CHAPTER 50
Sakura
A large tome landed on the table next to her, sending up a puff of dust. Sakura coughed, waving a delicate hand in front of her face. “A gentleman does not attempt to asphyxiate a lady.”
Keenan settled next to her with a grin. “I wanted you to feel at home. I think I found the mate to the one you had at the winter castle.”
“The one which I did not read?” She paused to rub her nose. “That book was merely a cover, as you are fully aware.”
“Maybe, but this one claims to have some ancient precedents in it.” He flipped it open with more force than necessary, sending another cloud of dust into the air. “And since it’s clearly been a few years since anyone looked at it, I thought it might have something that could help.”
She opened her mouth to reply, but a tickle in her nose gave her only a brief warning before she jerked forward in a sneeze. His assistance was going to put her in the infirmary if he kept it up.
Despite the assault on her nasal passages, Sakura smiled as she watched him from the corner of her eye.
He had no interest in being king someday; he’d spent every morning the last two weeks getting in the way of the castle blacksmith while he created copies of the tools he had back home.
She didn’t understand what the tools did, but Keenan was clearly pleased to be back in a smithy and working with his hands.
He had submitted to some of what he considered the “foolishness” that surrounded royalty, but she doubted he would ever be truly comfortable with the bowing and scraping that the servants and nobles constantly offered.
And yet, he was in the library, forcing himself to sit still and read dry old books just as he’d done every afternoon for the last two weeks, because he knew that her birthright was important to her. He didn’t want to be the one who stole it away.
“I looked up the consequences if Hari abdicates,” she said, squeezing the bridge of her nose to alleviate the pressure generated by the dust. “Rather than passing to me, the crown would go to my cousin, just as it would if I had never been or had died before taking the throne.”
Keenan let out a low whistle. “They were quite serious about having a married queen with the sense to choose the right kind of husband, weren’t they?
” He shook his head. “Although no wonder. With as weak as you are, always needing me to rescue you, you clearly need a man at your side to get anything done.”
She raised an imperious eyebrow. He looked up and winked. “Not to mention, you had the poor judgment to choose someone like me. Absolutely worthless where politics are concerned, so I won’t be any help at all.”
“You’re helping now,” she chided. “And there’s more to suitability than your political acumen.”
He set a hand on hers and squeezed. “Just like there are more types of strength than physical. You may not be able to swim or save yourself in a fight, but you’re far from weak.”
Smiling, she squeezed back, maintaining her hold when he moved to withdraw. One side of his mouth tugged up, and he adjusted his grip so he could intertwine their fingers.
Sakura returned her attention to the book in front of her.
It was dull, but she was accustomed to reading uninteresting books.
The last three years might have been a reprieve, but she had grown up studying to be queen.
If she wanted to be a good one, knowing the history and laws of her kingdom came with the job.
She reached the end of a particularly useless paragraph and looked up to see how Keenan was faring with his own literally dusty old tome. To her surprise, he was staring out the nearby window, his eyes unfocused and distant.
“Keenan?” She shook his hand, trying to get his attention. “Are you all right?”
His head slowly turned toward her. “What? Oh.” His eyes dropped before returning to the window.
“I was reading about a commoner who received a title because he rescued the princess from a dragon. The Assembly insisted that it didn’t count because a newly minted noble wouldn’t have the necessary skills and education.
Also, they were concerned about setting a precedent allowing first-generation noblemen to rule.
Something about ambition and wrong motives. ”
“Because second-generation nobles are immune to such a thing,” Sakura scoffed. Although there had certainly been a shortage of sufficiently ambitious noblemen since her prophecy. “Why else would they add such limits instead of letting the original law stand? They’re jealous of their own positions.”
He shrugged. “It eliminates the easy solution.”
When he didn’t continue, either with the conversation or reading, Sakura said, “There’s something else, isn’t there? You weren’t distracted by the fact that my father cannot simply give you a title.”
