Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
M y resolve to meet Muirin at her level lasted until I was jostled in the street while considering bribing someone to find her location.
The ensuing pain made me gasp and stumble sideways, nearly causing me to spew the watery ale in my stomach all over the dirt.
After a few moments of deep breathing, I saved myself from making a spectacle, but it illustrated that perhaps cornering an enemy in her lair wasn’t the best idea at the moment.
It also told me I wasn’t likely to keep Kason from learning about the beating.
Slowly, I made my way back to the palace, showing Kason’s ring when I was challenged at the gate.
I breathed shallowly as the guard showed it to his partner, then to their superior, and then to another superior, before finally letting me through.
I didn’t want to imagine what would have happened if I’d returned without it.
I was surprised to see Kason approaching as I finally mounted the steps leading to the wide front entrance and passed through the double doors, held open by two guards who looked barely out of diapers.
Kason’s lips curved gently as he spotted me—but the smile quickly fell away as he strode to my side. “You’re hurt.”
I could deny it, but really, what would be the point? Also, it was definitely getting harder to breathe. “A little,” I managed.
“Where?”
“Ribs are the worst.”
Kason flagged down a passing servant and bade them to fetch a healer to attend him in his rooms. They gave a hurried verbal confirmation and raced off. Just watching them move that fast made my ribs ache all the more.
That done, Kason stepped close and cupped my elbow in his strong hand, offering support without forcing me to exert my sore muscles any more than they had been.
He steered me deeper into the palace, murmuring encouragement as my stride began to flag after the third turn down another endless hallway.
By the fifth, he asked if I wanted to go to the infirmary instead. He could send for a stretcher.
“Or I could carry you.” He smirked, as though he already knew what my answer would be.
I didn’t disappoint him. “Not on your fucking life,” I muttered.
By the time we reached his suite, I was utterly exhausted.
Whatever post-combat rush had been fueling me was long gone, and though my ribs were still the worst of my pains, other aches were starting to make themselves known.
From past experience, I would be a seized-up ball of agony tomorrow, but I doubted I’d have the luxury to rest. No, scratch that, I knew I wouldn’t.
I still had to find a temporal witch, which meant confronting this Muirin the Red.
Kason led me to a settee in rich blue velvet, and I sat with a grateful sigh.
Slowly, he began removing my coat and shirt, and I let him do so without protesting, since the healer would have to have access to my ribs anyway.
Instead of watching him unveil my battered torso, I cast my gaze around the room.
Everything complemented the settee on which I sat, almost as though it were the central piece the room had been designed around.
The walls were covered in an ecru paper with a subtle gold-and-blue pattern.
The drapes next to the windows were heavy gold brocade that would keep the sun out for as long as they were drawn, but now they were open to let in the last light of the setting sun.
We were in the sitting area near the entrance to the room.
Next to it was a small table for two, clearly meant to enjoy tea or informal meals.
A desk sat under one of the tall windows, and tucked into the opposite corner, behind a folding screen, I could see the edge of what appeared to be a large four-poster bed in dark wood that matched the desk and tables elsewhere in the room.
This suite was larger than any dwelling I’d ever been in, and it hit me, again, how strange my life had become.
My breath must have hitched or something because Kason laid a hand on my upper arm, the touch warm and gentle on my bare skin. “All right?”
I held his gaze, trying to put my feelings into words, but I didn’t have the right ones. I settled for a decisive nod—a gesture I certainly didn’t feel—then winced as I tried to take a breath that was too deep.
“Who did this?” he demanded, eyes traveling to my torso. I looked down to see purple-and-blue bruises already mottling my fair skin.
“I don’t know.” At his disbelieving look, I sputtered, “I don’t. I swear. Some people jumped me in the Slipshod as I was coming out of a pub.”
“The Slipshod?” Kason’s eyes narrowed. “You went into the Slipshod. Alone.”
“I considered knocking on every door of every estate in the High Quarter, but thought that might get me arrested.” I rolled my eyes. “Yes, of course I went to the Slipshod. I know my way around it, don’t I?”
“Mo—” He bit off whatever he’d been about to say as someone knocked on the door. He went over to it, and a moment later, a woman I’d never seen before was kneeling in front of me. She wore healer’s robes, but was much younger than Dr. Orella, her long brown hair showing no hints of gray.
“You took quite the beating, didn’t you?” she said without preamble. Her touch was sure and professional as she asked me to lift my arms so she could poke my ribs.
“I think they’re just bruised,” I offered.
“Oh, are you a doctor then?” She cast me an arched-brow look that told me I should probably keep my lips together, lest I wanted a potion without honey to sweeten its bitterness.
I’d hoped to get away with simply the removal of my upper clothes, but she insisted on examining my lower half as well.
Kason helped me to my feet and the healer assisted me with my balance while Kason bent to remove my trousers.
It was entirely too bad that I couldn’t enjoy the view of the man on his knees.
However, even if we didn’t have company, my poor body was not on board with doing anything but looking.
In addition to the bruising on my torso, I had others rising on my right thigh and buttocks, where one of the bastards had gotten me good with his boots more than once.
My forearms were sore as well, thanks to protecting my head and face.
Overall, it could have been worse. They could have hit me in the head more than the once that they did.
Bruises would heal. Head injuries sometimes didn’t.
“Aye, all right then. Bruises all around,” the healer proclaimed as she helped me to sit once more. “I’ll leave some salve to help with the stiffness and muscle pain, and tonics to help you heal faster. Bed rest for twenty-four hours.”
