“Tell that to the lumbering ox snoring back there.” Ardent raised his chin, gesturing toward the back of the wagon where Brax slept.
Valoria’s lips curled despite her attempt to hold a serious expression.
Beside her, Nathaniel gave Ardent a chastising glare. “Excuse me, that is no way to address the…man who spared your life.”
Valoria breathed in relief. Nathaniel had almost said the prince. She was sure of it. If they were ever to pull off this disguise, then they had to act the part better than they were. None of them would be cast in a Temple Day play, that’s for certain. She turned to Ardent. “You speak with Axel. Tell him you only want to have food and shelter, that you’d do honest work. Unless you wish to spend your days working for Gibson.”
Ardent picked at his dirty fingernail. “I don’t know any other life.”
“You will.” Valoria patted his arm, then snapped her hand back just in case he was still the wild animal Nathaniel had captured. “If you want it badly enough.”
They reached the zenith of the ridge by midday and stopped to give the horses water. Brax came out to eat with them. After a short rest, Brax took the reins while Nathaniel and Ardent moved to the back of the wagon. Despite her longing to discover Nathaniel’s secrets, Valoria chose to stay with Brax. She had to convince him of a great many things. So many it overwhelmed her. So she started with the easiest matter on her list.
“As you can see, Ardent has stayed true to his word.”
“So far,” Brax grumbled. Was he annoyed she’d decided to stay with him instead of following Nathaniel and Ardent?
Valoria shifted on the bench to study his profile. With his blunt nose and large forehead, he looked like an impassable mountain. Stubble darkened his jaw, but his head was slick as if he’d shaved it that morning. Interesting priorities. If only she could read him better. “What will you do with him once we reach New Shaletown, if he keeps his word?”
“I do not live my life building plans around ifs.” He spoke as if she had suggested he knit dollies in his spare time.
“I see.” Valoria resisted the urge to grin. “I like ifs. They bring with them numerous possibilities.”
Brax glanced at her as if she were mad. “Possibilities are fantasies that waste time.”
Her whimsical streak rose up, and there was nothing she could do to contain it. “Come now, you’ve never fantasized about anything in your life?”
“No.” He stared straight ahead. “Unless you count reaching goals through hard work.”
Valoria sighed. Could he be any more tedious? “That’s a start.”
* * * *
After two more days, the ash and soot gave way to green growth. Barren lands became meadows, and the trees turned from scraggly, bare limbs to small leaves and white buds. The smell of fresh rain and the sea wafted on the breeze. They passed a few small barns, cottages, and a wayside tavern.
Valoria’s nerves tingled. She swung her legs and kicked her boots on the back of the bench. They were close.
Beside her, Nathaniel squinted at the horizon. Dread had crept in his gaze. What did he expect to see?
They crested a hill, and the pinkish and grey roofs of shale filled the valley below. Every building stood in perfect lines along clean streets of cobblestone. Valoria admired the perfection until she remembered it had been rebuilt only fifteen years back. The shiny new city rested on a graveyard.
Nathaniel breathed deeply beside her as if gazing upon it gave him unbearable pain.
“What troubles you?” Valoria longed to trace the line from his ear down his chin and run her hands through the curls in his hair. She wove her fingers together and held her hands firmly in her lap.
He gestured toward the western part of the city. “There. That was where my father’s shop was. And beside it, the cottage where I was born.”
Reality chastened her, stilling her swinging legs. She’d remembered him telling her he was from Shaletown, but to see the ruin firsthand brought a fresh pain to her chest. “Were you here when they attacked?”
“Aye.” Nathaniel swallowed hard.
His dream, the way he spoke of loss, it all made sense. How horrible it must have been to be orphaned as a child. Thank Lyric the king and queen took him in. But, to grow up with such a debt knowing you could never be the rightful heir must have been heartbreaking. How could she have spoken of losing one person as if it were the same as losing an entire village? If only she’d known more about him. Compassion overwhelmed her. “I’m so sorry.”
“’Tis fate.” He urged the horses forward.
An entire brigade of soldiers stood at watch atop the gate to the city, examining everyone who passed. With Brax and Ardent in the back, Valoria and Nathaniel looked like a young couple bringing goods from the north.
Valoria kept her gaze down, trying to look submissive when she’d been taught her whole life to hold her head high and stare at each person with confidence. Brax could always flash his royal seal and declare himself the prince. They were clear of the raiders, but that still left the castle vulnerable without its rulers, and they’d have to make their way back through the raiders’ lands, whether they were successful in securing the blue fire or not. The less people who knew about the quest, the less trouble they’d stir up.
She held her breath as the guards’ gaze fell over them. Nathaniel spurred the horses forward and nodded to the guards as if they had nothing to hide.
The guards stopped the caravan before them, peering under the leather tarp. Valoria’s heart quickened. What if they recognized the prince? What would they do with Ardent?
She remembered Brax’s words; I do not live my life building plans around ifs. If only she had his cool, logical nature.
Nathaniel reached over and put his hand over hers. “It will be all right.”
The guards nodded, and the caravan before them moved on, entering the city. An older guard with gray in his beard and a broken nose approached them.
