Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 105132 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105132 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
Adira felt Feena grow upset, her delay in answering causing her to think the worst, and Adira quickly shook her head.
Feena narrowed her brow once again and shrugged, hoping Adira would be truthful with her no matter what had passed between her and the king.
Adira nodded immediately.
Feena smiled and reached out to take Adira into her arms.
Adira melted into the embrace as she always had, breathing in the familiar scent of herbs and lavender that had comforted her since the woman had taken her in.
Feena closed her eyes, feeling the truth of Adira’s words. But beneath it she felt something else.
Change… and it had already begun.
For the first time in many years, she found herself wondering if there were some things a mother could no longer protect her daughter from.
They returned to working with the herbs.
Feena did what she had done to teach Adira, holding up an herb or blended herbs, asking what they treated. She smiled with pride when Adira gestured correctly and without hesitation to every one of them.
She saved one crock for last and Adira gestured quickly, letting her know the herbal blend prevented pregnancy. She smiled widely, showing how proud she was of Adira and placed the crock on the shelf, feeling better Adira knew where it was.
They were enjoying a cup of mint tea and a freshly baked scone when Adira turned her head toward the door.
A knock sounded.
Feena did not know how Adira knew someone approached the cottage before the knock was heard but it had been something she had begun to do since arriving at the castle. Feena assumed she had grown so aware of the village that she could detect sounds as unique as the animals in the forest.
Feena opened the door to one of the king’s warriors.
“She is to return to the castle now,” the large warrior said.
Feena turned to see Adira already slipping on her cloak.
When Adira reached Feena, she hugged her, then pointed to her own eyes, then at Feena, then gestured shoveling food into her mouth.
Feena nodded, understanding what she asked. “Aye, I will see you at supper.”
She closed the door against the cold as soon as Adira stepped outside and leaned against it, sighing heavily. She was worried. Worried what might happen if the king continued to keep Adira close.
Chapter Seven
The Forest Beyond Caerith
The King’s Bedchamber
Three days passed before Dravic found himself once again seeking the quiet beyond Caerith’s walls. The land remained covered in snow. Though what sun managed to shine had warmed the earth enough that patches of brown grass and dark soil appeared beneath the thinning white blanket. But winter had only begun. More snow was sure to follow.
Adira walked beside him, her cloak wrapped securely around her as she stepped carefully over the uneven ground.
Six warriors followed at a respectful distance, close enough to protect them but far enough to allow the king the privacy he expected. Dravic had ordered them to remain alert, knowing danger did not always announce itself.
He found himself watching Adira more than their surroundings.
She moved differently outside the castle walls. More freely. Her eyes traveled over everything: the trees, the sky, the small signs of life hidden beneath the snow. She noticed things most would overlook.
He had first thought her silence would make her vulnerable. Instead, he was beginning to understand that it had made her a keen observer. She saw what others missed.
Adira stopped, bringing Dravic to a halt. He saw that she spotted something a short distance ahead and hurried to examine whatever caught her interest. From what he could see it was a small patch of green breaking through the snow.
The cold had touched her cheeks, leaving them a soft shade of pink against her pale skin. Strands of her hair had escaped the hood of her cloak, curling softly around her face. A generous smile lit her face as she took pleasure in examining the small sprout.
She no longer looked like the frightened woman who had first arrived at Caerith, but he saw in her eyes and the way her body trembled at times that he still frightened her on occasion.
The new garments she wore; the warm wool skirt and linen blouse, the finely made cloak lined with fur, the boots and gloves crafted for the winter weather made her look different. He had ordered them because she needed proper clothing for the cold, yet seeing her dressed in them now, he realized they suited her.
He quickly looked away, his thoughts turning to Tavish’s warning.
She should not be sleeping in your bedchamber.
The words had not been spoken again, but he knew the rumors had not disappeared. A castle thrived on whispers, and there would always be those eager to believe the worst.
But why did he still have her there in his bedchamber?
That was the question that unsettled him. There had been a reason at first, then that reason had passed. Yet he had never ordered a change. He had simply allowed things to remain as they were. And he did not know why.