Page 115 of Shadows of Winter

“Are you sure? I don’t want to be the reason…” She flexed her hand in the air, not sure how to finish the sentence. “I don’t want to cause trouble. Or delay you if there’s trouble.”

Vlerion regarded her as the taybarri padded across the courtyard toward a stable where horses were kept. “As I said, I will protect you.”

“All right.” Kaylina didn’t truly want him to leave her alone here.

“Besides, you don’t know where her quarters are.”

“Is there no directory? Primitive. So strange that the guard called me a wilder.”

“You’d prefer a sign in the courtyard pointing enemies toward key locations in the castle?”

“It could be removed during invasions.” Kaylina swung down from Levitke’s back and patted her. “Thank you for the ride. If I’m offered any sweets today, I’ll pilfer some for you.”

The taybarri swished her tail and blew hot breath over Kaylina’s face.

Kaylina pushed down the hem of her borrowed dress and smoothed the fabric. Maybe the steamy breath would help iron out the wrinkles from the ride.

They left their mounts near a hitching post, though the taybarri didn’t have reins and there wouldn’t have been a way to tie them even if Vlerion had been so inclined.

Kaylina followed him toward one of several open doors in the courtyard, some leading to gardens or stairs up to the walkways and others into the interior of the castle. They’d only taken a few steps before a woman in a gold-trimmed green dress appeared. Her eyes widened when she spotted Vlerion walking with Kaylina. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times.

“I’m getting the feeling nobody expected you to come,” Kaylina murmured.

“I’m getting the feeling it wasn’t desirable that I come,” he murmured back as he looked alertly around the grounds and up to the towers, barely acknowledging the woman.

“Lord Vlerion,” she said, ineffectively hiding her dismay. “It’s always a pleasure to receive you in the castle. Are you here to see the king? I hadn’t heard that he had any appointments this morning. He’s receiving his fortifications and rehearsing his speech.”

Fortifications? What did that mean?

“Medicine,” Vlerion murmured for Kaylina’s ear only. To the woman, he said, “I’m accompanying the mead maker. The rangers have an interest in her.”

“I—” The woman gave Kaylina a bewildered once over. “Why?”

“She has a way with the taybarri.”

“I… hadn’t heard that.”

“What have you heard?” Kaylina asked, still wondering why she’d been summoned.

“That you make mead. Come this way. I’ll take you to the queen.” The woman lifted a hand toward Vlerion, as if she wanted to ask him to wait with the horses and taybarri, but she lowered it and headed into the castle.

He looked pensively at the woman’s back as they followed her through halls with great arched ceilings and past open doorways to vast rooms, most painted with murals and trimmed by intricate moldings or friezes. Huge chandeliers dangled from gilded chains, and Kaylina’s feet were tempted to stray when she spotted a library with more books than she’d ever seen in one place.

Maybe she did veer in that direction, because Vlerion touched the small of her back to keep her following the woman.

“You could be wrong,” Kaylina whispered to him, “and your mother did share my mead with the queen, and now she wants to order some directly from me. And write about its wonders in her column for the Kingdom Crier. The Queen’s Corner.”

“The citizens in the south haven’t heard about the revolution brewing, but the Queen’s Corner makes it to your islands?” Vlerion asked.

“Yeah.”

“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. As I said, the crown controls which newspapers are distributed kingdom wide and what’s in them.”

“It’s important that we know which eating houses and playhouses the queen finds acceptable this season.” Kaylina said the words with a modicum of sarcasm, but she did enjoy reading that column, especially when it covered food and drink.

They ascended stairs wider than most rooms to a landing full of furnishings that appeared more decorative than functional. A hall led them to an office, guards stationed to either side of the open door. Within lay numerous desks, bookcases, and several sofas and divans arranged around two fireplaces.

A handsome black-haired woman of fifty-ish sat at one desk, her back to a ceiling-high window with a view of the harbor. Head down, she gripped a quill and wrote without looking up.

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