She was almost through with one rabbit when Gerrard spoke in a low tone. “Thank you. For today. You’re teaching them something that I can’t.”
Sinking back on her heels, she turned to really look at him. His carefree attitude in coming to Estole…was it a mask? Or perhaps he truly felt that way when he was only thinking of himself. It did not apply when he thought of the innocents he was bringing along with him.
It was a sticky situation. Granted, Estole was a dangerous place to be at the moment. But if he did not come, if he did not bring them, then a good majority of his students would have no real future. He couldn’t take care of them forever. As their master, he had to find a brighter place for them to stand.
“The experience of being partners with a wizard, that’s something I never had. I didn’t find someone like Ash and Ashlynn did. So I couldn’t teach them much about that. What you were saying today was invaluable to them. Letting them see firsthand how well you dealt with some magic, but not others, that was important too. So much of what I tell them is only words until they experience it firsthand.” Gerrard finally looked up from the work in his hands. “I hope these lessons will continue even after we reach Estole.”
Riana gave him a soft smile. “They will.”
Chapter Twenty
“A bridge?” Ashlynn repeated, not following.
“A bridge,” Edvard confirmed, waving her toward the table before stabbing downwards onto the map laying on the surface. “In mild winters, the channel ices up a little around the edges, but it’s still passable. But during harsh winters, it ices over so badly that we won’t be able to cross it at all. That means during the winter months, our settlement will be cut off from us, and I don’t like that idea one bit. I think we need to build a bridge to span the distance.”
Broden was of a mind to agree. The man made sense, although it would be quite the feat to span that distance. “No’ the sort of work that can be done by year’s end.”
“No, even with magic, this will take two or three years to complete,” Edvard agreed. “But we need to start it sooner rather than later. According to the farmers, they predict it will be a mild winter, so we should be alright this year. But next? The one after? The faster we have this bridge up, the better we’ll be.”
Ashlynn held up both hands in a staying gesture. “Hold on. You keep saying ‘bridge’ but where are we supposed to put this thing? The most direct route would be off of Portal Road but that will directly cut into the docks. We can’t afford to block them, that’s our main source of trade.”
“Agreed, it’s a bad location.” Edvard straightened and beamed at her. “So, let’s go location hunting, shall we?”
Broden could tell by Ashlynn’s expression that she was actively trying to stay patient. “Edvard. Be there a reason for wanting to do this right now? It can no’ wait for Ash’s return?”
“The city is expanding every possible direction,” Edvard explained. “If we don’t mark out a place and reserve it now for the bridge, we’re going to end up tearing it down later. I’d rather not do that.”
Alright, it made sense. Broden peeked at Ashlynn from the corner of his eyes and found her nodding. Grudgingly so, but a nod regardless.
Resigned, Ashlynn asked, “I suppose you want to do this right now?”
Edvard beamed at her. “You’re not busy.”
“Commanding it does not make it so. Your Majesty.”
“For at least an hour, you’re not busy,” he rephrased, already gathering up his map and ready to stride out the door.
“Yes, yes.” Rolling her eyes, she followed along behind as Edvard nearly skipped out the door.
This eager attitude to go out and start a project was a little out of character for Edvard. As Broden trailed along, he studied the man. Usually Edvard disliked having to do anything else because it meant straining already tight resources to pull it off. So why…? Leaning in closer, he murmured to Ashlynn, “Man be chipper about this.”
She inclined her head toward him to whisper back, “We made him stay in for three days and do paperwork. I think he went a little stir-crazy.”
Ah. Now he got it. Any excuse to leave the office would do, eh?
Going with Edvard anywhere in the city was not a quick trip. He stopped and spoke to anyone that called out. Sometimes it was in an official capacity, other times it was just to chat for a moment. Broden did not know how other kings acted, not when face to face with their own people, but Edvard invested in every individual. He wanted to know how they were, was concerned for the wellbeing, and the people sensed his honest interest and responded in kind.
It neared noon by the time they reached the docks. Edvard stood with arms akimbo and looked around. “Obviously this immediate area is a no-go. But these are the newer sections of the docks. The original ones are reported to be too rickety for use because of their age. I think we might be able to tear them down and use the site for a bridge.”
“Are you sure we can afford to?” Ashlynn lifted a hand to cover her eyes from the harsh sun. “The way we’re expanding, I think we might need every inch of dock space that we can get.”
“I came down to talk to the dockmaster about that very question.” Edvard looked around and frowned when he did not immediately find the man he was looking for. “He was supposed to meet me here. Did he get tied up somewhere?”
Likely so.
From behind, a timid voice called out, “Your Majesty?”
Edvard turned with an automatic smile on his face. “Yes?”
A young girl of fourteen stood with her hands clasped tightly together in front of her stomach. She wore a shoddy dress of dark blue, clean but a size too large for her, brown hair in a single plait over her shoulder. “Sire. Word is that if I’m under fifteen, I can’t be hired. Is that true?”
“Most of the work the government hires out for is taxing for even an adult to do,” Edvard explained. His forehead gathered as he took in her strained expression. “But I do make allowances, depending on the circumstances and what skills people have. Are you an orphan?”
