by Raye Wagner
The knight ignored Evzan’s hand and scrambled to his feet. “I don’t owe you anything, Evzan.” Sir Vodnik fixed her guard with a glare then turned to Adaline, the knight’s anger becoming hatred. “And you better watch your back, little boy. Next time, I won’t take it so easy on you.”
Evzan shook his head. “It’s General Shulz to you, Sir Vodnik. Now, get out of here, and don’t touch my squire again, or you’ll answer to my sword.” He gazed at the crowd and hollered, “What are you looking at? The show’s over. Get back to work.”
Then Evzan turned his fury on her. Grabbing her arm, he dragged her toward their tent. “What in the name of Kurat were you thinking? You were supposed to be doing laundry, staying away from attention, not gathering it, d’Line.”
“The fault is not his,” Sir Tredak said, sidling up to them. “Although, it is clear you’ve spent time training your squire.” The knight turned to her. “Your skill is quite impressive.”
Where did he come from? But the compliment made Adaline smile and did wonders for her confidence.
Evzan turned his glare to the other knight. “I should’ve known you’d be here with . . . him.” He shook his head and growled, “Do I even want to know what happened?”
Adaline looked from Evzan to Tredak; their familiarity hinted at more than new acquaintances. “You know each other.” As soon as she spoke, she was certain of it. “How long have you known each other?”
“Too long,” Evzan grumbled.
At the same time, Sir Tredak chuckled and said, “We’ve fought together for ages.”
Adaline wasn’t sure what to make of their answers, but the tension running between the two indicated significant history.
“Right, well, thank you for keeping my squire out of serious trouble, Tredak,” Evzan said, his tone laced with sarcasm. Glaring at the knight, he said, “If you’ll excuse us.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Squire d’Line,” Sir Tredak called after them.
Adaline turned to answer, but Evzan jerked her forward before she was able to say anything though she did catch a glimpse of the shrewd knight still grinning after them.
“He helped me with your laundry and showed me around,” Adaline said, keeping her voice low. “You didn’t have to be so mean to him.”
Evzan shook his head. “The entire point of leaving you with washing and mending was to keep you away from the camp. We don’t want eyes on you.”
“Well, how am I supposed to win the army’s trust if I’m in hiding? I need to know what’s going on, Evzan, if I’m going to become a good”—she remembered her faux identity just before saying queen and substituted—“leader.”
“We are here for an assessment; that’s it,” he said, dragging her after him. “And I now have one for you.”
Adaline jogged to keep up with his brisk pace. Between huffs, she said, “I really hope that in the course of this ruse, you do not forget who I truly am.”
She tapped his fingers still gripping her arm.
He released her and took a deep breath as if he was going to respond, but they stepped into their campsite . . . only to see it in shambles. Evzan kicked a thin metal cup across the ground and swore.
“All our clean clothes,” Adaline said with a huff. Hours of work for nothing.
Leaning over, Evzan began to collect their scattered things and growled, “Vodnik, that cowardly worm.”
Adaline swallowed her frustration and rushed to help. She spotted her burlap pouch and laid the fabric out. She collected their now rumpled and dirty clothes and frowned. “I guess I’ll be doing laundry again tomorrow.”
Evzan smoothed out their tent and drove the stakes back into the corners before raising the supports. They worked in silence until the structure was standing and they’d gathered all of their possessions out of the dirt.
A few soldiers passed, but none offered to help, nor did they inquire. Perhaps internal squabbles among the knights wasn’t atypical.
Evzan pointed to the tent. “I need you to stay in there until I get back, right?”
Adaline opened her mouth to ask why.
“We need to eat,”—he held out his hand to stop her protest—“and you are not as quiet as me, you can’t hunt as well as me, and I can’t leave if you don’t give me your word.”
Ouch. “Yes, fine.” She sighed. “I promise.”
