Page 66 of The Kingdom's Crown

When I was younger, unaware of my own extra senses, I hadn't been able to tell the second natures apart, but I was learning with time. Nora's was faint, delicate, and a bit nervous. Jack's had more strength and a predator's hunger, but it was still nothing compared to the great boom of Cresswell as he took a step or the hollow belly hunger he had when he looked at Bryony.

I dressed quickly, forgoing some of the fine clothes that had started to appear in my small collection for a soft, warm pair of pants and a loose linen shirt. I hesitated in the wardrobe, and then went ahead and borrowed one of Thao's sweaters. It'd be worth it just to see the pinched expression on his face as I returned it to him.

Bryony was sipping her tea in the windowsill, chatting with Nora, who sat curled up in an armchair and who blushed deeply as I entered the room, her eyes refusing to land on me. I didn't know if Nora was naturally shy of men, or if she was just suitably aware of Bryony's possessive habits, but I was happy for my mistress that she'd found a friend she could be comfortable with.

"You look just right for what I need from you today," Bryony said smiling at me. "Cress has gone to change into plain clothes."

"Are we running an errand?" I asked.

"Not an errand exactly, but I am sending you into the city," Bryony said. "Word is thin from Griffin these days, and I feel out of touch with the two-natured. I was hoping…"

I picked up as she trailed off, not minding the thought of revealing my extra talent to Nora. "You want me to see if I can find some in the city?"

"Owen has an extra gift," Bryony said softly to Nora, whose eyes widened. "He can sense second natures."

"Oh! That's—well—"

"I mostly ignore it," I said to Nora. "Feels like prying."

She sighed and nodded, but her face turned down to her lap, where her hands were twisting together. Bryony would soothe her once they were alone.

"If you can find a community, Cresswell might be able to work his way into the conversation," Bryony said. "See how people are feeling, what their concerns are."

I smiled at Bryony. "Feeling like you've run out of things to do?" I asked.

"Stopping this from becoming worse is not the same as fixing what was wrong to begin with," Bryony said. "Destroying the council's attempt at a new bill doesn't make up for what the two-natured already suffer."

"They'll be in hiding." Nora looked up from her lap, glancing between us. "Any two-natured in the capital, they probably won't be registered. Most of the work moves the families north, and it's easier to hide farther from the council."

Bryony hummed, her focus glued to Nora as she nodded. "That's a good point. You think it's a fruitless mission to send Cresswell to speak to them?"

"Not fruitless but dangerous, perhaps," Nora said softly. "Any you might find on the street…well, they'd want to know how you discovered them, wouldn't they?"

Bryony looked to me, her eyes growing wide. "Of course. Of course, you're right. And two-natured in hiding won't like the idea of a man being able to spot them out from yards away."

Nora nodded again, more quickly, sitting up straighter. "They'll assume it's a trap of some kind. It won't help if anyone is able to recognize Cress or Owen as your Chosen."

"And we just rode at your side in a carriage during the funeral parade," I said to Bryony.

She groaned and slouched back in her chair with a huff. "Damn."

"Your Highness, if I might be…well, honest," Nora said with her own huff, "you have a great deal of support amongst the shifters. I-my—"

"Your brother," Bryony murmured gently.

Nora's lips pressed together, and she nodded. "You have his support and he's very involved. And it isn't just him."

"My friend Griffin," Bryony said.

"You know Griffin?" Nora asked, brightening and eyes glowing. "Oh! I haven't seen her in ages. No wonder Jack trusts you so, he is very—well, never mind that. It's enough to say that the two-natured know you have their interests. It's simply a matter of when you may act on them."

Bryony sighed and nodded. "Which just brings us back to the crown. As usual."

I studied Bryony. She was getting weary of the chase, and I think she only saw a brick wall ahead of her when I was sure she was really facing dozens of pathways to the throne. Enough to overwhelm her.

"Did Sam say there were other two-natured amongst Camellia's Chosen?" I asked.

Bryony nodded absently, picking at her bottom lip. "But Camellia is running through them. Who knows where those men ended—Oh! We do. Amos said there were some in the dungeons didn't he?" I shrugged as Bryony stood, expression growing sharp and predatory. "Then I think we should go and visit them. If Camellia threw them in there, I'm sure they must havesomethinginteresting to say."

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