Page 65 of The Sun King's Noon

“May the stars allow us to meet again, Sun King.” Vikram smiled. “And may you be free of herbs when we do.”

CHAPTER 26

The next few hours raced by. After a quick stint in the bathing quarters—during which William appeared with new clothes and weary frustration,“Oh, I’ve aged twenty years this morn, milord, I must tell you. Twenty!”—Richard was prepared to see off the Frostheim delegation.

He received chiding looks from the High Council, who’d gathered in the outer courtyard—no doubt wondering where he’d been when the Estaran and Naradeshi delegations departed—but Richard ignored it all to focus on his old friend. She stood ready to leave by a cluster of horses. Frostheim travelled lean. No carriages—only riders and pack beasts.

Richard was relieved to see none of his siblings there. Kaelen, too, was absent from Dain’s side—likely preparing for his mission.

“There he is!” Seola crossed the distance in three long strides and crushed him to her, lifting his feet from the ground. “I feared you had fled the realm, old friend!”

“Friend. My bones,” he wheezed.

“Bah.” She set him down with a snort. “You act as if you are a hundred.”

“I had not the chance to apologise about Galdran?—”

“No need.” She waved a gloved hand. “He shall fall. They always do. Recall you are not alone in this. Frostheim will sail when the call comes. You have my word.”

Richard clasped forearms with her. “Thank you.”

“Our realms’ friendship endures while I hold breath. And as to the First Creature, we shall investigate the matter of the Great Squid. I shall hunt it myself should its heart prove of value.”

Richard frowned at her. “You will have care.”

“Care?” Seola grinned. “You know me better than that. I’d sooner be drowned by a magnificent creature than die a doddering old woman.”

From behind Richard came a scoff. “Nothing wrong with being an old woman, lassie. My bones may creak, and my breasts sag to my hips, but I live yet to go on adventures.”

Richard sighed and moved sideways so Seola could meet Lady Agnes’s glower.

“I have no wish to live until my breasts sag, old lady,” Seola sniped, folding her arms. “I’d rather cut them off.”

Agnes cleared her throat and spat into a handkerchief. “Cut them off? Well, there’s a thought, there is.” She trailed her gaze down to Seola’s chest. “Don’t appear to be much to cut, I suppose.”

Seola spluttered, raising herself to her full height and going for her sword. “You crone! Dare you think my small breasts an insult? They are beautiful as they are and fit perfectly in my wife’s hands?—”

“My Lady of the Nine Tails!” From the nearest horse came Ragnar’s groan. “Princess, please, let us depart before you challenge a white-haired elder to a duel.”

Seola muttered a curse, flicked Agnes a rude gesture and mounted her horse. Her eyes softened as she clasped arms with Richard once more.

“Farewell, old friend. May the Great Raven guide your steps.”

Richard tightened his grip, suddenly aware of the fragility of a future meeting. “Farewell, Seola. Stay safe. Stay well. I will see you again.”

* * *

The restof the afternoon devoured Richard. An hour was spent consoling Lord Byrom, who wept over his decision to hire the witch violinist.

“Your Majesty—oh, Your Majesty, I cannot—I—it was I, Sire, I who hired that woman. I who signed the writ, I who placed her name upon the list! Oh by the gods, I shall never sleep again. I shall resign, Your Majesty. I must resign. I shall take my family into the wilderness and tend to the bees?—”

It took time to remind Byrom that he had, in fact, tried to check with Richard about the violinist. It took more time after that to convince Byrom to take back his resignation letter. Thereafter, Richard had to face Lady Kestrel’s gloom as he signed repair quotations, and as the sun set, he walked through the back garden with her and Lord Gregory to watch the faun pavilion come down. Gregory chattered endlessly about the splendour of Naradesh’s exit, and Richard’s stomach twisted on learning of Ravi’s final kiss.

“Quite the spectacle in the courtyard, you missed, Your Majesty. Young Lord Ravi—what a handsome lad, really, those eyes, that hair—he sought out Sir Kaelen before mounting. Marched right up to him, bold as brass, in front of all assembled. And then kissed him—held the back of Sir Kaelen’s head and went all for it.” Gregory chuckled. “Everyone hooted and whistled, and Sir Kaelen dipped the Naradeshi lord and gave back as good as he got. Oh, what a farewell! It left all the young nobles swooning.”

If Gregory noticed Richard’s rigid frame or fisted hands, he made no mention of it—rushing instead to help Lady Kestrel collect her spilled ledgers.

Once darkness came, Richard dawdled near the training grounds. It was as he crossed the first-floor gallery that he overheard Briony arguing with two familiar voices. Richard peered around a pillar and saw his sister passing her sketchbook to Isolde and Godwyn.