“Well, that’s certainly wonderful news.” Jax scanned the woman’s face, unsure if Vita was happy for her sister or not. “When is the wedding? We must arrange for you to visit.”
Vita glanced down at her empty hands. “Father didn’t say.” She met Jax’s gaze with a tentative plea. “Might I borrow a messenger bird to carry a response home?”
“Of course. The crowned falcon that delivered our mail this morning is still down at the gatehouse.” Standing on her toes, Jax reached for one of the higher shelves and selected a bound collection of letters Allonious Xavier had sent to his allies during the final battle leading up to the Rebirth. Perhaps it will offer some much-needed guidance. Since her grandfather had chosen to remain in Mensina, she required the wisdom of an elder with experience in such diplomatic matters. Allonious was all she had at the moment.
Vita, lost in her own thoughts, stared out the window. “What a beautiful day to be with friends,” she murmured, almost so quietly Jax wasn’t sure if she’d heard her right. “I can write home later. I just need to change my shoes and I’ll be ready for some sunshine.” She lifted her skirts high enough to showcase her prized ruby-gold slippers once more.
Jax laughed. “I can’t believe you’re finally taking them off.”
“Not for long.” A bashful grin stretched across Vita’s lips, her homesickness seemingly subdued for the time being. “I’ll bring the croquet set down with me.” She waved over her shoulder as she retreated to her next task.
“Take your time,” Jax called after the young woman, still examining the extensive collection her father had accrued. Not much had been chronicled about the Rebirth during its time, but it certainly seemed like a multitude of scholars had focused on Allonious Xavier’s life and personal deeds.
Finding Uma stretched out on the back patio, Jax eyed the bulging wicker basket at her friend’s side with hunger. “Do you think it’s too early to start in on that?” She chuckled, motioning to the overflowing container.
“Who am I to stop you? I think you’ve earned a little treat.” Reaching into the folds of the cloth, Uma pulled out a glistening pastry. “To tide you over.”
Blueberries and blackberries popped delightfully against Jax’s tongue as she gobbled down the treat, meandering arm-in-arm with Uma along the back pathway that led to the picturesque pond. “It hardly seems possible that we are on the brink of war, doesn’t it?” To emphasize her point, Jax inhaled the sweet, dewy air with relish.
Uma’s bottom lip quivered. “Well, I think we are all doing a fine job pretending we are having a relaxing getaway rather than hiding from another attack on your life.”
Jax’s brow furrowed with mock annoyance. “How are we to escape reality if you keep bringing it up?”
Sighing, Uma halted at the edge of the serene glen, her russet eyes searching the landscape. “Do you think we are really safe out here, Jax? With George bedridden and only a small squadron of soldiers, are you really sure we can afford to let our guard down?”
Jax snorted, her hands on her hips. “Who said anything about letting our guard down?” Pulling the wispy blanket off the top of the picnic basket, she helped Uma spread it out under the shade of a lone willow tree. “I haven’t forgotten what chaos lies outside these borders, dear one, but if I spend every waking moment thinking about it, I’ll go mad.”
Uma sank to the blanketed ground, embarrassment washing over her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to suggest you weren’t focused on the tasks ahead.” She grimaced at her misstep. “It’s just…are you sure it’s wise to be all the way out here without an army to protect you?”
Lying down beside her worried friend, Jax closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the simple feeling of cushioned grass beneath her. “I had an army protecting me back home,” she resumed after a beat, “and look how well that went.” She propped herself on her side with an elbow and gave Uma a long, searching look. “I’m as safe out here as I could be anywhere else. Goodness, this estate was built for a siege.” She twirled a loose strand of hair around a finger. “Unfortunately, wartime does not create a sound environment, dear one. Let’s try to enjoy these peaceful moments while we can.”
Uma hugged her knees to her chest. “What happens next?” Her gaze traveled across the sparkling, calm pond before them. “How long will we be confined to this place?”
