ladders and pulleys were scattered around the fort?
A young Vistan in one of the hammocks groaned. His leg had been wrapped in gauze from the knee down, and a red streak stained his wrappings down the side of his calf.
Ken approached him. “May I?”
He didn’t respond.
Ken put two fingers to the man’s wrist. His Vitality undulated in strange patterns on top of its slight weakness. Someone had given the man a strong dosage of herbs to dull the pain. Ken quickly brushed his lips against the young man’s knuckle. After years of practice, that was all he needed—and this was not a place to use more than he needed.
The man bolted upright. “What did you do?”
Ken shrugged. “I just Healed you. You can return to the barracks.”
The man’s eyes went wide. “You have Healing? Are you—?
“Crown Prince Kennard, I presume?” An extremely tall Elgathan man with thick glasses walked in. Near-Sight?
“Yes. I’m assuming you must be the surgeon?”
He bowed. “Call me Esmond, Your Highness.”
“Well, Esmond, would you mind if I made one very small request for the infirmary?” Ken indicated how small with his thumb and forefinger, scrunching his face.
“Certainly, Your Highness. What is your request?”
Ken cringed. “Okay, make that two requests. One: No ‘Your Highnesses’ in the infirmary. It wears on my nerves after the second repeat, and too much formality will be a liability when there are injured men in need of our attention. Two: I understand the importance of relieving their pain. However, it makes Healing more difficult for me. The power I expend Healing one man from the herbs you give him could be better saved for the next man. So, please, check with me first before administering any more now that I’m here. You can save them for the ones I cannot Heal or those who would do just fine without my help.”
Esmond nodded. “That sounds sensible to me. I look forward to seeing what you can do for these men.”
Odelia sat in bed, hugging her knees. Grandilord Patricius had been kind enough to board her in the same room as before while she waited to join the recruits on their way to Fort Solace. The last time she’d visited, she’d reveled in the privacy, but now she just felt alone. It was by design, of course. Even Dad had been sent to Fort Vigil when he volunteered. The Elgathan King hadn’t been satisfied with separating her from Kennard; he didn’t want her near anyone she loved.
Mom had seen her off from Meria, enduring the noisome docks as Odelia boarded a riverboat to Iverish. From there, she’d paid for a sled ride into Doivrie rather than going with the men who were set to march through Iverish from Yophiex. She needed time to talk to Patricius, and, truth be told, it was a convenient excuse to procrastinate joining the ranks.
It was one thing to volunteer at Kennard’s side. It was another to walk alone into a company of strange men who had no reason to believe she wasn't physically defenseless.
Patricius wanted her to declare herself the rightful queen now—to turn the troops already gathering on Elgatha. But Odelia wouldn’t leave the Tehazian border unguarded, nor would she march against the Elgathan King while he was surrounded by her fiancé, her brother, and her father. They considered a compromise: Odelia would seize command of the Vistan army and continue the fight at the border, then bide her time for the opportunity to turn the fight westward. But she didn’t trust such a plan to stay secret for long—especially when communications with the Elgathans would be necessary. With everyone she loved either in Meria or Fort Vigil, there was too much leverage against her to succeed without the element of surprise.
They’d talked in circles for two days, and Odelia was running out of time to come up with a better plan than to stay the course.
A drum banged outside, signaling the approaching army. Patricius would host the men overnight before they began the two-day march to the fort.
Odelia sighed. Time had run out.
She threw a poncho on over the shirt and fitted coral vest she wore for traveling. Patricius kept his manor plenty warm, but the thinner jacket she normally wore indoors had been tailored like her court uniform, and male attentions were the last thing she wanted right now. The shapeless layer was unlikely to protect her, but it made her feel better.
Downstairs, Odelia joined Patricius to wait for the sergeant.
“It’s not too late,” Patricius said. “I can present you to these men as you really are.”
“No, thank you, Your Grace.”
A servant shouted from above, and another opened the entrance. Odelia smiled as a familiar face came into view, bowing to Patricius. “Sergeant Rhonwin, requesting quarter for my division and two others.”
Patricius nodded. “Welcome to you and your men.”
Rhonwin took two steps back and signaled outside, then followed Odelia and Patricius to the grandilord’s private office.
“It’s so good to see you again,” Odelia said. “We missed you when we stopped at your father-in-law's manor a few weeks ago.”
