Page 15 of Ceridor

"Our people feel the same way," said the old man from the doorway. "It was only late King Ott's hubris that didn't want a Danubian alliance, rather than the will of the people."

Kristoff held my gaze for a long moment, then seemed to be convinced and relented. "Alright. Off with you. May the gods be with you."

"Thank you."

The old man led me straight into the forest, then muttered softly, "Please look away if you don't want to be startled."

A whirl like a wind, and my eyes must have tricked me, because as Ceridor straightened his back until he walked upright like an athletic thirty-three-year-old rather than a weary old man, his appearance changed with him and he went back to being my Ceridor.

"That's your disguise?" I asked.

He nodded. "I learned more than just meditation techniques at the monastery."

That sounded...intriguing, to say the least. "You were that old man who swung by a few times each year and sang at court."

Ceridor nodded again. "To check up on you, and to bring news of Effie's good health back to Magnus."

"Ulbrecht is installing a regent in Father's place," I explained. "I can fight for him, and after things stabilize for a while, I might be given back my birthright."

"I heard," said Ceridor. So he had been listening in.

At length we came to his horse tied to a tree in the forest.

Ceridor stood aside and I mounted the horse, then reached down to him.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

He smiled and took my hand. "To where Effie is, and to your new home."

Chapter Eleven

Johann

Ceridor showed his seal identifying him as former Prince Regent Christian Licht to get us through the Helvetican border. We stabled the relay station horses and walked the rest of the way through town. It was near midnight by that point, but Ceridor and I still held hands, which made a thrill run through me.

Ceridor led me to a building already shut down for the night, but the painted sign out front said it was the Mulberry Inn. He knocked on the door and found it unlocked.

"I was watching so that no one else would come in," a voice said inside.

We entered and I found a man my age sitting next to my sister, his gentle features ringing a bell from a much earlier time. "Magnus?"

Effie had fallen asleep on the couch next to him, though he'd just been sitting next to her like a gentleman, so I didn't comment.

"Johann!" Magnus came over and gave me a big hug. "It's so good to see you."

"You too," I answered, warmed by his joy even despite the circumstances. The inn was lit dimly by a couple of candles, but I would recognize Magnus's impish smile, shining blue eyes, and jet black hair and brows anywhere.

"Johann," said my sister, who sat up and scrubbed her eyes. "Oida, I just crashed."

"There's a guest room for you," said Magnus. "Effie met Hilda, the innkeeper, who is looking for apprentices."

"She's really nice, Johann," my sister said. "We've got immediate work."

"That sounds great," I conceded, though it was only for now, at least in my case.

"Magnus will be returning to the Regent's house to sleep," said Ceridor.

Magnus whipped around to his older brother, his expression scandalized. "Of course! I had no intention of staying here."

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