I tried to listen a few times, but they kept referring to people and places with strange names, and I quickly lost track, especially since it all sounded like gossip—not anything that could help me get an insight into my situation.
I yawned and rubbed my eyes, wondering if we would stop early this afternoon, the way we did yesterday, then deciding that we probably wouldn’t stop since my shenanigans had cost us at least half a day of travel.
Kryn sat up and started digging in one of his saddlebags. He came up with a feather, which he held up in front of his face as he smiled. At some silent signal from him, his horse slowed its pace until he was parallel with Arabis. Still sitting backward on the saddle, he stretched out the feather, placed it under Arabis’s nose, and tickled her.
Arabis wrinkled her nose.
“What a juvenile,” I said under my breath.
He bared his teeth and rolled his eyes at me, then did it again.
This time, Arabis sniffled and shook her head slightly. Still, she didn’t wake. Kryn persisted, this time tickling her cheek. She swatted at her face as if she thought a bug was bothering her. She sighed and continued sleeping.
Kryn leaned forward to tickle her one more time, but before he reached her, she moved with the speed of lightning, punching him straight in the nose without even opening her eyes, then slapping his horse in the butt. The animal careened forward, Kryn cursing as he cradled his nose in both hands. Someone other than a Fae would have probably gone tumbling from their mount, but Kryn rode forward in his backward position, shooting daggers at Arabis and at the rest of us who were laughing our asses off.
“He deserved that,” I said.
“That fool deserves more than that,” she assured me.
“Why does he have it in for you? I mean… I think I know why, but…” I trailed off, realizing I was prying.
She didn’t seem to mind, however. In fact, she shifted in her saddle, making herself comfortable and appearing as if she appreciated the distraction.
“Kryn and I met when we were children. His family was visiting Elyndell on The Starlight Festivalas most royal families often do.”
So Kryn came from a royal family too. No surprise there. He acted as if he’d been raised with a silver spoon up his behind.
“During The Starlight Festival, there is a full week of events that include lavish dinner parties, balls, various events that anyone can attend, and competitions of agility and strength. Only the adults participate in those, but the children sure like to pretend they’re part of the contests. I was doing just that in one of the training fields, practicing with a wooden sword, when Kryn showed up, all cocky and tall and handsome. You’ve seen him.” She crossed her eyes, making a funny face.
I laughed.
She went on. “He got his own sword and joined us. His skill is almost on par with Kalyll’s. That’s because he started wielding the sword when he could barely wipe his bottom. At seven years old, he was already good. Really good. He put everyone on their backs in a matter of seconds. When he got to me, I dared scrape him with the tip of my fake weapon. The other children jeered, and that made him angry. He took it out on me. He maneuvered me into a mud puddle and viciously threw me in.”
“Witchlights. He was already a jerk at such a young age?”
“If you knew his father, you wouldn’t hold it against him too much. I didn’t. Though, the next time I saw Kryn... I did hold what he did then against him.”
“What did he do?”
She looked as if she was about to tell me when Jeondar trotted to her right side, his amber eyes reading the sky. “Do you think we should stop?”
Arabis blinked, looking surprised. She also glanced up at the sky. “Gods, I lost track of time. Yes, we should stop. Excuse me, Dani, but I must join Kalyll.”
She shook the reins and was off. I watched her go, then glanced up at the sky. It was around 5:30 PM, the same time we stopped to make camp yesterday. I was glad that we’d soon have food and rest, but I couldn’t help but wonder about the rigid schedule, and why did Arabis need to drop everything to join the prince. The image of that fierce cry she’d issued to stop Kalyll from cutting Kryn down flashed through my mind for some reason. The prince certainly listened to her. In a way, it seemed he needed someone to keep him in line when he lost his temper, and Arabis appeared to be that person.
“Is something wrong with the prince?” I asked Jeondar before I could stop myself.
His head jerked in my direction. “What makes you say that?”
I shrugged, unable to put into words the ideas that were forming in my head.
“There’s nothing wrong with him.” Jeondar shook his head. “He… just gets a bit moody and irritated when he’s under too much stress.”
“And this situation is stressful?” I glanced around at the placid rolling hills dotted with colorful wildflowers, and at the backdrop of snow-capped mountains. If I didn’t want to go home, I could very well make myself believe this was paradise.
“He has a lot on his mind. There is unrest brewing in some parts of the realm.”
“Is that so?” I frowned, thinking that any sort of brewing unrest couldn’t bode well for me.