Page 46 of The Shadowbound King

“Play!” Finian said, grabbing my hand. He tugged me toward the open door with a surprisingly strong grip. Elodie and Andrin watched, both seemingly at a loss as the determined little boy pulled me past them and into the room.

The scent of pine and fresh air hit my nose. My mind whirled as a sunlit forest spread before me. Birds chirped. Butterflies fluttered among colorful mums and towering oak trees bristling with orange and red leaves. The sound of rushing water mingled with the trill of birdsong. A gentle breeze tugged at my hair.

Hesitating, I looked over my shoulder to find Elodie and Andrin watching from the doorway. The corridor stretched behind them, the stone walls of the Embervale as solid as ever. More stone framed the door and covered the floor before gradually transitioning to grass scattered with leaves.

“It’s an illusion,” Andrin murmured, moving forward. He stopped beside me and gestured toward Finian, who’d stopped to watch a butterfly perched on a low-lying branch. “The little ones are too young to understand why they can’t leave the castle. So we bring the forest inside for them.”

My heart squeezed as I watched Finian. “He’s a beautiful child.” A sudden thought gripped me, and I looked at Andrin. “Is he…yours?”

Andrin shook his head. His blue eyes were solemn as he pitched his voice lower. “Finian’s parents died in the Edelfen.”

The fist around my heart squeezed tighter.

“It’s notmyfault you can’t count that high!” A little girl stomped from the trees. Ten at the most, she wore a dark blue gown that stopped just above her ankles. Long, golden ringlets cascaded down her back. Her heart-shaped face was clouded with anger. Glancing at the forest behind her, she kicked a pile of leaves and loosed a stream of profanity detailed enough to make a sailor blush.

I covered my mouth, just managing to stifle my shocked laughter.

The girl jerked her gaze to Andrin and me. Her eyes widened, and she sank into a deep curtsy. “King Andrin! I didn’t see you!” She peeked up through a frame of ringlets. “I wouldn’t have said most of those things if I had.”

Andrin chuckled. “It’s all right, Valina.” He went to the girl and motioned for her to rise. “But what did the leaves do to offend you?”

The girl made a face. “It’s not the leaves that offend me, sire.” Looking toward the trees, she raised her voice. “It’s idiot boys who don’t follow the rules!”

Andrin followed her gaze. “You can stop hiding, Yendorn. I won’t bite.” He slanted Valina a look. “I can’t promise the same for your sister, though,” he said under his breath.

The little girl blushed. Seconds later, leaves crunched, and a boy a year or two her junior plodded from the trees. He cast a curious look at me before bowing to Andrin.

“I wasn’t hiding, Your Majesty.”

“No,” Valina said pointedly, “because you’re terrible at it.”

The boy’s mouth twisted. “Aw, come on, Lina. It’s not fair making me count all the way to a thousand!”

Impatience flashed in Valina’s eyes. “You?—”

“Wait,” Andrin said, holding up a hand. “You’re playing hide and seek, yes?”

Both children nodded.

Andrin looked at Valina. “Why does Yendorn need to count so high?”

The children exchange a look. Then Valina drew a deep breath. “It’s hard to find a good hiding place, sire. There are only so many trees in the playroom, and…” She chewed on her lip, the blush in her cheeks deepening.

Andrin cast a troubled look around the forest. “You don’t have enough room.”

Finian abandoned the butterfly and toddled toward Andrin on unsteady legs.

“Oh!” I exclaimed, hurrying after him. Instinct kicked in, and I swept the little boy into my arms before he could fall. Finian grinned up at me as I carried him to Andrin.

“Ees!” Finian said, grabbing for a lock of hair that had escaped Ginhad’s arrangement.

Valina and Yendorn stared with the unabashed yet innocent curiosity only children could muster.

Andrin cleared his throat. “Lady Mirella, this is Lady Valina and Lord Yendorn. Children, this is Lady Mirella. She’s a…guest at the Embervale.”

The children dipped a bow and curtsy. I returned the gestures, gratitude for Andrin’s discretion making me feel like I’d swallowed one of the butterflies. He’d left my surname out of the exchange, allowing me to interact with the children without the shadow of my father’s actions hanging over me.

Elodie appeared at my side, her lips curved in a gentle smile as she extended her arms toward Finian. “I can take him, Lady Mirella.”

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