Karigan almost snorted tea out her nose. When her laughter subsided to giggles, she had to wipe tears from her eyes. Mara looked vastly satisfied with herself.

Karigan had not laughed like this since she was with Estral, and that seemed like ages ago. It was more healing than all the rest in the world.

“So,” Mara said, “anything new for you? Have you been grilled about your adventures by the king yet?”

“No,” Karigan said, and she had to admit she was surprised. She hadn’t even been summoned, though Lord Coutre had sought her out in the Rider wing to hear everything she had to say about his daughter. He was so caught up in his emotions that he had trouble thanking her for helping Estora. All he could do was pat her on her knee and swallow back tears. The encounter shocked Karigan, but she was gratified by how much he appeared to love his daughter and that he wasn’t just interested in how her abduction affected the marriage alliance with the king.

As for the king, Karigan supposed Captain Mapstone and Fastion had given him all the pertinent details, and maybe he didn’t think it prudent to interrupt her healing rest for an interrogation. Had she expected him to come dashing to her bedside to hear all that had befallen her? She shook her head. He had greater things to worry about than her. Captain Mapstone brought general good wishes for her well-being from the king. Apparently Karigan’s time away had done the job of distancing them, but now she found herself annoyed by it, and even more annoyed at her annoyance. Wasn’t it what she wanted? She just wished he’d request to see her; wanted him to want to see her.

Still, it was all for the best. There was no future for them and the sooner they put aside any feelings they had for each other, the better. The diversion of her message errand and subsequent adventures had helped distract her for a while, but returning to the castle with him so nearby did not. As soon as she was rested and all her hurts fully healed, she’d make sure Captain Mapstone knew she was ready to resume her duties. She’d request the long distance errands, even in the deep of winter. Who knew? Maybe she’d get sent to the Cloud Islands where she could bask in the tropical sun and eat fresh fruit while the castle stood icebound and braced against the northern winds.

Laren Mapstone left the mending wing and set off for the throne room to answer the king’s summons. It pleased her to see both Karigan and Mara looking so well, though she was not certain she’d ever get over the shock of seeing Karigan emerge from the tombs dressed in the black of the Weapons when she was still expecting her to be somewhere in the west. At the time she wondered if this was really her Rider and not some illusion or a twin. But it was neither, and as Karigan’s story came out, it was no less remarkable than her past adventures.

Laren also wouldn’t forget Zachary’s expression of astonishment when he had seen Karigan. The appearance of her in black turned her into something different—older, stern, dangerous. The Weapons had proved evasive when asked why they had permitted her to wear their garb. All she could figure was that they held her in some special regard. It wasn’t just the uniform, but something different in Karigan’s eyes. Something fathomless…Laren shook her head.

She’d managed to restrain Zachary from seeing Karigan. Others would take care of her, she knew, and she would not allow emotions to rise between them. When Zachary expressed a desire to visit Karigan, or summon her, Laren put him off, told him Karigan did not wish to see visitors, did not wish to see him. He’d given her messages to deliver to Karigan, and she’d destroyed them, telling Karigan only the king had wished her well, as he would any of his Riders.

She hated lying, hated having to destroy the emotional connection between them, but there was something much greater at stake—the unity of her country, and united it must stay if it was to fend off aggression from Blackveil. The sacrifice of romantic feelings between two individuals was nothing in comparison.

She walked down corridors with determination in her step. She would do all she could to separate the two, and pray that Lady Estora soon returned so wedding plans could resume. Of course, then she must deal with Lady Estora and the matter of the secret they shared. She shook her head. Nothing was ever easy.

When Laren found herself at the threshold of the throne room, she was jarred from her thoughts when she looked inside and saw the long chamber cast in ethereal light by the presence of Eletians.

She tugged her shortcoat straight and strode down the runner. The three stood before King Zachary cloaked in silvery white with subtle hues of light blue, like a wintry day with the sun glaring off snow.

When she came abreast of them and bowed before the king, she recognized them as the same three who had come before, including Prince Jametari’s sister Graelalea at their head. Colin and Sperren both attended the king, and seemed to blink in the light of the Eletians.

“Greetings, Laren Mapstone,” Graelalea said.

Laren nodded her head in respect.

“The Eletians have come to bid us farewell,” Zachary said.

The idea of the Eletians leaving saddened Laren, for they brought a touch of magic and mystery into the sometimes dour existence of castle and city, and it would be odd for their encampment, which had become such a fixture down at the city gates, to vanish. She hadn’t expected the Eletians to stay indefinitely, but she’d miss them nevertheless, and whatever their motivations for coming to Sacor City to sit on their doorstep, she did not think the people as a whole bad at heart. Just enigmatic.

“Yes, by dawn tomorrow we shall be gone,” Graelalea said.