by Lisa Daneils
“What do you mean?”
“You will see. If you really think that Nicolas is likely to be in a less reputable inn, we can start with The Dog’s Rest.”
“I guess I leave it to you, then. I really don’t have any idea about the other inns. Given he is trying to keep a lower profile, I would think he is more likely to be in a place where other nobles and royalty will see him.”
“Okay, we can work our way around the town. And if he isn’t here, where to next?”
“Umm…” Nissa reached into her bag and pulled out her notes, “Townsend Flats.”
Ethan’s eyebrows went up as he looked at her directly. “That is not… the most obvious of places for a person of nobility to stay.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you not know much about the towns of your kingdom?”
Feeling a little put out, Nissa knew that what he was implying was certainly right. As much as she hated to admit it, she had not paid as much attention to the kingdom as she should have. Instead of voicing the insult she felt, the princess acknowledged her own failing. “Unfortunately, it has never been among my primary interests. I used to ask a lot of questions when I was young, but my father tended to say that I didn’t need to know all of that nonsense. After years of being brushed off, I figured that I would just be in the way if I were to keep asking.”
Ethan gave her a look. “You should have persisted instead of making such an assumption. As it stands, if your father dies, who will take over?”
“My husband—”
“You don’t have one.”
“But if I were married—”
“You’re not. If your father has died, say from a broken heart because his daughter has run away from home, who will take over the country?”
“That is unnecessarily cruel,” she said, pursing her lips. “I would be a puppet for whomever he has appointed until I am married.”
“Would you really trust his men to take care of your country? Or would you prefer to run as best you can?”
“I—” Nissa was about to allow her instinct to speak for her, but her instinct told her to be combative. Ethan was making a valid point, and not one that she had not considered. “Of course, I would prefer to do my best.”
“How would you do that if you don’t know the cities and towns under your care?”
Nissa was quiet the rest of the walk. When they neared the gates, she was only half paying attention as they walked to the first inn.
A few hours later, the pair strode into the last inn, The Banded Bard. It wasn’t as nice as The Feather’s Down, but it was much nicer than The Dog’s Rest. To her disappointment, Nicolas had not been in any of the inns.
Ethan leaned against the counter, his eyes on the innkeeper, and a now familiar smile on his lips. “If you would please hold on one moment, and let me confirm with my brother on how he would like to proceed, I would appreciate it.”
The innkeeper nodded.
Turning to the princess, Ethan asked, “Well, dear brother, would you like to dine and rest here for the night?”
Nissa was not exactly tired, but the disappointment she felt was making her feel dejected. “I suppose it is necessary, my most considerate brother.”
It was only when they got to the room that she realized she had kept her hood up the entire time they walked through the town. Her eyes moved to Ethan, who was humming as he led the way to their room. “You seem quite happy.”
He looked over at her, “They have some of the best food here. Once you are ready, we can go down. Let me know if you need help hiding your hair and face.”
It was strange because she had just been thinking about that. “Ethan?”
“Hmm?” He was unlocking the room and held the door open for her.
Not certain what it was she wanted to ask, Nissa paused for a moment. It was obvious that on her own, the princess would have drawn a lot of looks, whether or not her hood was up. The fact that so many people had not really looked at her was clearly because of Ethan. He drew eyes away from her, and he had been uncommonly boisterous after they arrived. “Let’s talk inside.”
“Of course,” he smiled at her.
Once the door was closed, she said, “You made sure that people didn’t pay any attention to me. Not that you would need to do much of anything to attract people’s attention.” She smiled under her hood. “But you definitely did a lot more than I had realized. Thank you.”
He gave her a slight bow, “You still don’t need to thank me. If I’m going to help, I might as well do it right. Now, go wash up. I’m hungry.” He smiled as if to emphasize this last part.
“Oh! Of course.” She quickly removed the cloak and set a few bags that had been tied to her on one of the chairs. Pulling out a change of clothing, she hurried into the small bath area.
Chapter 6
A Nice Night for a Surprise Reunion
Nissa had hurried to get ready, but found herself wanting to be presentable. It’s not like it matters. You don’t want anyone here to know who you are, so what does it matter how you look?
A knock at the door brought her out of her curious thoughts. A familiar voice asked through the door, “Do you need any help in there?”
“Contrary to my station, I have learned how to dress myself. Thank you for asking.”
“What? Are you kidding? Do some princesses not know how to dress themselves?”
The surprise in his voice seemed odd. Why had he asked to help if he thought she knew how to dress herself? Nissa pulled the door open. “Of course there are some. I thought you were offering because of—”
“Well, I figured you probably were less adept at dressing like a man.” His eyes looked her up and down. “But it appears my concern was unnecessary. You did a great job of hiding your body.” He turned, “Let me know if you need help with your hair.”
Nissa looked down and was slightly annoyed. If she were to see Nicolas dressed like this, it would be terrible because clearly she didn’t look at all appealing. With a shrug, she turned back and began to fight her hair. It was long and lovely, though not quite what it had once been. And this was not something she was accustomed to doing—taking care of her hair in a simpler style. After fighting with it for a while, she decided to again rely on Ethan.