I cast a look at Kason, who grimaced—whether at the knowledge I wasn’t going to rest for a full day, or the knowledge that duty wouldn’t let him give me that luxury. To the healer, I said, “Of course.”
She squinted at me for a second, then shook her head. “Twelve hours at least, shall we? Give the tonics a chance to do some of the work before you run off again, or you won’t like it when I have to come back.”
“Yes, madam healer,” Kason cut in. “Thank you.”
Once he saw the healer out, Kason returned and handed me one of the tonics she’d left. I curled my lip in distaste. “Can I have it in tea? With honey?”
“You baby,” he said, but I could tell he was trying not to smile. “Let me get you in the bath, and then I’ll prepare your medicine to your liking, Your Highness.”
“Shouldn’t I be calling you that?” I grunted as he helped me back to my feet.
“Never.”
He led me past the bed, through a door, and into an attached bathing room.
There was a tub sunk into the floor, with honest-to-gods indoor plumbing.
I didn’t know why I hadn’t expected that—this was a damned palace, after all.
I sat on a bench while Kason opened the faucets to fill the tub, and I wished for a moment that I could forgo the bath in favor of going to bed.
But the hot water would help, and it would be good to be clean.
A few moments later, I was sinking into blissfully warm water. There’d been some degree of difficulty, but the end result was worth it. I canted my head back on the edge of the tub and closed my eyes. Fingers combed my hair away from my forehead, and I mumbled in appreciation.
“Don’t fall asleep in there,” Kason said softly.
“I won’t,” I promised.
A promise I broke as soon as he left the room.
The tonic and salve did indeed help, and I was glad Kason had roused me long enough after my bath the day before to partake.
The rich coffee and hearty breakfast provided by the palace’s kitchen went even further to make me feel like myself again.
Or thereabouts, anyway. My body was not happy, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I’d been expecting.
Kason waited until I was halfway through my breakfast and had downed one full cup of coffee before he began interrogating me.
“So?” he asked, one eyebrow raised.
All right, so it wasn’t much of an interrogation.
“No leads on a temporal witch yet.”
“I don’t—” He cut himself off. “I do care about that, but I’m more worried about who jumped you.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m sure there would be a line all the way around the palace if more people knew I was in Kardonan.”
“Are you naturally good at pissing people off, or is it something you have to work at?”
Rhianough’s laugh tinkled in my ear, and I ignored it. “I don’t know who they were, but someone named Muirin the Red warned me I needed to leave Kardonan within a day, or else.”
“Or else what?”
“I suppose she ascribes to the ‘vague threat’ school of intimidation.”
“You think you were beaten on her orders?”
“That’s what I assume, though it doesn’t make sense that she’d give me a day to clear out, and then have me attacked before a few hours pass.
” I poked at the scrambled eggs on my plate.
They were perfectly seasoned and so very fluffy, but suddenly, my appetite was gone. “I need to pay her a visit, I think.”
“You know where she’s located?”
“I was going to find out before my ribs decided it would be best not to.”
“At least your ribs have some sense,” Kason muttered.
Before either of us could say anything else, there was a soft knock on the door. Kason got up to answer it and returned moments later with a note, sealed with a small dab of wax. He opened it and groaned.
“Fantastic. Telurin is requesting we attend dinner tonight.” Kason tossed the paper on the table, where it landed between our plates.
“That’s fine,” I said. “You go, and I’ll?—”
“The request is for both of us.”
I grabbed the paper to read it for myself, and sure enough, the crown prince of Woshos had spelled out my name right beside Kason’s.
My heart rose into my throat along with habitual panic. The fucking crown prince shouldn’t even know my name, let alone be inviting me to fucking dinner. I gritted my teeth and forced myself to breathe normally. Or try to, anyway.
“I—” My voice hitched. “I can’t. You know I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because there’s still a warrant out for my arrest? By all that’s holy, Kason.”
“No one’s going to arrest you at dinner.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that.” I sighed. “It’s bad enough that I’m back in Kardonan at all. The fewer people who know I’m here, the better, as far as I’m concerned.”
Kason regarded me for a moment, his eyes narrowed. “I know what this is.”
“What?”
“You’re scared.”
“Of being arrested? You’re damn right?—”
“No. Of being around nobles.”
“Yes, because they’re going to want to arrest me!”
Kason waved a hand. “No one is going to arrest you. The warrant is asinine.”
I crossed my arms. “You pursued me hard enough because of it.”
“It was an excuse.” He let out a breath at my disbelieving look. “Mostly. Look, everyone knows that Lord Domner is a loud, cranky ass, and a thousand gold?—”
“Five hundred.”
“—is nothing to him. The fuss he raised over whatever you stole from him was out of proportion to the crime.”
“Tell that to the council.”
“I will. Once we deal with Mother’s condition. Okay?”
I just looked at him. On some level, I’d known he would have to go up against the Witch-Hunters Council to defend our marriage, but hearing him say that he would… I directed my gaze at the food on my plate and pretended my eyes weren’t stinging.
After a few moments, I said, “I still feel that until things”—I made an encompassing gesture with one hand—“are more resolved, it’s perhaps better for me to be less visible.”
Kason reached across the table and grabbed the hand I’d been motioning with, startling me. “I understand, but, Mo, I’m not ashamed of you. Of us, of this. All right? I want everyone to know.”
“Why?” I whispered.
He smiled, though there was a tinge of sadness to it. “Because you need to know you’re wanted.” Keeping his eyes on mine, he leaned forward to kiss my knuckles. “If you’re done with breakfast, let’s get dressed and find this Muirin the Red, shall we?”
He kissed my hand again, and all I could do was blink at him.