“No.” Keenan gave her a wan smile. “Reading about a warrior rescuing a maiden… Today was the queen’s deadline if I wanted to get Liesl’s location for the tinderbox. I thought I’d be on my way to find her by tonight, and instead I’m going to be in a ballroom while she’s—”
He broke off, his hand tightening around Sakura’s. She knew he wasn’t excited about the ball, but she had thought it was because he struggled in their dancing lessons. It had never occurred to her that he might feel guilty.
“It wasn’t your fault,” she said softly. “You’re not a trained guard, and you were outnumbered.”
“I know.” He squeezed his eyes shut, hiding their brilliant blue from her. “I couldn’t do anything for Mama because I was only eight, but I’m a grown man now. Shouldn’t I have been able to protect one young shepherdess and her cat?”
Sakura didn’t know how to answer that, so she stayed silent and held tight to his hand.
Standing abruptly, he slammed his book closed and pulled free of her. “I think I’m done researching for today. I’m going to find Mori and see if he wants to spar.”
“All right,” she said uncertainly. “I’ll see you at dinner?”
He gave a jerky nod. “Dressed in whatever finery Saito stuffs me into.”
He stormed out of the library, but Sakura recognized his desire for movement to ease his distressed feelings. Keenan didn’t like to sit still, and he seemed to process things better in motion.
“The perpetual motion machine,” she murmured, still watching the door several minutes later. If only she could make him feel better; but what could she do besides give him the time and space to work out his emotions?
Dragging her attention back to the open page in front of her, she tried to refocus, but her eyes wouldn’t absorb the words.
Keenan was feeling restless and inadequate, trapped inside the walls of a castle without even a knife to fend off an attacker.
Yes, the castle was full of guards meant to keep danger out and defend them against any that snuck in.
But Keenan was used to being the one doing the protecting, not someone who needed it.
Placing a sheet of paper between the pages to mark her place, she carefully closed her book and made her way quickly but elegantly out of the library and down the hall. It might not make up for losing Liesl, but it should make him feel a little more comfortable.
~
“Absolutely not. The circumstances of his arrival in Ryuni are still suspect, and we have yet to locate his conspirator. I’m not putting a sword in his hand.”
Sakura reined in her exasperation. Father was usually easy to reason with, but he was proving quite obstinate on this topic. “I am marrying him in a few weeks. How can you trust him with me if you do not trust him with his sword?”
“I’ve offered to free you from that,” her father said, extending a finger toward her. “Until you have been pronounced husband and wife, my offer still stands.”
“As I’ve told you, Father, I have no desire to be free of him.
” She clasped her hands at her waist. “While I had my suspicions when he first arrived, I am now fully persuaded that Keenan is no threat to me or to Ryuni. And he already has a sword in his hand; he went down to the training yards in search of activity.”
“Then what do you need his for?”
“To encourage him,” she said quietly. “He has a protector’s heart, but he failed his last mission, despite the effort he went through to complete Mother’s quest. Now he doesn’t even have the means to protect himself, let alone anyone with him.
And he’s discouraged, and…I thought having his own weapons at his side might bring his smile back. ”
Father rose and paced to a nearby window, his hands folded behind his back. “You care about him.”
“I do.” He wasn’t looking at her, but she watched him steadily anyway. “I promise, Keenan is no danger to me or to anyone else. Only to threats against those he considers innocents.”
“Very well.” Spinning back to his desk, Father glanced up. “I will send a message to the captain of the guard and tell him to return your betrothed’s weapons.”
“May I do it?” she replied swiftly. Father raised an eyebrow, and she could feel a light blush rising to her cheeks.
“That is, I would prefer it be seen to without delay. The captain of the guard has many demands upon his time, whereas I am free at the moment. And forever, if the Assembly can’t be persuaded,” she added under her breath.
One side of Father’s mouth lifted in what could almost be called a smirk.
“Certainly. Call in the guard outside the door, and I will assure him that you are authorized to claim the weapons.” As she turned away, he called out, “Don’t give up hope where the Assembly is concerned.
They may come around, given the right incentive. ”
Her eyebrows pinched together. “But Hari’s birthday and coronation are just over a month away; Mother scheduled my wedding shockingly close to it. And if it’s that soon, how do you propose to convince the Assembly of anything?”