Rhonwin smiled apologetically. “We were at my father’s home, and were supposed to meet you there, but Moira wasn’t feeling well.”
Odelia gasped. “Oh, no. Is she better now?” If he’d have told them, they could have stopped to help.
Rhonwin laughed. “Well, she’s certainly bigger now. And I appreciate the thought, but I doubt there’s anything you could have done for her.”
Bigger? Was she expecting?
Rhonwin grinned proudly.
“Congratulations! Why did you not say in your letters?”
“I didn’t think you’d find it relevant.”
Odelia put a hand on her hip. “Of course it’s relevant. You’re one of the only friends I have out here— Wait. Why would you enlist with a baby on the way?”
“Moira Saw that I needed to. I didn’t know why, but now I’m guessing it was to bring me here. What is your plan?”
Patricius pursed his lips, and Odelia was about to answer when Rhonwin said, “Not on my watch, Your Grace.”
Odelia cleared her throat.
Rhonwin put a hand up. “Sorry, Your Majesty. He was thinking that you’re going to get yourself killed at Fort Solace. But I’m sergeant of the intelligence division there, and I’ll do whatever I can to keep you safe.”
Patricius put a hand on his chin. “Are you able to add any men directly to your division?”
“Yes, within reason. They need to have Gifts I can use. Listeners are too rare to have a second of when other forts need one. I have Hearers and Speakers, but I can take more if that’s all you have. If you have any Seers or Invisibles, you will be my favorite person in the world.”
Odelia sighed. “My dad could’ve been helpful if he hadn’t been called to Fort Vigil.”
Patricius smiled. “Perfect. I have a loyal man with Hearing. He has no family to leave behind, so we should be able to enlist him right away. I know it will be a bit of a waste for your other purposes, but I want him to guard her.”
“He’ll have to be very discreet,” Odelia said. “We can’t let people notice his men lurking around the infirmary all the time.”
Rhonwin smiled. “That’s easy. You’re a valuable asset. Regardless of your true title, your Gift makes you too rare and useful. A few untoward thoughts from our men are all I need to request guards on you.”
Odelia sank into a chair. “You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that.”
Night had already fallen when they reached Fort Solace. Like Patricius’ manor, the fort had been built into the mountain, but the front facings were stone instead of logs. From the high altitude, Odelia could see over the foothills and across the river into Tehazy, where a tall stone tower watched them.
A sentry approached them silently, motioning for them to stop as the cave door of the fort opened. The sentry gestured for them to approach the entrance in threes.
Inside, a passageway turned sharply right before opening into a large cavern. Wooden partitions had been erected, creating smaller rooms, some of them with flat roofs and ladders. A smaller passageway to the left of the cavern had a white sign over top with INFIRMARY painted in red letters. Odelia headed straight inside. It was smaller than the main cavern, but still a decent size. Two dozen beds lined the room in three rows. Two bunk beds flanked the entrance, with trunks and cabinets on either side. One small partition, barely large enough to cover a man to his shoulder stood against the wall—the only privacy she would get here.
A man stirred from one of the bunk beds. “Is someone hurt? What— Oh, a woman. You must be the Healer. Throw your belongings on a bunk, and get to Healing. You can rest when you’re done. I’m going back to sleep.” He rolled over and tucked his blanket under his chin.
A lovely introduction. Was that the surgeon assigned here? Odelia didn’t even get his name. Well, she could always ask him in the morning—assuming she’d be able to tell morning in here.
Only five cots were filled, and none of them looked serious. Within fifteen minutes, she Healed them all, then explained to them as a group that they’d been Healed and sent them on their way.
Odelia had pulled back the blankets from her bunk, prepared for sleep, when Rhonwin dashed into the infirmary. “I had no idea your Gift would be such a problem,” he said.
“What do mean?”
“I Listened to those men you just Healed. I’ll need to talk to the fort captain first thing in the morning, but for now, I’m guarding you myself.”
“Don’t you have your own barracks to sleep in?”
Rhonwin shook his head. “Trust me. Word about how effective your Healing is and the way it feels are going to spread quickly. Don’t be surprised if they start injuring themselves on purpose—because they’re certainly thinking about it.”
Raucous voices pulled Odelia into consciousness. When she opened her eyes, a crowd of men loomed over her bunk. She scrambled back against the wall. “Flaming frog nuggets!”
