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“No, I don’t think I can go back to court,” she said. “I’m not the same person I was then. A lot has happened since I left. I’ve rediscovered my calling, and I can do more good here than I ever could at court, among people who truly need me.”
He looked around at the tiny, mostly empty village. She supposed that through his eyes it wasn’t much, but she saw something entirely different. She saw a community—Mair and Lucina, the Chicken Lady, the miller and his wife, even Sara—and every one of them was worth more than all the nobles in court combined.
She unfastened the chain that hung around her neck and removed the necklace from under her blouse. “I should give this back to you. I’m not part of your court anymore.”
She handed it to him, but he closed his fist so she couldn’t place it in his palm. “Keep it. Melt it down for the gold if you want. I owe you that much, since I took so much away from you.” He reached to take her hand and added softly, “I can’t persuade you to come back? I have missed you.”
For a moment, she opened her senses to feel what he was feeling. He did miss her, and in a way that made her shiver, but the person he wanted wasn’t who she was now. “I can’t go back to that life,” she said, sliding her hand out of his grasp. “No matter what’s said about my innocence, I don’t think I’ll be fully accepted there. He poisoned too many people against me. There may even be those who blame me for him being accused. You know that.”
With a sigh, he said, “I do. And it’s likely to be worse since I’ll have to break that engagement.”
“I take it she wouldn’t have been your choice if you hadn’t been enchanted.”
“You know that I have no plans to remarry. And not to her. Did you ever meet her?”
Elwyn shook her head. “No. I wasn’t really part of the court, so I wouldn’t have met her unless I saw her as a patient.”
He studied her for a long moment, awareness gradually dawning in his eyes. “I imagine you were lonely there. You didn’t fit in with anyone.”
“That was why I was glad of your friendship.”
“But not enough to come back.”
“No. I learned a lot about myself after I left court. There’s something about losing everything that shows you who you really are. I belong here, doing this kind of work. I can’t explain it, but I have the strongest feeling I was meant to be here, that I have a purpose to fulfill.”
He frowned and looked around at the village. “What do you do in a place like this?”
“I help people,” she said with a shrug. “I tend to wounds and illnesses. I sell the herbs they need. And I run a little tea shop where people meet to have tea and talk. It’s nice.” His skeptical expression only made her laugh.
“You run a tea shop?”
Mair joined her and hooked her elbow through Elwyn’s, creating a chain of support. “The tea shop is the heart of our community. I’m afraid we can’t let her go.”
He nodded. “You’re always welcome at my court if you change your mind. Be well, Elwyn.” He turned to see that his men were coming out of the inn’s stableyard with their horses. He gave her the slightest bow before turning and heading toward his horse.
“So, you’re staying?” Mair said, then hugged Elwyn. As soon as that hug ended, she was caught up in Bryn’s arms, then Lucina hugged her, nearly taking her breath away. The other villagers joined in, cheering.
Then she found herself facing Sara. “I’m grateful for what you do, though you’re still wasting time with that trivial tea shop, and you’re a strumpet living with that man in your house.”
Elwyn was so taken aback by what Sara said that she couldn’t react until the woman had turned to walk away, and then she couldn’t help but laugh. Her friends joined in, and she had to wipe tears from the corners of her eyes, though she wasn’t sure if they were from the laughter or were from all the other emotions coming out in the aftermath of her ordeal.
“Everyone, mount up!” the duke called. “Take Vaughn. And the wizard is also coming with us.”
Chapter 19
“What?” Elwyn cried out as horror replaced joy. “You can’t take him!”
“I need him to give evidence against Vaughn,” the duke explained.
Bryn nodded, then said, “He’s right. I need to go. I can testify that Vaughn was planning to kill you, not arrest you, and I may even be able to show that he had my master make the potion that killed the knight. I need to do this.”
He took both her hands and looked her in the eyes. “I will be back.” With a smile, he added, “And I need to formally resign my apprenticeship. It’ll also be good to pick up my own clothes.” He glanced ruefully down at his ill-fitting attire.
She reluctantly released his hands. “Then go and be well, but come back as soon as you can.” The soldiers gave him the baron’s horse. Elwyn noted that he seemed to know how to ride. He didn’t look quite as strong in the saddle as the soldiers did, but he didn’t look as awkward as he did with a sword.
It was with decidedly mixed emotions that she watched the duke and his men ride out of the marketplace. There was a great sense of relief at no longer being a fugitive, but she hated to see Bryn go just as she was getting to see who he really was.
“If one of you wants to be a smith, there’s an apprenticeship open at the forge!” Sara shouted after the departing soldiers.
