Ken limped his way to Father’s quarters. He’d scrubbed the sickly smell off himself and wrapped a fresh bandage around his perfectly fine leg, careful to stain it with blood to make it look more authentic. If Father found out Lia had Healed him, it wouldn’t matter that she’d saved his life. She would be arrested for desertion.
They had only been reunited an hour ago, but as much as Ken longed to comfort her, keeping her alive was more important. The longer he waited to seek out Father, the more likely someone was going to seek out Ken and find Lia hiding in his quarters.
Despite the late hour, a guard let Ken into Father’s quarters as soon as he arrived.
“Finished pouting?” Father asked without looking up from his desk.
Ken closed his eyes and took a huge breath. He wanted to scream but calmly said, “It is not pouting to mourn the loss of a dear friend and a good soldier. In fact, that’s part of why I’m here. I would like permission for Abhenric and me to attend Valerzan’s funeral in Iverish.”
Father leaned back in his chair, looking Ken up and down. His gaze lingered on the pant leg that had been rolled up to make room for the bandage underneath.
“He died protecting me,” Ken said. “By rights, he is owed a hero’s burial, laid to rest in his home soil by his family and honored by his liege.”
Father crossed his arms. “Iverish is not a short trip. To get there and back will take a few days.”
Ken nodded. “True, and we are woefully short of men, I know, but we would make the journey as quickly as possible.” He had never been good at this, but if ever there was a time to learn manipulation, it was now. For once, he hoped he’d inherited something from Mother.
Father frowned in thought. “We are in need of recruits, and the Vistans haven’t been sending me the numbers I would like. I need them put in their place.”
“Of course.” It might actually have been working.
“You may both go to Iverish, but you will bring back Vistan troops with you. You will have two weeks.”
Ken bowed. “Gladly. Thank you, Father. May I make one more request?”
“Perhaps.”
Ken clasped his hands together and proceeded carefully. “If you want me to manage the Vistans as I have before, I will be much more effective with the help of my secretary. The Vistans are more amenable when she is with me, and by rights, she should be at Valerzan’s funeral anyway.”
Father’s eyes narrowed. “You can talk to the Vistans without her.”
Ken hung his head. “I’m embarrassed to admit this, but my leg is not doing well. There isn’t anything more that Esmond can do for me. I thought if I could get myself Healed, I wouldn’t need to worry you, but it’s much worse than I let on in the infirmary. This injury will kill me. I’ve already lost so much blood…”
Father closed his eyes and held up one hand. “Kennard, if this is some game—”
“It’s not.” He gripped the chair for effect. “When have I ever acknowledged the cost of my Gift? This is one thing I never say lightly.”
Father blinked and cleared his throat. “She may help you, but as soon as she is done, she will go back to Fort Solace.” He held up a finger. “Ask for one more thing, and I’ll take it all back.”
Ken let out a breath and smiled. All that was left was to get Lia back to Solace unseen before anyone there noticed her absence, and she would be safe. “Thank you again. I won’t ask for anything more.”
After writing a short note, Father signed and sealed it, then handed it to Ken. “Give this to the captain there. You may have one moose cart from here and add a dogcart from Solace.”
Careful to maintain his limp, Ken bowed and turned for the door.
“One last thing,” Father said as Ken reached the threshold. “My previous ban still stands. If you try to run away with the girl, I will find her, and she will hang.”
Ken suppressed a shiver. “Of course,” he said, then limped away.
He wanted to run back to his quarters, but the ruse needed to be maintained. As soon as his door was safely shut, Lia poked her head out from the loft. “What happened?”
Smiling, Ken held up the letter. “I have a message to deliver to Fort Solace as soon as possible. Let’s not keep them waiting.”
Lia climbed down, asking questions in quick succession. “Is there a funeral? Am I safe to go to it? Will I have time to meet with Patricius?”
Ken gently grasped her shoulders. “Yes to all of it, especially the recruitment idea. He jumped on that.”
“How long do we have?”
“Two weeks. Are we ready to go?”
She nodded. “Herman has all your things packed. He’s packing Dad’s things now while he sends the letter to Mom.”