Some of them jeered and guffawed, and a few shoved each other. Then, a loud whistle pierced the air, and they all fell quiet. The crowd parted as Rhonwin pushed his way through, followed by a stocky man with dirty blond hair.
“I don’t care if your arms are falling off,” the stocky man said. “If you don’t form an orderly line, nobody is getting Healed.” He grabbed the whistle hanging from his neck and blew.
The men hustled into a line down the length of the infirmary, curving slightly to the left as they reached the back wall. Rhonwin motioned for Odelia to get up and join him next to the man, who faced the line.
“Since all of your legs appear to be working,” he continued, “you can run forty laps around the main cavern. Return here when you are finished. Go!”
The men ran single file out the door, and the stocky officer turned to Odelia and shook his head. “The only woman in my fort… You must be the infamous Odelia DiOrto. One night here, and you’re already causing a commotion. Your Healing had better be miraculously good to be worth the trouble.”
Odelia curtsied and guessed at his rank from his possessive claim on the fort. “I’m sorry, Captain. My Gift is powerful, but I’m afraid its method of application is limited.”
The captain crossed his arms. “Rhonwin, I know it’s beyond the scope of intelligence, but I need you to requisition a small squad of guards for her. I’d pick the watch to do it, but I trust, with your Gift, it shouldn’t take you long. Miss, you are going to stay in this infirmary. You aren’t leaving, even for meals. Word about what you do here is already getting enough attention without you prancing around and turning their heads out there too.”
The infirmary began to feel much smaller. The lack of daylight hadn’t fully sunk in yet, let alone confinement to a single room. Odelia wrapped her arms around her middle, self-conscious of her fitted travel clothes. She’d have to check the cabinets later for a uniform and an apron.
The captain harrumphed. “And what are we going to do with all these men? I can’t have half the fort rotating through here, and I can’t ban them from medical attention.”
Odelia held up a finger. “I can help with that. My Gift will tell me if they’re faking it.”
He laughed. “I don’t think they’ll care if you know as long as they get what they came for.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think you understand. I don’t have to kiss them. All I have to do is feel their pulse to check. In the time it takes to write down their names, I could have all of them reported to you.”
The captain nodded. “Do that. If you suspect a self-inflicted injury, report it to Rhonwin. You’ll need to be diligent. You’re guarded for now, but only minimally so, and if we lose men, I won’t have any to spare.”
“Yes, Captain,” Odelia said.
There was a groaning yawn behind her, and she turned to see the surgeon she had met last night sitting up in his bunk.
“Nice of you to join us, Milo,” Rhonwin said.
Milo stretched. “I don’t see any patients.”
“They’re out running laps,” the captain said. “You’ll both have your hands full when they get back. Goodbye, Miss, I trust you’ll see to it that I don’t have reason to come back here again.”
Ken took his place in line for food. Though—as Herman frequently pointed out—Ken could have used his station to his advantage and walked straight to the front, he preferred it this way. Did he really need to get his food five minutes before everyone else? Besides, it gave him a chance to mingle with the soldiers for a short while. At first, they’d fallen silent every time Ken approached, but after several months, they’d grown used to his presence, and now, they didn’t pay him any mind.
Two Elgathans standing just in front of Ken were laughing. One slapped the other on the back. “What about you?”
“Nah. It’s too much work to coax them. I’ll take a girl who doesn’t care and have her a few times by then.”
The first man shook his head. “Oh no. You don’t know what you’re missing. It’s so much easier. You can just get straight to the good part because they don’t know the difference, and it’s not like they’re enjoying it either way.”
“You still have to get them in bed.” The second man handed two cards through the window.
The first man scoffed. “Once they see what’s in my pants, they’re too impressed to object.”
“Really?” The second took a basket from the window.
“Oh yeah. My favorite, she laid right back for me, and I took her so hard and fast that she was screaming like mad. I’ve never finished so quick.”
Both of the men started laughing again.
Herman put a hand on Ken’s shoulder. “A bit distracted, Kennard?”
“What?”
“I said Valerzan has our food.”
Ken looked over at Val, who held up a basket as the other men wandered off. “Sorry, I was listening to those men.”
Herman shook his head and scowled. “Those poor women.”
“I know,” Val said. “The women in Meria won’t look twice at me, but they’ll sleep with those two ugly fools.”