The sun hung halfway below the horizon when Evzan returned an hour later with two rabbits. He called her out of the tent and pointed at the ground. “I need you to dig me a pit so we can roast them.” When she raised her eyebrows at him, he added, “Unless you want to clean them while I dig?”
She shook her head and grabbed the pick.
While he rotated the spit over the fire, he filled her in. “The generals have a tenuous hold on the army. They’re convinced the Malas have only joined because of the prospect of increasing their wealth as we advance into Beloch. They are the ones who raze the fiefdoms and burn them to the ground. There are murmurings among the knights because the Malas follow only their general, not one of the Cerveneans. A third of the generals want to expel the Malas, but the others know they will be needed if we are to take Rizy.”
“What about the peasants?” Adaline asked. “Where do they fit in? Or do they?”
Evzan’s eyes widened and then narrowed. “Did Tredak take you to the outskirts of camp?”
Adaline nodded. “You said he knew who I am, and I thought you trusted him. I do feel safe with him. Anyway, he helped me with the laundry and then gave me a tour of the encampment. We had a disagreement about the peasants.” She rolled her lips under her teeth for a moment before asking, “Did my father not treat the peasants well? Do you know how it’s done in Temavy? Sir Tredak said they’re treated better there.”
Evzan snorted his disgust. He pulled the rod from the braces over the fire and then placed it on a separate set to allow the meat to cool. “Temavy’s monarch is a figurehead. They have an elected council that holds more power than their king.”
Adaline knew they had a council. “And what of the peasants?”
“Everyone has the right to vote on the council. Every adult. That’s why decisions take so long. Anything that doesn’t have a unanimous decision from the council that’s also ratified by the king goes to the people for a vote. The majority wins.”
Adaline stared at Evzan in shock. “That would take a long time.”
“Indeed.”
Evzan split the stick in half and extended one end to Adaline. An entire rabbit was roasted on that half of the spit.
“There’s no way I’m going to eat all of that,” Adaline said, although her stomach growled in disagreement. Adaline took a bite of the glistening meat and grinned.
Evzan continued, “After supper, we’ll go retrieve my clothing, assuming it’s decent—”
“Excuse me?” she protested. “Shouldn’t you be thanking me for washing your laundry?”
“I suppose I’ll thank you, depending on the state of my tunic.” He smirked. “We break camp at sun up. The army is advancing to the next township on the way to Rizy. I think we should take this opportunity to return to Burdad.”
Adaline shook her head and swallowed. “I’m not going back to Burdad yet. We’ve got to fix the army, Evzan. They aren’t working as a single unit, which is inefficient at best. Unless things have changed, Beloch hasn’t mobilized all their force. Maybe that’s why we’ve been successful thus far. But as we get closer to Rizy, the battles won’t be won just because of our numbers.”
The silence between them was tight and coiled like a snake waiting to strike.
“I think you’ve lost sight of why you came here. You wanted a report; you have a report. Now, let’s return to Cervene, and Dimira and you can decide on a plan.”
“How preposterous. Go all the way back to Burdad only to have to send a messenger back with instructions?” She flung her arms up in frustration. “I’m right; why won’t you listen? You act like I’m incompetent.”
“Well, my determination has gotten Cervene this far, hasn't it?” Adaline stood and dusted off her dirty tunic and breeches, which were now no cleaner than her spare pair that had been tossed on the ground earlier. “If the army is leaving at daybreak, perhaps you would accompany me to the river we passed coming into camp? I could wash our clothes there.”
Evzan shook his head.
“Is that a no?” she asked, exasperated with his sulky silence. “All right. I’ll find Sir Tredak and ask him to accompany me if you’d rather.”
Evzan snorted, but when Adaline gathered up the clothes and started walking out of camp, he stood. “Fine,” he snapped, catching up to her with a few strides. “But we’re washing clothes and then returning to camp.”
9
They walked in silence through the busy camp. Many of the men were having supper or drinking and playing dice games. A few were packing so the morning’s work would be lessened. Adaline was surprised to see who took their responsibility most seriously. There were far more peasants packing up and organizing their belongings than those who were titled.
