Page 5 of The Stag & The Owl
“A spyglass,” Roark said, handing it acrossthe table to her father, who held the lens end up, inspectingit.
“How does this lens work?”
“It’s convex,” Roark explained.“A refractinglens, which converges the rays of light coming in into a widerfield of view.It bends the light so you can focus on one point.You can take the lens out and look at it,” he told her father, whodid exactly that, turning it this way and that and holding it up tothe sky.
“Would you be interested in trading forthis?”he asked Roark, putting the lens back in the tube.
“If I were to trade it, King Jerrik, it wouldbe with someone like you who appreciates it for what it is.However, I cannot.”He cast a quick glance at Alina.“Some thingsare priceless.”
“Yes,” her father said with raised a brow ashe handed the spyglass back to Roark.“Some things in this lifeare.”
Roark put the spyglass into a special sheathattached to his waist belt, and her father turned his attention toLeif, who was speaking loudly with Anders about beer and women.
“You two speak our Northern tongue well forGreen Islers,” he said to Leif.
“My mother is from the west coast of theNorthlands,” Leif told him.“She’s spoken her native tongue to mesince the day I was born, and to Roark every day for the past tenyears.”
“That explains it then,” her father said.“Aswell as your Northern looks.Have you been to the Northlandsbefore?”
“No,” Leif said.“This is my first time here,and Roark’s.”
“How has your trading gone?”
“So well that we plan on leaving tomorrow,”Leif said.
Alina looked at Roark, unable to hide herdismay.“So soon?”
“I’m afraid so,” he said, and seemeddisappointed.
“We’ve finished almost all of our businesshere,” Leif said, “and will set sail sometime tomorrow, dependingon how much beer we drink tonight.”He laughed at his own humor andslapped Roark on the back.“Roark has been anxious to be done hereand on our way home.”
“What are you anxious to get home to?”Alinaasked.
Roark pressed his lips tight and shook hishead.
“My sister,” Leif said, grinning broadly atAlina as if he hadn’t just shot an arrow through her heart.“Hisbetrothed.”
“Oh.”Alina dropped her gaze from Roark’s.“Isee.”She saw that she was no more than a bit of fun and flirtationfor a man whom she had thought different from most.Apparently,she’d thought wrong.She tried to smile like this revelation meantnothing to her, like she too had only considered him a bit of funfor a day.Unfortunately, she was terrible at hiding herfeelings.
“Gwyneth and I have been betrothed since Iwas ten and she four years of age,” Roark said, his smile fleetingas Alina lifted her gaze back to his.“Our families arranged thebetrothal, which is why I was sent to study under Laird Roger, herfather.”
Alina forced a smile.“Then she is a luckygirl, indeed,” she said.And she meant it.Any girl betrothed to aman as handsome as Roark, with his keen mind and rain eyes, wouldbe.“I’m sure she’s as anxious for your return as you are to returnto her.”
Roark let out a wry chuckle.“On that,” hesaid, “you are more right than you know.”
Alina blinked and tilted her head, as if thatwould help her understand his meaning any better.As ifunderstanding would change the fact that he was betrothed toanother and leaving tomorrow and she would never see him againafter tonight.
“I, on the other hand, am not betrothed,”Leif proclaimed, and it took Alina a moment to realize he wasaddressing her.“I would be pleased to offer myself as your partnerfor the evening’s festivities, Princess Alina.”
“Thank you,” she said with politeindifference.“But I have no need of a partner tonight.”
“Suit yourself,” he said less politely.
“I usually do,” she assured him.She caughtRoark’s quick half grin, stood, and dipped her head.“If you willexcuse me, I should go prepare for the night’s festivities.”
***
Roark was only half listening to themiddle-aged stable hand named Pavel, who had taken a seat next tohim after the royal family left the table, his mind going over andover Alina’s reaction to the news he was betrothed and leavingtomorrow.