Herman led the way back to their quarters. “Don’t pay them any mind.”
Ken shrugged. “I was curious.”
Herman sighed. “Of course, you were, but they are not the men to listen to. No woman deserves to be taken so carelessly. For all their exploits, I guarantee that neither of them has ever truly made love.”
“I take it you have better advice,” Ken said.
“Yes.”
Val groaned. “No, no, no. You are not going to tell him how to make love to my sister.”
“I’m going to marry her first,” Ken pointed out.
Val shook his head with a grimace. “Nope. That doesn’t make it any better to hear.” He removed some food from the basket, then shoved it into Ken’s arms. “I’ll eat somewhere else. Consider this the end of my shift.” With that, he stormed off toward the barracks.
Ken turned back to Herman. “So, about that advice?”
“For starters, assume the opposite of everything they just said.” Herman opened the door to their quarters. “It matters how you treat her the first time, and women are not stupid, especially Odelia. Even without experience, she’ll know.” He took the basket from Ken and set the table in a few seconds.
Ken grabbed a chunk of cornbread. “What makes you such an expert? I’ve never even seen you flirt before.”
Herman smiled wistfully. “Eda and I were about your age when we married. She had the most beautiful smile.”
Had. Past tense. “What happened to her?” Ken asked softly.
Herman picked up an apple and turned it over in his hands. “We were married almost two years when she died in childbirth.”
The blood drained from Ken’s face, and the room went cold. “I’m so sorry. That’s awful. But you’re a father? I had no idea.”
“Was. For an hour.”
Ken covered his mouth. “I didn’t mean to— I shouldn’t have pried into something so personal.”
“It was a long time ago.” Herman’s voice was quiet but steady. “I’ve made peace with it.”
Ken set down his food and pushed it away, his appetite gone. “Do you think— You know what could happen to Lia if I— You lived through it. Do you think I’m making a mistake, marrying her?”
“What do you think?”
“The thought of life without her, of losing her in any way is too painful to bear.”
“Then, no.”
“But she might end up like—”
“She might not, and without you, her Gift will eventually kill her anyway. Look, I miss Eda more than you could possibly know, but I don’t regret loving her. Marriage is a partnership, one that Eda and I entered into together. She chose to marry me. She chose to love me. To take all the blame for myself or say that it was a mistake is to dishonor her part in our marriage.” Herman pushed Ken’s food back in front of him. “I’ve seen the way Odelia looks at you, and it’s the same look Eda gave me. If you think I’m telling you to walk away, then you’re missing the point. I’m telling you all this because the idea of you treating her like those idiots…” He shook his head. “When you love a woman like that, you cherish her.”
“Herman, I do cherish her. That’s why I wanted to know what to do.”
He took a calming breath. “Be gentle and attentive. If you force yourself inside before she’s ready, you’ll hurt her.”
Ken smiled. “If her kisses are any indication, she’s very eager.”
“That’s not—” Herman exhaled. “Women need foreplay.”
Ken nodded. “Of course.”
“You have no idea what that actually entails, do you?”
Ken grimaced. “I’ve heard of it. Does that count?”
Herman chuckled. “You have two hands and, more importantly in your case, a mouth, and what you do with them is important…”
Odelia handed Milo another stack of bandages and plopped down onto her bunk with a sigh. “That should be plenty for a while, right?”
Milo shrugged. “Well, that’s all we can fit in this cabinet anyway.” He shuffled over to his bunk and lay down.
She’d come to accept that he didn’t like to talk to anyone, but as one of the only people she’d seen in months who was neither writhing in pain nor leering at her, the dour surgeon had grown on her. For the past month, the infirmary had been even more isolating as the captain pulled her guards away to make up for lost men. When messengers became more scarce, non-official correspondence was lost as well. She hoped Mom wasn’t too worried that she couldn’t write home.
It would soon get even quieter. Rhonwin had said that the Flight, Speed, and Animal Speech divisions were transferring to Fort Vigil tonight. Speed alone would account for a large number of men. It didn’t seem possible that they could spare any more, but the orders had come straight from the Elgathan King.
She prayed the fort could hold with the men they had. Without correspondence, Odelia would have a difficult time coordinating an escape to join her Vistan grandilords. And even if she could make it out, the loss of Solace would quickly lead to the fall of Doivrie.
