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Heath nodded, stepping away from Merletta regretfully to give August a tour of the area. Merletta followed, clearly equally interested.
“You never did teach me to use a bow,” she commented, running her hand along one of the general weapons.
“Let me show you now,” Heath responded enthusiastically.
August watched with an analytical eye as Heath positioned Merletta correctly and showed her how to hold the weapon. It could have been quite a romantic moment if not for the middle-aged guard’s hovering. Heath didn’t know him well enough to tell if it was intentional.
It took Merletta some time to get the hang of the bow, but she was a quick learner. Heath took great satisfaction from witnessing Percival’s reaction when he strolled into the training yard to see Merletta hit the target with such force that the arrow was half buried into the wood.
“Whoa! Strong arms,” Percival commented, his sulkiness temporarily forgotten in his appreciation of a well-handled weapon. “Are you an archer like Heath, then?”
Heath shook his head. “This is her first time using a bow.”
Percival looked incredulous, but Merletta nodded her agreement.
“It’s incredible how quickly the arrow flies!” she enthused.
Heath had to chuckle at Percival’s bewildered expression. He knew what Merletta meant, of course. She’d described the way merpeople used slings as weapons, but naturally the speed of those trajectories would be enormously lessened by the water. No wonder her arms were strong from training in that environment, and her arrows flew so forcefully without the impediment she was used to.
“Archery is the least exciting of all forms of combat,” Percival informed her. “Maybe you’d better stay here with me instead of going to the boring ceremony in Bryford. I could teach you more about fighting in a week than Heath could in a year.”
The flicker of a grin he sent toward his brother robbed the words of venom.
“Thanks, but I think I’ll stick with Heath,” Merletta responded, with a hint of amusement. “Truthfully, I’ve been pretty well trained in combat already, so that’s not really something I ask for Heath’s help with.”
Heath watched Merletta’s face as she and Percival dove into a discussion about combat, albeit quite a censored one on her side. There was nothing in her posture to suggest discomfort, but Heath still felt that faint unease that had made him reluctant to leave her side the day before. She wasn’t quite herself, and he didn’t fully understand why. Somehow it felt like more than just the natural uncertainty of being thrown into such an unfamiliar situation.
With a sigh, Heath picked up another bow, figuring he may as well get some practice in. He could tell from the animated way in which Percival was warming to his topic that his brother was unlikely to give them any peace until they left for Bryford the following day.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Usually Heath preferred to ride to the capital rather than go in a carriage. But it was well worth the confinement to ride with Merletta, and witness her wonder as she took in the vast expanses of land that formed Valoria’s southern region.
Even better, Heath’s parents occupied a separate carriage, meaning that he, Merletta and August could speak freely. August updated them on the rest of the group—he’d taken an evening stroll the day before, and slipped into the water to discuss plans with Eloise and the others, who’d set themselves up in a cave a short distance out from the shore near Bexley Manor.
“She said they swam past something that almost looked like ruins,” August frowned. “As if there had been buildings down there a long time ago.”
“I’d forgotten about that,” Heath said, amazed. “Those ruins—if that’s what they are—sent me to the records room in the castle. And instead of anything relevant, I found the account that directed me to Vazula!”
Merletta’s forehead was creased. “But there can’t be merperson ruins here. It’s much too far from the triple kingdoms.”
“I remember being told that merpeople had once settled near land, but had abandoned their settlement because dragons nearly wiped them out,” August offered.
Merletta made a motion as if flicking her braid over her shoulder, then seemed to remember that it was confined in a complicated mound on her head. One of Heath’s mother’s maids had done her hair that morning. Heath thought she looked stunning, although she didn’t seem entirely comfortable in the new style.
“We know that’s more of the Center’s lies, though,” Merletta told August impatiently. “Dragons aren’t vicious and aggressive like they claim. I know that from personal experience. These ruins must be from human buildings.”
“That’s what I concluded in the end, as well,” Heath agreed.
August still looked unconvinced, but he said no more.
“Are you worried to be returning to the capital?” Merletta asked Heath. Her brow was furrowed. “Didn’t someone try to kill you last time you were there?”
Heath shrugged. In all that had happened since, he’d almost forgotten about the attack. “I don’t think anyone would try anything at the Winter Solstice. Too many witnesses, too many royal guards.”
Merletta didn’t seem satisfied, but Heath had the impression her mind was on other things. When they passed under the city wall, she looked so nervous that he leaned forward, giving her his most encouraging smile.
“You have nothing to worry about,” he assured her. “There’s no way anyone would guess you weren’t as human as everyone else. If you do things differently, they’ll just assume it’s South Lands customs.”
