Odelia checked her room one last time. Valerzan had already loaded their trunks into the cart, but she wanted to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything important. It wasn’t likely. She’d only packed one trunk for herself, but other than her bed sheets, a washbasin, and a lamp, the tiny room had been stripped down to the furniture. Strangely, the sight stirred no emotions, just an urgency to move along.
Dad walked in, holding a scroll. “I think you’ll want this, just in case.” With a wink, he handed it to her.
She unrolled the top few inches. It was her copy of the Vistan royal line. She held it away as if it were on fire. “I can’t take this with me! Who knows how many people will handle my things as we travel. What if someone finds it?”
Dad put one hand up in a wait gesture and pulled a small cedar box from behind his back with the other. It had no obvious lid or hinges, and the top was inlaid with a variety of woods, both stained and bleached. Under a pink sunrise, a snow-capped blue mountain rose over a lush green forest.
Odelia gasped. “A puzzle box.” She ran her fingers over the textured trees. “This must have taken forever to make.” Dad carved wood while he waited for visions, but she hadn’t seen him work on this piece. She hadn’t even seen many puzzle boxes since they left Iverish.
He smiled. “Let me show you how to open it.” With a press on the mountain summit, he slid the second tree from the left down. Another press on a ray of sunlight, and the front of the box popped ajar. He pulled the miniature drawer open, took the scroll from her, and tucked it inside. “There. Now, no one can find it by accident. If anyone asks, the box is just a token of your heritage.”
Odelia hugged him. “I promise I’ll write home.”
Dad pulled back. “I know you will. Now, go before those boys lose their patience.”
Odelia took the box and hurried down to the palace entrance. Kennard and Conora waited just outside the door, watching Valerzan and Herman secure their luggage inside a large moose-drawn cart. The guards lashed a woven cedar-bark tarp over top, then hopped down. Herman called out to the driver, who issued a quiet lowing grunt to the pair of moose. With a shake of their antlers, the beasts pulled the cart away.
“I hope that was everything,” Valerzan said. “The luggage cart’s full.”
“I have what I need,” Odelia said.
A smaller cart awaited the travelers, this one pulled by a dozen malamutes. Behind the driver were two short benches.
Conora slid into the front bench and beckoned for them to join her. “The dogs are getting restless.”
“What? No fanfare?” Kennard joked.
The king had demanded a quiet send-off. He didn’t want crowds from the city to form around them. Odelia, Valerzan, and Herman had all exchanged their court official’s and guards’ uniforms for plain clothes to keep from drawing attention on the road.
Kennard hopped into the backseat and motioned for Odelia to sit beside him.
“I guess that puts me with you,” Valerzan said to Conora.
Odelia settled in. “Where’s Herman riding?”
“I’m running ahead to scout the road,” Herman said. “I prefer not to sit with my legs cramped anyway.”
Kennard shifted in his seat. “I don’t blame him. And he can make it to Oulley and back by the time we get there.”
Herman tapped on the side of the cart and, using his Speed, ran to the edge of the islet and across the southern bridge in a blink. The driver barked, and the dogs barked back, pulling the cart after Herman.
In Meria proper, wooden walkways lined the main road, connecting the buildings just above the dusty street, which would be muddy any other time of the year. The gates of Meria opened ahead, allowing them to continue onto the South Road without stopping. Outside the city walls, acres of colorful grasses circled the walls in a sea of green, white, red, and yellow. Past that, huge firs and red-cedars grew around a thick undergrowth of dark salal and bright ferns. The cool shade of the forest offset the summer heat. Odelia inhaled deeply, embracing the fresh, damp woodland scent.
“What’s that?” Kennard asked, his voice pulling her back into the cart.
“What’s what?”
“The fancy box you’re holding.”
“Oh, this?” she said nonchalantly, holding up the puzzle box. “It’s just a late birthday present from Dad. He wanted to make sure I got it before we left.”
“But what is it?”
Odelia mentally kicked herself for not hiding it under her skirt. “It’s just a puzzle box.” She handed it to him, hoping that treating the box as mundane might lessen the appeal.
He turned the box over in his hands, gingerly running a finger over the inlay. “It’s beautiful. I didn’t know Abhenric could do such intricate work.” Kennard turned it a few more times. “How do you open it?”
“Well, it wouldn’t be much of a puzzle if I told you, now would it?” she teased.
