Page 21 of A Court Bright and Broken

She handed me the rejected invitation.

“Or your money, or your gifts. All I need is to be allowed to return home. So if, as you say, you don’t intend to hold me against my will… then please… let me go.”

So this was it. I had no valid reason left to prevent her from leaving.

“Very well.” I exhaled a long breath. “Be safe, Raewyn. And thank you again. I owe you my life.”

“You owe me nothing,” she insisted and turned her back to me, beginning to walk away.

Before she got out of reach, I stretched out my arm and dropped the folded invitation into the hood hanging over her shoulders and back.

It was an impulse, probably pointless, but at least she’d have it in the unlikely event she changed her mind and decided to attend the ball.

Chapter 6

Three Pillars

Stellon

Moments after the healer left my chambers, my sister and brother came scrambling in.

Mareth’s face was crumpled in concern, and Pharis was already laughing.

“How the hell did you manage to get your nose brokendrawing?” he asked. “Not to mention four ribs, a collarbone, a concussion, and a ruptured spleen?”

“I’m still trying to come up with an official story,” I told them. “I’m thinking of claiming I was thrown from my horse.”

Pharis leaned against the bedpost. “Well I hope you don’t actually like the poor beast. Father will have it slaughtered and turned into food for the hounds fordaringto risk the life of thepreciousCrown Prince of the Sixlands.”

Thinking of faithful, blameless Malo, I shuddered. “You’re right. Perhaps I’ll say…”

I looked up to the elaborate mural on the ceiling overhead, thinking. “... I’ll say a tree fell on me on my way home.”

Mareth climbed onto the end of my bed, curling her legs beneath her and leaning toward me. Her full cheeks were pink with excitement.

“Whatreallyhappened? We heard every bone in your body was broken and your clothing was so soiled it was unrecognizable.”

“That’s a bit of an exaggeration. It wasn’teverybone. It was enough of them, though,” I admitted.

Pharis strolled over to one of the settees that flanked the fireplace opposite my bed and stretched out on it, sweeping his long hair back with one hand. Though I was certain he’d slept well past the midday hour, he let out a loud yawn.

“It’s obvious you got your royal arse beat,” he said with an amused expression. “Our brother is as delicate as one of your kittens, Mareth… a fragile little pussycat.”

“He isnot.”

She shot him a dirty look then turned her disapproval on me.

“Whywere you fighting? Is sparring with Ser Lyder and your other trainers not enough for you? You have to put on a disguise and go searching for strangers to do battle with?”

She huffed and rolled her eyes. “I swear the both of you long for war.”

“I don’t,” Pharis said. “I’ve seen far too many men come back from battle lacking appendages–and I treasureallof mine too much.”

She snorted at his deliberately lewd tone.

“All the ladies in the kingdom treasure your appendage,” she said. “And I doubt there are any left who haven’t seen it.”

“PerhapsI’llhave to start sneaking out to the Rough Market and find some fresh ones,” he said.

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