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My threatening smile only widens when he bows his head and bids us farewell.
The girls rush to pull me inside my tent, which I’m thankful for, since every limb in my body screams for a hot bath and my bed.
I’m not sure if it was the long walk in the woods, Levi’s clever tongue, the horseback ride back to camp, or all of them combined that depleted all my energy.
Levi.
He’s the culprit behind everything.
“Come,” Anya beckons, hurrying to sit me on my chair. “Let us take these clothes off you and wash the dirt away from your walk.”
Inessa keeps her mouth shut as she boils some water for the tub. My eyes never leave her as Anya continues on with her task.
“Did you fall, my queen? You have chips of wood all entwined in your hair,” Anya asks curiously as she plucks said chips out.
“Hmm.” I offer a noncommittal nod, while my eyes trail every move Inessa makes.
Her silence is starting to become unnerving.
“Oh, just come out and say it, Inessa,” I finally order, since it’s apparent she won’t do it willingly.
“It’s not my place, my queen.”
“When has that ever stopped her?” Anya whispers with a giggle.
I feel my lips tilt into a smile, but I know that doing so would only infuriate Inessa further. I let out an exaggerated exhale and stand up, bridging the gap between me and my friend. I pull her hands to mine, surprising her with the tenderness that she hasn’t been accustomed to. Not by me, her queen, and not by others either.
“I know,” I chuckle. “I’m new to this too. But maybe the old ways of doing things no longer serve us as they once had.”
Even though Inessa maintains the perfect blank expression on her face, it’s her dark brown eyes that betray her. There’s a smidge of hope in them, one that no matter how hard she tries to extinguish, is always there, right beneath her cold exterior.
“Go ahead. Speak your mind.”
“It was foolish,” she replies, stunning even herself that the words fell out of her mouth.
When she realizes I won’t retaliate, she continues.
“It was foolish and reckless. Walking anywhere in this camp without a chaperon is just asking for the worst to happen. We don’t know these men, my queen. To them, we are the enemy. As they are ours. Do not think that one of them wouldn’t do you harm if they thought their king would be grateful for it. You cannot be so reckless with yourself, my queen. It’s not only your neck that should concern you, but that of your people. What if something happened to you? What would become of the north?”
“Don’t hold back,” Anya mumbles across the room. “Geez.”
Shame that my own handmaiden is thinking more clearly than I am accosts me.
“You’re right,” I confess with a sigh. “You’re absolutely right. I should have known better. I should have taken precautions to ensure my safety. And for that, I apologize.”
Inessa takes a step back, unable to mask her shock.
“Queens don’t apologize. Ever.”
“No, they don’t. But friends do,” I tell her, giving a soft squeeze to her hands. I watch her fury and anger toward my recklessness dissipate right in front of my eyes.
“Now that we covered that issue, I want to discuss another. Is this Brick character someone I should be concerned about?” I ask her outright, releasing my hold on her.
“No.” She shakes her head. “He’s no one of importance. I’ll deal with him.”
“Aw.” Anya pouts. “I like Brick.”
“You like everybody, Anya.” Inessa rolls her eyes.
