Page 3 of The King's Queen

“See, that wasn’t so hard now, was it…Vestíg.”

Shadow. What an appropriate name. Torin turns to smile at us with his signature loopy grin. He was always like that, cunning, alarmingly patient, and he might have a few screws loose as well. He’s Blaine’s secondhand man, an assistant, but Blaine would never accept someone calling him that. I did once, and he didn’t speak to me until I threw myself into the moat. I found leeches in places no one should find leeches.

Torin hands Vestíg to another stable hand, who apologizes profusely for the blunder. Our friend simply laughs it off. “No harm no foul,” he says.

“Well, looks like the horse wasn’t the only one who slipped loose today. What are you doing out here,Mei Reinhavich?” Torin teases, poking my side with a long finger.

“Oh, you know, just taking an afternoon stroll.”

“She jumped out of a window.”

“Captain!” I hiss, elbowing him once.

“Then fell out of a tree.” Torin clutches his belly when he laughs, and I feel my cheeks heat up in embarrassment. It’s almost nice seeing Blaine crack even the smallest smiles. Torin, with his loopy grins and dazzling charm, seems to bring that side out in everyone he meets. Rumor has it he once charmed the Vari prince for his hand in marriage after one night, though he ultimately refused. I have yet to ask him if that certain rumor is true or as ridiculous as the rest of them.

The Vari man jogs to keep up with us and Blaine’s powerful stride. His blonde hair bounces with almost the same amount of life he possesses and stands stark in contrast to his tan skin. Blaine nearly choked when he saw it, but I think it suits him.

Blaine only commented on how the dye must have rotten his brain, and that was that.

A few of the palace guard have caught up now, standing in the entryway to the palace, unsure of whether or not to approach.

“You lot!” Blaine makes the decision for them. I can hear the clinking of their chainmail as they collectively jump, then move forward in uniformed rows. Torin moves to attention on my free side, casting me a frivolous wink when Blaine isn’t looking.

“That’s the third time this week. You block the windows first. Those were my orders, and yet none of you followed them.” He glowers down at them all, suddenly making these large men seem very small. The air hangs dead in silence, the boisterous sounds of the busy palace fading into the background. “This was your last strike. If a raid were to happen right now, the princess would be dead. All of you will go report to the barracks. Due punishment will be issued there.” They all salute their captain in silence before marching back to where they came from in perfect unison.

“Everyone except you,” Blaine growls, pointing a finger at the redheaded boy from earlier. He emits a sound that sounds like an ‘eep’ before bowing his head in regard for his senior officer. A pink blush paints his cheeks and ears, hiding most of his freckles. “Escort the princess back to the study, if you think yourself capable. If not, you are more than welcome to hand in your resignation now.”

His words douse me in a cold shock. His voice is cruel and unfaltering and still so foreign even after all these years. Sure, they should’ve kept their heads and remembered orders, but there’s never any real danger in the palace. Surely this was all too great of a punishment, the public humiliation. And yet I found guilt gnawing away in the pits of my stomach, soon masked by anger.

“That’s enough, captain.” I attempt to make my voice as stern and commanding as his had been. “You only caught me because you had the advantage of knowing me better.”

“One must make use of any knowledge given to them,Mei Reinhavich.”

“Oh yeah?” I scoff. “Well, here’s some knowledge for you. You’d fight a lot better if you took your sword and pulled it out of your-”

“AhMei Reinhavich!”Torin interrupts with an uncomfortably charming laugh. “Maybe it would be best if followed the young gentleman here. If not for your own reputation, then his… hmm?” he whispers the last bit with a slight inclination of the head towards the crowd forming on the outskirts of our small circle. A few of the Tesslari representatives are staring among the onlookers, but only one catches my eye.

“Who wears a hood in this heat?” I whisper to Torin as I reach for the younger knight’s arm. My friend looks over his shoulder and only shrugs. “Southerners?”

“Funny.”

The stranger seems to notice and nods his head with a serpentine smile. I shiver despite the heat wave flooding our borders.

“You were going somewhere?”

“Of course. You may escort me back to my studies now. Good day,captain.” I bite back my response to Blaine, who offers only a gruff nod and kisses the top of my extended hand. His lips send a soft shiver through my arm to my frantically beating heart. Sweat suddenly slicks itself against my forehead, and I fight the urge to fan myself.

“See you later, Vera.” Torin smiles into the back of my hand before once again whispering, “such an interesting relationship you both have.”

He’s gone with a wink before I can risk my reputation more by flipping him a vulgar gesture.

Torin is right, though, about our relationship. Blaine, my best friend in this whole world, hates my guts now, I think. I’d love to know where it all went wrong.

The walk back to my studies is pleasant enough, and I savor every moment before I have to return to that room. The poor boy attached to my arm shakes in his armored boots every step of the way. He answers all my questions with “no,Mei Reinhavich” or “a su sonjí (as you wish).”

The halls are bustling with activity today, bakers rush with their precious ingredients in hand, and maids dust off the older tapestries. I sigh in admiration at the sight of those golden threads sparkling in the daylight. The finery and the marvelous stories lining them… I’d much rather help them dust than go back to this lesson.

“Did you have a good ‘walk’, your Highness?” Ms. Eida asks through her clenched teeth upon my return to the study. She’s a mousey old woman with silver hair pinned tightly atop her head. Her thin lips are pressed into a courteous smile, and I can tell that her patience is running thin.

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