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The box holds an impressive assortment of jewelry, fabrics, and vast quantities of my favorite tea. I struggle to sort through my feelings looking at all of the things that would have been in my future if I had never been taken.
It’s an impossible thought, knowing that if I had lived the life I was born into, I would never have met Einar or my sisters. I forcefully extract myself from the tangled web of contradicting feelings, focusing instead on the effort Einar has put forth. For me.
“Thank you,” I tell him earnestly. “But how did you get this all here so quickly?”
“The dogs were getting restless,” he shrugs, like it’s nothing, but I can tell that he is proud of himself.
“Then I guess the question is, why.”
His face turns more serious. “Because there was a lot of truth to what you said. Not only did I not grant you the courtesy of learning about your culture before your arrival, but I expected you to conform to mine. Besides,” he gives me a wicked sort of smile. “I’m glad you have warmer clothes for when you need them, but I won’t pretend I don’t miss seeing you in some of the eastern styles, too.”
Heat flushes through me, but I force myself to ignore his comment before I can act on it. Which is fortunate, because Sigrid’s footsteps sound down the hallway.
“So, you’re saying this is an...apology?” I tease him, knowing already what he will say from the time I asked him before the winter festival.
“Kings never apologize.” He doesn’t disappoint, but there’s a smile in his eyes this time.
“So you’ve said.” I smirk. “Nonetheless, I accept.”
Sigrid knocks on the door again, and I’m glad we didn’t start anything we couldn’t finish. She brings in our breakfasts exactly as we like them, setting them gracefully on the small table at the foot of Einar’s bed. She walks into the sitting room with a velvet bag, then returns to finish setting out our food.
I can’t help but stare at her, and she notices.
“Surely you’ve both seen porridge before.”
I look over to see Einar is staring as well.
“We’ve just missed you, Sigrid.” He blinks several times, taking in the sight of her moving around freely, rather than hunched with pain. I don’t miss the way he includes me in this, whether I feel like I deserve to be or not.
“And I’ve missed you.” She gives us a half smile. “Even if you are both twice as stubborn as an ox and half as useful.”
Just as I’m wondering whether I should be offended by that, Einar’s full-bellied laughter rings out next to me.
“I don’t know what you’re so amused by.” She levels him with a look. “You’re going to be late for your own court if you don’t shower soon. Or have you forgotten?”
“Kings never forget,” he says, though he definitely starts shoveling in his breakfast a little more quickly.
I just shake my head, and Sigrid doesn’t even blink.
“Of course not,” she says blandly. “Then I suppose I shouldn't have gone to the trouble of cleaning your mask for court and setting it out for you, since you would have remembered to do it yourself.” She gestures to the sitting area before striding purposefully out of the room.
“The illness really softened her there for a while, but I guess she’s back to her old self.” He grins from ear to ear.
“That was the softer version of her?” I clarify, and he laughs again.
“Oh, by far. By far.”
Chapter Forty-Four
Einar
My mind races as I stride purposefully back to my room, anxious to return to Zaina after a long day of Court.
Fewer and fewer people have come to petition their reclusive king these past few years. There used to be a line wrapping around the castle, so many we had to turn people away, but lately, it’s only about eight hours of citizens. It used to bother me, but it doesn’t sting nearly as much today knowing I will soon be among my people again.
Still, I cannot help but think of how many thorns I will need for the entire castle, and how I will possibly be able to dole out the cure and in what order the people will need it.
Or the screams of agony as their cells reconfigure.
