Page 14 of Deadwood
“May I be excused?” Lander asked, as if he hadn’t been listening at all.
With a glance at his plate, I found it was empty, save for the leftover bones of the pigeon.
“Yes,” Queen Bular answered, flicking her hand in a shooing manner.
I silently wished it was that easy for me to get out of things.
Lander’s hand covered mine on the table for a split second before he stood, leaving his chair at least two feet from the table. He didn’t bother to fix it before he left the dining room.
I got the feeling this fiancé of mine would not be saving me from any dreaded conversations and long dinners anytime soon.
But I could deal with that knowledge, knowing I would be able to leave soon. I’d be tasting the air of other kingdoms in no time.
Excitement swirled with the slightest buzz of wine flowing through me as we ate. All the while, Paxon kept his eyes on me, only ever looking away for a brief conversation with my father.
As soon as my stepmother noticed how low her glass was, she frowned, calling for a servant to refill the cup immediately.
It should’ve filled me with some sort of joy to see her irritated, but all I could think of was the endless possibilities of what I might experience in just a matter of days.
The buzz of that knowledge alone was enough to make me forget all the pain I’d endured here, even if just for the evening.
CHAPTER 6
Two days after the dinner, I woke up particularly early in the hopes that Taylin would be in the gardens waiting for me considering I hadn’t been able to see her since the ball. As I stepped outside the doors, I found her sitting on the stone bench we always met at. She stood as soon as she saw me.
My new guard who’d replaced my previous one yesterday was now a tall, lean redhead that seemed somewhat new to the job. He stayed posted by the doors, keeping a bored eye on our surroundings as I took a seat on the bench.
“Where have you been?” Taylin asked, worry evident in her voice as she lowered herself to the stone once more. Her pin-straight blonde hair flowed over her shoulders, the sun reflecting off the gold strands. The freckles on her nose were evidence of her time spent in the sun, the little spattering of dots a complement to her deep blue eyes. Her ivory dress hugged her figure beautifully. Though townspeople were encouraged to wear Amosite’s colors, they were afforded some freedom to choose their attire. Aside from my jealousy of that, I always wished I had Taylin’s curves and nearly flawless hair. Mine was wavy on a good day, but frizzy most.
I shook my head, easing her surely racing thoughts. “I had extra duties and couldn’t make it down.” She knew about my stepmother’s punishments, and that sometimes, I’d be in too much pain for our visits. “I’m leaving.”
Taylin’s eyes widened to the point I thought they might burst from her head and fall to the grass at our feet.
“For three weeks,” I explained. “With Lander.”
Somehow, her eyes grew even wider.
I explained the reason my father was sending us away, and how Lander’s brother would be accompanying us. I didn’t forget to mention that Lander didn’t seem too involved in this marriage either, which made it a bit easier for me to accept.
“So he doesn’t want to marry you?” she asked once I was finished.
“I’m not sure. He seems okay with the engagement, but not so enamored with the political side of it that it’s bothering him. I want to say that we have the same feelings about all of this, but that would be exaggerating, as I haven’t had much time to talk with him.”
She rolled her lips together like she was thinking on something. “And his brother, Paxon, he’s really going with?”
I nodded.
“Do you think he might be up to something?” Taylin wondered out loud.
I tilted my head in question. “What makes you say that?”
She sat forward on the bench. “Why would Paxon take such an interest in his brother’s fiancée? I mean, from what you told me, he seemed kind of creepy at the dinner. And accompanying your group on this journey? It’s no business to him. This is for the two of you, not him.”
“If we’re being technical, it’s mostly for the kingdom.” I understood why she might be skeptical, but that was how political moves seemed to happen in these places. It was never only between the two individuals involved, but their entire parties, and their families, too. “It affects him in some way. He’s a part of their family, you know.”
She sat back on the bench, her eyes full of concern. “Are you scared?”
I shrugged. “Somehow, not really. I’m excited to see what it looks like out there.” My gaze moved in the direction of the city, though I couldn’t see it past the foliage in the garden.
