“What about a surname?” asked the princess, examining her finished bandage with a pleased smile. “You at least have a surname.”
As much as I’d wanted to, I couldn’t keep from answering her. She was royalty, and she’d just asked me a direct question. “Thaon,” I answered, waiting for her to be appalled when she recognized it.
“There we have it. Kiena Thaon,” her smile widened instead, and she extended her uninjured right hand to me, “Avarona Gaveston. Well met.”
I was shocked, and entirely unsure of exactly what she wanted. Her hand was angled for a shake, but I’d been to one tournament my entire life, which was my only experience witnessing those of higher class, and the royals and ladies were made acquaintance with a kiss on the hand. I wasn’t a knight, or even a boy, but if Avarona had any remnant of her father’s temper, I wasn’t going to disrespect her by shaking her hand, even if that’s what it looked like she expected.
“Princess,” I said, though I was blushing again, and I gave the best bow I could since I was on my knees, while I took her hand to press my lips to it. After the greeting, I studied her for a long moment, and though the princess looked thoroughly amused by my blushing, I was still in awe. “Do you really not know who I am?”
She thought about it for a minute. “Kiena Thaon,” she deliberately repeated my surname with a look of complete understanding. “You’ve mistaken my apathy for ignorance.”
My eyebrows furrowed at that, because it didn’t make sense that she wasn’t the least bit troubled about being in the presence of a traitor’s daughter. However, I wasn’t about to argue with her. I also needed to get the fire going to keep her warm before I could go to the village and find her some clothes, so I walked away to begin gathering firewood.
“If you didn’t ask for the task of finding me,” started the princess, “and given your family’s reputation, how’d you come to work for the king?” I could feel her eyes on me as I strode farther away to search for some dry wood.
“I was recommended by Sir Silas Leventhorp,” I called back to her, and so she’d know how I knew him, I added, “formerly of House Tithian. Now, of House Gaveston.”
“Ah, Sir Silas,” said her voice. “Your fathers fought together?”
Since I’d gathered enough wood, I waited until I’d walked back to her to answer the affirmative. With the embers still glowing, it didn’t take much effort to get a flame out of the timber, and once it was blazing, I sat back on the sleeping furs, in front of the princess since she was sitting sideways to the fire. She was huddled up with a fur pulled tight around her, but her feet were sticking out the bottom, and her toes were almost blue with cold. I shouldn’t have waited so long to get the fire going, but Avarona didn’t make nearly as much fuss as I expected for a princess, and at that, a wounded one.
“Are your feet numb, Princess?” I made a reach for one of them, and when she made no protest, I pulled it into my lap to try and rub some life back into it. If I brought her back to Guelder without any toes, the king would have my head.
She watched me for nearly a minute in thoughtful silence before responding. “You needn’t so much trouble yourself over me.”
“You’re the heir to the throne I serve,” I told her with a shrug, wrapping my hands around the front end of her foot and trying to instill some heat into the icy flesh. “I’d trouble myself more, Princess.” Speaking of troubling myself, I still had that pouch of gold, and I was almost ashamed at letting the princess sleep under the stars, even if I did think she was just a Will-o’-the-wisp. “I should take you to the village inn. You’d have a hearty meal, and a warm bed to sleep in.”
“You’ll do no such thing,” she protested, but her movements were gentler when I motioned for her other foot. “The inn is the first place they’ll look if the king has sent any of his soldiers to find me.”
“I respectfully doubt that’s so, Princess,” I said, and tried not to look at her when she wiggled the toes I’d just finished warming under my thigh to keep the warmth in them, because I didn’t want her to see me blushing again. It was fortunate I didn’t work in the castle. It would be torture interacting with royalty all day, especially royalty that looked like her. “I believe I was the only one Ellie told that you were heading south. The king should be searching north of the Black Wood.”
“Dearest Ellie!” the princess exclaimed. “Do you have the contract she had written?” I pulled it out of my vest and handed it over, continuing to rub at her foot while she read it. When she’d finished it, she said, “You have to keep taking me south.”
“Princess!” I blurted. “I made an oath to hear you out. I cannot keep taking you south.”
“But you must,” she begged, leaning forward and taking my face in her hands to make me look at her. “My life depends on it.” She must have known I was going to ask why, because she answered before I could. “I can’t tell you yet. I will tell you, I swear it, but not yet.”
At the thoughtful expression on my face, she removed her hands and sat back patiently, retightening the fur around her shoulders. “Let me take you to the inn,” I requested, and glanced deliberately at her wrist. “You’ll be in pain later, and while I cannot remove it, I can at least make sure you’re comfortable. And well fed.”
Her blue eyes scanned mine. “Will you take me south?”
I didn’t know yet whether or not I was going to keep taking her south. I should have said no already, but part of it depended on when she’d tell me why she ran away. So I kept from giving a direct answer. “If I take you south, you’ll need your strength.” She studied me again in thoughtful silence, and then nodded. “Albus,” I called as I stood, and when he trotted over I told him to lie down where I’d been sitting. “You can shove your feet under him, if you’d like,” I told the princess. “He’s warmer than I am.”
She smiled gratefully, and I took Maddox off the saddle the princess was leaning against and perched her in a nearby tree. Then I bent over at the princess’s side to grab the saddle, so I could replace it on Brande’s back. “If it’s no inconvenience,” I requested, motioning to it. She leaned forward so I could take it, but before I could pick it up to carry it away, she put her hand on my arm and pushed herself up enough so she could kiss me on the cheek. “What was that for, Princess?” I asked, straightening up to look at her while my face flushed. I couldn’t figure her out. She didn’t act like any royalty I’d ever heard about. She wasn’t uptight, or quick of temper. She didn’t even seem aware of her own title.
“For being so kind,” she answered. “I imagine anyone else the king sent would be treating me like a child.”
Again, because I couldn’t figure her out, I wasn’t sure how to respond. There was the fact that she was my princess, and treating her like anything but royalty would be punishable, even if the king did give me permission to throw her over the back of my horse like a criminal. There was the fact that her life might be in danger, and as a human being she deserved to be listened to. Then there was the fact that she was slightly older than me, according to Silas. So, instead of saying anything, I gave a small bow, and proceeded to fasten the saddle on Brande’s back.
When that was done, I made my way back to the princess, kneeling at her side one last time. “I’m going to get you some clothes,” I told her, and I pulled my dagger from its sheath and held the handle out to her. “Hold on to this, Princess, in case there’s any trouble. I’ll be back shortly.”
I started to stand, but she grabbed my arm again, so I stopped. “I think I see a thought in there,” she said, a slight smirk on her face as she pointed to my head. “I may be a princess, but don’t come back with a dress. Bring me something practical.”