The Paddlyrun and Konright visitors seemedsurprised, but those of Kavin nodded, some waving, but all turningback to their activities after acknowledging Kambry and Russal withrespectful bows and curtsies.
“That was rather simple,” Kambry said. “Nolong goodbye or lineup for individual chats.”
“Kavin is a simple realm.”
Kambry rolled her eyes.
“I will meet with them all tomorrow.” Hepaused, his eyelids dropping to cover his eyes halfway in ademonstration of fatigue. “We will meet with them all, afamily at a time or some other division. It will be later in theday, giving us all time to rest up. But it is tedious all thesame.” He tapped her chin. “At least, I won’t have to do italone.”
Facing the curtain wall again, they exitedthe audience chamber, leaving the music and low roar of chatterbehind. Kambry examined every lit corner as they passed through theback meeting rooms. She would never be comfortable entering thoserooms. Even the stone beneath her feet felt colder. They wouldalways remind her of Felip Covey stealing her away the night sheand Russal danced for Kavin. From a glimmering promise of love to anight of fear and betrayal. Or what had seemed to be betrayal.
She stilled, remembering Sybil’s order thatshe keep Covey and Russal apart. What if they found him and broughthim to Russal? Should she say she must have been mistaken?
“You are quiet, Kambry.”
They stepped into a long hallway, out of thecongestion of the meeting rooms. The guards marched alongside themand streamed out behind them in quiet alertness. Burty lead theway.
“I don’t like those rooms.” She had yet tofind out who the false prince and his lady were that Covey hadfooled her into believing Russal was unfaithful. A mystery she mayneed to leave to the past. There were other intrigues for her todeal with.
“They have no windows, but that is the natureof an old castle buried within a newer one. That maze of rooms wereonce the castle proper. Dingy, but they serve a useful purpose.”The tight corridors pressed close.
“Don’t you find it difficult to enter them?Someone killed your parents in one of these rooms.”
“One might argue that all rooms of the castlehave had a death or injury occur in them. But it isn’t the roomthat attacks the victims. It has always been a person who actedagainst another in selfishness, retribution or greed. I won’t blamethe room. For me, blame lies squarely with Felip Covey and whoeverkilled my parents.”
She breathed more freely when they enteredthe wider corridors of the newer castle walls. “Do you think I sawCovey? Maybe it was just some flamboyant lord.” Surely Felip Coveywasn’t so arrogant as to believe he could walk among all Russal’ssupporters and no one would notice.
Russal leaned in close and spoke low, so onlyshe heard his question. “What made you look?” They still heldhands, their shoulders softly bumping as they tread the carpetedcorridors to their chambers.
She thought a moment. What had caused her togaze that way? Russal had stepped aside to talk to Burty about theregiment. She grinned at the memory despite her worry. Butsomething had made her look. A breeze, it had pressed her face,urging her, perhaps, to gaze left. That was when she had seen theflash of red. She whispered into his shoulder, Russal bending togaze closely at her. “I think Kavin wanted me to look. There wasair pressed to my face.” She touched her cheek. “Here. When Ilooked out, I saw a red shoulder, brown hair. The man turned. Hehad brownish-green eyes. People danced into view and when theypassed, he was gone.”
“So you are certain you saw Covey.”
“No. It was too quick. I’m less certain aboutit the more I think about it.”
His hand gripped hers, and she felt the pressof the ring he now wore.
It provided a change of topic. “Russal, wheredid this ring come from? If you had an extra king’s ring, whydidn’t you wear it before? Wouldn’t that have helped guard againstCovey?”
“It’s old. I went to the royal vault for thewedding jewels and found this ring.” He twisted it back and forth,and they looked at the whorled ring, the hint of green glowlighting the skin of his thumb. “I remembered a story my mother hadtold me of the original Kavin Wood ring. I’d forgotten about it,but realized it could stand in for the one that is missing. When Iput it on, I connected to Kavin’s magic.”
She twisted the silver ring on her own hand.“Is there a spare queen’s ring?”
Russal shook his head. “My mother never said.I barely remember the tale she told, except that this is the firstring of covenant worn by a monarch of Kavin.”
“Is it just as powerful?”
“It feels a bit subdued. Same green glow, butthat is proof that it accepts me.”
“But mine has always glowed purple.”
“I think Kavin knew you were its queen beforeI did.” He rated the ring around his thumb. “We’ll be strongertogether now, sharing the power of the king’s rings.”
Burty slowed his pace.
“That’s comforting,” Kambry said.
“It was always Mother’s gift to see wherepeople were, no matter the location. My father and I always need tobe in the open air, and then it only shows us what’s outside thecastle. At least, that is how I understand it. I suppose my fatherthought he had plenty of time to fill me in on the details.”
Up ahead, she could see the entrance to theroyal chambers. Russal kissed the back of her hand and nodded atMarshall Burtram, who had stopped to talk with the guards waitingby the door.
Gordy marched out of line and with a flourishopened the door. Cole and Lessa entered ahead of Kambry and Russal,and the remaining guards streamed in behind them. Would they havetheir company throughout the family visit? What about later? Kambryblushed at