Was it malice or neglect? Gonfrid wasn’t forgetful. He knew she was here, and he still wanted her dead. Would he really risk a whole grandrion to do it? That seemed unlikely, given his desire for power. No, he probably expected the strong stone fort to hold on its own, the lost Vistan occupants of little consequence—mostly. He’d be apathetic to all the deaths but one.
Odelia shook her head. Dark thoughts came so easily now that she lived in a cave. She reached into the neckline of her gray tunic, pulling out her engagement ring, which was tied around her neck with the ribbon of intent. The memory of Kennard’s ridiculous grin and his warm brown eyes were the brightest thing she had to hold onto in her months without daylight.
Shouts echoed down the corridor. It seemed that someone had already run into trouble with the transfer.
A muscular, red-headed man carried in another with bright orange hair. The orange one’s leg twisted at a sickening angle, his shin bone sticking out.
The Strongman set him down on a cot. “He stepped in a hole just outside the entrance.” He turned the injured man and scolded, “That’s why you don’t use Speed until you’re further away.”
The Speeder screamed. “What do you know, you brute? You move like a slug.”
Odelia checked his wrist, his Vitality was weakened but stable, just what she’d expect for a broken leg. “I can Heal you, but I need to set your leg first so my Gift can work better.” Healing would knit the bone and tissue back together, but it didn’t pay any heed to proper form; it simply worked around crooked bones or foreign objects in wounds. She nodded to the Strongman. “Can you hold him down, please?”
The Strongman shook his head. “Sorry, I’m needed on duty.” He took off before she could ask again.
“I’ve never been in here before,” the Speeder said.
Odelia smiled and nodded. “Good for you. Milo, can you help me with this?”
Milo moved to the man’s foot while she took hold of the knee. She counted to three; then they jammed the poor man’s bone back into position as he howled and arched his back. Milo inspected the placement while Odelia took the man’s hand, keeping two fingers on his Vitality.
“Sorry,” she said. “I know that hurts, but you’ll be Healed soon.”
The Speeder sighed with relief, and his Vitality took on a slight waver. Odelia looked over at Milo, who was spreading an ointment over the break. He handed the Speeder a tincture.
She scowled. “I just said I was going to Heal him.”
Milo waved her off. “I’m tired, he’s squirmy, and you’re going to bed after this anyway.”
“You’re pretty,” the Speeder said.
Odelia rolled her eyes. “How much did you give him?”
Milo raised one eyebrow. “Not enough to make him loopy.”
Sure enough, the waver in the Speeder’s Vitality was less than what a single cup of ale would produce.
“Are you finished yet?” she asked. She didn’t want this man in here any longer than was necessary.
“All set. Heal away.” Milo turned back toward their bunks.
Odelia leaned down to kiss the Speeder’s hand, but he yanked it, pulling her across him as he sat up. With his other hand, he grabbed her hair and kissed her roughly. It was like being kissed by a sponge, sloppy and siphoning.
She tried to pull away, but he tightened his grip. Pinching his ear, she yanked hard until he released her; then she turned and elbowed him in the groin and hopped away from the cot. “You can Heal that yourself.”
The Speeder doubled over in new pain, but his leg was completely mended.
Odelia wiped her mouth on her sleeve and pointed to the door. “Get out of my infirmary. I don’t deal with self-inflicted injuries. Captain’s orders.”
Ken returned to his quarters after a relatively quiet day at the infirmary. After three months, he’d become adept at gauging how far he could push himself and still be useful the next day. At first, he’d Healed as many men as he could before he passed out, and the method quickly proved to be inefficient. It pained him to leave men behind each day, but Esmond had them stable and dulled their pain. By making them wait, he could ultimately help more of them.
Val had left ahead of him, and sat at the table, rifling through a small pile of letters. He slid two across the table. “These are yours.”
Ken knew without looking who they would be from. Conora wrote every week, keeping him apprised of both herself and the court. The second was from Hortensia, sending him the love that Lia could not. She passed along news about her daughter, reminding him not to lose hope.
He climbed into the loft. Reaching into his pack, he pulled out the most cherished object inside: a Vistan puzzle box. He pressed the mountain, slid the tree, then touched the sunlight. With a satisfying click, the drawer opened. The former contents had been left with Hortensia. Inside, he kept all the letters he’d received. But none of them were from the one person he wanted most to hear from.