Though Lia held herself together, Ken could tell she wasn’t okay. Her stoic facade faltered around her eyes, barely hiding the pain. It was a look he had willfully ignored for years, but this time, the pain was even deeper. Like any pain, he longed to Heal it away. Pulling her closer, he kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her. It was wholly inadequate. “We’ll leave as soon as they’re ready.”
Lia stepped back and grabbed a blanket off Ken’s hammock. “They’ll be back any minute. You should start wrapping me up now.”
They each took two corners and laid the blanket on the floor. Lia sat in the center, hugging her knees. Ken took the corners and pulled them all over her head, knotting the opposite ends together. With some rope, he tied a handle on the top, then tentatively lifted her off the ground. She didn’t make a sound. He set her back down and peeked inside one of the folds. “Can you breathe in there?”
“It’s a little stuffy, but I should be fine. I can make myself a nice opening when the cart moves. How far do we have to go to get to one? I noticed the flooding’s too deep for a dogcart here.”
“Not that far. There’s another trapdoor a couple trees away from the infirmary that lowers right into a moose shed. But we only get one cart, so it’s going to be tight in there.”
Her eyes widened. “I hope they don’t pile the bags on top of me.”
He reached in and tucked her mussed up hair behind her ear. “Don’t worry. You may be baggage, but you’re royal baggage. I’ll make sure you ride in my lap.”
Lia gasped and turned red. “My father will be sitting right next to you.”
“He won’t object to me keeping you safe.” Ken smiled. “Besides, are you afraid he’ll demand that I marry you to make it right?”
She chuckled. “He could tell me not to marry you.”
Ken scoffed. “Never. He knows we’re destined for one another.”
Lia’s smile faded. “He might. When I first got here, he asked me not to try to save you if you were too far gone.”
“Lia, I knew how bad my Vitality was when I was still lucid.” Ken shuddered. “It could only have been worse when you Healed me. I was on death’s door, and I could’ve just as easily taken you with me. He must have been terrified for you. I would’ve been if I’d known what you were doing.”
“I just worry that he blames you for not saving Valerzan.”
Ken shook his head. “No, he doesn’t, though he has every right to. He stayed by my side through the infection. That much I do remember from my fever.”
There was a short knock before Abhenric and Herman walked in. Abhenric had a bag slung over his shoulder.
“Perfect timing,” Ken said. “Abhenric, Lia’s worried that you’ll withdraw your approval for our engagement.”
Abhenric set down his bag and knelt next to Ken in front of Lia. He widened the opening to reveal her better. “Never.” Abhenric put a hand on Ken’s back. “You’ve made a fine choice, one that’s changed your fate for the better. I wouldn’t try to take that from you.”
She scowled. “What about when you said Kennard wasn’t worth saving?”
That hurt. Had Abhenric really said such a thing?
Abhenric shook his head. “I didn’t say he wasn’t worth saving. I was trying to say that he wasn’t worth both of my children’s lives. Without Valerzan, you are the last of my line. Your future was in flux again. I was afraid that it was because you would die saving Kennard, but I realize now that letting him die is what would have changed your future.”
“For what it’s worth, I agree with him,” Ken said. “Val’s life for mine is already one too many.”
Herman cleared his throat. “Speaking of Valerzan, let’s get him loaded into the cart. Since Odelia’s bundled up, I assume all plans are in place?”
Ken nodded. “We have one cart here, and we can get a second in Solace.”
Herman said, “I’ll get two Strongmen to load him. Odelia, they’ll have to come in here, so say whatever you need to say quickly. Once I return, you won’t be able to speak again for a few hours until we reach Solace.” A second later, he was gone.
Abhenric looked at Lia. “Let’s be honest. Even if I withdrew my approval, that wouldn’t stop you from marrying Kennard, would it?”
She blushed again. “No, but I like having it.”
“Anything else before Herman comes back?” Ken asked.
“Just remember that Sergeant Rhonwin has Listening, and he knows to be alert for my return. If we all address our thoughts to him forcefully when we get there, we should be able to get his attention.”
Ken laughed. “I was hoping for ‘I love you,’ but advice works too.”
Herman knocked on the door, and Ken jumped into his fake injured stance, shifting his weight to his “good” leg. Two men entered, picked up Val’s coffin, and walked him outside. Abhenric picked up his and Ken’s bags, and Herman picked up his bag and Lia. Val’s belongings had been stuffed across all of their bags, but if anyone asked, it was all in Ken’s bag, while Ken’s belongings were in the bag containing Lia.
