Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George Page A

be very foolish of him. The Vhervhish were dangerous, especially Prince Khelsh, and Celie was absolutely certain that they would try to hurt Rolf before the week was out.
    “Girls,” Rolf said, putting an arm around each of them and steering them across the courtyard. “I promise to tell Sergeant Avery about all of this. If one of you isn’t with me, then a guard will be.”
    “No,” Lilah said, shaking off his arm and turning to go back to the guard room. “A guard should be with you all the time, even if Celie and I are there.”
    “Oh, all right,” Rolf agreed.
    Celie had been on the verge of asking him if he was afraid, since he hadn’t answered the question before. But she shut her mouth now. Rolf was afraid, she realized with a sinking heart. Otherwise he wouldn’t have turned around and followed Lilah back to the guard room.
    They found Sergeant Avery and arranged for a pair of men to shadow Rolf. He also offered to have his men guard Celie and Lilah, which Rolf immediately agreed to. But Celie and Lilah exchanged looks, neither of them wanting a guard at their heels. How was Celie to slip around the Castle as she always did, with some big man following her around? And Lilah, she knew, was fond of occasionally meeting with Pogue in private.
    Of course, Pogue was gone now. He had left the morning after the memorial ceremony, as promised. First he was going to question the shepherds who lived around the pass and find out if they had seen or heard anything. Then he was going on to the College of Wizardry, to find out if they had a way to track Bran. Celie was sure that he would return with important news. They just didn’t know when that would be.
    “I wish Pogue were here,” Lilah said as they left the barracks.
    “I was just thinking that!” Celie took Lilah’s hand.
    Rolf threw up his hands. “What is it with him? I mean, he’s very good-looking, but really, both of you? And every girl in the village besides?”
    “Every girl in the village besides what?” Celie said.
    Lilah blushed. “Rolf! Pogue is trying to find out what happened to our brother and our parents,” she reminded him. “That is all that I meant, and Celie, too, I’m sure.”
    “What else would I mean?” Celie gave her brother a baffled look.
    “Oh, of course,” Rolf said, snickering. He tugged Celie’s hair. “One day, Cel, you’ll look at Pogue and think, ‘Never have I seen a finer specimen of young manhood!’ As every other girl who has ever seen him already thinks.”
    “Rolf,” Celie said, blushing herself as she realized what he was saying. “Are you talking about … kissing?”
    “Yes, dear, he is,” said Lilah. “But only because he thinks he’s being funny. And really: he isn’t.” She raised her eyebrows at Rolf.
    “If my jokes do not amuse you, ladies, then let me apologize,” Rolf said with a show of gallantry. He bowed effusively at them, walking backward.
    Celie saw Rolf’s eyes flick over their shoulders, and knew that their bodyguards were following them. Immediately, her back began to itch right between her shoulder blades, and she wanted to turn around. But she shouldn’t, she just knew. They were mounting the steps to the Castle’s main doors now, and she could see faces peering out of the windows at them. If any of those faces were Vhervhish, she didn’t want them to think that having a bodyguard was anything new and strange. Let them wonder how long the men had been shadowing the royal family. Let them see that trained fighters were always watching, waiting to leap into action to protect the Glower children.
    “We should go and have a few words with Prince Lulath,” said Rolf, leading them up the stairs. “Just a friendly chat. I mean, if his rooms are really that fine, it would be only polite to pop in, say hello, maybe have a little look around.” He looked at Celie and Lilah to see if they agreed.
    “Mother would want us to be hospitable,” Lilah replied, one corner of her