Page 61 of Unbetrothed

Poor Blas tottered down the trail, pushing between Jaime and Laude. He threw himself on the wagon, stuffing a margus leaf into his mouth. Uncle Uly said it would take a day or so for him to heal.

“Thank you for helping me with Milo,” I said.

Zichri grabbed some fruits and nuts from the pile Gonzalo gathered for us.

Milo mumbled foul words under his breath. He turned his wrath on Gonzalo. “Get on your horse already, old man!” He whipped his head to the lovebirds. “Jaime! Haven’t you had enough of her yet?”

Jaime snapped his head up. “You could spare us your bad company and ride the horse instead of Gonzalo.”

I suppressed a chuckle, but Blas chortled and snorted. Laughter erupted from Zichri, then Laude and Gonzalo, and then Jaime. Milo harrumphed.

At least I’m not the only one disturbed by his snappy attitude.

Jaime and Laude sauntered over, still lost in each other’s company. He sang a line from one of the Himzo’s songs. Laude beamed and wrinkled her nose in delight. I’d never seen her this happy. She always exuded joy, but this was so much more. Jaime lifted Laude into the wagon bed and leapt in after her. They cuddled in a corner and continued to whisper to each other, unconcerned about our stares.

Milo snarled at the two giggling lovebirds. “Take the back trail and prepare for our arrival,” he called out to Gonzalo.

An unguarded scowl crossed Gonzalo’s face for just a second. I’d read in the ancient script that a fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man silently holds it back. A deep respect grew within me for Gonzalo that hadn’t been there before. He trotted ahead of us and sang a happy Himzo tune.

Milo clicked his tongue and snapped the reins. The horses pulled us along as we bounced in the back with every dip and mound on the trail.

Zichri passed me a bag of nuts and a prickly, yellow fruit. “Should I hang Milo by his toes when we lose ourselves in the woods?”

I giggled. How I wished to hold on to this moment but staying here would only prove the whyzer right. “Could you be serious now thatwe’re heading back to ourreallives?”

“All I can see is bark, leaves, and a fine young lady. This, my dear, does not look like home yet.” He passed a melting look that warmed me from the inside out. “But you’re right. Let’s talk real life before you make me regret ever leaving that cave.”

I bit into the prickly fruit. The skin tasted sour and did not come apart easily in my mouth. My lips pinched together.

He cupped a hand over his mouth. “You’re not supposed to eat the skin.”

“This is why I need to go home.” I turned to the side and spit the sour fruit out. “Although, I’d love to go back to our cave.”

“We can still go back to the cave if you like. I didn’t want to leave either. We could even marry and have children in there.”

I flicked his shoulder. “Have a little respect.”

“A man can dream.” He shrugged.

“Zichri, thatisonly a dream. Tell me something real, like what it’s like being a Himzo prince.” I fluttered my lashes in the same flirtatious way Laude had with Jaime.

“Is something in your eyes?”

My voice lowered an octave. “Just answer the question.”

“All right. Like I said earlier, my brothers fight for the throne and send me away on errands for the kingdom as often as possible. My father is a stern man but reasonable. He loves his people, my mother, and all four of his children. He groomed each of us for something different. My eldest brother will be king, and my brother behind him can’t get that through his thick head. I was groomed to be a ranking official, and my sister has the most freedom of us all.”

I considered this for a moment and watched something veiled slip behind Zichri’s eyes. What isn’t he saying? “You said your father is fair, but he lets your sister do as she pleases.”

A soft smile played on his full lips. “She’s trained in many arts, including archery. She is already betrothed to a nobleman and need not win the favor of our people because she already has it.”

“Is her betrothed as generous as your father?”

He rubbed the stubble on his chin. “Milo is very generous.”

My mouth fell open. “He’s a noblemanandyour future brother-in-law?” The pieces came together in my mind. That would explain why he was the only one speaking back to Zichri and the cocky air he let out from time to time.

“Yes. This is why we put up with him,” Zichri’s voice rose.

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