in line behind me,”
Daric insisted. Then he turned to the soldiers behind him. “Please
escort King Senred out of the hall. He’s no longer welcome.”
Once the doors closed behind them, Maren
leaned heavily against the table. That had hurt more than it
should, more than it would have a week ago.
“Maren? Are you all right?” Daric’s arm was
around her waist, leading her to the door.
She straightened. “I’m fine. He’s just…he’s
just awful.”
She stepped towards the door but heard
Philip call her name. She couldn’t deal with him right now,
couldn’t answer questions that were too painful, so she pretended
not to hear. Even when he called a second time.
“Philip, let her go,” Daric said, sounding
tired but resigned. “I’ll tell you what you want to know.”
Six
It truly was an impressive sight.
Philip’s men, in their navy uniforms trimmed in silver, lounged
about the yard, waiting for the signal to form into perfect
columns. They were heading out to various corners of the kingdom
where Daric needed them as a result of the meeting with the kings.
It had only taken two days for all the visiting monarchs to leave.
It hadn’t even taken that long for rumors to spread about why – and
tensions were running high.
Earlier today, Daric had met with his ruling
nobles to discuss options for rebuilding the kingdom. Maren hadn’t
heard what was decided. No matter what role she played during the
siege, no matter that Daric still listened to her, even sought out
her advice, the Council had cut her off from anything official. All
she knew was the army was leaving today.
She looked over the soldiers, hoping to
glean some kind of information. Philip’s captains huddled together,
probably discussing locations and travel routes. Teige was there,
which accounted for the pain in her shoulder.
The only person she couldn’t see was
Philip.
A quick scan of the courtyard found him. He
leaned against a stone wall off to one side. His arms were crossed
over his chest and his lips were pressed into a thin line.
Everything about him said he wanted to be alone.
He stood as still as the wall behind him,
obviously deep in thought. Probably planning. Deciding the best
place to put soldiers, which captains should be assigned where.
Just like the day she’d seen him with his
men, she felt as if this were the real Philip, grown into the man
he should be. Realizing this was a Philip she didn’t know, would
probably never know, was more painful than she could have imagined.
It was as if she’d lost something she couldn’t live without, and
yet she had to.
She couldn’t watch anymore.
Moving towards where Daric and Adare stood,
she glanced over her shoulder one more time.
And that’s when Philip saw her.
He immediately shoved himself away from the
wall and headed her direction, a determined look in his eye.
Her heart raced and she kept moving, hoping
he wouldn’t catch up to her before she reached the others. She’d
avoided him since the meeting with the kings, hoping to escape his
questions about what happened while he was gone and the injury that
had sent her to the monarchs for help. And she couldn’t answer
those questions today, not after seeing him that way, not feeling
the way she felt right now.
“Maren.”
She didn’t stop, keeping her eyes on Daric
and Adare, who had just stepped out of the castle.
“Maren, I know you can hear me.”
Everything in her wanted to keep walking,
but she just couldn’t.
“Maren, please,” he begged. “You can’t avoid
me forever. I want to talk to you.”
She spun around. “What is there to talk
about? Daric already told you everything.”
He reached out and gently took her left
hand. He could have taken either, but he took the left, the one on
the side Kern injured. “Daric doesn’t know the answer to the one
thing I want to know the most.”
He squeezed her hand, not hard, just enough
to know he was in earnest. “Why? Why didn’t you tell me the
Daric insisted. Then he turned to the soldiers behind him. “Please
escort King Senred out of the hall. He’s no longer welcome.”
Once the doors closed behind them, Maren
leaned heavily against the table. That had hurt more than it
should, more than it would have a week ago.
“Maren? Are you all right?” Daric’s arm was
around her waist, leading her to the door.
She straightened. “I’m fine. He’s just…he’s
just awful.”
She stepped towards the door but heard
Philip call her name. She couldn’t deal with him right now,
couldn’t answer questions that were too painful, so she pretended
not to hear. Even when he called a second time.
“Philip, let her go,” Daric said, sounding
tired but resigned. “I’ll tell you what you want to know.”
Six
It truly was an impressive sight.
Philip’s men, in their navy uniforms trimmed in silver, lounged
about the yard, waiting for the signal to form into perfect
columns. They were heading out to various corners of the kingdom
where Daric needed them as a result of the meeting with the kings.
It had only taken two days for all the visiting monarchs to leave.
It hadn’t even taken that long for rumors to spread about why – and
tensions were running high.
Earlier today, Daric had met with his ruling
nobles to discuss options for rebuilding the kingdom. Maren hadn’t
heard what was decided. No matter what role she played during the
siege, no matter that Daric still listened to her, even sought out
her advice, the Council had cut her off from anything official. All
she knew was the army was leaving today.
She looked over the soldiers, hoping to
glean some kind of information. Philip’s captains huddled together,
probably discussing locations and travel routes. Teige was there,
which accounted for the pain in her shoulder.
The only person she couldn’t see was
Philip.
A quick scan of the courtyard found him. He
leaned against a stone wall off to one side. His arms were crossed
over his chest and his lips were pressed into a thin line.
Everything about him said he wanted to be alone.
He stood as still as the wall behind him,
obviously deep in thought. Probably planning. Deciding the best
place to put soldiers, which captains should be assigned where.
Just like the day she’d seen him with his
men, she felt as if this were the real Philip, grown into the man
he should be. Realizing this was a Philip she didn’t know, would
probably never know, was more painful than she could have imagined.
It was as if she’d lost something she couldn’t live without, and
yet she had to.
She couldn’t watch anymore.
Moving towards where Daric and Adare stood,
she glanced over her shoulder one more time.
And that’s when Philip saw her.
He immediately shoved himself away from the
wall and headed her direction, a determined look in his eye.
Her heart raced and she kept moving, hoping
he wouldn’t catch up to her before she reached the others. She’d
avoided him since the meeting with the kings, hoping to escape his
questions about what happened while he was gone and the injury that
had sent her to the monarchs for help. And she couldn’t answer
those questions today, not after seeing him that way, not feeling
the way she felt right now.
“Maren.”
She didn’t stop, keeping her eyes on Daric
and Adare, who had just stepped out of the castle.
“Maren, I know you can hear me.”
Everything in her wanted to keep walking,
but she just couldn’t.
“Maren, please,” he begged. “You can’t avoid
me forever. I want to talk to you.”
She spun around. “What is there to talk
about? Daric already told you everything.”
He reached out and gently took her left
hand. He could have taken either, but he took the left, the one on
the side Kern injured. “Daric doesn’t know the answer to the one
thing I want to know the most.”
He squeezed her hand, not hard, just enough
to know he was in earnest. “Why? Why didn’t you tell me the
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