“Do you know why?” Tredak asked, silently joining Adaline and Evzan on the dirt path.
Adaline had seen him approaching, but Evzan’s growl indicated he had not.
“Why what?” Adaline asked, willingly taking the bait.
“Why they work harder. They’re hoping to better their station. The way your government is set up, if they return victorious, won’t some of them be knighted? And others could possibly win fiefdoms of their own, could they not? If your knights perform especially well, doesn’t your system allow them to be awarded dukedoms or lordships?” Sir Tredak glanced at Adaline, his eyes reflecting the firelight beyond.
Adaline nodded as understanding dawned. “And those ones?” she asked, pointing at a group playing dice. “Do you think they were always after sport?”
Tredak and Evzan both glanced at where Adaline had indicated. Evzan snorted, his new favorite expression, but Tredak answered her. “Perhaps. But not all your men who indulge now were always such. Some have become disillusioned as they strive for something very few attain, and more often than not based on nepotism instead of success.”
“Perhaps it’s time to change some of that in Cervene,” she grumbled, both pleased and displeased for different reasons altogether. “I’m sure Dimira will listen.”
Evzan snorted again, and Adaline whirled on him. “Will you please stop it? You sound like a barnyard animal. Why is it every time Sir Tredak is around, you turn to sounds instead of words?”
Sir Tredak burst into rich laughter. “Young d’Line, you’re a true gem. I have to leave for a little while, but I’ll catch up with you tomorrow. Sir Evzan, I expect you to keep your charge safe.”
Adaline was still processing what had happened when the knight disappeared into the throng of camp. She turned on Evzan. “Who is he?” she demanded. “Is he really a knight, or does he hold a higher rank at court or perhaps in the army?”
Evzan said nothing as he continued his brisk pace, and Adaline raced to catch up with him, stopping once to adjust her load so she wasn’t dragging the sleeve of her tunic down the embankment. When they reached the river, Adaline dropped the clothes on the muddy bank and stooped over to untie her boots. After peeling off her stockings, she waded several feet into the rushing current, tilting her head up to take in the rich colors of dusk.
“I thought you said you were going to do the laundry?” Evzan asked.
The cool water danced over her skin in a delicious caress. Adaline waded deeper into the flow, letting her breeches and tunic get wet. She swished back and forth in the water and said, “I am. I’m washing my clothes right now.”
Adaline smiled up at the darkening sky, pretending, for a moment, that all was right in the world. She scrubbed her hands and then drank her fill. Then she took a deep breath and plunged into the water. The current tugged and pulled at her hair, and Adaline yanked the strap at her neck, freeing her flaxen tresses. The water roared in her ears, drowning out all the noise up above. She massaged her scalp and rubbed her clothes as her lungs burned. But the second she came up for air, she would have to face—
“d’Line!”
She heard Evzan’s muffled voice through the water before something smacked her in the face. Disoriented, she caught her footing on the river’s mossy bed and stood.
“D’Line! Where are you—”
Adaline cracked the top of her head on Evzan’s chin, cutting off his cry for her mid-yell. He stumbled forward, and Adaline lost her footing on the slimy stones just as Evzan fell on top of her. He landed with his chest on her face, the two of them were carried away by the current, and panic washed over the princess.
10
Adaline gasped, gulping a lungful of water, and thrashed underneath her heavy guard. Evzan wind milled his arms, and his legs tangled with hers. Water rushed into her mouth and nose, and she pushed off the bottom, trying to break the surface.
Adaline couldn’t feel where Evzan’s body ended, but if she could get her legs under her, she could push her way up. She tried to stand, but the water was deeper downriver, and she could no longer reach the bottom. She scratched and clawed, the last of her air bubbling out from her mouth in her panic. If she couldn’t get Evzan off of her, she was going to drown.
She felt his sudden halt a fraction of a second before she crashed into him. Evzan wrapped her in his arms and pulled her close, her shoulder and hip bumping against his body. She lifted her head from the water and gasped.