She shook her head rapidly. “My father broke both legs on the way here, sire. I’m the oldest. Someone has to work until he’s well again.”
“Ahhh, I see.”
Ashlynn caught her brother’s eye, gesturing that she would go off looking for the dockmaster while he dealt with the girl’s situation. Edvard gave them a slight nod and a wave to go on.
They both knew without asking that Edvard would hear the girl’s whole story and then find someone that would be willing to hire her. Never mind that it was a prefect’s job to do such a thing. Because she had approached Edvard, it would be the king who would fix it.
“Man has a soft spot for women, he does.”
Ashlynn chuckled softly. “It was because of his soft spot for women that this country was formed. I have no complaints. Besides, I rather like Edvard’s approach to ruling. Hmm, now how to find Dockmaster Hatcher?” Spying a sailor working to unload, she flagged the man down.
He dropped what he was doing and came to her in a scurry of a walk, jerking the cap off his head as he moved and ducking into a bow. “Wizard Ashlynn. What can I do for ya?”
“We’re looking for the dockmaster,” she explained. “Have you seen him?”
The sailor scratched at his thinning hair, head turning this way and that. “He was here a few minutes ago.” Turning back to his companions, he called out, “Hey! Anyone seen Hatcher?”
There were shakes of the head. “Wizard, I can get up in the crow’s nest and take a gander, see if I can spot him for ya?”
“Please do,” Ashlynn requested.
The sailor was like a monkey, he climbed the rigging so fast, and gained the crow’s nest in a bare minute flat. Hand up to shield his eyes, he peered about. Even from this distance, Broden could see a frown appear on the man’s face as he leaned further out, staring hard toward the road.
What was he looking at? It wasn’t anywhere around the dock
s. Broden turned to stare in the same direction and didn’t see anything unusual. He did hear something, though, a lot of excited voices crowding into the same place toward the far side of the road. “What be that about?”
“I don’t know.” Ashlynn was staring hard in the same direction although with this thick crowd, seeing anything was nigh impossible. Pointing toward it, she raised her voice and called to her spy, “What’s going on over there?”
The sailor yelled back, “Some fool on the roof over there just threw a bag of money on the street!”
Bag of money? For a split second, Broden didn’t understand at all. Then he realized that there was only one of two reasons why someone would do such a thing, and one of those reasons wasn’t good. “Lass!”
She was not waiting for him to see the obvious and had already spun back around, eyes frantically searching the roofline. “I see him. Go to Edvard now.”
Broden took off in mad sprint for the last place he had seen his king. Maybe it was just some generous fool throwing money at people, but with the low amount of currency, the odds were against it. More likely this was an assassin and he was using a bag of coin as a diversion to thin the crowd out enough to get a good shot at the king. As he ran, he bellowed, “EDVARD! ASSASIN ON THE ROOF!”
Ashlynn was running just as hard for the possible assassin, magic building up around her as she moved.
Both of them were too late.
From the roof, a quick burst of magic shot out, so small and fast that even though Broden was looking for it, he barely caught sight of it. There was a cry of alarm from up ahead. It felt like something hard punched him right in the gut. Had it hit?
People were scattering in every direction, looking for cover, making it harder for him to find Edvard in the madness. He had to shove some aside.
A man whose face he recognized, although he could not remember the name, waved both hands over his head. “Master Broden!”
Broden weaved his way to him, demanding as he came, “The king?”
“Here.” The man ducked behind a stack of barrels.
Stepping sideways, Broden followed suit and found Edvard sitting upright with his back pressed against the brick wall, a handkerchief in his hands as he pressed against the open wound of another man’s side. The king looked a little shaken, and there was blood all over his hands, but he was steady enough to look up at Broden and command, “I need a physician. Apothecarist. Someone.”
Broden clasped a hand on the man who had called out to him and ordered, “Get some help over here.”
Spinning around, the man took off, and Broden sank onto his haunches to try and help as he could. “What happened?”
“I can’t tell you. I had sent the girl off with instructions to find her prefect, and was about to look for the two of you, when I heard you yelling. I didn’t even have time to figure out which roof when this man—” he looked down at the docksman under his hands “—tackled me and forced me back in here. I would have been shot in the back if not for him.”
Broden had thought the man passed out from the wound but he opened his eyes, voice strained as he spoke. “You’re welcome, Majesty.”
“You fool.” There was no heat in Edvard’s words, just remorse. “The king is to protect his people. Not the other way around.”
“No kingdom without you,” the man denied, his eyes falling shut. “We all know that. There’s not a man or woman in this country that won’t die defending you.”
The consequence of being a good king was that the people loved him. Even to this extent. Broden was touched by the man’s loyalty and quick-thinking. “Ye work these docks, do ye no’?”
“Yes, master.”
“When ye get on yer feet again, come to me. I can train ye to be a guardsman.” It would be better pay than his current position. “Ye just proved ye have the reflexes for it.”
That made the docksman smile. “I’ll be there. Don’t think I’ll not.”
