His words dropped them both into stunned silence.
“And you were worth waiting for,” Aramal finished, lifting his eyes to look at Ritathan.
“You—” Ritathan cracked out the words.“You waited?”
“I did,” Aramal said.“I had no hope, but it never felt right to make a promise to another when I had already given you my heart.”
Halithe sat as still as she possibly could, not even daring to breathe.
“You shouldn’t have,” Ritathan’s voice was raw and anguished.“I wasn’t worth it.I’m not worth it.I left you.”The last bit was almost a cry.
“You left to pursue a dream, and look at you,” Aramal’s eyes were wet.“So strong, so powerful.You have achieved so much—”
They both went silent, staring into each other’s eyes.Halithe stayed frozen, eyes darting between the two, afraid to break the moment.
She needn’t have bothered.They only had eyes for each other.
“My only relationship was ever with the power,” Ritathan said.“I didn’t think I wanted anything else.”
“And now?”Aramal’s voice was soft and smooth, just a whisper.
“Now I have no right to ask,” Ritathan said, his hands folded in his lap, his head down.She’d never heard him sound so crushed.“I can impose my will on the world, but not on you.”
“Foolish man,” Aramal reached out and grabbed the front of Rye’s tunic, his fingers curling to gather the fabric.“So powerful, and yet so foolish.”He pulled him in, bringing their foreheads together.“You don’t have to ask.”
Delighted, Halithe slid from her seat, blushing fiercely, and slipped away.But she couldn’t resist one look behind, to see them in each others arms.
She couldn’t quite keep the smile off her face, or the skip from her step as she skirted the square, dodging through the crowd.It wasn’t hard to spot Amari and Orval, they had quite a group gathered around them.She slid through and found a place beside Amari.
Amari smiled.“We were just planning to leave.The children need to be put to bed.Where are Rye and Aramal?”
“Oh, I think they will come later,” Halithe said.She leaned in close to whisper.“They may have figured it out.”
Amari’s eyebrows shot up, and to Halithe’s delight, she gave her a very adult, very secret smile.“Ah,” she said, lifting Dalan to her shoulder.“In that case—”
A horn call split the air, and the square went quiet for a moment as all heads turned to the sound.Another peal and talk resumed all around them.
“You might want to wait,” Jerrold said.“There’s a messenger on the road, not more than a mile off and headed this way.”
The messenger wascovered in mud and looked wrung out as he stood before them
“Rasfel, isn’t it?”Orval asked.A crowd of the older folk had gathered around to hear the news.Halithe stayed close to Rosalind in the press of people.
“Aye, Lord,” Rasfel grinned.“You remembered.”
“Hard to forget the one who put a bag over my head,” Orval said drily.
Rasfel grinned again, his teeth white against his filthy face.A wave of amusement rippled through the crowd; all knew that tale.Halithe smiled too; she’d heard the story from Yfin.
“Not a word more until you’ve had ale and something to eat.”Amari scolded.“We can wait at least that long.”
“Ale’s welcome,” Rasfel said, “but if I eat, I’ll sleep.”He took an ale from a friendly hand and quaffed it.“A hard ride, Lord, and what with the roads being bad it took me longer than expected.”He dug into his satchel and drew out a bundle wrapped in waxed cloth.“I’ve messages from King Xyrath for you, your Lordship.”
Orval took the packet.
“What word?”Jerrold asked gruffly.
“Word?”Rasfel asked with a grimace.“Likes of them don’t talk to likes of me.I’d barely time to water the horses before they were throwing me back in the saddle.”He turned back to Orval.“I did manage to get your letters to Mistress Winter.She said she’d see the other delivered.”Rasfel grew wistful.“Wish I could have lingered.”
