Page 61 of Knightfall
“Right!”
“Three cheers for Declan!”
The crowd clapped and wolf-whistled. Two men came and grabbed Declan, despite his sticky state. They lifted his protesting form onto their shoulders and awkwardly ran him to the base of the hill.
Ryan strolled over to me, from where he’d been picking berries with his mother.
“You brought us to my hometown to make him a hero?” Ryan shook his head.
I just smiled at him. “You’re already a hometown hero and you know it. Besides, I can see it in your face. You like seeing him happy.”
Ryan shrugged, watching the villagers pass Declan around.
“Fine, don’t admit it. But you do.”
“You know he gets motion sick, right?” Ryan asked.
“Nope. No idea.”
“Can’t ride a pegasus to save his life. Nearly died on that horse on the way here. Part of why we hung back so much. When he first took the ship over from Sedara, he—”
“Well, he’d better hold it in now. I don’t want Declan Day ruined.”
Ryan laughed and trotted off after the crowd. “I’d better go get him down.”
I got to work.
After a quick rinse at the burgmasters, where Ryan kindly brought Declan and I some clothes from his family, I went out to the square to coordinate the celebration.
As planned, the page from this morning and a group of kitchen servants arrived in a wagon weighed down by kegs of beer, wine, suckling pig, and wheels of cheese. The smell of fresh bread also wafted toward me. “Wonderful. Would you all please set it up in the clearing right there? Picnic style,” I gestured to a field of clover that was dulled from the chill of fall. “Once you’re done with set up, you’re welcome to stay and celebrate, of course.”
A few of them raised their eyebrows, but they all got to work. And not a single one left after set up was done.
Four hours and quite a few kegs later, Ryan and I sat on the ground and watched the villagers dance around a bonfire. One old man played a fiddle, and many clapped their hands. The children giggled and wove in and out of the adults, playing crack the whip.
Declan plopped down beside us. “Thish is great.”
“Yesh it ish,” I couldn’t help but tease him. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you drunk before.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been drunk before,” he responded.
“About time then,” I patted his arm.
He grabbed my hand. “Thank you Bloshie. You’re good at spreading Peach. Piss. Peash. I can’ talk.”
“That would be the alcohol.” I tried not to laugh.
He pointed at the smiling people. “You did thish. Made them happy.”
I turned so our knees touched and waited while his eyes struggled to focus on mine. “No, this is Declan Day. You did this. You do this. Every day. I know it can be hard to see, when you’re up there in the castle running the numbers. Calculating the boring-ass stuff you do. But, Dec, you help these people when times are hard. You keep their children’s bellies full. When they’ve lost hope, they look to you. Do you know how many people I’ve seen cry … tears of joy … because you saved them? Your power is amazing. But the way you use it … thank you. Thank you for being selfless.” My eyes smiled in gratitude, and I stroked his cheek.
He smiled and leaned into my hand. And for a second, he looked completely lost in bliss.
Then his eyes popped open. “I think I’m gonna be shick.”
And he was.
Chapter Sixteen