“Elu and Ora,” he swore through sputtering breaths. “Adaline?” He rested his palm on her head, ran his fingers down her hair, and then patted her back as she coughed. “Adaline?”
“You . . . fool . . .” She continued to hack but reached her hand up in the air to pat him. She smacked him several times on the cheek and lips, the bristles of his whiskers scratchy on her skin. “Please . . . stop . . . talking.”
Evzan chuckled, a warm, throaty sound, and pulled her to him in a crushing embrace.
Adaline felt waterlogged and limp, like she was the tunic and the river had given her a thorough washing. Evzan’s warmth radiated through their wet clothes, infusing her with a small measure of comfort.
“Such a fool,” he muttered, his voice rumbling through his chest as he ran his hand up and down her back.
If he was referring to himself, Adaline was inclined to agree. The realization that she’d almost drown, they’d almost drown, suddenly hit her as incredibly funny. Her gasping coughs turned to low chuckles as she patted Evzan’s chest, reassuring herself that they were, in fact, both alive.
The sun had set, and the moon was just making its ascent into the night. The stars burst through the darkness, their small pinpricks of light teasing Adaline, making her wonder if she was still air-deprived. She inhaled, long and slow, her chest rising against her guard’s, and she felt him still.
“Princess?” he whispered.
His strangled voice made her insides melt. She released the breath and took another, a slow-spreading warmth burning low in her belly. She curled her hands, gripping his tunic, and closed her eyes. An aching desire made her shift so she was fully facing him, and the current drove her closer.
His muscles tightened. He dropped his hands to her waist and tugged her so their bodies were flush. In a rough voice filled with longing, he whispered, “Adaline.”
Her stomach flipped, and she blinked up at him. Their gazes locked, and the air around them charged. Her skin prickled as her awareness of him heightened, and she shifted closer, instinct driving her with desire. Adaline drank him in as if he were the very air her lungs were craving.
His hair fell wet and loose, the ends of his curls dripping water onto his face and chest. The moonlight glistened off the small droplets clinging to his lashes, and his eyes stormed with long-suppressed emotion. Studying her, his lips parted wi
th his next inhalation.
She’d almost died. He’d almost died. Without thinking, she raised her hand and brushed her fingertips over his lips.
Evzan shuddered against her. “Adaline,” he said, his voice low and uneven. “I need . . .”
She had no idea what he needed. Reassurance? Distance? Control? Whatever it was, this desire of his, she wanted to give it to him. She touched his cheeks, his chin, his eyes, tracing his dark brows. She tucked a lock of his hair behind his ear and then ran her fingers through his curls.
He groaned, and his grip at her waist tightened.
“Why do you hate me sometimes?” she asked. Her feet found purchase on top of his, and Adaline pushed up on her tiptoes to see him better. “Why do you pretend to hate me?”
He dropped his chin toward his chest, bringing his eyes level to hers. Leaning forward, he whispered in her ear, “I don’t want you to destroy me.”
Adaline gulped as he nipped her earlobe, sucking it into his mouth. He released her ear and ran the tip of his nose up her neck, making her shiver.
“If there was ever a woman born who could hold me, the Celestials ensured it was you.” He ran his tongue up her ear. “I want you, all of you, all to myself, for every moment of all eternity. But the Celestials will never allow me that kind of joy.”
His words held almost no meaning as his lips and tongue obliterated her rational thought. He pulled back, and she gripped his arms and whimpered, “Please.” She didn’t know what she was asking for, only begging him not to stop. She cupped his face and stared into his eyes, seeing her desire reflected in his own want. “Please,” she said, her voice husky. “Please . . .”
Evzan crushed his mouth to hers. His hands kneaded her back, and she curled her body to his. He brushed his tongue against her lips, and she opened her mouth when he nipped her again. And then his tongue stroked hers. Adaline felt like she was drowning again, only this time she didn’t want it to stop.