He’d find another place for her. Somewhere with more of her own kind. Except that put her in parts of Tassinic that were closer to the borders with Edenrich and Farentell. Too dangerous by far.
There had to be a way to keep her safe. The castle was strictly for military housing. A base of operations and a target for the enemy. It was no place for her.
The sun feltgood on Warna’s face as she swung into the saddle. After Wolfe’s Tower, it was nice to find the weather and time to be what she expected it to be.
“By her own choice,”Verice had told Narthing.
Warna flashed them a smile as Verice spoke, hoping they couldn’t see how nervous she was. She was grateful that they started out at a walk, her horse content to move at a gentle pace along with the others. It gave her a moment to breathe.
How had she found the nerve to challenge him?
Verice was Lord High Baron, and while she was not of Tassinic, she was certainly under his care and authority at the moment. She’d faced him down, and her stomach was still in knots about it.
She hadn’t wanted to stay in the Tower. Wolfe and Kalynn seemed very nice, and the room had been lovely, but isolation wasn’t what she wanted. Though she didn’t have a clue as to what it was that she wanted, it definitely wasn’t that.
She wasn’t completely sure of anything right now, other than the warmth of the sun on her face, and the sway of her horse as it walked.
“Your choice, Warna,”Kalynn’s voice echoed in her mind.
She supposed that she should be glad that she was free, but her heart still grieved the loss of her family too much to rejoice. Actually, the thought that she could choose was...unsettling. More frightening than anything else. Her father and mother had planned her life, seeing that she had the skills and deportment to marry well. Now that was gone, and the future seemed unknowable and scary.
Warna glanced around at the buildings and streets, trying to distract herself. The city was quiet now, the afternoon lingering on. Folks were closing up their shops and turning toward their homes. Few heads turned to note their passage.
She breathed again, trying to enjoy the warmth and quiet.
Verice was just ahead of her, the sun glinting off his silver hair. The warriors around them seemed relaxed, but Warna saw that they were always looking about, alert to any threat. Hard to believe that was possible on a drowsy, sunny afternoon.
Verice’s horse pranced a bit and he settled it down, stroking its neck. He was a fine sight, his armor and sword hilts glittering in the sun.
“The elven lord went riding, oh,”new words and a tune danced in her head. Warna repeated the phrase to herself, trying not to lose the notes, watching her source of inspiration. How to capture him in a song? His strength, his sorrow…
What did she want?
Warna frowned as the thought refused to go away. She really had no idea, or maybe she was just overwhelmed by it all. Her life had been planned, organized by her parents. Simple. And she’d been comfortable with those plans. But now it felt like a vast emptiness. Without her family, what did it matter? What did any of it matter?
Warna tried to prevent the tears that threatened to fall. She didn’t know what she wanted. She didn’t know what to do.
But she did know what needed to be done.
The castle needed cleaning. Restoring. Restocking, even. And if she knew anything, it was how to scrub and polish. How to maintain a manor house as fitting for her future husband. She could bring her skills to bear on the castle of Lord High Baron Verice.
And while she did that, she could think things through. Make some decisions. Plan a future.
She relaxed, the tightness in her shoulders easing, the knot in her stomach letting go.
Oddly, she started to notice more people on the streets, pressed against the various buildings, staring at them. Well, staring at Verice.
The warriors around them were exchanging amused glances and it slowly dawned on her what was happening. She almost burst out laughing. Verice had forgotten his helmet, and Narthing was keeping their pace slow.
She couldn’t help smiling. If Lord High Baron Verice had problems with his castle being cleaned and restored, she suspected she’d have the support of his people.
Warna caught the eye of some in the crowd. They returned her smiles, going so far as to wave. She lifted a hand in return, and her approval was enough for the crowd. They started to move closer to the road, and wave kerchiefs of various colors.
Verice was still oblivious, lost in his thoughts. It was only a matter of time before—
“All hail Lord Verice!”
Chapter Fifteen
