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Which part wasn’t my fault?
“Everyone near me comes to harm,” I said to the fire. “I have brought destruction to Autumn.”
“Oh, for shit’s sake,” Cadence huffed. “You tricked every Royal on this continent; faced off with the King of Summer; weathered the scrutiny of your nation; protected a child from a world of judgment; brought a jester to his knees—in more than one sexy way; rescued him from the Masters, whom you also outsmarted; and led your soldiers to battle against them.” She expelled a breath. “Now if you’re done lamenting like an opera singer, I’d like to talk about the dinner we’ve yet to cook.”
“Remind me why we brought her,” Eliot joked.
“You love me,” Cadence declared.
Instead of grinning, I shook my head. “Why did you do it? Why did you choose this?”
Again, the lady fell uncharacteristically silent. After a moment, she feigned interest in the firepit. Trying to affect a casual demeanor, she said, “My whole life, I’ve been bred to serve rulers, to nurture their beliefs and morals.” Distant memories clouded her expression. “But I’ve never been able to express mine. Not to consider them, much less act on them. Not until I saw another side of Poet.”
Giving a start, the lady peeked at me. “Shit. Is it okay if we—”
“It’s always okay,” I assured her softly.
Mentioning my jester was more than okay. It was essential.
“Like I was saying,” Cadence continued. “Not until I saw another side of that delicious man. Not until I met his cute-as-hell son.” She glanced at the woodland floor, and her tone grew excessively nonchalant. “And not until I got to know you.”
My insides warmed like honey. I would have echoed the sentiment, but that would only have made Cadence squirm and possibly take back what she’d admitted.
All the same, humbleness overwhelmed me. They had betrayed their sovereigns for this cause, had subjected themselves to peril merely to live in exile by my side.
I wrung my hands. “I owe you both—”
“For the last time,” Eliot insisted. “You owe us nothing.”
“Speak for yourself, hon,” Cadence contradicted, then regarded me. “I’d like a new wardrobe when this is over. And that sparkly ruby belt of yours. The one shaped like leaves. I saw you wear it to the welcome feast on your first night in Spring, and I’ve never been the same since.”
I grinned through unshed tears. Then I got a hold of myself and nodded. “Agreed.”
“You remember that belt?” Eliot mused at Cadence. “Briar wore it ages ago.”
“It’s jewelry.” Cadence frowned as if Eliot was senseless. “Royaljewelry. Of course, I remember it.”
Apart from the limited stash of clothing and supplies we’d purchased from various outposts, I didn’t have priceless finery with me. Nothing besides my earrings. Be that as it may, Cadence would receive whatever she asked for. Somehow, I would repay her and Eliot, no matter what they said.
That night, we nestled close to one another, our limbs enmeshed under a pile of wool blankets. While Cadence slept, Eliot’s nose tapped mine.
Whispering between us, he confided, “I chose this because you’re everything to me.”
I let those words soak into my skin. “I love you too.”
This minstrel was my family, like many others. The comforting thought pulled me into sleep, but the respite was short-lived. I awoke at midnight, ensconced between my friends yet consumed by a bone-deep ache. A loss that couldn’t be filled.
However thankful I felt to have them with me, I would only ever rest peacefully in the arms of one person. I imagined his strong body strapped around mine and replayed his voice in my head, his timbre reciting words to me until I drifted off once more.
8
Briar
By the week’s end, the environment changed dramatically. We’d been trotting at a cautious pace when I suddenly yanked on the mare’s reins, alerting Cadence and Eliot.
A gasp caught in my throat. My eyes consumed the view as if I’d never beheld color before. Cathedrals of oaks and tupelo trees towered ahead of us, their columns rising into the firmament like spires, the mesh of foliage painting the world in a profusion of shades and tints. Gabled cabins perched in the branches. Stairs entwined the trunks, and a lattice of bridges strung through the boughs, all connected by decks nestled into the heights.
Below, a water well abutted a creek, and pathways shaved through the grass. Farther down, a vacant carriage missing one wheel stood within a lush enclosure. Scarves of mist weaved through, ropy and glistening.