He furrowed his brow and started pressing various locations on the box.
Odelia panicked and took it back. “That wasn’t an invitation to try.”
“Sorry. That was rude. I should let you solve it.” Kennard smiled eagerly.
She set the box back in her lap.
“Don’t you want to know what’s inside?”
“I can open it later.”
He huffed. “It’s a long ride to Oulley. What better time could there be?”
Odelia got an idea. “Okay, but I wouldn't expect much to be inside.” She pretended to try different pressure points and slides before pressing the mountaintop and sliding the correct tree. As she touched the ray of sunlight, she turned the box upside down and pretended to try more places. Using her arm to cover, she opened the drawer just far enough for the scroll to drop into the folds of her skirt on the opposite side from Kennard. She turned the box right-side-up with one hand and used the other to cover the scroll under more of her skirt.
Kennard frowned. “It’s empty? What do you do with it now that you’ve solved it? Is it a challenge to solve again?”
“It’s a safe place to keep things. I don’t have anything to put in it now, but I might someday.”
The dogs barked, and Conora yipped something back to them. Kennard leaned forward. “What was that about?”
Odelia used the distraction to tuck the scroll back into its home.
Conora laughed. “One of the dogs wants to catch Herman!”
A few hours later, Herman appeared in the middle of the road. When they caught up to him, he jogged to keep even with the carts. “There’s a small settlement at the crossroads up ahead with an inn where we can lunch. It’s on the list of stops approved by the scouts this week.”
Ken nodded. “Good idea. How long can we stay?”
“By my guess, we have about an hour or two to spare. We’re more than halfway to Oulley by now.”
Almost on cue, a small group of cabins came into view, encircling the intersection of the South Road and the Port Road. A post in the middle held signs pointing south to Oulley, north to Meria, east to Cantahn, and west to Viaporta. The cart pulled up to the largest building, where the scout guards already waited, and everyone crawled out. Ken stretched his arms and legs and started toward the inn.
“Your Highness, please, wait,” Herman said. “Let me check inside first.”
“I thought you said the place was approved.”
“I need to check it again anyway. Valerzan, you keep watch out here.” He ran inside before Ken could object again and quickly reemerged. “I advise taking your meal outside.”
“Why?” Lia asked.
“I heard someone cough.”
Ken closed his eyes. He didn’t even adhere to Father’s rules when he was in the palace. Out here, he was determined to claim his freedom. “It’s okay. We can eat inside. One cough won’t hurt me.”
“It’ll draw less attention than staying out here,” Lia pointed out.
“But, Your Highness, it’s my duty to keep you safe, and this is the most basic rule I have been given to follow for it.”
Ken sighed. Your Highness. Grandilord Doneron would be repeating that for weeks. Until now, Herman had been a silent shadow. If he couldn’t be that anymore, he could at least not add to Ken’s annoyances, or this was going to be a very long tour. Ken put his hands together. “Look, Herman. It seems we’re all going to spend the next several months a bit closer than we’ve been before, so I have a few rules of my own.”
Herman nodded. “Yes, Your Highness?”
“That’s the first one. Constant honorifics are going to drive me batty. Val and Lia call me Ken, but if you’re uncomfortable with that, Kennard will do just fine. Can you do that?”
“Yes, Yo—Kennard.”
“Second, I understand that it’s your duty to guard me from physical threats, but contrary to what my father says, I don’t need protection from my Gift.”
Lia cleared her throat and stared pointedly.
Ken lowered his voice so the other guards wouldn’t hear, “Val, you’ve spent more time with Herman than any of us. How trustworthy is he?”
Herman started. “I swore an oath to guard you with my own life.”
Ken held up a finger. “That wasn’t what I asked, and your name isn’t Val.” He turned back to Val. “Well?”
“He’s not a spy,” Val said. “We’re trained to ignore anything that isn’t dangerous. He knows how to be discreet.”
Conora piped up, “He’s not in danger because Odelia can Heal him. Can we eat inside now?”
Lia glared at her.
“Really, Sis? Here I am, trying to be somewhat delicate about the matter, and you just blurt it out?”
Conora put a hand on her hip. “It’s not that crazy of a concept. You were taking forever to get there, and I’m hungry. I don’t know about you, but I’m going inside.” She walked into the inn.
