Chapter Eleven
“I know you keep saying to let it go…” Rowan admitted.
“Then why don’t you?” Bree asked.
“I just can’t shake this feeling that he’s hiding something.”
“You’re probably overthinking it, like always. Paying too much attention to detail. Details that likely mean nothing.”
“Details are a part of my job. I can’t explain it,” Rowan shook his head. “I just… know. He is keeping secrets. He can’t be trusted.”
“Just because your brother refused to stay in the castle, you think he is hiding something?” Bree gave him a blank look. Nothing Rowan had been saying was making sense to her. Reeve hadn’t done or said anything to make her think he was untrustworthy.
“It is strange he refused your offer to stay in the castle with the other knights. You have to admit that.”
“Yes, that much I can agree with.”
“And he hasn’t come to a single meal that you have invited him to.”
“A bit rude, yes. But that doesn’t mean—”
“I am rarely wrong about these things, Bree.”
“Perhaps… But that still doesn’t mean—” Obviously, he wasn’t listening to a word she was saying.
“I think I’m going to visit with my father,” Rowan said, quickly. He kissed Bree on the cheek then stepped out.
Bree shook her head then turned to Finn, who was sitting beside her.
“Will you follow him? In case he—”
“Already going,” Finn replied, having placed his book on the side table.
Bree sighed, watching him leave. She knew perfectly well that Rowan wasn’t going to see his father. He was going to snoop around for the second time in two days, in an attempt to discover why his newfound brother, Reeve, was acting strangely. Or so Rowan believed at least.
She could understand why the man may be keeping his distance.
It was only days ago that he’d met his father for the first time and learned that he had a brother, who was only a few months younger than him.
And coming into his new role as a knight of Junacave, a kingdom he has never even lived in could be quite a challenge.
All of this was happening just four weeks after the death of his mother.
Yes, Breestlin could understand perfectly why Reeve might have reason to stay away.
Of course, Rowan didn’t share her opinion, which was as typical as the sky being blue. At least with Rowan focusing on his brother for the past few days, it had given Bree some time to spend with her aunt, Celeste, who’d left to return home to Vale just yesterday.
Leaving the library, Bree found Sidonie coming out of the hall. It was the first time she had seen Sid in days, and she noticed her friend was looking rather tired.
“Any luck with the journals?”
“No, not yet,” Sid replied, yawning. “We’re not even sure what we’re looking for. Leitis’ father traveled all over the realm and there are so many people mentioned. I guess we shouldn’t have taken as long of a break to watch the tournament. It just put us further behind.”
“Going back to the tower?”
“Actually, Dagan is teaching Rhea about scrying, so I was going to take a short walk. I was hoping the gardens may be starting to green.”
“Mind if I join you?” Bree asked. “I could use some fresh air myself.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.” Sid smiled and gave a quick curtsy.
Bree laughed and took Sid’s arm, leading her out onto the terrace, toward the garden.
They hadn’t spent any quality time alone together in weeks.
They caught up quickly, talking about Rowan’s new brother and gossiping about the two ladies who drank too much wine at the tournament celebration and ended up falling into the fountain in the village square.
“I can’t believe that Rhea kissed Rowan,” Sid said, her eyes wide. “She hasn’t acted overly-friendly with Dagan so far. I wonder if I should be worried.”
“I doubt so. Rowan is convinced that she only feels drawn to him because he saved her. He has been avoiding her, mostly to please me.”
“Well, could you blame her? Rowan is quite a handsome man and those do not come along every day,” Sidonie teased.
“Ha!” Bree laughed. “Perhaps, I should introduce her to his almost identical brother.”
~*~
Rowan watched as Reeve locked the door to his room at the inn and left down the stairs.
Then when a man came around the corner with a stack of linen, Rowan pretended to have an interest in renting a room.
He used the opportunity to distract the man while slipping the room keys off the hook on his belt.
Once the man walked down the stairs, Rowan took the keys and tried them on the door. He went through four keys before finding the right one and slipping into the room.
The first thing Rowan noticed was that Reeve wasn’t any better at keeping a clean space than he was. Clothing was draped over the folding screen. There were several trunks against the far wall, most of them open, with items and clothing spilling out.
The second thing he noticed was that Reeve hadn’t been eating alone.
There were two wooden plates and goblets sitting on the table.
He glanced around the room but nothing else seemed particularly suspicious.
