Page 111 of Shadows of Winter

But he nodded, as if he understood perfectly. “The crown controls the press. The journalists aren’t foolish enough to irk the king or queen with anything they publish. Dress.” He pointed at the clothes.

“I will, but why does she want to see me? How does she know about me? And, uh, are you going to stand there and watch?”

“Only if you continue to ask me questions.” Vlerion gripped the edge of the door, prepared to depart, but he answered her other queries first. “Targon likely reported your existence to the king when the queen was nearby. It’s still required that the ranger captain gets permission to allow a commoner to train. He would have mentioned your anrokk trait as a justification.”

“And the queen would care about that? Why?”

“I don’t know, but it’s the only thing I can imagine catching her interest. I doubt my mother told her about your mead.”

“You don’t think that’s a possibility?”

“They’re not friends. It’s through my father’s side of the family that the curse exists and that my family has ties to the crown.”

Kaylina nodded. She’d assumed that.

She shook out the dress to look at it. The pale-blue fabric with white trim and lace around the collar reminded her of something she’d worn to Gods Day when she’d been a girl. The hem of the dress would go past her calves, if not trip her as she walked.

“I don’t think the king’s going to ogle me,” she said.

“Then I chose correctly. Don’t arrive in the blanket, or there will be trouble.” Vlerion stepped back to close the door but not before glancing toward her chest, where the blanket had sagged again. A brief hungry look gleamed in his eyes before he disappeared.

The threat of the beast might have been there as well, but all Kaylina could focus on was that he, whether he cared for her or not, wanted her. She tried to tell herself that wasn’t a good thing, that it would lead to trouble, but she couldn’t help but feel titillated that the stiff and aloof Lord Vlerion might have woken up thinking about her, a lowly commoner from a remote part of the kingdom.

“Focus,” she told herself, shaking out the dress again.

If the queen was dangerous, Kaylina would have to be careful this morning. She couldn’t imagine why such an important woman would want to see her when her husband might be attacked by assassins that very night. The queen might be a target too. Shouldn’t concern about that be consuming her thoughts?

Unless the rangers hadn’t told her about the possibility of an assassination? Because they didn’t want her to worry?

Well, if they hadn’t, Kaylina would. The woman had a right to know she might soon be in danger.

28

’Ware the wrath of the insecure.

~ “Foundations III” Scribe Menalow

When Vlerion returned to escort the now-dressed Kaylina to a carriage waiting in the main courtyard of ranger headquarters, two taybarri bounded out of the stable and into their path. Crenoch and a slightly smaller creature that Kaylina had seen before but didn’t know the name of. A female?

“She’s getting a ride in the gilded carriage that was sent for her,” Vlerion told the taybarri, guessing their intention before Kaylina did.

Crenoch swished his thick tail across the snowy cobblestones and whuffed. The other taybarri ambled up to Kaylina, resting a broad jaw on her shoulder.

“Sorry,” she said, giving her a pat, “but I didn’t bring any honey drops.”

The tail and ears drooped in disappointment.

“I’ll make some more as soon as people stop lighting our kitchen on fire,” she caught herself promising.

Both taybarri looked pointedly toward a building she hadn’t been in before.

“Our mess hall and kitchen,” Vlerion said dryly.

“Is it available for guests to cook in?”

“Rarely. Maybe the captain will make an exception.” Vlerion looked at the taybarri. “After her meeting with the queen and after we thwart the Virts’ plot.”

Crenoch opened his jaws and flicked his tongue against his teeth. The other taybarri did something similar.

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