Herman, being his usual stoic guard self, kept whatever he was thinking to himself. Thankfully, he also didn’t stop Ken from following his sister inside. Now, who had coughed…?
Lia took hold of his arm and whispered, “I know what you’re thinking. Herman let you come inside, but don’t press your luck.”
Ken scoffed. “How do you know what I’m thinking?”
“Because I’m thinking it too. It’s instinct.”
She was right. An ailing person called to the urge to Heal like the smell of cooking called to hunger. Ken scanned the room. In the corner, a boy stopped clearing a table and coughed into his sleeve. He couldn’t have been more than ten years old. Ken took a step forward.
Lia loosened her grip on his sleeve. “Better me than you. Keep Valerzan and Herman distracted. I don’t want either of them making a fuss.” She slipped deeper into the dining room, winding between the tables.
She needed to be inconspicuous. If the patrons found out, not only would the queue never end, but word would inevitably reach Father that Ken had flouted his protections.
“Where’s Odelia going?” Val asked.
“She’s looking for a table,” Ken pointed to the bar on the opposite side. “You should order some food.”
Val nodded and headed toward the bar, while Herman stayed put, scowling, with his arms across his chest.
Ken clapped a hand to his back. “Herman! Don’t look so glum.” He gently turned the guard away from Lia.
She was leaning close to the boy, speaking quickly.
Ken led Herman after Val. “You still have work to do. I’m sure there will be plenty of danger for you to protect me from in Oulley. Maybe more in Vist?”
The boy grinned and hugged Lia, seemingly putting him cheek to cheek with her and giving her a perfect moment to quickly Heal him without alerting the entire inn.
Ken smiled at the intractable Herman. “You’re not much for humor, are you?”
“I don’t find your safety to be a laughing matter,” he said sternly.
“Oh look, Odelia’s found a table.” Conora headed for the table where Lia sat. The boy had scampered off.
Herman showed the barest hint of a smile. “She picked a corner. Good. At least one of you is mindful of defense.”
Val turned around. “It’s a bit crowded for all of us up here. Why don’t you both join them? I can carry our order back myself.”
At the table, Lia was talking to Conora. “Please, be more careful about who you blurt that out to. Nobles like Grandilord Doneron would do anything to win the king’s favor, and that kind of information would be irresistible.”
“But Herman wouldn’t tell anyone, would you Herman?” Conora said.
Herman cleared his throat and shifted his shoulders as he took his seat. The poor man hadn’t been paid this much attention in the entire time he’d guarded Ken. “No. Like Valerzan said, we’re trained to ignore anything you do that doesn’t compromise your safety.”
Ken’s curiosity got the better of him. “May I ask why? I’m not complaining, mind you, but that’s a very interesting policy.”
“Because if I report everything you do, you’re going to hide from me, which is going to make my job much more difficult.”
Val joined the table with a bottle of raspberry wine, a pitcher of water, and a stack of wooden cups on one arm. The other held two serving bowls full of corn chowder and a stack of smaller bowls. He gracefully set both trays down in the center of the table and began ladling into the smaller bowls while Lia poured the wine.
Herman pointed to the second serving bowl. “Is that one mine?”
“Yeah,” Val said. “Is that going to be enough for you?”
Herman nodded, completely serious. “It’ll hold me over until we reach Oulley. Thank you.”
An hour later, they were back on the South Road. Ken slouched down in his seat and closed his eyes. With a full belly, the movement of the cart, and the warm sunlight, he’d be asleep already if the seat didn’t force him upright. As it was, he was deeply relaxed when a familiar and distinctive tingling sensation on his cheek jolted him.
Ken opened one eye and looked at Lia, who folded her hands in her lap as if she hadn’t just kissed him. “What was that for?” he asked, keeping his voice low.
She mimed a cough.
“But you’re the one who…”
“I know, but we ate at that table. I’m just being cautious.” She blushed, and he found himself wanting to return the favor.
Not an urge to Heal. No. He wanted to feel the pink softness of her cheek. After months of trying not to be distracted by the cut of her uniform, why was this the thing that so tempted him now? He couldn’t let the fleeting thought lead him astray. Instead, he lifted one of her small hands, cradling it in his own, and kissed it. He lingered a second longer than he intended, and her blush deepened.
They had Healed each other countless times. Why was it becoming more awkward lately?
Lia didn’t take her hand back but grasped his fingers for a moment instead. “Thank you.”