They all followed the coffin out and through the fort. Ken wished he could carry something himself to help, but he needed to maintain his limp. When they reached the trapdoor for the cart, the platform took the coffin down and quickly returned for them. Ken hobbled on behind Herman and Abhenric. As they lowered, instead of going to the bottom, the platform stopped level with the back of a moose cart with Val loaded along the right side. One of the Strongmen took the bags from Abhrenic and stuffed them into the back of the cart. The other attempted to grab Herman’s.
“The big one needs to stay with me,” Ken said.
“You won’t be far from it, and we can pack it more efficiently for you, Your Highness,” the man said.
Ken shook his head. “I’m particular about my belongings. I’ll let Herman help me, thank you.”
The man shrugged. “Of course, Your Highness. You’re all set then. Giver protect you.”
Abhenric and Herman stepped aside to allow Ken on first. He awkwardly settled himself in the back and motioned for Herman to bring Lia to him. “Careful of my leg,” he warned.
Herman lightly set her between Ken’s legs, where she sat a little too upright for a bag full of clothes and gear. Ken cradled the bag, then leaned back, letting her fall against him. Judging by the feel of her elbows under his hands and against his abdomen, she was sitting sideways against him.
Abhenric sat next to them, then Herman took the back and signaled to the driver to go.
Ken waited several minutes past the outskirts of the fort before checking in on Lia. He slowly reached a hand inside until he felt her silky braid. Abhenric looked at him anxiously. Her hand grasped Ken’s and held on. He nodded, and Abhenric exhaled and relaxed.
In no time at all, both Abhenric and Herman fell asleep, heads on their shoulders. Considering they’d both been up half the night, and Herman had run himself ragged, it was no surprise.
Lia’s hold on his hand began to weaken as well. Ken let go and slid his hand to a more comfortable position around her waist. Her breaths came deep and even. Thank the Giver, she didn’t snore.
It took Ken much longer, but eventually, the sway of the cart and the warmth of Lia in his arms lulled him as well. He closed his eyes and rested his head on hers. When he opened them again, they were inside a cave, with guards talking to the driver.
“I didn’t know about this,” one of the guards said.
“Didn’t Sergeant Rhonwin say he was expecting someone from Vigil?” another said.
“Then go get him.”
Apparently, they didn’t need to summon Rhonwin after all. Ken nudged Abhenric awake, who blinked, then turned to do the same to Herman. Lia tensed in Ken’s arms.
An approaching voice echoed somewhere ahead of the moose. “I can take them to the captain. The cart can be stowed for now, but don’t touch their belongings. I’ll fetch whatever they need later. And make sure you bow, men. That’s the crown prince.”
Lia relaxed. Clearly, she recognized the voice.
Footsteps moved around the cart until the back end opened. An Elgathan man with bright blue eyes smiled and bowed. “Welcome to Fort Solace, Your Highness. My name is Sergeant Rhonwin, and I understand you have a letter for Captain Jonus. I can take you to him now. And I can see that Your Highness is very particular about your baggage, but I assure you that if you leave it right there, it will not be disturbed.”
Herman and Abhenric disembarked, stretching out their stiff limbs and backs. Ken gave Lia a little protective squeeze before shifting her to lay on her side and dragging himself to the end of the cart.
Rhonwin gave a hand to help Ken down. “That’s quite the injury. I’ll take you straight to the infirmary as soon as we talk to the captain. Will you need help getting there?”
Ken shook his head as Herman handed him his quarterstaff. “I can manage, thank you.”
They followed the sergeant down a passageway to a huge cavern filled with wooden partitions and closed rooms. Toward the back, one row of rooms had a set of stairs built into the side, leading up to an enclosed second story. Rhonwin led them up the stairs, where Ken pretended to struggle his way up. Rhonwin backtracked and slipped his shoulder under Ken’s arm. “Good show,” he whispered. “The slower you go, the more time you buy her.”
Ken slowed his pace more, trying to relive his earlier leg pain, but if he overdid it, they might send him to the infirmary earlier.
