Page 183 of Shadow Queen
He smiled sheepishly. “You’ve caught me in the middle of cutting my hair.”
She shook her head in confusion. “Why? I thought you were letting it grow long?”
He shrugged. “I was, but…” His words trailed off.
She sighed. The conversation with Alexander must have gone poorly, and by the looks of it—very poorly.
He opened the door wider, inviting her in, and she winced at his handiwork as she got a better look at his head.
“Thank you,” he said, surprising her further. “I know you talked to him. He found me after, and he was… different. Understanding.”
“Then why are you cutting your hair?”
Adrian inhaled deeply. “I’ll continue to get ink markings if I earn them. It’s who I am now.” He paused for a moment. “But my hair, it means nothing to me. It means something to him, though, so I’ll cut it to show that he’s still in my heart and what’s important to him is important to me.”
Norah smiled through the emotion that had so suddenly overtaken her. “You’re a good brother, Adrian.”
He smiled bashfully.
“Would you like some help?” she asked.
“Very much so.” He sighed in relief, and she laughed as he handed her the shears.
Chapter fifty-five
TimepassedquicklyinMercia, more quickly than Norah thought it would. While the nights were long without Mikael beside her, the days were filled with challenges that kept her on her toes.
The first thing she’d done when she reached Mercia was redirect steel-good shipments to Kharav, much to the council’s dismay. They had somewhat valid arguments: promised shipments to trade partners, low inventories, slow mining times. But promises to Kharav were most important—Mikael came first.
Getting settled into Mercia’s affairs proved more difficult than she’d expected. She was surprised at how much the council had so freely taken upon themselves to adjudicate things—things well within her authority, within Catherine’s authority as regent in her absence. She tried not to jump to judgment. She’d been away in Kharav for quite some time, and Mercia needed strong leadership.
The attacks on the villages in the outer reaches had mostly stopped, thanks to the coverage the Aleon legions provided. Norah was thankful. Phillip wrote to her often, mostly with updates for Alexander and her forces, for which she was also thankful.
The days came easier as she gained her footing, but she still fought the unease of returning to the North. She did love Mercia. It just wasn’t her home anymore.
Norah walked briskly to the judisaept, with Cusco and Cavaatsa trailing behind. She took the dogs everywhere, even to address state matters, under the council’s disapproving eye. But they said nothing. She dared them to.
Another letter had come from Phillip. She hoped it brought news of his plans to advance on Japheth. He’d been moving his forces to the southern border of Eilor and stretching them across to Bahoul.
Mikael had sent the Kharavian forces northeast to the Canyonlands, heavily manning the eastern pass, and was doubling armies at Kharav’s only two seaports. She worried for him. Not because she thought Kharav was unsafe but because he was alone. And she loved him.
Norah stepped into the judisaept. As usual, the council had already arrived and was waiting. Did they ever leave? Sometimes she thought they slept there.
Soren took his usual place beside her, resting his axe between his feet. Catherine had urged her to keep him from bringing weapons, but Norah would save her arguments with Soren for things that really mattered.
Alexander handed her the sealed letter and then took his place at the opposite head of the table. She broke the wax and opened it.
“Queen Norah,” she read Phillip’s words aloud. “I trust you remain well and safe in Mercia. I write with urgency, for I’ve discovered the army of Rael is larger than we understood before. Much larger, in fact…”
She couldn’t speak the words anymore, she only read. Her heart hammered in her chest. She handed the letter to Soren, who read it over.
“What does it say?” Edward asked.
“Aleon’s not going to march on Japheth,” she said breathlessly.
Soren tossed the letter onto the table for Alexander, who picked it up.
“So, a delay in war,” Councilman Alastair said. “That’s not necessarily a bad thing.”