Ken ran his thumb over the scenic inlay. At least he had this. She’d been so insistent that he take it. On the day they’d parted, he’d stolen a moment alone with her, just to say goodbye. Ken had brushed his fingers against Lia’s cheek, memorizing the soft texture of her creamy skin. As he ran his hands through her hair, he kissed her softly, trying to immerse himself in the taste and feel of her lips on his. They only had a minute, but he tried to convince his heart that that minute was really an hour.
She put her hand on his chest, eyes shining. “I have your ribbon and your ring, but I want you to have something of mine.”
He shook his head as he held the box out to him. “I can’t take this. Abhenric made it for you.”
“That’s why I want you to promise you’ll bring it back to me.”
Ken took the box and leaned down for one last fleeting kiss. “I love you, Lia,” he’d said before he walked away. He hadn’t wanted to make a promise he might not be able to keep.
With the most recent letter from Hortensia, he began to wonder if his promise was the one he needed to worry about. She hadn’t heard from Lia lately. Whether she was too busy to write or it was too dangerous to send a letter, neither boded well.
Val climbed to the top of the ladder. “Did you get a letter from Mom too?”
Ken ran a hand over his face and nodded.
“Have we received any word about Fort Solace?” Val asked. “She’s safe within the fort, right? We would have heard if the fort had fallen, wouldn’t we?”
Herman rolled over in his hammock. It was about time for his shift to start. “Why don’t we find out? You’ll both lose your minds if you don’t.”
Ken opened Conora’s letter. She was unlikely to know more than they did, but he didn’t want to miss it if she did.
More bad news. Mother was conducting a bridal search in his absence, and Conora was unable to dissuade her. Telling Mother that he was already engaged would do more harm than good. Knowing how she felt about Lia, the knowledge would only make her more determined to interfere.
Ken sighed. Was it too much to ask that everyone leave the subject of his marrying alone? Apparently, yes. “I think it’s time to speak to my father. Are the two of you ready?”
Herman rubbed his eyes and yawned. “Can we eat first? I’m starving.”
Of course! He could bring Father his dinner. Surely, a good meal would put him in an easier mood. “You’re a genius, Herman.”
Ken left their quarters, followed closely by Val and Herman. They moved deeper into the middle of the fort, to an enclosure surrounded on all sides with bridges, like the spokes of a wheel. A tan man with blond hair stood at one of the windows. Ken handed him a wooden card, painted with a small Elgathan crest and three dots in white, yellow, and red. “Rations for all three, and I’d like to bring the king’s if no one else has done so yet.”
The man looked over the card, then bowed. “Yes, Your Highness.” He took a basket and filled it with three pieces of smoked meat of various sizes, three different sized pieces of cornbread, and seven apples. Val took the basket while the man retrieved a wooden tray with a lid and handed it to Ken. They thanked the man, then headed back through the network of bridges to the king’s quarters. Ken knocked on the door, and a guard answered.
“I come bearing food!” Ken announced.
“Oh, good,” Father called from inside. “I’m famished. Come in, Son. I haven’t seen you in days. I trust that means you’ve been working hard.”
Ken entered and bowed, then set the tray on the table in front of Father. “I do my best. Although, I wish I could do more.” He waved Val forward with the basket. “Do you mind if my men and I join you?”
Father nodded. “Go ahead.”
Ken took an apple and the smallest portions of meat and cornbread, leaving the rest for Val and Herman. Even at full use of his Gift, he didn’t need as much as they did.
“Have you heard news from the other forts?” Ken hoped that if he kept the question more general, Father might not pounce upon his intention as harshly.
Father shrugged and lifted the lid from his tray. “Vigil and Solace are taking the brunt of it so far. The lull for the last two days has been nice, though.”
The soldiers here had taken a beating in nearby battles. Ken had a few shirts that would forever be covered in stains that could attest to that, and their numbers were dwindling, but Fort Vigil itself stayed safe. He didn’t know how long that would last.
“I hope Solace is doing better than we are,” Ken said.
“The fort is holding.” Father picked up his knife and fork and began cutting his salmon steak.
“What about the soldiers?”
Father smirked. “Do you really care about the soldiers, or are you asking about someone else?”
Ken set down his food. “Both. We’ve already lost too many here. I’ve seen it myself. But yes, I also want to know that Lia is well. I know you’re punishing me, but Val and the rest of her family don’t deserve to be in the dark.”
