Page 14 of A Court Bright and Broken

“It’s not that,” I said, though it was true I hadn’t met a man I liked well enough to marry. Even if I had, no one there was interested inme.

“I am not a desirable bridal candidate.”

The statement was blunt but truthful. “My family has no dowry to offer. I would be a burden rather than a boon.”

“That’s a stupid tradition,” Sam said, as if it wasn’t the same in his own village. It must have been, though.

Maybe he wasn’t educated about such matters because he was in no position to marry. Unless perhaps he alreadywasmarried? Or had been at one point?

“It’s the way things are. What about you?” I asked, suddenly curious now.

“Are you asking if I want to marry you, Raewyn?”

I choked on the thin air, stumbling a bit which regrettably caused Sam to stumble as well.

“No. Of course not,” I said. “I’m asking if there’s a young lady waiting for you back home.”

“I was only teasing you,” he said and chuckled then winced from the motion.

“Though I’m sure you find memadlyattractive, we don’t know each other nearly well enough for you to propose. Perhaps tomorrow,” he joked.

Now I was smiling, my earlier embarrassment vanished. We settled back into a rhythm punctuated by his occasional grunt of pain and my inadequate words of encouragement.

When we came to a fork in the road and a rough sign indicating Castleton was not much farther, I let out a sigh of gratitude.

Almost there.

But Sam started walking toward the wrong fork.

“Castleton is this way,” I prompted, trying to lead him in the correct direction. The immense pain he was in had him confused.

He leaned the other way, which made it impossible to move him. “I said I livenearthere. It’s this way. Not all that much farther.”

I was starting to get a bad feeling.

As we’d conversed, I’d noticed this market beggar and former field worker had quite a vocabulary for such a poorly dressed, uneducated man.

His pronunciation as well was different from most of the people I’d met in my life.

And this road led to the Fae lands.

Chapter 4

You Wouldn’t Understand

Raewyn

Looking up at him again, I evaluated my companion’s bold facial features, high cheekbones, and powerful build, seeing him with new eyes.

Suspicious eyes.

I’d never been in close proximity to a Fae person, but I’d seen a few Fae craftsmen and women at a distance as they displayed their wares at various town markets. They’d seemed peaceful enough, and their handiwork had been excellent.

Unlike the majority of my village, I didn’t hate themall—just the cruel, greedy royal family and their court of noble lords and ladies.

If, in fact, my companion wasnota very tall human man but a Fae one, it would explain the good smell despite his disheveled state. I guessed not all of them were wealthy and powerful. A surprise, that.

This man was certainly not one of the aloof and uncaring ruling class.

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