Chapter 5
My back aches from riding, and I'm glad when we finally get to the inn where Fen is going to be staying for the duration of our mission.
My nerves are well and truly at odds within me, and I find it difficult to think about everything we've got to do in order to rescue Lady Eyre from her father's castle.
I know this is a good thing, but it's also dangerous.
Fen slips out of his saddle, handing the reins of his horse over to the stablehand before turning to me. "Need help?"
"I've got it. I'm not hopeless." I swing my leg over the back of my borrowed horse and land on the ground.
I give him a few pats on his neck, wanting him to know that he did a good job, even if I'm not the most experienced rider.
It's not that I don't know how, I've just not had a lot of chances to go out riding.
"All right, we should head inside and get something to eat," Fen says.
"Is it going to be a problem if we're seen together?"
He shrugs. "We're far enough from the castle that it shouldn't matter," he says. "How's your Drakaronian?"
"Fine," I say, switching languages. Of all the things I've been taught by the Damsels, they're my strong suit.
"Good. We're going to need it. I think a couple of the others aren't as good at it," he responds in the same language.
He looks past me to where the rest of our retinue are dismounting.
There are only four of us, any more would be too conspicuous, and the rest of the Damsels are needed to stage the next part of Lady Eyre's escape once we're at the tower.
Fen gestures for us to head inside, giving me a curious look as we go. "Are you all right?" he asks in a low voice.
"Nervous," I admit. "What happens if this goes wrong?"
"Depends on how the lord of the castle is feeling about the fact we're planning on whisking his daughter away to somewhere he has no control over," he responds.
"So, probably not well."
"I don't know," he admits. "But let's hope that we don't find out."
I chew on my bottom lip, trying not to think about what that could mean. Especially for the woman we're here to rescue.
"It'll be fine," he assures me.
I nod and follow him into the inn. There's a fire raging in the grate, and a few men already well into their cups. I suppose that will help in not being remembered.
"Why don't you take a seat, and I'll talk to the innkeeper," Fen murmurs, putting a glancing hand on my lower back.
The touch is more intense than I expect it to be, and I immediately miss it once he removes it.
I swallow hard. This isn't good. I need to get my feelings and reactions to him under control, because I can't let them distract me from what we're supposed to be doing.
I watch him head over to the innkeeper, while I take a seat along with Aleka and her husband. He puts his arm around her in a show of casual affection that's very sweet, but it's making it hard to keep my mind off the way it felt for Fen to touch me.
He returns a moment later with two keys, handing one of them to the couple. "Ingrid and Aleka will share for tonight," he says. "But then you can have the other room to yourselves once she's gone up to the castle tomorrow."
"Thanks," Aleka responds.
A serving girl comes over and puts four hearty bowls of stew in front of us, as well as some freshly baked bread rolls that make my mouth water. It's not the most elaborate meal I've had, but after the long journey, I'm looking forward to it.
She disappears and comes back a few moments later with some mugs of ale.
I don't usually drink it, but I don't feel like drawing attention to myself and asking for something different is wise.
Besides, this is the kind of food I'm going to be eating over the next few days at the castle, so I should get used to it.
There's silence until she's gone, other than some of the obligatory thanks. It's better that way. The less they know about us, the better, and that includes our accents and where we're from.
I glance at Fen, a little worried about whether he stands out when he's clearly from Huolong, and none of the other people in the inn are, but he doesn't seem worried about it. I suppose he is trying to pose as a dragon tamer, and that's a little different.
I pull open one of the bread rolls, finding it still warm and steaming. My mouth waters, and I dip it into the stew, soaking up some of the gravy. It's delightfully savoury, and the warmth is more than a little welcome after the ride.
"We've got a few hours until the masquerade," Fen says. "How long do you need to get ready?" he asks me.
I grimace. "An hour? Maybe two?" I look over at Aleka.
"Two would be better," she says. "We have your hair to do as well as the dress."
I reach up to touch the long braid down my back. I know I can't go to a masquerade wearing it like this, but I didn't think of that.
"All right. I'm going to be posing as Lord Han, and you're posing as my wife," Fen says to me.
I swallow hard. "I am?" Somehow, that part of the plan had escaped me.
He gives me a curious look. "Is that going to be a problem?"
"No, of course not," I say quickly, running through the etiquette I know for these kinds of events in Drakaron through my mind.
I don't think we'll be expected to show much physical affection towards one another, which is a relief.
I don't think I'll be able to keep my thoughts in check if he's constantly touching me.
"Good, because that's what the invitations say," Fen responds. "You know who we're looking for?"
