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Queen Rolfe’s gaze switched to us, first landing on her son, the undertone of affection in her gaze. It was subtle, but it was there, on the surface. When her gaze shifted to me, that look was long gone, replaced by a bitter dose of indifference.
I held her stare, refusing to be intimidated by anyone, even her.
She pulled her look away then regarded her youngest son. “I leave the outpost to you, son. I know you’ll protect our people.” Her hands cupped his cheeks, and she pressed a kiss to his forehead. Then her arms surrounded him for a quick embrace. “I’ll see you soon.”
Ian gave a nod. “Travel safely, Your Highness.”
Huntley approached his brother next, and they exchanged a long look, a stare packed with words that didn’t need to be spoken. “Be safe.”
“I wish I could come with you. Be the shield at your back.”
Huntley’s hand went to his shoulder. “You are—always.” He pulled him in for an embrace and placed a quick kiss on his forehead.
The whole exchange made me miss my brother, even though we were never affectionate like that.
I was too busy watching them together that I didn’t notice Queen Rolfe walk right up to me. My eyes shifted to meet hers, seeing the same blue eyes that bored into mine every night, but full of genuine hate. “Just remember I’m always watching you, even when you think I’m not. Give me a reason to kill you—because I only need one.”
Queen Rolfe and her guards had their own horses, but Huntley and I shared one.
I didn’t mind because I got to rest against Huntley’s back and enjoy the scenery around us. It was mostly forest, following a weathered trail that had been traveled many times. It was still cold, but there wasn’t snow on the ground, so the snow from the storm must have already melted.
That was a good sign.
Once we broke through the forest, the mountains were in view, far to the east.
When I turned around to see the cliffs, I saw nothing but a distant gray wall, like the sun was covered by storm clouds. It was hard to believe that mountains existed at the bottom of the cliffs, but their summits were still so far below that you couldn’t see them through the clouds at Delacroix.
It was a long ride, all through the day, only stopping for short breaks.
At nightfall, we stopped, but only when visibility was so poor that it would be dangerous to keep going.
It was a cloudless night, so the stars were bright, and the air was cold without the blanket on the sky.
Huntley tied the horse to a tree and prepared the bedroll on the ground.
Queen Rolfe did the same with her guards a short distance away.
There wasn’t a hot meal tonight, and we were back to our dried meats, fruits, and nuts. We couldn’t risk a fire, so it was a cold night, and I missed the fireplace in that cabin that had been a temporary oasis.
Still in his armor and weaponry, he lay on the ground, his short swords at his hips.
I pulled the blanket to my shoulders and scooted closer to him, preferring the hardness of his skin to the hardness of his armor. His shoulder was a good pillow, but not with the metal plates there. But it was still warm, so I stayed close. “Are you really going to sleep like that?”
“Like what?” His eyes were on the sky.
“With all your weapons.”
“It’d be stupid not to.”
“It’s stupid that I can’t have my own weapons, considering I could just grab yours in your sleep right now.”
“That sounds like a threat.”
“Just a point.”
His eyes remained on the sky.
“Can I ask you something?”
He kept his deep voice low, just loud enough for me to hear. “What?”
“It seems like you’re her favorite…”
He was silent.
“Why? Is it because you’re the oldest?” My father preferred Ryker, but I assumed it was because he was a boy. If I had a dick between my legs, I suspected I would be the favorite since I was a lot more adventurous and reckless.
“No.”
“Then why?” I saw the way she looked at him, the way she abandoned her position as a queen and became a mother instead. She grasped his cheeks with a lot more affection than she did with Ian, and her hug was much longer. I wondered if Ian noticed it too.
“Because I tried to save her—and Ian didn’t.”
So, he knew full well of her favoritism.
“Ian isn’t a coward. He did what he was supposed to do, what I should have done too. But I stayed…and that changed our relationship forever.”
“Does that bother Ian?”
“He says it doesn’t, but I know it does.”
“Yeah…”
“I feel guilty that I didn’t protect her. He feels guilty for not even trying.”
“You were both so young at the time.”