Tilting her head back to look at the cloudless sky, Jax pondered the question herself. “I don’t know. I suppose once the Ducal Guard finishes their inquiry into Raulph’s attack, we can return to the palace.”
“You don’t sound convinced that they’ll get to the bottom of his motivations.” Uma raised an eyebrow. “You’re not the only one who is capable of solving puzzles, you know. Give them time.”
Uma’s attempt at humor did little to tug at Jax’s downturned lips. “It’s not that.” Part of her wished she had remained at home to help the guards with their investigation, but that was not the main reason she felt reluctant to return to the palace. “The palace is a fortress, filled with my subjects. Raulph may have acted on his own, but who’s to say there won’t be more attempts on my life? Who else might be harmed—or worse—trying to prevent something from happening to me?” She shuddered. “At least here, we are secluded and far away from my citizens. Should something happen, not as many people have a chance at being harmed.”
Color drained from her face as Uma sucked in a deep breath.
Jax smiled, sadness pressing against her heart. “I’m sorry your role as lady-in-waiting puts you in danger. I’d send you away—”
“I wouldn’t go.”
Jax reached for Uma’s trembling hands and squeezed them with all the sisterly love she had within her. “Enough of this. We’re acting like we’ll be trapped here for months. We’ll likely hear from the other duchies about the War Council before the week is out.”
Uma’s snarky laugh danced across the swirling meadow grasses. “And you call that a bright side?”
Their giggles fell into silence as the two cracked open the spines of their selected reading and enjoyed the serenity of the late morning. Vita joined them a short while later, dragging both a croquet set and sour-faced Carriena in tow.
“How did things go with your father?” Jax asked, patting the ground to encourage Carriena to join them.
In a huff, Carriena plopped down beside her, her skirts mushrooming out as she struggled to get comfortable. “I don’t know. He says he’s changed, that he’s trying to be a better man.” She crossed her arms. “I’m not sure if I can trust him.” Biting her lip, her lilac gaze locked on Jax. “And I’m not sure you can either.”
“What do you mean?” Jax harnessed her heartbeat, not wanting to get too ahead of herself. Carriena had always had a stormy relationship with her father, and Jax was used to Carriena’s distrusting attitude toward Thanasis. Besides, a relationship between a father and daughter was far more complex than a relationship between ducal leaders.
Carriena growled in warning. “He’s always looked out for himself. Just remember that.”
Jax chuckled, patting her friend on the back. “I’d consider him a fool if he didn’t.”
Carriena raised an eyebrow, clearly offended that Jax would take Thanasis’s side.
Before Jax could comfort her friend, distant, but distinct grumbling reached her ears. Whipping her head in the direction of the estate, her eyes widened to see Sabine and Charles assisting George, who muttered protests as he limped across the lawn.
As the trio arrived, winded and sweaty from their arduous journey, Jax sputtered. “I thought Captain Solomon was to remain in bed?” Panic filtered from her gaze as she fixated on a blushing Charles.
“Considering his rapid improvement, I thought the fresh air and sun would be good for him.” The physician puffed out his chest with slight defiance.
Sabine giggled. “He also wouldn’t shut up about the lack of guards out here to protect you, Duchess. I dare say, this little jaunt is more for our sanity th
an his.”
Jax turned her attention to George, his tall, muscular form leaning heavily on his two escorts. “Corporal Highriver has two men stationed across the pond.” She pointed to the figures standing at attention by the water, their focus on the growing group. “He’s also sending some personal attendants after lunch, once they’ve had time to sleep off their nighttime watch.”
With stiff movements, George eased down to the ground with help from Sabine, Charles, and Vita, who had jumped up from her spot on the blanket to assist.
“Well, until they arrive, I shall stand guard.” George’s grunting retort left little room for argument.
Jax struggled to suppress a grin at the Captain’s stubborn antics. If anything, it surprised her that he’d taken this long to join them.
“I hope Corporal Highriver sends someone charming,” Uma said, idly lounging against the trunk of the bending willow.