When they reached the door, Rhonwin let go and knocked on the open door. “We have a royal visitor. Prince Kennard, this is Captain Jonus.”
A sturdy blond Vistan stood up from behind a plain desk laden with paperwork. He walked in front of it, then bowed. “To what do I owe this visit, Your Highness?”
Ken dug into his jacket and pulled out Father’s letter. “I have a message for you, as well as a need to borrow the services of Mistress Odelia.”
Jonus took the letter. “Need her to Heal your leg?”
Ken nodded. “Yes, but I also bring sad news. She is needed in Iverish to attend her brother’s funeral.”
Looking over the letter, Jonus frowned. “Two weeks without our Healer? I hope His Majesty isn’t planning for us to attack anytime soon.”
“No. She’ll be helping me recruit more men for you first.”
Jonus shrugged. “I can’t argue with orders, can I?” He leaned back against his desk and crossed his arms. “I was wondering something about her—if you don’t mind my asking.”
Ken smiled. “Of course not.” He didn’t care how impertinent the question might be if talking to the captain a little longer kept him away from the infirmary.
“Given the restrictions on her, one would think she was dangerous, but after the initial hubbub with the men, she hasn’t caused any problems. She didn’t even object when I confined her to the infirmary.”
Taking a calming breath, Ken tried not to raise his voice. “You confined her to the infirmary?”
Jonus smiled grimly. “Her Gift attracted a lot of attention the first morning after she arrived. I decided it was safer for her not to wander the fort. When I had more men, I even posted a few guards with her to keep the more unruly ones in line.”
Ken tamped back the rage burning up through him. “You kept her prisoner?”
Shaking his head, Jonus held up his hands. “Her orders already made her a prisoner. I simply made sure she was a live and productive one. But I’m dying to know what she did to earn her sentence. Sergeant Rhonwin here claims he can’t tell me.”
“Nothing,” Ken said.
Jonus raised an eyebrow. “Nothing at all?”
Ken ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “The only thing she’s guilty of is taking my heart, and that was freely given.”
The captain’s eyes widened. “Oh… I see. Rhonwin, you could’ve told me we were protecting the prince’s mistress—”
“She’s my”—fiancée was correct but probably unwise—“sweetheart. I have not defiled her.”
Jonus bowed. “Apologies, Your Highness. I didn’t mean it as an insult. But either way, if she is so dear to you, I will not keep you from her. I’ll take you to the infirmary myself so I can let her know she’s free to go.”
Odelia didn’t dare breathe, let alone move. The cart took forever to reach storage, and it took even longer before someone jumped onto the cart. She gripped the hilt of a knife hidden in her boot, praying she wouldn’t need it. The stranger lifted her bag off the cart and walked her somewhere.
Panic strangled her. As much as she trusted Rhonwin to help her, she had no way of knowing whether this person was him or one of his men.
Eventually, she was set down on something soft, and the knots above her untied. She blinked at the sudden intrusion of torchlight, and the infirmary came into view. A burly young Vistan smiled at her, his similarity to Valerzan like a stab in her heart. “Rhonwin sent me. You should be safe now.”
Odelia smiled back. “Yes, thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, then jogged away.
She hopped off the bed, folded up the blanket and coiled the rope. Both were stuffed into the cabinet she kept her belongings in.
True to his nature, Milo didn’t budge from his bed. That man could sleep through anything.
Odelia pulled off her boots and climbed into her cot. It was the most likely place she’d be without any patients to tend to and where she would’ve ended up if Herman hadn’t fetched her.
Moments after she closed her eyes, a hand shook her shoulder. She wasn’t supposed to know Kennard was coming, let alone be eager about it, so she squinted her eyes open in a show of reluctance.
But it wasn’t Kennard.
It was the Speeder she’d fought with the other night, cradling a bloody arm. He winced. “I need your help again.”
Odelia glared. She wanted no part of this game. “Get out,” she snapped.
“But I have a gash in my arm!”
“Then have Milo stitch it up. Milo!”
Milo rolled over.
Odelia got up and poked him in the back. “You have a patient.”
Milo rubbed his eyes, looking utterly dazed and confused. “Why can’t you do it?”
“I don’t Heal self-inflicted injuries,” she said.
The Speeder gasped. “How dare you? You think I did this to myself?”
