can catch.” He bent down and brushed his lips against her cheek lightly then turned away, leaving Lana and Susie alone. Lana waited a moment for her heart to start beating again. That was a first. He’d never kissed her before. Trying to keep her hand at her side instead of placing it where his lips had touched her so briefly was an exercise in restraint.

“Susie, can I get a hot bath?” she asked the woman, trying to keep her voice steady. “I’ve been on the road for a long time.”

“Of course, ma’am! I’ll have some hot water brought up straight away.” And with that she left the room. Lana leaned her staff against the wall, then stretched out on the bed - a real bed! - and waited.

Before long a stream of serving women were coming up with pots full of hot water, dumping them into the tub, bowing to her and scuttling out. The last woman to come in brought a cake of soap scented with lemons and some large towels.

“Is there anything else I can get for you, mistress?” she asked Lana, keeping her eyes cast down.

“No,” Lana told her. “You may leave me.” The woman bowed low and left her in peace. Lana quickly stripped down and got into the tub. The water was steaming hot but she didn’t care. It was wonderful.

She let herself soak for a time, then grabbed the soap and began to scrub her skin and hair. She was absolutely filthy and the water had turned an unpleasant beige color by the time she was done. Finally feeling like a new woman, Lana stood and wrapped a towel around herself then went to fetch her bags and find a clean change of clothes. None of their clothes really qualified as clean at this point, but she had done the best she could beating damp garments against rocks then rinsing them out, the way Nym had taught her.

Lana heard the door open behind her and she straightened, whirling around in fright. It was Clay, juggling two plates of food and a pitcher. He saw her and nearly dropped one of the plates. Her eyes narrowed and she stood as tall as she could, staring him down. How dare he come in on her like this? She said nothing, only glared at him and held the towel in place around her body.

“I…” Clay swallowed and tried again. “Forgive me, I should have knocked.” He turned around and left the room, pulling the door shut with his elbow. “Let me know when I can come in,” he said from the hallway.

Lana dressed as quickly as she could, furious at herself for not barring the door and furious at him for barging in and leering at her. When she was decently covered, she took a seat at the table and called, “You may enter.”

The door opened a bit and Clay peeked around it. Seeing her fully clothed, he let himself the rest of the way in and brought the food over to the table. He pulled two wooden cups out of his pockets and filled each of them with red wine from the pitcher. Dinner appeared to be some steamed vegetables and warm bread with butter. Lana wanted to devour it all but she held herself back and stared at Clay, waiting for him to speak.

“I do apologize for that. I had no idea you were taking a bath. Please, eat with me,” he said, looking at her with what he probably thought was a charming smile but Lana wasn’t fooled. She knew he was trying to butter her up.

She continued to watch him for a moment longer and then relented. Truly, she was too hungry to punish him any further and the smell of the food was intoxicating. She dug in with relish.

Taking a sip of wine to wash down some of the bread, she listened as he began to tell her what he had learned downstairs. Soon, her appetite had vanished.

“There has been news from Loral,” he began. “I’m not sure how it got here before us, perhaps it traveled by pigeon. I’m sorry, Lana. Your father is dead.”

Lana closed her eyes for a moment, collecting herself. You are a princess, she reminded herself, you don’t weep. Her father had never been particularly kind to her, so this news wasn’t as difficult to take as the news of her brother’s death had been. Jacob had taken care of her. He was the only family she’d really known, the only friend she’d ever had. On the other hand, the king was a mystery.

He was still her father, however, and she felt a loss at this news. Perhaps it was the loss of never knowing if they could have been close, as a father and daughter should be. The loss of the opportunity to find out if she could love him. Taking a breath, she opened her eyes and looked at Clay, waiting for the rest.

“There are rumors that, in your grief over your father’s death, you jumped from your bedroom window and killed yourself,” he continued carefully. “A woman named Jessia Reed rules Loral.”

Lana pushed a piece of food around on her plate as she considered what she would say.

“I never told you about what happened to me the day you took me from the castle have I?” she asked him. He shook his head and she began speaking. Lana told him about the constant contention for the throne of Loral and the treacherous plot she’d overheard just before he came through her window, explaining how succession worked in her kingdom and how she was the only viable heir in her family. Finally, she spoke of her constant captivity, necessary to keep her safe and the throne secure.

“This is the first town I’ve ever been in,” she told him. “The forest that night was the first one I had ever walked through. You and Nym are the first friends I’ve ever had, aside from perhaps

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