Carriena’s head bobbed in enthusiastic agreement. “This pond is pretty and all, but my eyes have much more refined tastes.”
Jax playfully whacked her friend. “Have you met anyone at the Academy who’s caught your attention?”
“Considering I’d like my husband to be this side of a century,” Carriena replied, examining her fingernails with feigned indifference, “I’d say my options there are limited.”
Uma and Sabine erupted in laughter. Even George looked like he was struggling not to chuckle for fear of straining his bandaged side.
Charles put a hand to his mouth to contain his snorts. “That’s quite an accurate assessment, Lady Carriena.” His grin widened, likely thinking of his former elderly professors.
“What about Isaiah Pettraud? Did you have a chance to meet him?” Jax pressed her friend further, referring to one of Perry’s older brothers. Isaiah was the Head Scholar at the Library of Pettraud and had recently traveled to the Academy to attend a symposium on some type of rare fish.
Mischief curled on Carriena’s lips. “Oh, I met him.”
Sabine sprawled out on her stomach, propping her chin on her elbows. “And? What did you think of my cousin?”
“That I never met a man who was so obsessed with saving fish!”
Sabine’s pert nose wrinkled. “Doesn’t sound like he made a good impression.”
“Hardly.” Carriena clearly enjoyed holding everyone’s attention with her romantic tales. “He’s certainly easy on the eyes, though. When I first spotted him, I thought Perry had come to visit.”
At Carriena’s knowing glance, Jax pictured her dashing husband, a little jolt of anguish ripping through her as she wished he were here to enjoy this little gathering with their friends.
“But then the poor sod opened his mouth.” Carriena cringed dramatically, drawing another round of giggles from Sabine. “I don’t know what a diamond-heart sole even looks like, but goodness, I know more about its endangered habitat than I ever cared to.”
Jax’s nose wrinkled, as she, too, had no idea what kind of fish Isaiah seemed so desperate to save. “Well, I hope you didn’t cod-dle him or lead him on.”
“Yes, or we shall make you feel very gill-ty,” Sabine chirped, picking up on the pun.
Carriena stuck out her tongue.
Glancing over at the edge of the sprawling picnic blanket, Jax noticed their conversation had lost Vita’s attention. The young woman’s golden gaze lingered out over the shimmering pond. A mask of homesickness enveloped her sharp features, urging Jax to bolster her friend’s spirits. “Vita, darling, what do you look for in a suitor, other than a boundless love of fish?”
The dark-haired beauty’s focus snapped to Jax. “What?”
Having caught her daydreaming, the group laughed, and Carriena quickly recapped what she’d missed.
“I’m sorry.” A flush spread up from Vita’s neck to eclipse her cheeks. “I think a diamond-heart sole savior sounds like the perfect catch.”
ǂ
Uma and Charles set up the croquet wickets, and the game was about to begin when two men clad in the uniform of the Ducal Guard sauntered up to the group.
“Your Grace,” the taller of the two said with a deep bow, “Corporal Highriver has assigned us as your protection officers this afternoon.”
Jax nodded in greeting, motioning them both to straighten. “Would you like to join our little match?”
Both men sent sidelong glances at one another, unsure if they should accept the invitation.
Carriena rested a brazen elbow on the soldier nearest her. “Oh, come now, you need to be close to the action should a fight break out. The Duchess does not like to lose.”
Trying to corral their blushing faces, the two men seemed just about ready to accept when George cleared his throat from his resting spot with his back up against the willow tree. “A word, soldiers.”
Carriena scowled at George as the two Ducal Guards heeded their superior’s call. “You would think a near-death experience might make him loosen up a little,” she murmured to Jax with her traditional sarcastic flair.
Instead of drawing laughs, a knot in Jax’s stomach tightened. A near-death experience, indeed.
Seeming to sense she’d misspoken, Carriena pulled Jax to the starting wicket and plunked a mallet into her hands. “Show us what you’ve got, Duchess.”