Father clicked his tongue. “Your little sweetheart is alive, but I’m not sure you’d want to know the rest.”
Val started. “Is she hurt? …Your Majesty.”
Father took a bite and chewed before answering, “No, not as far as I know.”
He was goading him, but Ken wouldn’t rise to it this time. Whatever rumors he was trying to put into his head were not going to work.
“Have you heard anything from Mother?” Ken asked.
“Of course.”
“Then has she told you about her most recent project?”
Father shook his head. “You’ll have to let that one go.”
Ken took a deep, calming breath. “I meant what I said before. You cannot force me to marry. Mother is wasting her time.”
Father leaned back in his chair and dabbed at his mouth. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that. I doubt you’d be so loyal to your lover if you knew what she was up to.”
“You have nothing but rumors, Father. She is doing the same thing I’m doing, and if Solace is as bad as here, she’s as exhausted as I am, as well.”
Father gave a malicious grin. “What? You don’t want to hear about all the soldiers who line up for her kisses? Half the fort passes in and out of her quarters like ships in the harbor. And she’s especially close with one of the sergeants there.”
Ken crossed his arms. It was the dirty poem all over again. But Father was trying too hard. There wasn’t a chance in the world that Lia would sleep with that many men. It wasn’t even a matter of trust or fidelity. The risk was just too stupid for her to consider. Ken decided to call his bluff. “And this sergeant, does he have a name?”
“Rhonwin, I believe. His father is the Lord of Atmos.”
Ken was taken aback for a second. Father actually had a name? But it was familiar. Where had Ken heard that name? Wasn’t he… Ken hid the smile that threatened to creep up. It made perfect sense that Lia would be close to that sergeant. She wasn’t having an affair; she was plotting treason—a preferable scenario to Ken, though he doubted Father would agree.
Father must have been getting desperate. He had forbidden them from wedding, separated them, sent them to the worst forts in the kingdom, and cut off their communication. And yet he still feared Lia.
Ken shook his head. “I still stand by my decision. Mother would be better served focusing on Conora.”
Father ran a hand over his face. “You’re a fool, but you may be right. If this fort falls, it won’t matter who she has picked for you. That’s why we’re attacking the bridge in two days.”
Ken nearly choked on his bread. The new bridge between Tehazy and Meriveria was the heart of the war front. The closer to the bridge that battles had been fought, the more casualties they’d suffered. “Are you trying to lose the fort?”
Father pounded his fist on the table. “Nothing will end as long as that bridge stands. I am not a coward who will run from it.”
“We don’t have the men for that.” Anyone with eyes could notice the dwindling population of the fort.
“I’m bringing in men from Fort Gale and Fort Solace.”
“Fort Solace cannot afford to spare them either. You’re going to leave them vulnerable.”
Father sneered. “I hear enough anxious talk from my generals, Kennard. You haven’t been in the field and are not qualified to hold such an opinion.”
Ken scoffed. “I’ve seen enough from where I am. It’s only been in the last few days that I’ve finally begun to clear out the infirmary. Every time I empty a bed, someone new fills it. Last week, we had half the men on the floor.”
“But if you’re doing your job, all those men are ready to fight again.”
Ken clenched his fists under the table. “And where there are injuries, there are deaths. For every man I Heal, how many more do I not get to see?”
Father held up a finger. “That is an excellent point. Clearly, I’m not using you to your full potential. You can have men fighting right away if you Heal them on the battlefield.”
Ken shook his head, eyes wide. That was a horrible plan.
Herman cleared his throat. “Your Majesty, if I may…”
Father nodded.
“I do not believe His Highness is capable of such a task. Having watched him use his Gift, I can see how it tires him. It’s not uncommon for him to collapse from the exertion. If he is Healing men in the field, he will not have the strength or stamina to defend himself at the same time.”
Father folded his hands. “That is what the two of you were hired for.” He turned to Ken. “You should go now. You’ll need to talk to the quartermaster and the tactician to prepare.”
Ken stumbled outside, numb. He hadn’t thought Father could lose any more of his mind. In a matter of months, he’d swung from overprotective to reckless.
Abhenric ran up the bridge, eyes wide with fear. “I just Saw a vision.” He grabbed Ken by the shoulders, his fingers digging in, like a drowning man would grasp at flotsam. “What have you done?”