His eyes flicked toward the door. “Everyone has their price. It is only a matter of finding theirs.”
She stared at him. “But to discover that in time, you would have to—” Her words cut off as the truth swirled through her. “Wait, do you mean you’ve been working on it? All this time? But I thought you intended to marry me off to the man who defeated the ogre at Kakureta.”
He shook his head. “I never said that.”
“But you said—”
“I said I would make him a prince,” her father gently clarified.
“I never said I would force you to marry him. It was the only way I could think of to let you still be queen despite the prophecy. If a common soldier managed the feat, I could make him a prince, and if you liked him well enough to marry him…” He shrugged.
“Then why Hari’s coronation?”
Father sighed. “It’s been three years, and no one has stepped forward. The people are growing restless with the lack of an official heir. I could not postpone forever.”
Sakura didn’t know what to think. For three years, she had believed that her prophecy had reduced her to nothing more than a bargaining chip in her father’s eyes. But she’d misunderstood both his intent and his meaning.
He hadn’t made the offer to take advantage of her misfortune and rid himself of a problem. He’d done it out of love, in an attempt to help her. To keep the prophecy from completely upending their lives and their kingdom.
“Thank you, Father,” she said quietly. “Although according to a precedent Keenan found this afternoon, it wouldn’t have worked. Apparently, first-generation nobles aren’t good enough. But thank you all the same.”
“Everyone has their price,” he repeated. “Just because an Assembly several hundred years ago did not allow it does not mean ours would concur.”
“And what is our Assembly’s price?” she asked slowly.
Father just shook his head. “Nothing for you to worry about at the moment. Now, call the guard so we can fetch Keenan’s sword. You don’t wish to delay bringing his smile back.”
She nodded and put her hand on the knob, but a sinking feeling filled her. What was her father planning to offer? And could she prevent it if necessary?
If he was willing, he must believe the cost was worth having her on the throne over Hari. But that didn’t mean Sakura had to agree.
~
The harsh sounds of wooden practice swords cracking against each other and the clangs of metal mixed with cries of encouragement, good-natured taunts, and a few angry yells as Sakura approached the training area.
She expected it would as unpleasant as her experience at the winter castle, but she was eager to remove the helplessness from Keenan’s expression.
And that meant seeking him out before the grand dinner and ball.
She saw him before he knew she was there.
In the middle of a sparring match with Kagemori, he lacked the grace and efficiency that she observed in the matches around him, but he was effective nonetheless.
The familiar leather jerkin and bracers had been returned to him shortly after their betrothal, and he wore them now, despite having only a wooden sword in his hand.
Her grip tightened around the leather sheathes. What if the Assembly’s price included clearing the threat at Kakureta? By returning Keenan’s sword, was she giving him the means to run off and attempt that dangerous task?
But no—if Father wanted Keenan to take on the ogre, he would hand over the weapons himself.
Kagemori’s eyes flicked over Keenan’s shoulder, and he pulled back, raising his sword and his free hand in a signal to stop. Keenan paused, then followed the guard’s gaze.
“Princess! What are you doing out here?” His eyes fell to the items gripped at her chest. “Is that—”
Nodding, she offered them to him. “I convinced Father to let you have them back.”
Just as she’d hoped, his eyes lit up as he dropped the practice sword and reached her in two long strides. But instead of taking his sword belt from her, he swept her up in a giant hug.
“Thank you, Sakura,” he whispered into her hair. “You don’t know what this means to me.”
She tried to shift her burden so the hilts weren’t stabbing her chest. “I guessed.”
Releasing her, he stepped back and gestured toward the training ring. “We have a little longer to satisfy Mori’s training requirement for the day. Would you like to stay and watch?”
She eyed the sweat on his forehead and resisted the urge to cover her nose. Edging away, she said, “No, thank you. I should return to my quarters to begin preparations for the ball. I will leave you to your…practice.”
“Already?” His forehead wrinkled. “But it’s at least two hours until supper, isn’t it?”
“You think what you have to wear is ridiculous?” Folding her hands at her waist, she lifted her chin and sniffed. “Try being a woman.”