Chapter 13

"AND THAT"S HOW THEking fell in love with our very own tavern mistress," Eirwyn said with a flourish, swirling her hands and making the dancing light projections dissipate around the tavern. A burst of colors exploded on the ceiling, raining down on the patrons.

It distracted the everyone, but also distracted herself from her not having a special someone like that. Her mind went to Knox, but she probably wouldn"t ever see him again. She looked over the crowd, but none of them appealed to her. Ever since she"d come back from Glathen, she hadn"t been interested in taking anyone upstairs.

Applause broke out, and the new manager nodded his head approvingly. He"d been hesitant to let Eirwyn into the tavern tonight. But after a few days cooped up in the castle, she"d needed to escape.

First there"d been the engagement ball. The courtiers had fawned over Bella, which Eirwyn was happy to see. She wanted her friend to be accepted as queen, and if Eirwyn were being honest, she"d been worried the rich lords and ladies weren"t going to welcome her.

She shouldn"t have worried, though. Bella was very well read and could always find a topic of common interest, unlike Eirwyn"s own conversations with them. All she could do was flirt, and it often sent the wrong message.

But then there"d been the dress fittings and organizing Bella"s lessons. Eirwyn had interviewed all the people Gastone had hired for Bella. The history tutors, etiquette teachers, dance instructors, and magic professors all met her approval as well.

Then she"d scheduled daily classes with her soon to be sister-in-law in the management of the castle. It was the one job that Gastone actually gave her any power to perform. And now it was being turned over to Bella.

Eirwyn grew more worried about her future in Busparia with every passing day. Gastone paraded young and old men alike in front of her. The pressure to make a match, get married, and move out made her skin itch. She"d not found any of them attractive at all, and most were boring stuffy old men or practically little puppies for as young as they were.

None of them held a candle to Knox" outdoor manliness.

Eirwyn also found Bella growing more and more frazzled as the days passed. Especially when the visiting dignitaries from the other countries and continents began to arrive for the wedding.

Bella had never met elves before and had been worried about making a fool of herself. Eirwyn had put on her happy face and charmed them like always, but it had just added to the stress for all of them.

She could play the adorable princess role, but it was exhausting to always be "on."

After yet another ball to celebrate the visiting dignitaries, Eirwyn had snuck out to the tavern.

Willis set a mug of ale on the table. "Here you go, your highness."

She grinned and reached into her pocket for some coin. "Thank you, sir, for letting me entertain tonight. I needed that bright spot of fun."

He waved away her coin. "No, you"ve earned the ale at the least. You"ve a knack for storytelling, and I"m mighty proud to have heard you. Sorry about earlier."

His cheeks reddened as he scratched the back of his neck.

She smiled and waved a hand. "Don"t worry about it. Bella and I had an arrangement, which I"m happy to continue. But if it"ll make you feel more comfortable to talk to her first, I understand."

He nodded. "I"ll do that. And thank you. Let me know if you need anything else, your highness."

She nodded, and he walked away. She sat back and nursed her ale, enjoying her corner seat. It gave her the best view of the entire room, and she loved people watching.

She wrapped the shadows slowly around her and sipped. Soon enough, most of the people in the tavern forgot she was even there. She frowned as she listened to the gossip.

The people were excited about the wedding and all the soldiers returning home from war. They were due home within the next week, as the Southern Road was a longer route.

Some grumbled about the king chopping down trees to the south of town.

"He tried it a few years ago, do you remember?"

"I"m not sure what he hopes to do. No one can get through the forest without the Robins" help."

Eirwyn"s ears perked up, and she turned slightly to better hear the dirty chimney sweeps two tables over.

"The Robins will stop him, don"t worry."

"Bless them, did you hear they got Matt and Bob out of the stocks?"

"Really? I wondered where they"d gone. The missus is already grumbling about having to do more work. She"s taking in more darning, since the tailor"s been gone."

