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The warning from Vincent was enough to have the majority of people rushing around the deconstructed camp. The only ones seemingly immune to the urgency were those still around the fire, though even Amaria and Vincent rose and began organizing large leather and canvas bags that were situated near the now-empty tent platforms. Shelby quietly took Amaria’s place beside me, organizing a much smaller leather bag. The man that had rebuffed Joseph for touching my hair set aside his tray and stood, adjusting his deep blue tunic that was very similar to Callum’s. Joseph quietly did the same, his eyes on the man, his hands clasped behind his back.

“Your Highness,” the man said, his eyes on Callum as he inclined his head.

Callum murmured, “Of course,” and then palmed my middle back.

I carefully set down the last of the bread, my gaze flicking from Callum to the new man. The new man turned to me and offered the same incline of his head. Joseph mirrored him, his eyes less guarded.

“My lady, I am Hugh Fresnin, and this is my selected omega Joseph,” the man said as he lifted his head.

I looked to Callum, entirely unsure what I was supposed to do but too proud to admit that outright. Shelby circled my wrist with her fingers.

“It’s… nice to meet you,” I said slowly. “I’m Amethyst.”

Joseph gave me a soft smile as Hugh urged him toward a pair of horses saddled near the far edge of the camp. Even as I watched, more horses were brought to the spot, most of them also wearing saddles. Where had they come from? I was in rough shape yesterday, but I’m pretty sure I would have noticed if there were fifty horses within the camp.

The other two couples slowly approached, ripping me from the thought. The woman with bright red hair like Reuben’s took the space Hugh had vacated.

She gave a small curtsy, and the woman beside her echoed the movement.

“I’m Elise Miran, my lady,” she said. She held her hand toward the second woman. “And this is Tabitha from Tousir.”

The second woman smiled and offered a shy wave as I nodded. My eyes caught on the large black feathered wings that poked over her shoulders, rustling in the slight breeze. Her white hair was pulled back, similar silver pieces of metal to what Shelby had used woven through the low bun, just like Elise beside her. I gave them both the same small smile. When no one tensed, I risked a second question.

“Tousir?”

Tabitha nodded even as her eyes flicked between me and Callum. “Yes, my lady. It is the kingdom along the Aemuron Ocean, beyond the Staslid Mountains to the west.”

I tried to lock away the information. Hopefully it stuck better than most of the names I’d heard in the last two days that had slipped through my mind like water between my fingers. All the while, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of Tabitha’s wings. They were just like that man with Lillian, the one with the scar on his ear that had used a salve for my first head injury. The wings were even more breathtaking out in the open than they had been in that little cottage room with hardly any light at all. They nearly shone in the diffused, cloudy sunlight, sometimes a true black and other times a deep blue like my hair. Shelby’s hand tightened around my wrist.

I cleared my throat and willed my cheeks to not flush. “Nice to meet you both.”

Elise gave a second curtsy, and then they were walking toward the horses, too.

The last couple were slower to approach, this man’s tunic unlaced. He had a sword similar to Callum’s, though the hilt was less decorated. His brown eyes caught on me as he tipped his head. The woman who clung to his side was petite, several inches shorter than me, with long light brown hair braided over one shoulder, the same small silver leaves in a few of the stitches. Her hazel eyes were bright and interested, her shoulders more relaxed than Tabitha’s. Her entire countenance was softer than everyone else I’d met.

“My lady,” the man said. I turned my gaze back to him. “I’m Arden Ward, one of your guardsmen. This is Monique, my selected omega.”

She smiled and gave a quick, precise curtsy.

“Good to meet you,” I said, picking apart the bread left on my tray.

Callum quietly stood, and so did Shelby. He said something that didn’t translate, and then she walked away. I turned, following her path through the deconstructed camp to the horses. She stopped at one that was mostly white with small bits of brown around its hooves. Her hands were confident as she adjusted bags attached to the back of the saddle.

“Your Highness?”

The blond man from yesterday stood just outside of the benches, his eyes only on Callum.

“Yes,” Callum said, clearly an answer to a question that hadn’t actually been asked. The man nodded and then waved someone else forward. They looked nearly identical. I had vague memories of them on the beach. I dropped my eyes and focused on finishing the last bit of bread left.

Arden said, “We’ll travel together today and then separate from the group traveling directly to Embercrest tomorrow before midday.”

“Good,” Callum said. “No need to wait for us. We’ll be ready to leave in a few minutes.”

They left, joining the others making last minute adjustments to bags and equipment on the various horses. Callum wordlessly held out his hand. I wanted to hiss at him and get to my feet on my own, but I still couldn’t feel my ankle at all. With a sigh, I took his offered help, slowly getting to my feet. He seamlessly adjusted so that he stood on my left, keeping me steady when my ankle didn’t support my weight.

Just like on the way to breakfast, he didn’t rush me, even as people hurried around us, moving horses around. The guardsman from earlier—Phillip—looked up as we approached a pair of horses that were both a deep brown. He finished tying a knot in a thick rope that connected the two and then adjusted the saddle on the smaller of the pair. Callum guided me to that one, running his hand down its neck as we stopped at its side.

“My lady?” The blonde woman from the beach held out a large armful of fabric. “Here is your cloak.”