He started to ruffle through one of the trunks, which contained a few pairs of trousers and some belts.
He moved to the next trunk but froze when he heard humming.
He stood and turned, trying to figure out where the sounds were coming from.
The humming grew louder, then turned to feminine singing.
He realized he wasn’t alone, but before he could move toward the door, he saw movement in the corner of the room.
A girl, about thirteen years of age, stepped out from behind the folding screen, dressed in a white blouse and blue overdress.
She screamed when she saw him.
Rowan put his hands up to show he meant no harm to her, but she screamed again. He started to explain himself but didn’t have a chance to before the door flung open and Reeve burst into the room.
“What’s wrong?” Reeve panted. He had already been halfway up the stairs before hearing her scream and had never unlocked a door as quickly in his life.
She pointed at Rowan, who looked just as startled as she was.
Reeve saw Rowan and breathed a sigh of relief, then bent down with his hands on his hips, trying to catch his breath. “Oh, it’s you.”
“I can explain,” Rowan said.
Reeve laughed. “Really? Can you?”
Rowan frowned. “Actually, no. I was prying. But in my defense, I thought I was alone.”
The girl relaxed her shoulders then turned to Reeve. “Did you get them?”
“Yes, they’re in the bag,” he replied, looking at the burlap sack that he had dropped on the floor when he ran in. She bent down, picked up the bag, and walked over to a stool by the table. Sticking her hand in, she pulled out a green apple and sat down.
“Gabrielle,” Reeve started, as he shut the door behind him, “this is—”
“I know who it is,” she interrupted. “Rowan, the knight’s son. The resemblance is eerie...” She took a bite of the apple and looked at Rowan from head to toe. “I expected him to be dressed better for a knight’s son.”
“Gabby,” Reeve warned. “Don’t be rude. Rowan is a knight as well.”
“There seem to be a lot of those around this place.”
“Gabby!”
Rowan couldn’t help but smile. He was beginning to like the girl already.
“I’m sorry. Please excuse her behavior,” Reeve said.
“Why are you apologizing to him? He’s the one who snuck into our room.” She took another bite and grinned.
“She’s right,” Rowan said. “I owe you an apology and her. Umm... who is she?”
“Oh, sorry. This is Gabrielle, my sister.
“Your sister?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t know you had a sis—”
A small sound of shuffling against the door caught Rowan’s attention. Reeve heard it as well. Within one heartbeat, Rowan had two daggers pulled and Reeve had his sword in his hand, pointed at the door.
Reeve swiftly pulled the door open. Finn stumbled into the room, having been leaning against the door, listening. Rowan caught the blade of Reeve’s sword with one of his daggers before it could come close enough to Finn’s nose to maim it.
“I know him,” Rowan said, shaking his head.
“Who is that one?” Gabby asked, nodding toward Finn. She was still sitting on the stool, eating her apple, amused by the commotion.
“This is my sister,” Rowan joked.
“Hilarious…” Finn said. He straightened his vest and caught the apple Gabby tossed to him from across the room.
“Welcome to the family,” she said, grinning.
~*~
Rowan didn’t want to admit that perhaps he had been wrong about his brother.
As it turned out, Reeve had refused to stay in the castle because he couldn’t leave Gabrielle alone.
Of course, once Bree found out, she was adamant that Reeve and Gabby come stay in one of the guest chambers for the time being.
“I just cannot imagine leaving that poor girl in the inn,” Bree said. “But the guest chambers are not a permanent solution either. And the servant’s quarters are no place for her. The knight’s wing would be ideal, like with Finnley, but I can’t possibly put a young girl there.”
Bree was pacing in front of her throne, mostly speaking to herself. Her mother was sitting at the high table in front of the throne.
“Mother, are you playing chess?” Bree asked, surprised to see a wooden board in front of Cicilly. In the twenty-four years that Bree had lived, she had never once seen her mother even glance at a game like chess.
“I told Sarita that I would let her teach me how to play,” Cicilly said, unsure now of her decision.
“As for where to place the girl, what about one of the large storage rooms across from the library? I believe there is furniture in them. You could order the carpenter to build a storage room on the end of one of the stables, perhaps, and move the furniture there. It would take several days, but the room could be converted into a suite, with two bed chambers, possibly?”
Bree tilted her head and smiled. It was a good idea and one that she didn’t expect from her mother. “I believe that is the best idea I have heard in a long time, Mother. I must say that I’m a bit surprised.”