“And I’ll take care of your family until you’re well again, don’t worry about that either,” Edvard tacked on. “Broden, go find that surgeon.”
“I will get the lass.” The docksman was losing far too much blood, a surgeon would not be able to save him at this point. “She be a better option.” So saying, he got to his feet and went to the nearest caller, standing on the corner. Putting his hand against it, he called clearly, “Lass.”
“Broden. I lost him. The man’s slicker than an oiled weasel.”
He was not too surprised. The man had the skills to get past Troi and all of the magical wards protecting Estole after all. “Get back here, then. A man was hit protecting Edvard and he does no’ look like he will make it without yer help.”
“Where are you?”
“Corner of Port Road and Seaside Docks.”
“Coming. I’m not far away.”
Broden went back to the barrels but remained standing, giving Ashlynn a way to see where to go. She was good to her word, back in moments, and lost no time in following his pointing finger toward the barrels. Ducking down, she took in the wounded man with a wince, magic flaring out around her hands.
“Good thing you called me,” she told the listening men. “A surgeon would not help with a magical wound like this. What’s your name, sir?”
“Jacobs, Miss Wizard.”
“Jacobs, I won’t lie. This will feel painful and tingly but remain as still as you can.” At his nod, she spoke the spell with crisp precision, hands lowering as she worked until she touched bare skin, shifting Edvard’s out of the way to do so.
The king retreated and watched as his lifesaver was healed. The wound completely closed, cauterized with magic. As Ashlynn finished, a balding man with a large black bag puffed his way toward them, sweat pouring off his temples.
“There’s an injured man here?”
Broden ushered him to Ashlynn’s side. She immediately made use of the man’s medical knowledge and supplies as they cleaned and bandaged the wound properly. Jacobs remained awake throughout and while still pale, seemed able to breathe a little easier.
With people’s ready help, they got Jacobs out from behind the barrels and the surgeon tagged along as he was carted home. Edvard sat hunched over on his heels, bloody hands dangling between his knees, expression haggard. “Ashlynn, the assassin?”
“Got away,” she admitted sourly. “You’re not hurt?”
“A few bruises from where I was knocked down. But I won’t complain. Jacobs took the hit for me. I swore to him that I would see his family taken care of while he’s recuperating, so help me do that. Also, Broden wants to train him as a guardsman, which he was interested to do.”
“He’s older than our usual recruit,” Ashlynn said with splayed hands, “but after what he just did, I think we can let that slide. I’d be happy to have him.”
“Good, good.” Blowing out a breath, the king looked at the opposite rooftop, where the assassin had lurked. “How did he get past Troi?”
“I’d have to investigate, but I don’t think he came through any of the gates. I’d bet he took advantage of the weak defenses here at the docks. We had to pull from the guard here to deal with a riot earlier. I’m wondering now if the riot wasn’t also the assassin’s doing. Edvard, this isn’t the first assassination attempt this week. It’s just the first that’s gotten far enough to actually put your life in danger. Will you stop pouting now and accept the fact that you need a bodyguard?”
“I wasn’t pouting!” Edvard objected, gaining his feet.
“We’ll argue that point later,” Ashlynn mocked, as only a sister could. “Bodyguard?”
After what had just happened, Edvard could hardly argue that he didn’t need one. He didn’t even try. Shrugging, he resigned himself to the inevitable. “Fine. Bodyguard it is. Find how he got in and plug the hole in our defenses.”
Ashlynn’s lips curled up in a feral smile. “Oh trust me. They won’t be able to pull this trick again. Broden, we’re coming up with a backup plan for riot
s. Robbing our defenses is no longer an option. Edvard, until I have a bodyguard for you, you can’t leave the castle grounds without at least two guardsmen, understood?”
“You do remember that I’m your king, right? That I’m supposed to give the orders?”
Ashlynn gave him a basilisk stare. “Understood?”
Resigned, the King of Estole sighed. “Yes, ma’am.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Riana watched that night as everyone set up camp and it became obvious to her that people were still learning how to set up camp even three days out. The students especially seemed to need almost constant direction from the adults. That said, they did work well together, and in very short order the camp was set up and dinner was being cooked over an open fire. The thing that confused her the most, though, was the multiple layers of wards set up around the area. Putting a ward up around the campsite was just good sense. She had no trouble with that. But every adult wizard in the camp, as well as a few older students, set up a ward to layer over the other wards. Riana lost track after the eighth ward was put up.
Sidling up next to Ash, she asked in a low tone, “Be there something I do no’ know about?”
He gave her a blank look. “I’m sorry?”
She jerked her chin to indicate the wards above their heads. “Those.”
Taking her meaning, he intoned, “Ahh. Those. They are a safety precaution.”
Not for one minute did Riana believe it was just that and the look she bent on him said as much.
Lowering his voice even further, Ash whispered to her, “The truth is Master doesn’t believe that this trip will end peacefully. People keep a very close eye on his academy at all times. He is absolutely certain that our departure was taken note of and reported.”
Riana winced as she cottoned on. “Will it be a pursuit or an ambush, do ye think?”
Arrows of Promise (Kingmakers Book 2) Page 17