Milo moved the Speeder’s hand out of the way, exposing the diagonal cut on his left forearm, and nodded.
Odelia put a hand on her hip. “You’ve avoided the infirmary for months, but now, you’ve suddenly injured yourself again. And the cut just so happens to have the same angle and location as it would if you’d wielded the blade yourself?” She shook her head. “After what you pulled last time, you’re lucky I’m not screaming for someone to haul you away. I’m not touching you with a ten-foot pole.”
The Speeder rounded on her, scowling. “I can make you Heal me, and I won’t be caught off-guard this time.”
She backed toward the doorway, keeping her eyes on him, and pointed. “Get out!”
Ken hobbled behind Jonus and Rhonwin, with Abhenric and Herman behind him. None of them spoke as they traversed the main cavern until they reached a tunnel marked with an infirmary sign.
Rhonwin looked back at Ken with a concerned frown. “Did you hear that?”
“Hear what?” Ken asked.
A feminine shout echoed up the tunnel.
Ken’s heart stopped. “I heard that.”
He lurched forward, but Herman put a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll go.”
The other men raced ahead, and Ken chased after as quick as he could without dropping his limp. Thankfully, the passageway was short, and he only lagged a few seconds behind.
A bleeding Vistan stood a few feet away from Lia and another man, who both glared death at the injured man with crossed arms.
“What is the problem here?” Jonus asked.
“These two aren’t doing their duty,” the bleeding man said.
Lia fumed. “He had his chance to get stitched up by Milo, and he refused.”
Ken stepped into her line of sight. “Perhaps I can help?”
Her eyes lit up. “Ken?” She rushed over to him, brows furrowed. “You’re hurt.”
As part of the ruse that he hadn’t seen her, Ken let himself get swept up in his first impulse. He embraced her with a full kiss, holding her tight. Then he looked into her green eyes and smiled. “Not anymore.”
The bleeding man scoffed. “Are you kidding? She assaulted me when I tried that.”
Ken turned on the man, fire coursing through his veins. He grabbed him by the shirt collar and balled up his fist. “You did what?”
Jonus sighed. “You see, Rhonwin? If you had told us she was the prince’s sweetheart, this kind of thing wouldn’t happen.”
What little color the injured man had drained from his face.
“It isn’t common knowledge,” Rhonwin said. “Given that the king sent her here as punishment, I doubt he wanted us treating her as such.”
Ken clenched his jaw. “I don’t care whether you knew that she was spoken for. Her refusal stands on its own.”
Lia wrapped her hands around his fist. “I haven’t seen you in so long. Let’s not waste any more of our time on him. The captain is capable of dealing with him now, and I already made him pay for his first transgression. Although, if he needs a reminder…”
The man flinched and covered his groin. “Please, no.”
Ken knew how hard Lia could hit when she was trying not to cause pain and aiming for less sensitive areas. That had to have been excruciating. Why would he come back after that? Unless it was for revenge…
The rage burned again, but Jonus stepped behind the man and grabbed him by the back of his shirt. “I’ll take care of this.” Jonus yanked him away and pushed him toward the exit, then turned back to Lia. “Forgive me. I almost forgot why I came down here. Mistress Odelia, you have been granted two weeks leave in the company of His Highness. I’ll leave the explanations to him.”
Ken wrapped his arms around Lia. “We did it,” he whispered.
She let out a breath. “For now. We’ll need to contact Patricius on the way to Iverish. Rhonwin, do you think you could convince the captain to let you join us?”
He shook his head. “Not a chance. He’s annoyed enough losing the rarest Gift in the fort. He’s not going to let the second rarest go as well. But if you send for Moira, she can speak for both of us. Truth be told, with her Seeing, she’s the better planner anyway.”
“She had trouble making it to Losuno, are you sure she can meet us in Doivrie or Iverish?” Lia asked.
Rhonwin shrugged. “She hasn’t felt sick for months now, but she does say she’s waddling like a duck. That tutor you sent has been wonderful, though, so at the very least, she won’t be worried about leaving the school.”
Ken rubbed the back of his neck. Rhonwin and Lia had lost him.
“My wife is heavily pregnant,” Rhonwin said.