After an extended conversation, George allowed the two guardsmen, Rayan and Yanis, to join in the fun. Everyone, particularly Carriena and Uma, welcomed them into the fold, but when it became increasingly clear Rayan would win the round, they feigned regret for inviting him to play.
“But would the victory really be as sweet if you knew I let you win?” Rayan advocated in his own defense.
Carriena nudged him playfully with the head of her mallet. “I’d manage.”
Beads of sweat emerged on the handsome guard’s dark skin, his golden eyes twinkling at her attention.
It was hard to overlook the chemistry between Uma and Yanis, as well. Jax couldn’t help but notice how Yanis appeared Hendrie’s opposite in every way. Sunny and cheerful to Hendrie’s reserved and somewhat sullen manner, Yanis’s sharp features almost made it appear like he’d been cast from bronze stone. His mild manner and easy jokes had shy Uma laughing in no time.
Happy to see her friends enjoying themselves and forgetting about the troubles raging on outside the barriers of Galensmore, Jax’s gaze drifted past Charles helping Sabine line up her last shot to George Solomon, still propped up against the willow tree, his alert eyes making up for his lack of physical strength. Strolling over to him, she folded her legs and eased to the blanket, her skirts spilling out all around her.
“It’s a relief to see you out of that bed.”
“It’s a relief to be out of it.”
She analyzed every line etched into his face. “Are you in pain? If you need us to take you back inside—”
“I’m fine,” George cut her off, holding up his hand. “Charles added a bit of painkiller to my canteen.” He swirled the tin container around, and the sloshing reached her ears.
“If you’re sure.” Suspicion of what he might be hiding laced her gaze.
George’s chest rose with a labored sigh. “It was foolish of me not to say anything about my wound during our trip here. I thought I was protecting you, but I put you in even more danger.” His words trailed off as he sat in quiet contemplation for a moment. “I can’t defend you if I am dead. Believe me, Jax, I’ve learned my lesson.”
Not wanting to waste any more breath on the matter, Jax settled next to the Captain, the scratchy bark of the tree poking through her dress as they waited for the game to conclude.
“Life is funny, isn’t it,” George said after a time. “One minute, war is approaching and you’re fleeing for your life, then the next, you’re playing in a field with friends.”
Jax shrugged. “I guess it goes to show that no matter how bad things get or how dark the world may seem, you have to treasure these joyful moments of light.”
Nodding, George lowered his voice, desp
ite being well removed from the others. “Have you had any word from the other duchies about the War Council?”
She shook her head. “Not yet. I suspect their messages of consent will begin arriving any day now.”
George shifted on the ground, stretching his legs out in front of him. “I wish things would move more quickly. Every minute the War Council is delayed gives Tandora, Beautraud, and Savant another opportunity to threaten you.” He grunted as he situated himself, his injured side clearly still causing him discomfort. “Or any other rogue person that you’ve somehow managed to offend.”
The teasing way in which he addressed Raulph’s attack charmed a stiff smile from her, although a chilling truth echoed in his words. It would be foolish to believe Tandora, Beautraud, and Savant were her only threats. Other duchies in the realm had to be considered as well. Virtues, even the Saphirian nobles might rise to the challenge to eliminate her, should they fear her ideals.
Intent on moving away from the dark subject, she switched her focus to another topic. “Did Rayan or Yanis have anything of note to report when they arrived earlier?”
“Just the border reports that Corporal Highriver disseminates,” George explained. “Besides Carriena’s arrival, not a soul has been seen. The Lord Chamberlain requested permission to ride to the nearest village to get some supplies for the household, but Highriver denied the request.”
“Why?” The moment the question popped out of her mouth, Jax realized she already knew the answer.
A smirk curled on the Captain’s face. “And risk having Hoftstead give away your location?”
Jax scoffed. “While I understand the measure, I hardly think Bernard to be capable of such deceit.”
George stared at her a long moment before reaching for her forearm and squeezing it with a tenderness usually foreign to his callused hands. “I don’t mean to offend you when I say I can’t simply trust your judgement on matters like these. We’ve all been deceived before.”
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