“Um, Ethan?”
“Yes?” His voice came from somewhere out of her vision.
“Could you please help with my hair? I am not accustomed to simpler styles.”
“Of course.” A few seconds later, he appeared behind her and began to brush it away from her face. “Did you have a particular look in mind?”
“Not… really. Men in this kingdom don’t have long hair, so I never really thought about what I should do with it.”
He laughed a little. “Well, if we are brothers, then it would make sense for us to have the same style. I can’t say that we look too similar, but with a bit of rework on your hair and a few touches to your face, we can mask some of the most obvious aspects of your features.”
“Thank you?” Nissa wasn’t sure if he was complimenting her or if he was really just concentrating on making them look more similar.
Ethan’s hands quickly worked through her hair, his fingers occasionally brushing against her neck. Nissa fought the urge to shiver at the gentle and very intimate touch. He didn’t even seem to notice as he talked about what he was doing. In what felt like no time at all, he had completely redone her hair. “There you go. Now, if you don’t mind, I think it would be best to do something about that face of yours.”
Nissa’s mouth dropped open for a second, and she quickly shut it. “Well, it’s good to know that you want to alter it. Then again, I guess you have been trying to make it clear since the beginning that you don’t find me attractive.”
Ethan tilted his head to the side. “If I didn’t know better, I would say you sound disappointed.”
Feeling her cheeks warm up, Nissa shook her head. “I’m not used to people being so openly disdainf
ul of my appearance. Most men tell me I’m beautiful, despite my slight frame. At least my face, I’m told, is quite attractive. I suppose it just stings a little to be told the truth.”
Ethan placed a finger over his mouth as if considering how to respond. Finally, he said, “I did not say that you were unattractive. I simply meant that your face is too feminine for a man. If you are going to pass as my brother, we need to make you look a little more rugged.”
For a second, Nissa was tempted to ask him if he thought she was attractive, but he had clearly not said that she was with that answer. Then she decided it really did not matter. “Alright. What do you suggest?”
“Give me a moment. Give your face a good cleaning and we will give you something you would never be able to achieve on your own.”
As he disappeared, Nissa frowned before turning and washing her face. When she was done, he was back in the room. He picked up a second towel and immediately set to drying her face, dismissing any of her protests.
“There. Now, hold still.”
“What are you going to do with that?” She pointed at a small pile of what appeared to be black ash.
“You’ll see.”
“Sure, after you tell me what you are going to do.”
He gave her a look. “You are really going to sit here and argue with me now? Are you trying to starve me?”
It was only then that Nissa remembered he had already said he was hungry. Remembering that he had given her his sandwich, then carried her most of the way to Brighton, Nissa felt she should just accept his help again. Standing still, she watched as he brought a couple of fingers to her face, patting the black ashes on her.
“Don’t worry, it will look very realistic. Mia and I used to do this growing up because my parents were a bit overprotective of her. I wanted to make sure she had all of the kinds of experiences I had, so I often lied and said she was a friend from a neighboring kingdom. That was why she and one of my other friends got so close, so I’m not sure that it was such a great idea looking back. Still, I wouldn’t trade the experiences with her for anything.”
“You must be a great older brother to have.”
Ethan stood back a little, looking over her face. “I would like to think so, but that is really a question for my sister. Take a look.”
He grabbed her shoulder and turned the princess around. Staring back at her was a young man with a light stubble all over his face. Even stranger, it was nearly a perfect match for her hair. “Wow, you weren’t kidding.” She turned her face and beamed at the transformation. “I bet even my father wouldn’t recognize me.”
“Maybe, maybe not. I have a feeling my parents knew that it was my sister, but they were more than willing to let me take her out. They knew that I would be incredibly protective of her, so it kept my sister safe from doing anything stupid on her own. It’s best when your kids are partners in crime.” He smiled at her in the mirror.
Nissa giggled, “I can only imagine the trouble you must have been growing up.”
“I’m afraid that I was quite dull most of the time. A bit too serious for most people, and a great deal too optimistic according to others.”
“It’s impossible to please everyone.”
“But not impossible to please yourself most of the time. Even when you live with expectations, there’s always a way around the requirements.” He gave her a look that she didn’t quite understand. “Now, are you going to continue to starve me?”
“Oh, no. Come on.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the room, not noticing the look on his face as she hurried with him to the kitchen area.
The meal was not quite as good as she was accustomed to, but Ethan was much better company than she could have expected. He recounted stories of the kind of trouble that he and his friends used to get into.
They were just starting on dessert when a voice boomed from the other side of the room, “Ethan?”
Her companion’s head turned, and the look of curiosity turned to a wide smile. “Adrik!”
The man barreled over to them and scooped Ethan up in a bear hug. “My good gods, but I would never have thought to see you in a place like this! What are you doing here?”