"The Robins got their families out too. They"re tucked away safe and sound in the forest, I bet."

"I"m telling you, there"s no such thing as a town in the forest. It"s all haunted and will kill you if you even go near it. I"m sure Matt and Bob have just gone to start shops in a new town."

Eirwyn"s stomach knotted. It wasn"t her first time hearing about the Robins" work, but it was the first time she"d heard of a town in the forest.

She finished her ale but her stomach kept rolling. It was probably stress related. Heavens knew her brother could make a saint sick from stress.

She pulled her hood up and stood, her legs shaky. She frowned as her stomach cramped. Then she ducked through the hallway to the kitchens. Her shadows wrapped around her prevented the staff from seeing her, and she found the privy attached to the back wall of the tavern.

She shut the door just in time to retch. Her forehead beaded with sweat, and she took a deep breath when she was done. She picked up her cloak and wiped her mouth with the inside hem.

When she stepped out, she could barely see the stars for the darkness. She went to the water spigot by the stables and rinsed her mouth out before starting the walk back to the palace.

It"d be faster to go through town instead of through the secret entrance. The way she felt right now, she wanted to be home as quickly as possible. Helga had long tried to talk her out of walking, especially at night. But with her light magic and the birds" help, she could avoid most unsavory people.

She strode swiftly through the dim alleyways, wrapping her shadows around her like a second cloak to obscure her features. If anyone saw her, they"d blink and question their eyesight. It was how she"d been sneaking in and out of town for years.

Helga had no reason to worry. Despite her fancy dress and obviously expensive cloak, she had no fear as she walked through the narrow streets.

Eirwyn passed a beggar in a narrow passageway whom the birds weren"t worried about.

"Spare some coin for an old man?"

Eirwyn danced out of his reach, picking up her smooth silk gown to avoid having it touch him even as she dug in her pocket.

She handed him three coins. "Here you go." Then she turned and continued on her way.

Her stomach twisted, and she turned onto an even narrower alley to get back to the palace by the shortest route possible. When she went up the steps to the next street, she tried to distract herself from her stomach by thinking of what changes this wedding would bring.

Some birds cawed overhead, and she looked up. A lone man stood waiting at the top of the stairs. She frowned, but at the birds" message, she spun on her heels. Her heart raced at their warning. Two men in shadows stood at the bottom of the alley.

She paused, her breath catching in her lungs as they began to walk up the steps. She looked behind her to the man at the top. He too was walking down toward her. They were going to box her in, and the birds were not happy as they began to circle above her.

She wrapped the shadows around her tighter, then the two men at the bottom of the stairs were jerked back. A huge, hulking figure moved with such speed, even she couldn"t see in the shadows. The two men crumpled in a heap at his feet, then he stepped over them and came up the stairs two at a time.

"Duck," he hissed.

She squatted and a loud thud hit above her. She turned to see the lone figure grasping his arm as he turned and fled back up the stairs.

She breathed heavily and looked up at the looming figure now only a few steps below her. He tipped his head back, and brilliant green eyes met her own in the dim light.

He held out a hand. "Are you alright, Eirwyn?"

She took it, her mind splintering. "Knox? What are you doing here?"

He shrugged. "I placed an order for some supplies for Olive and was told to come back in a few days to pick them up. What are you doing here?"

Her stomach twisted, and she put a hand on it, breathing deeply until the spasm passed. Then she said, "I went to the tavern. I just needed to escape all the wedding preparations, the fanfare of the diplomats and court."

She sighed. "It"s just a lot to handle sometimes. I needed a break, a fun night to just relax. Do you ever feel like that? Like the world is just pressing down on you, and you need to fly free or you"ll burst?"

He rubbed his chin and leaned closer, one palm on the wall above her. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared up at him.

"I feel like that all the bloody time, princess." His voice was deep and sent a shiver up her spine. She tipped her head back and swayed closer to him.

