Page 105 of Spar of Hearts

“What about the King and Queen?” he asked. “The bet was for the highest ruler.”

The stag went rigid, squeezing the daffodil so hard Roderick could hear the fibrous structure of the stem squish and release water. The stag’s eyes darted left and right across the market square, lingering on a pair of armored guards near the fountain. When he looked back at them, the friendliness had drained from his face, replaced by something that looked an awful lot like fear.

“The Winter Prince is our only ruler,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “He upholds the glacial wall. We are blessed to live in his lands.” Each word was stiff, like a child’s recitation homework.

Roderick opened his mouth to ask why he was so nervous, but Anya’s claws closed tightly around his forearm.

“Thank you for your time.” She turned to Roderick. “See? I was right.”

It took a moment for him to catch on. “Ah! Yes, yes, you were. Lunch is on me, then.” He allowed himself to be shepherded away by Anya down an empty alley.

“Sorry,” Anya whispered, finally releasing him. “But did you see his face?” She glanced back toward the market. “That man was genuinely frightened when you asked about a king and queen.”

“You think something happened to them?”

“Something happened. Some kind of coup, or political takeover from the inside. Children of monarchs killing to seize the throne isn’t unheard of. But whatever it was, we can’t underestimate this Winter Prince. Especially if he has the power to uphold the glacial wall.”

“Wonderful. So how do we convince this all-powerful, potentially murderous ruler to trade with us, the very people he’s trying to keep out?”

“I know one thing. I’ll think better on a full stomach.” She pointed to a stone tavern with smoke billowing from the chimney.

Chapter 36

Roderick Bryson

Roderick and Anya ordered ale, wine, and two of the house special, then settled into a knotty pine table by the bar with a view of the setting sun. Warmth emanated through the window.

Anya was positively giddy, eyes flitting about the hall like a child in a sweet shop. Folk around them were playing dominoes, cards, and some sort of gambling game with dice. A thick haze of peppermint smoke hung in the air. He felt the ghost of a cigar on his lips and had to resist the muscle memory in his fingers.

“Have you never been to a tavern before?” Roderick asked with a chuckle, raising his voice over the din.

Anya took a generous swig of her wine before answering. “A few times, but I had to wear a cloak and keep my head down. It takes the fun out of the atmosphere when you’re the brooding stranger at the bar.”

“You? Brooding? Never.”

Anya huffed. “I’m going to brood if our food isn’t ready soon.”

“Then let’s talk strategy to distract you.” He rolled out the map, holding it flat with each of their drinks. “Unsurprisingly, we are in the northern part of Aquillas. They apparently couldn’t spare us the decency of having a passage in the south.” He pointed to the town of Traansa on the map, then squinted at the legend. “Can you estimate how far Solenergi is from here? I can’t read the legend in this light.”

Anya leaned over, peered at the legend in the corner of the map, then traced a long, delicate claw over the mountains.

“I would say about three days’ journey.”

Roderick straightened. “Then forget that book! We can work for Juniper tomorrow, buy some rations and be on our way.”

“But what if their rulers won’t trade with us? Or mana stones can’t cure the illness? We need a back-up plan. It would be best to not have to rely on the generosity of Aquillas should we find ourselves in the same position in the future. And I refuse to go back to Valeria wondering if that plant is the cure.”

“Technically, it’s a fungus.”

“Now you get smart?” she retorted, trying and failing to keep her lips from tugging into a smile.

“Only with you. I think it rubs off,” he said, slipping his hand over hers. He fiddled with the ring on her forefinger, spinning it a few times before weaving their fingers together. He caught her eyelashes flutter, then grow heavy as she finally gave herself over to the simple touch.

“Three days,” Anya murmured, staring down at their hands. “I thought we would have more time.”

“For what?”

“This. Learning about Aquillas, meeting its people…” Her eyes darted up, fingers tensed. “Oh, that was terrible to say, please don’t think ill of me, I want to get back to the children as quickly as possible. But I’ve enjoyed being…how do I put it—”