Nathaniel’s hand remained on hers as a steady presence.
The guard’s gaze dropped to their hands together. He studied their faces as if determining their relationship. He nodded, allowing them to pass.
Valoria breathed with relief as they entered the city. “We convinced them.”
Nathaniel took his hand back. “I must be a great actor.” He avoided her gaze.
A great actor? Valoria scoffed. He couldn’t even remember his alias. No, the guard must have seen the natural ease they had with each other. It had only grown stronger each day they spent together despite her efforts to subdue it. So strong she could feel him near her.
People carrying baskets full of laundry, apples, fish, and other goods walked on either side of the road in an endless tide. The air smelled of fish, cooking, perfumes, and horses, each change of the wind bringing with it something different.
“I do not remember this town being so big, so crowded.” Sad confusion spread across his face.
Valoria gave him a sympathetic smile. “Perhaps that is a good thing.” She couldn’t imagine coming back to a blackened ruin, or even another town built just like the first. Too many ghosts. “I’m glad it’s different. They have said farewell to the past, something I must remind myself to do at times.”
Nathaniel’s face softened and grew warmer as he studied her. “You are wise beyond your years.”
They traveled across the city to the harbor. Valoria peered between the buildings at the crisp blue waves.
“Have you ever seen the sea?” Nathaniel smiled, but it was sad. A dark cloud had hung over him since they’d arrived, and Valoria wished she could blow it away. But, she knew better. She had the same cloud over her head whenever she walked into her mother’s sitting room at the House of Song.
“No. Before I came to Ebonvale, I’d never left the bluewood forest.” She’d been naive and selfish about so many things. All she’d wanted to do was return home and play her music. But, the world n
eeded her, and she would not let it fall to pieces. She cared about the people of Ebonvale as much as they hated her, and now about Ardent and the raiders as well. Lyric knew how much she cared about Nathaniel, and she was even growing to care for Brax in an odd sort of way.
“What do you think?” Nathaniel turned the wagon, and they passed an open space where the horizon sprang up in a carpet of shimmering blue. Seagulls dove to the water, and boats rocked with the tide.
Valoria sniffed the sea air and soaked in the wide openness. “I never thought anything could be more beautiful than the midday sun as it filtered down through the glass dome of the House of Song. I was wrong.”
“You were not wrong. I have seen the sun light the House of Song and heard the minstrels play. Indeed, it is just as beautiful as the sight before us now.” His gaze grew distant as if remembering.
“Where was I?” She would have certainly remembered such a face.
Nathaniel smiled as if he had a secret he could tease her with. “You were not yet born.”
Chapter 20
Blueberry
Returning to Shaletown was more painful than Nathaniel could have imagined. The only bright light in the never-ending ache was Valoria’s presence. She was right; he had to bid farewell to the past if he was ever to carry on.
When Nathaniel came to Ebonvale and became the king and queen’s ward, he’d thought he had left it all behind. But, he could no more erase his origins than change his heritage. Trading ran in his blood, like his father before him. He’d watch his father barter with the soldiers and lords that came by the smithy. They took so many different forms of payment, from baskets of apples to loaves of fresh baked bread. His father knew the currency of life. He was good with people, and could make something of any deal.
The sights and smells of Shaletown awakened that talent in Nathaniel’s veins. This was why Brax had chosen him for this quest and why it was up to him to find a decent place to rest for the night, and then a decent captain and ship willing to go where no man had gone in a long, long time.
But so much of the city had changed. Nothing looked like it should. Stores had different names, and taverns stood where baker shops used to be. How was he supposed to use his skill when all of his knowledge was archaic?
A swinging sign of a golden rabbit caught his attention, sparking memories from his past. The Grainvilles had run an inn called the Gilded Hopper. It used to stand back on Baker’s Ave, next to the smithy, but the sign was the same, painted in blue, white, and gold. They were a kind family, although they’d refused to take in the albino who’d stayed at his house one night. The Grainvilles didn’t like strange journeymen, but they took care of their own.
Would they know him? And even more importantly, could he trust them?
He parked the wagon on the side of the road next to a trough of water for their horses. “Stay here. I will not venture far.”
Valoria stood in determination. Even in her servant’s garb, she looked regal. “I want to go with you.”
He shook his head apologetically. “You must look after…Axel and Ardent. Neither one can stand guard.”
She nodded as if she’d forgotten and sat back down. Some people down here might recognize their prince, and they could hardly trust the boy. “Be careful.” Her silver eyes were full of concern and hope. Their quest rested on him finding a private refuge. He wished he could seal their parting with a touch, or a kiss, but he settled for a nod. “I always am.”
Nathaniel walked to the door of the inn and pushed it open. A bell rang, announcing his entrance. He stepped into an antechamber with hooks on the walls and scuffed shoes laid out on shelves. A painting of the old Shaletown hung on the wall. His chest ached when he saw the grey roof of his father’s smithy in the background. A woman with curly brown hair sat at a desk behind a partition.
She finished writing and glanced up. “Can I help you?”
