and Tariq, then dressed quickly. He stepped out into the hallway and found himself face to face with Gargarin.
‘So it is true,’ Gargarin said, furious. ‘I thought the guards were making up stories.’
Froi shoved past him. Six months without a word and that’s all Gargarin could say to him.
Gargarin dragged him back. ‘Where are the Lumaterans?’
‘In Lumatere! Where else?’ Froi said, pulling free and walking away.
‘So they had to have you all to themselves?’ Gargarin demanded. Froi stopped and turned back to face his father. There was no amount of counting that could control him.
‘They have me all to themselves because my real father doesn’t want me! He never did. He regrets not tossing me out –’
‘Don’t!’ Gargarin shook his head with disbelief. ‘Don’t say those words to me.’
‘If you weren’t a cripple, I’d beat you senseless,’ Froi said. ‘What would it have taken for you to acknowledge me? That’s what I wanted. To hear those words from you. And all you could say to me through Scarpo was that in weeks to come, not to make contact with the Charyn palace. “You wait,” Scarpo said. “Trust me. These are his words.” I know them by heart, Gargarin. And I waited and waited.’
Gargarin gripped Froi’s cloak, pulling him closer, tears of anger in his eyes.
‘I begged them for you because I thought I found a way,’ Gargarin whispered. ‘That despite never being able to claim you as mine or Lirah’s, I found a way of my son getting everything he wanted. Here. In this palace.’
‘You’re lying.’
Gargarin shoved him away.
‘Go back to your greedy dishonourable people who’ll do anything to keep you away from those who love you. And you tell them that Lumatere has made an enemy of me, and they’ll regret that for the rest of their lives.’
Chapter 48
Phaedra spent the next few days in the valley being visited by the Monts. Many of them. All expressing disappointment in Lucian.
‘He’s an idiot,’ Constance said to Phaedra. ‘I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again,’ she continued, taking one of the honey cakes Florenza had made. They were sitting inside Jorja and Harker’s cave with Tesadora and anyone who came to put their thoughts into the matter.
‘What’s she saying?’ Cora demanded.
‘Lucian’s an idiot,’ Tesadora translated with alacrity.
Cora sighed. ‘I’m biting my tongue because of a vow I made when he carried our little savage to safety,’ she said.
Phaedra had refused to condemn Lucian’s absence. She had made the choice to follow Quintana to the Citavita. It was Lucian who had been left behind. He owed her nothing.
‘I understood his pride,’ she told anyone who asked. ‘And I’ve changed. I’m a different Phaedra,’ she said with determination. ‘No more weeping. No more begging the gods for what I want and can’t have. We learn to live with our disappointments. It’s one thing I’ve learnt from our brave Quintana.’
The others, Charynites and Lumateran alike, stared at her disbelievingly.
Tomorrow came and there were more Mont visitors. Jorja borrowed rations from the other valley dwellers because it was rude to have visitors, especially foreigners, and not feed them. They were all forced to move outside the cave where there was more room. Harker built a fire and everyone seemed happy enough discussing Lucian out in the open.
‘Is that Orly and Lotte?’ Sandrine exclaimed as they watched the Mont couple cross the stream, leading a cow.
‘Orly doesn’t come down the mountain,’ Constance said.
But today Orly and Lotte had decided to pay their respects.
‘A gift,’ Orly said to Phaedra. ‘She belongs to Gert and Bert.’
Phaedra embraced them both. She understood the significance and worth of this cow.
‘The milk will come in handy once you all start breeding like normal people,’ Orly said, pulling away from Phaedra, not liking the fuss. ‘I’ll be off now.’
‘Orly! Stay a while,’ Constance argued, rolling her eyes at the awkward ways of her kin.
‘We’re to go now,’ Lotte said woefully. ‘He’s feeling this very strongly, Phaedra. He thought the moment you returned, Lucian would take you back up to the mountain, but the lad’s gone to the palace village and we are fearing the worse, we are. The worse,’ Lotte cried.
‘What is she saying?’ Cora asked. ‘This one talks too much.’
‘That Lucian is still an idiot,’ Tesadora said.
Another day passed. Another set of visits from the Monts. The Charynite valley dwellers also joined the discussion. The men lay bets.
‘Five days,’ one said.
‘Ten,’ another argued. ‘She was the one who left him this time.’
‘But he sent her back the first time, so he’ll feel contrite for that. Seven.’
It was neither five nor ten nor seven days. Kasabian guessed it right.
‘When the lad sorts out what he needs to sort out, he’ll come for you, Phaedra.’
Everyone was on their feet in shock and surprise when Lucian appeared on the third day. Phaedra watched him cross the stream, his eyes taking in the large party staring his way with curiosity. She could see by the set of his shoulders that he was dreading whatever he was about to face.
He greeted them all politely with a nod of his head.
‘I want to speak to Phaedra,’ he said, his eyes firmly on hers. She could read nothing in them. No, there it was. Panic.
‘Alone,’ he said, holding out a hand to her.
No one moved.
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Cora said, pulling Phaedra away. ‘Kasabian’s her chaperone in the place of her father.’
Florenza snorted out a laugh. ‘That is so not true –’
But Jorja hushed her daughter.
‘What you have to say to Phaedra you can say in front of everyone, cousin,’ Constance said. She received instant approval from the camp dwellers, who understood exactly what she was saying.
‘I agree,’ Pitts the cobbler said. He came down most days to enjoy Jorja’s hospitality.
Phaedra took pity on Lucian and held out her hand. He looked too nervous for any of this to turn out right and she had an awful feeling that she was going to cry in front of everyone.
‘This is a matter of privacy between two people,’ she said firmly.
There was a chorus of disapproval at the suggestion, but she could feel the tears burning her eyes and she wanted to leave. Lucian was staring down at her, horrified.
‘Enough!’ he shouted at the crowd. ‘You’ve all made her cry.’
‘I’m not crying,’ she cried.
‘You’re the one who made her cry, running off to the palace the moment she arrived,’ Constance said.
Lucian was shaking his head with exasperation.
‘I thought it best that we make our marriage official,’ he blurted out. ‘The first time it was in Alonso and … quite a miserable affair. My cousin insists we make it less miserable and I couldn’t agree more.’
‘Your cousin Jory?’ Phaedra asked, her heart hammering to hear the words.
‘No,’ he said with a sigh and Phaedra could see how uncomfortable he was under everyone’s scrutiny.
‘What cousin?’ Cora asked.
Lucian pointed across the stream. Isaboe of Lumatere stood on the other side of the stream with her child on her hip and her consort by her side, surrounded by the Lumateran Guard.
