“He worries.”
“Hehovers.” She scowls, but I can see the love blazing in her eyes. “Though I suppose I can’t complain about that at the moment. He’s off on a mission with the Ember Guild. Don’t tell him—I’ll never admit it if you do—but I’m actually bored to tears without him here to monitor my every sneeze and hiccup.”
“Will they be back soon?”
“A few days, I should think.” Her eyes glitter knowingly. “Eager to see Prince Pendefyre again, are you? I’ve heard you two are quite inseparable.”
“I—” My cheeks flame. “No, I—”
“Are you truly staying in his chambers?”
“Well, yes, but it’s not—”
“Oh, look how red you are! I’m sorry! I’m only teasing. Terribleof me, when you’re the first diversion I’ve had all day.” She heaves a sigh. “Truth be told, I have no real notion of when the men will be back. All I know is that there was another earthquake a few days ago near the border, not far from the range.”
“I didn’t know the quakes had moved so far north,” I murmur, brow furrowing at the news. Land tremors were far from uncommon in the Midlands. Eli had told me they were even worse in the far south—strong enough to flatten whole towns. But that was not the case in the Northlands.
At least, not until now.
“I’ve lived in Dyved all my life, and never have there been so many tremors as in the past few years.” Carys shakes her head slowly back and forth. “Many are saying it is a bad omen of things to come. A warning that the blight is spreading more quickly, creeping past the mountains that have protected us for so long.”
“This quake, was it a very strong one?”
“Apparently strong enough to trigger an avalanche. An entire trading post at the base of the mountains was buried in snow and ice.”
“That’s terrible.” I expel a short breath. “Were there any survivors?”
“I expect the Ember Guild went to find out just that. That’s what they do when they aren’t off fighting some campaign or other against the Reavers and Frostlanders. They go where they’re most needed, often at a moment’s notice, whenever the prince asks.”
“Asks?” My brows arch. “Commandswould be more accurate, would it not?”
“Perhaps you’re right. His men would follow him out of sovereign duty. But I suspect even without a royal title, they would follow Pendefyre to the ends of the earth. He has long sinceearned their fealty. He is a good man.” She pauses. “Surely, you know that better than anyone.”
I keep silent, at a loss for words.
Her green eyes are sharp as blades, belying the softness of her voice. “Did you know, before the avalanche took him south, he spent two full days going door to door through the city, visiting the widows and widowers of Uther’s slain unit? Every man and woman who lost a husband against the Reavers; every child who lost a father. More than thirty households.”
“No,” I breathe. “No, I didn’t know.”
“The bodies were retrieved from the Cimmerians and delivered for exequies the same day you arrived here. Uther told me the prince personally arranged and attended each funeral.”
My throat feels oddly thick. I swallow hard to clear it.
“Many of those widowed are my friends. So I feel confident sharing with you how much it meant to them to have their prince there as the pyres burned and the ashes scattered. To have their men put to rest properly. To give such senseless loss a purpose.” She studies me carefully. “Prince Pendefyre is a good leader and an even better friend. He may not be a perfect gentleman, he may come across as gruff and arrogant and short-tempered…but there is a heart that beats behind the thick defensive walls he shields himself with.” Her lips twist wryly. “One must merely be clever at climbing.”
“His heart does not beat,” I mutter under my breath. “It bleeds like an open wound.”
“What was that?”
My gaze moves back to hers, and I raise my voice to an audible level. “He does not want me scaling his walls any more than I want him burrowing under mine.”
“Are you sure about that?”
I hesitate for a long beat—long enough for Carys to clap her hands together and change the subject.
“In any case, they’ve gone to aid however they can. I expect they’ll be gone at least a week. But so long as Uther returns before the little one makes his or her grand debut, I’ll be glad enough.”
“If he is not back in time, do you have anyone to be with you?”