But he stepped back, waving in front of him. "Let me escort you the rest of the way."

She nodded, turning and going up the steps. She lifted her skirt and stepped over the dark liquid from the attack.

"Thank you for taking care of those men. I"ve walked all over this town for years, and I"ve never been attacked like that. Look at me, I"m shaking."

She held out her hands and laughed from nerves.

He stopped them at the end of another alley and pulled her into a hug. His strong biceps wrapped around her, and she stiffened.

"You"re safe now, princess. As long as I"m around, you"ll always be safe."

A delicious honey scent filled her nostrils, mixing with his woodsy musk and the city around them. It made her mad with desire, her core aching. Her desire mixed with the protection of his arms. It was heady, making her dizzy. She didn"t want to let him go.

She sighed, her shoulders relaxing for the first time in weeks. She"d felt like she was walking on pins and needles since she"d gotten home. Gastone kept staring at her over the dinner table, and the look in his eye gave her pause.

It wasn"t new. She"d seen that look on his face a lot over the years. But the intensity had shifted, and now he"d added a little smirk to it, like he knew something she didn"t.

Knox pulled back and looked down. She flared her light magic so she could see into his hood, his emerald eyes concerned. "Is there something else going on?"

She bit her lip, then smiled as she stepped away from him. His arms dropped to his sides, and they began walking once more.

"No, nothing else. Just stressed about the wedding, tired, and hungry, I suppose."

She felt empty as she walked, and she had an overwhelming need to touch him. They reached the wider streets of the wealthier side of town, and she took Knox" arm. He gave a looked down at the contact but crooked his arm like a gentleman and walked next to her.

"Do you come into town often?" she asked. Gods, there she went, asking stupid questions again.

"Rarely, although I"ve found myself in town more and more the past weeks."

She wanted to ask what he normally did when he wasn"t in town. Did he just chop down trees? Did he work with the king"s forces to the south to create a new road? Somehow she doubted it.

She cleared her throat to ask, "How are Olive and Scarlet?"

He nodded, his head turning side to side and scanning the deserted streets for trouble. "They"re doing well. I took Olive some of her supplies last week and told her about the wedding. We"re all eager to see how this will impact the kingdom."

She snorted as the palace loomed ahead. "You and me both. But Bella is a good woman, and she"ll make a great queen. Not sure that even she has the power to temper my brother"s unique nature, though."

"That"s a very tactful way of saying he"s a pain in the ass. And you don"t consider yourself a diplomat?"

She laughed as they finally walked along the palace wall to the back gate house. She waved to the portcullis.

"This is where I"ll leave you, if you don"t mind. But I really would like to see you at the tavern the next time you"re in town?"

"I"ll be back for the wedding, but you"ll probably be busy with royal duties."

She grinned, leaning forward to stroke his forearm. "I will be, but trust me. The best party in town won"t be at the palace but at the tavern. I"m hoping to sneak away by midnight and really let my hair down. Will I see you there?"

He nodded, the faint lights from inside the archway illuminating the lower half of his face. He had a beautiful smile. She wanted to see more of him, and her fingers itched to push his hood back.

But she didn"t want to jeopardize her chances of seeing him again. She would wait till they got to the tavern, a neutral place where the fear of her brother seeing them wouldn"t loom over her head. Where he"d feel comfortable removing more clothing than just his cloak and hood.

She"d need to talk to the new tavern manager about renting her usual room, cleaned to her specifications.

She smiled and caught herself from leaning in closer. She squeezed his forearm and dropped her hand.

"Thanks for seeing me safely home."

He stiffened and nodded, his lips still smiling softly. "I"ll see you around, princess."

Then he turned and strode away. She slipped through the gate house, hugging the shadows and avoiding the guards who were already dozing. She didn"t want them to say anything about a man walking her home.

But now that she had a plan to meet up with Knox after the wedding, she wasn"t dreading it so much.