“Perhaps.” How would he go about this? Nathaniel took off his hat and scarf, and bowed his head. “I’m looking for a family who used to own this establishment.”
Her eyes widened. She had a small chin and a pointy nose, reminding him of a fox. “My family has always owned this inn.”
His heart sped. “Are you a Grainville?”
“The last one living.” She stood in astonishment as if his questions were impertinent. “And who, by chance, are you?”
“Nathaniel Blueborough. My father used to run the smithy.”
She laughed in shock and blinked, studying him as if he were a painting coming into focus. “Nip?”
He froze, trying to recollect something about her curly hair or pointy nose. “My apologies. I do not know you.”
“Blanca.” She came around the partition and threw her arms around him. “I thought you were dead.”
He stood frozen for a moment before he started to hug her back. The memory of a chubby little girl who used to stand outside the baker’s shop and pull his hair came back to him. “Blueberry Blanca?”
“That’s right. Although I don’t eat any of those blueberry tarts anymore. I’m taller now, and my freckles disappeared, thank Helena and Horred.”
“You look very different.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” She smiled in a flirtatious way he’d not seen in her before. Maybe all of that pulling hair had been her way of getting him to notice her? “How did you survive?”
Her gaze turned angry. “I wasn’t in Shaletown when the wyverns came. My parents had sent me to a boarding school in Innisborough—a dreary, dismal place. Although, traveling there saved my life. I was one of the many who came back and rebuilt.”
Guilt burrowed deep inside his gut. He’d given up on Shaletown because it was too painful to come back. This woman had been braver than he was. “I haven’t been back since.”
“So, you were here when they attacked?”
Nathaniel nodded solemnly.
“I can’t imagine how hard it must have been to have witnessed such a disaster. No wonder you never came back.”
Nathaniel breathed with relief. Finally, someone understood and acknowledged his pain. “You do not know how consoling it is for me to hear you say that.”
She smiled warmly. “So, what can I do for you? How long are you staying?”
“I’m here with some friends. We need lodging for one night, and a reference for a captain and a ship.”
Disappointment settled in her features. “One night, ’tis all?”
“I’m afraid so. If you could manage it.”
“Of course I could for you.” She walked behind the desk and flipped through her parchment book. “How many people?”
“Four, and it has to be two private rooms. I can pay whatever it costs.”
She dipped her quill in ink and scribbled. “All right. And I’ll give you a bargain because we’re old friends.”
“No need for that.” He didn’t want to give her the wrong idea. “My companions would like to remain anonymous. Will that be a problem?”
“Well, aren’t you a man of mystery.” Her face turned sour. “My parents never liked suspicious guests. They used to turn people away all the time.”
His stomach sunk. “I remember.”
“When I opened the inn again, I told myself I was never going to be like them. I’d welcome anyone who came through the door, sometimes even if they can’t pay.” Her solemn face broke into a smile.
“That’s very kind of you. And we can pay you very well. I promise we won’t be any trouble.”
She wiggled her finger at him accusatorily. “You were always trouble. But, I forgive you.”
If he remembered correctly, she’d been the troublemaker. But, as a guest in her establishment, he wouldn’t argue. “One more thing. You cannot tell anyone I’ve come back.”
“I won’t say a word.” She pressed her finger to her lips. “Although, there’s not many who’d know you around here now anyway.”
He breathed with relief. The gods smiled upon him in strange ways.
She leaned forward, placing both elbows on the countertop and exposing the curves of two very large breasts. “So what have you been up to all these years?”
Nathaniel coughed and covered his mouth. This conversation had spiraled out of control. He couldn’t leave Valoria unattended any longer. And he couldn’t tell Blanca of his affiliation with the rulers of Ebonvale. Maybe Blanca could keep his presence a secret, but to have the prince of the land staying in her inn may prove too juicy for her restraint.
Just as he set down a pouch of gold, he thought of a brilliant answer that would have no lie in it. “You could say I followed in my father’s footsteps in a way, working with swords.”
Without another word, she handed him the room keys, and he sprinted away.
* * * *
“And who is this woman you’ve entrusted with our secrets?” Valoria whispered as Nathaniel brought the wagon down an alley and around the back of the blue painted inn. Jealousy rose up like wyvern’s breath, and she had to mask it with anger instead.
“She’s a childhood acquaintance. And I did not entrust her with all of our secrets. I told her who I was so we could get private rooms and a reference for a captain and a ship.”
“You do not think she’ll tell everyone who’s staying at her inn?” Truly, Valoria had no right to be jealous at all. Sometimes she was so illogical, she could slap herself.
Nathaniel’s face turned solemn. “Sadly, not many would know me. There aren’t many original villagers living in New Shaletown. Most of them died in the blaze.”
“My apologies.” Guilt heated her face. How could she overlook such a blatant fact? “I just want us to be careful, that’s all.”
“What is this about being careful?” Brax emerged from the wagon with Ardent by his side. He’d put up his hood to mask his face so only his large jaw was visible to passersby.
“Nothing.” Nathaniel untied the boy’s restraints.
“I wouldn’t do that.” Brax warned.
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