There was a stifled laugh, and it was clear that Ethan was having trouble breathing as he managed to say, “Trying to breathe.”
The big man looked a little surprised, then immediately put Ethan down. If Ethan was sinewy, Adrik was more like a knight. His arms looked like they were nearly as big as Ethan’s head. Then Adrik turned to the door, “Hey, Lyosha, guess who’s here?”
Another large man came through the door, a surly look on his face. That quickly changed as he saw Ethan, and a similar reunion happened, with Ethan having to ask to be put down a little more emphatically.
He was laughing as he pointed to Nissa. “This is my brother, Nico.”
Both of the large men turned to look at her, and Nissa felt like she was going to be burned in their dark gaze. Ethan’s friends had stubble on their faces like hers—except theirs was real—and their eyes were a strange combination of browns, yellows, and greens. She had never seen anything like them.
Ethan continued, “Be careful with him, because as you can tell, he’s quite fragile.”
Adrik and Lyosha exchanged a look before bursting out laughing. They were still rumbling as they sat down, shaking the table. “Much more fragile than I would have expected of you,” Lyosha said.
Adrik nodded, “Indeed. But I suppose you being here does make a bit of sense if you are taking care of this tyke. I take it you are looking into what the shape shifters are up to while getting him to safety.”
Nissa frowned. Was that the errand that had brought Ethan to her kingdom? They weren’t on the coast, but only Oscar’s kingdom stood between them and the ocean. It was a possibility. But that had not been the direction in which Ethan had headed that first time they split up.
“No, that was not my business. For now, I am escorting my brother to a safe place, then it’s back to business.”
His friends exchanged a look, then held out their hands individually to Nissa. They introduced themselves, but no more was said of Ethan’s purpose in her kingdom.
Her companion leaned forward, “So, I take it you guys are here because of the shape shifters.”
Adrik nodded, “Aye, bloody awful half-human mongrels. Giving everyone a terrible name. I mean, a bear shifter can barely go anywhere comfortably with those half-wits causing problems.” He guffawed at his own words, then a serious expression passed over his face. “Any humans see us shifting—and bam! They think that we are going to gobble them up.”
Nissa leaned over to Ethan and tried to say in a low voice, “Bear shifters?”
He looked over at her and nodded, but didn’t offer any information.
She could hardly understand the stuff they were talking about, but her mind had more than enough to keep her occupied. Suddenly, Ethan’s knowledge of the kingdoms beyond the mountains made sense.
Biting her lower lip, the princess decided to ask him the question on her mind. Carefully tapping his hand, Nissa caught his attention.
He leaned over for her to whisper in his ear.
“Ethan, are you a bear shifter?” Her voice was almost inaudible.
Both of the men across from her gave her a look, then burst out laughing. “What a mighty funny lad you have for a brother,” Lyosha chortled.
“Does that scrawny little twig look like it?” Adrik said, a humorous glimmer in his eyes.
Ethan turned, a mirthful smile reaching his eyes. For a second, she looked at him, then even she could see why they were laughing. Giggling a little, she felt silly for asking. He looked nothing like them. “How do you know each other then?”
Adrik laughed, while Lyosha leaned forward, “He’s quite the reliable man in a pinch. I’m sure you’ve seen a bit of that, though. This little man has been around to help us take care of some of the more delicate situations. Our people aren’t exactly known
for being able to put a finer point on agreements and the like.”
“Yeah, negotiations and stuff aren’t quite their strong suit,” Ethan agreed, a smirk painting a picture that helped Nissa understand what he meant.
“Hey, you had best watch it or we’ll forget to be careful about talking openly about you.”
“That’s a low blow, and might make me a little less inclined the next time you get into a scrap.”
Adrik shook his head, his shaggy hair making him look like a large, friendly dog. “You always say that, but when push comes to shove, you are always there. Only Liam is more reliable.”
Lyosha waved his hand, “You have it all wrong. Liam is prone to putting his brother first. Foolish lad doesn’t know when to just let Grayson learn a few vital lessons.”
“That’s true enough.”
Ethan cut in, “Well, he’s not really an option now.”
“What?” the pair spoke in unison.
“He’s gone and gotten married, kid on the way, and…” there was a pause, and Nissa knew he was calculating what to say, “other stuff.”
The two bear shifters looked at her, and Nissa knew that they were trying to avoid talking about certain things in front of her. Whether that was in consideration of her or because they were just reticent to let her know what they were up to, she didn’t know. “Should I go back to the room so you can talk more openly?”
Ethan looked over at her, “No, that is not necessary. It’s just something that… it’s a long story and knowing them, they will be here asking questions all night if I provide them any hint of what happened.”
“We aren’t old men looking for the latest scrap of gossip, Ethan.” Adrik seemed to be reprimanding him.
Ethan gave him a look, then all he said was, “He’s working with the southern lands.”
The two exchanged a look, and it was obvious that they had a lot to say about that.
Ethan held up a finger, “Not one question will I answer. Next time think before you take offense.”