I nod. "Lady Eyre. She's one-and-twenty, she'll be wearing an orange mask with blue beading tonight.
Our spies in the castle have already sent her a message saying that she should wear a swallow brooch on her dress as well, which is how we'll know it's the right person.
" I run through everything I was told before I left our castle to make sure I haven't missed anything important that I need to tell him.
"Got it," he says.
"We're supposed to make contact with her tonight so that she knows she can trust me when I'm in the castle posing as a maid," I say.
"How are you going to convince her that you're the same person?" he asks.
I put my hand into my pocket and pull out a pendant that can be pulled in two.
"I'm going to give her half of this. Tomorrow, when I get into the castle as a maid, I'll show her the other half.
" It feels like it's something that could very easily be faked, but I know we can't make it more complicated or obvious than that, especially when there's a risk of one or both of us getting caught in the process of getting Lady Eyre out.
"Excellent. So we'll go in tonight and make first contact," he says. "Then tomorrow, you'll find Lady Eyre and make sure she knows the plan, while I'll meet with her father."
"Is that going to work?" I finish my stew and push the bowl away from me. The chatter in the rest of the inn is enough to drown out our conversation, especially with Aleka and her husband now having a loud conversation to help cover it more.
He nods. "I don't know the exact way it works, but once Lady Eyre reached out to ask for our help, our spies started sowing some seeds to get her father to think about hiring a dragon.
If our sources are to be believed, he's very close to trying to seek one out for himself.
It should be easy enough to convince him. "
"You'll be safe about it, won't you?" I look up at him, realising as I do that I'm genuinely worried about him being in harm's way.
His dark eyes soften as he looks back at me. "I'm a dragon, Ingrid."
"I know." But it doesn't stop me from being concerned.
"I'll be fine," he promises. "You should focus on keeping yourself safe. You're the one more in danger."
"I'll be careful," I promise.
"And always carry a dagger."
"Or three," I joke. "I don't think they'll allow me to carry one with my maid's uniform."
He nods. "That's why I brought this." He takes something out of his pocket and hands it to me.
It's more of a knife than a dagger, but it's exquisitely made, with a handle carved into a dragon.
"It's beautiful," I say. "Where am I supposed to wear it?"
He clears his throat. "Around your thigh." He's doing everything he can not to look at me, and picks up his tankard to take a large swig of ale.
A weird feeling settles within me. Is he aware of the kinds of thoughts I've been having about him lately?
Is it making him uncomfortable to think about where my mind is going?
He's clearly thinking about a part of me that he shouldn't unless he's been invited into my bed, and he knows that I know it.
I banish the thought. I'm sure it has nothing to do with that.
"If you cut a hole in the pocket of your dress, you should be able to grab it then," he murmurs.
"What?"
"Your knife." He gestures to it.
"Oh, yes. Thank you." I flash him a smile. "I'm surprised I wasn't given it when I visited the castle armoury."
"It's not from the armoury," he says softly.
"It's from you?" I look at him, meeting his gaze and feeling like I can see something there that I want to see. "Thank you." My voice cracks as I say the words. I don't think he's ever given me a gift like this before. Some sweets on my birthday, but nothing as big and personal as that.
"I want you to be safe," he says.
"I want that for you too."
"I can turn into a dragon," he reminds me. "You don't have that advantage."
"Mmm, true. Though I'd make a good dragon," I say. "I think I'd want to be gold."
"There aren't that many gold dragons. Unless you're related to the royal family of Drakaron, you wouldn't be gold."
"I'm likely not," I respond. "But it's fun to think."
"You'd look good with golden eyes," he says.
"If they were anything like yours, then they'd be beautiful."
A surprised expression crosses his face. "I didn't realise you'd noticed."
"Sometimes the gold flashes across your eyes when your dragon is near the surface," I whisper, looking down at my tankard, which is still nearly full. "It suits you."
"Thanks." He pushes his hair behind his ear, and I half expect to see his eyes flash now, even though I have no reason to think as much.
I search for what to say, but can't think of anything that doesn't reveal a little bit too much about the recent direction of my thoughts.
Thankfully, I'm saved by Aleka getting to her feet and clearing her throat. "We should start getting you ready, Ingrid."
"Right, yes." I stand up, looking at Fen for a moment longer. I feel like I should say something, but I can't imagine what, especially when it seems as if whatever it is I do choose to say is going to be loaded with more meaning than I want it to be. "I'll see you in a bit," I say.
He nods, giving me a small smile, but also seeming as if he wants to say more.
Maybe it was a mistake to tell him what I think of his eyes.