“Oh. Congratulations,” Ken said. That still didn’t explain half of what they were planning, but with Milo and Herman in the room, the details were probably best left vague.
Rhonwin looked at Ken and nodded.
Ken suppressed a shudder. He wasn’t sure that having someone Listen to his thoughts was something he could ever get used to.
“Do you need help packing?” Herman asked Lia.
She shook her head. “No, thank you. I don’t have much, and I prefer not to have you sifting through my undergarments.”
Ken smirked. “Can I volunteer to help?”
Abhenric cleared his throat loudly.
Lia laughed. “I think I’ll take you up on that offer after our wedding.” She turned to a set of cabinets behind her, passing Milo, who stood dumbfounded. “Something wrong?” she asked.
“Your fiancé is the crown prince?”
She cocked her head and blinked. “Yes…I told you that.”
“You say a lot of things that I don’t listen to,” Milo said.
Herman chuckled. “You didn’t think it was odd when I took her away to save Kennard?”
Milo shrugged. “It could’ve been another Kennard. I’m not that familiar with Elgathan names.”
Lia rolled her eyes. “Milo, why don’t you go get yourself breakfast?”
“Right, good idea.” Milo bowed to Ken. “It was nice to meet you, Your Highness.” He sauntered out of the infirmary.
Ken scratched his head. “How did someone that apathetic become a surgeon?”
Lia sighed as she started packing. “I don’t know, but I must say, he makes for a cheery partner in here.”
Ken looked around the cavern. The torches provided enough light to work by, but the dark walls and ceiling made everything smaller and dimmer. Even with room for all the beds, it wasn’t a large space to be confined in for months. It didn’t even have windows, being too deep inside the caves.
He hadn’t noticed how pale she’d become. Vistans were always light, but the soldiers inside Solace were lighter than usual, and Lia could get lost in the snow outside. If he hadn’t just kissed her, the pallor would make him worry for her health.
Lia held up a full bag and Ken’s blanket. “Let’s go.”
The dogcart with Ken and Lia pulled ahead of the moose cart, which Abhenric insisted on riding in. Despite the shortness of his nap on the way to Solace, Herman ran ahead to contact Patricius and relay a letter to Moira via messenger in Doivrie.
The sky was lightening, and soon, the sun would rise. Ken tucked his blanket tighter around himself and Lia, and she snuggled up to him. He brushed the backs of his fingers against her pallid cheek. “Lia, when was the last time you saw the sun?” he asked softly.
“Two days after we last parted.” Her voice was quiet and detached.
His heart broke. Even prisoners were given windows. “Did you really never leave that infirmary?”
She shook her head. “The captain was trying to keep me separated from the men. That man you almost punched was far from the only one of his kind.”
“He should’ve allowed you to get a little fresh air every once in a while.”
“That was your father’s doing. His orders were to not let me set one foot outside the fort or anywhere near the exit.”
Ken closed his eyes. He’d brought her so much pain. How was she so often the one to pay for his mistakes? “I’m sorry.”
She reached up and turned his head to face her. Her eyes, the color of the trees around them, looked deep into his. “Your father is the one who is cruel and spiteful, not you. I knew that facing him was a risk when I pursued you, so if you’re to blame for his opposition, then so am I.”
Lia was right. Father was cruel and spiteful. Separating them should have been satisfactory if all he was after was keeping them from marrying. He didn’t need to trap her in a dark hole. And unlike with Val, Ken couldn’t tell himself that it might have been a mistake, that Father didn’t really believe it would happen. He knew full well what Fort Solace was like and had gone out of his way to add the order beyond standard placement.
Behind Lia, a rose and violet blush began to tint the sky just above the dark green treeline. Even the snow on the peak above them looked like pink dust in the soft light.
Ken smiled and tilted his head up. “Look.”
She turned and gasped. “It’s so beautiful,” she choked.
“It is.”
Lia chuckled, then sniffed and wiped her eyes. “I feel so silly crying about the sun.”
Ken kissed her temple. “There’s nothing silly about it.”
She broke down into a sob.
He pulled her to his chest, stroking her hair. “That’s okay, love. You cry all you need.” He needed to make her pain go away. If only his Gift worked that way. But more surprisingly, he realized he wanted to make the source of her pain go away as well: Father.