Silence stretched between them as neither of them moved. Ken needed to break it. “Back at the inn, when you said, ‘Better me than you,’ what did you mean?”
She shrugged. “Just that the consequences were greater for you. If I were caught, we’d be inconvenienced by the locals, but if you were caught, the king would lock you away forever and fire Herman, just to start.”
“That was all?”
“Yeah, why? What did you think I was talking about?”
“With Herman’s talk of protecting me with his life, I worried that you might think the same way, that your life is somehow worth less than mine. Mother and Father try to make everyone think that, but it’s not true.” Ken shifted to face her. “I know I don’t always act like it, but you matter to me, Lia. You know that, right?”
She smiled sweetly. “Thank you, Ken. It’s nice to hear it said. But don’t worry about me. You can rest assured that I’m well aware of my worth.”
The dogs slowed as they passed a large market flanking both sides of the road. Past it, small cabins dotted a grassy field, and at the end was a manor that looked much like the Cedar Palace, but roughly a quarter of the size. The cart pulled in front of the entrance, where Grandilord Doneron stood with several royal guards and what had to be the entire household.
Val hopped to the ground before they fully stopped. As he turned to help Conora, Ken stepped out of the cart, then extended a hand to Lia. Whispers rippled through the crowd. Well, this was an excitable bunch. Who knew politeness was such a novelty?
Doneron bowed deeply, and the rest of his people followed. “Crown Prince Kennard, Princess Conora! Welcome to Oulley, Your Highnesses. I assure you, we aren’t ruffians out here. We have servants who can help your…guest. A prince need not trouble himself with such matters.”
Wow. Ken plastered on a smile. “Thank you for your warm welcome, Your Grace. We look forward to your generous hospitality. And not to worry, I don’t think I’ll break from the strain of assisting Mistress Odelia.”
Doneron eyed her with suspicion. “I’m sorry. I’m not sure we were expecting you, Miss DiOrto.”
How could he not be expecting her? Ken had specified that he would be traveling with his sister, his secretary, and two personal guards, as well as several rotating guards. He’d accounted for everyone.
Lia didn’t shrink from Doneron as she would with Mother or Father. She pulled herself to her full height—short though it was—and looked the grandilord in the eyes before bobbing a brief curtsy. “I am Mistress Odelia DiOrto, Private Secretary to Crown Prince Kennard. We met at the Cedar Palace when you made these arrangements with him.”
Doneron stammered for a second. “A thousand apologies, Mistress Secretary, but I did not realize you were— When His Highness told me his secretary would be traveling, I thought he was referring to…”
Lia crossed her arms. “A man?”
“I fear my preparations are now inappropriate.”
“A room is a room, isn’t it?” Ken said. “What difference does it make who you thought she was?”
“I provided Your Highness a suite with three bedrooms: one for you, one for your guards to share, and one for your secretary. But she cannot stay there, and all of the suites with other women in them are full. She might be able to stay in the village for the night until I can rearrange the rooms—”
“Absolutely not.” Ken refused to navigate this court without her. The grandilord’s need to put propriety over practicality was getting on his nerves. “If she has her own bedroom, the current suite will suffice.”
Doneron’s eyes bugged out in shock, and more whispers rippled through the household.
Lia cleared her throat. “What the prince means to say is that my brother is one of his guards. With Valerzan around, I won’t be getting into any kind of trouble.”
Doneron stared at her but didn’t speak.
“So, um, where should I take these?” Val asked, a trunk in each arm.
Ken stared daggers at Doneron. “I believe the Grandilord was just going to show us.” He silently dared him to object again.
“Of course, Your Highness.” Doneron smiled as though the argument had never happened. “Right this way.”
They followed him in silence all the way inside the manor and up to the second floor. Conora was escorted to her own room partway to the suite. After showing Lia and the men to theirs, Doneron finally said, “Dinner will be downstairs in an hour. I’ll leave you to unpack.”
Ken thanked him and closed the door. He turned to Lia and smirked, trying to hold back a laugh. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you call me ‘the prince’ before.”
She gagged. “That toad! I couldn’t think of any more titles to throw at him. It’s the only thing he responds to.” She put a hand to her forehead, eyes wide. “No wonder he kept asking me to fetch him food and drink at our meeting. He must have thought I was your maidservant.”
Ken laughed. “Well, he knows the difference now.”