I delighted in it.Their ease.The sound of gulls outside.The flowy sensation in my stomach that maybe came from the sea beneath the floor, but maybe also came from the man lying on the pillows laughing so joyfully before me.
“Oh!Mira.”
I turned to find Jorn entering the hall from the far side.
“Have you seen Arik this morning?”he said.
I responded with a point into the alcove just as Fell shook his head and playfully mouthed “No.”
It was too late; I’d given them away.
Jorn approached and peeked around the alcove corner.“There are many waiting.”
“Of course there are,” King Arik said.
Jorn’s eyes warmed.“Fell, how are you?”
Fell laughed.“Sore and… sad now that you have come to collect Arik.I was going to hide him for the full day.”
Jorn smiled—it was not his typical smile, but one of adoration that came about often when Fell was near.“I could keep walking around for another hour.Pretend I cannot find you?”
“No, I will come.”King Arik said grumpily.He set his hands on the floor to push himself up.He might have been drunk; I couldn’t tell for sure, but it took him longer than normal to rise.“Ingvar is waiting too, I expect?”
Jorn nodded and laughed softly.“Since before daylight.He has brought maps and two witnesses to his counting of the disputed cattle…”
“Just ignore him,” Fell said.“He will go away on his own.”
“This is why I am king, and you are not,” King Arik said.
“Yes, the gods do sometimes get small things right,” Fell said.
And then there was a moment of thickness between the three men that I knew I was entirely excluded from.They all got quiet and held their gazes down, like the floor was suddenly a dangerous thing.
As fast as it had come, it was gone.Fell grinned.“But if Iwereking…”
King Arik sighed.“What is it?”
“I would notice thatThe Fearsome Beastis still docked in Aalt.”
Fell looked at the king with mock sternness.The king looked back with genuine annoyance.The staring contest carried on for several moments before the corners of the king’s lips twitched.He fought the smile for a heartbeat or two before it took over his face.“Fine.”He turned to Jorn.“Release Flojer.Tell him it was Fell who reminded me he was here.”
“No, do not mention me,” Fell said.“I do not want to play politics.”He’d used the dry word forplay, suggesting he thought poorly of the games he was referring to.
“You have just played,” King Arik said.His voice gained a stern edge as he looked at Fell still lying oddly on the stack of pillows.“Please let your shoulder rest, or I will send Ivar to force you to stretch.”
“You would not dare.”
“I am king because I daily dare to do what others will not.”
I couldn’t help but smile at that, but then, the king turned to me.“Mira, you will attend my listening this morning.I would like to watch Flojer’s face when he sees you for the first time.”
Fell locked eyes with me.Blueness beyond comprehension.An ache in my chest.I realized a moment too late that he’d said something.I hadn’t been listening at all.What is wrong with me?
“Sorry, what?”
“You do not need to obey him, you know this, yes?”
Jorn saved me from the struggle of trying to say something that pleased everyone while I dealt with Fell looking at me.“She knows, I promise.But she is clever, so she will listen to him anyway.You could learn something from her if you so choose…”
