Caelin sat beside her husband, Pavoo, who took his place at the head of the table. She touched his thigh just above the knee, below the tablecloth out of sight, and looked at him sidelong, her smile tempered and cautious. Their son had invited a guest to join them for dinner and it had taken Caelin all of three questions to place where she had seen him before.

“Ah the duke’s little brother,” she said, her tone higher than usual, causing Edmund to glance across the table at her.

The look he gave her was scolding, as if to beg the woman to keep her usual distasteful remarks to herself. Owen, however, didn’t seem to notice and was his usual smiling self.

“He came to visit us last Frost,” she added. “Pity our daughter chose to ignore his letters. Ah well, I suppose that’s what you get for playing with a young woman’s heart. What will be, will be, and that match simply was not to be.”

It was Pavoo’s turn then, to squeeze his wife’s leg. “We can’t know that for sure,” he said, leaving it at that.

“Perhaps we should not discuss my sister while she is not in the room,” Edmund coached, sure Elyna would join them any moment if the letter he had received from her a few days prior was anything to go by. Edmund had informed his father that the woman had returned from Nejem and expected to join them tonight. Caelin, on the other hand, was none the wiser.

“I had no idea,” Owen remarked, his charming smile cleverly masking the small white lie he had told. “I’m sure Elyna had her reasons,” he added, ever pleasant.

Of course he knew Malcolm had been to visit to request the baron reconsider the terminated proposal. It was all they had spoken about the following spring back at Mayce. Malcolm had been quietly devastated when Caelin had sent her rejection letter, and none of the duke's letters had been returned by Elyna herself. None of them had realised the skyrider had traveled to Nejem, until Edmund had made Owen aware upon her return.

“How did the two of you meet?” Caelin asked.

“Owen introduced me to lady Andaris,” Edmund explained, “this Harvest gone, at the ball in the capital.”

“That doesn’t explain how the two of you met,” Caelin said.

“In a brothel,” Owen piped up.

“Owen!” Edmund spoke over him in haste, before he could elaborate.

Pavoo smirked behind his hand as he closed his lips around the piece of chicken he had just sliced away from the bone on his plate. Caelin looked as if she were about to breathe fire.

“He’s joking, mother.”

Owen certainly was not joking, but he wasn’t about to drop his friend in it a second time. “Indeed I am, lady Burhan, forgive me. Edmund and I were introduced through a mutual friend.”

“Dare I ask who this friend is?” Caelin inquired.

“No one you know, mother.”

Caelin pinned her son with a questioning look. “You might be surprised, there are few who escape my notice.”

Nothing ever said was closer to the truth than that, Edmund thought to himself. “One of the duke’s crew, who decided to join us on the boats.”

“Oh, I heard about that,” Pavoo interrupted. “Thomas Yilmaz? The son of that captain who escaped capture while they were deporting him back to Nejem last Frost?”

“He is his son, but he does not go by that name, father,” Edmund confirmed.

“Will you be joining the navy too, Owen?” Pavoo asked.

“I’ve been tempted, my lord, but my brother needs me back home.”

Caelin set down her fork each time she spoke. “Such a disgrace that Yvan Yilmaz. And to think, we trusted him with our daughter. This is exactly why I will have her discontinue her service for the Iron Hand. She has gallivanted about the countryside far too long. It’s time she was engaged to be married, like our Edmund is.”

Edmund smiled, still pinching himself regarding the match that had been struck between him and lady Andaris.

Owen was quiet, only now putting together that Elyna had disappeared from Renmere the same time Yvan had escaped custody. Perhaps, he thought, she was the reason he had been able to get away and stay hidden for so long…

“And how long will you be staying, Owen?” Pavoo asked, a shameful attempt to change the subject.

Owen smiled, pulled once again from the depths of his wild imagination. “Two days. I’ve rented a room down at the port while we work on helping Edmund’s crew repair the dock.”

“Nonsense, you simply must stay here, I insist,” Pavoo said. “It’s far too cold at the port this time of year.”

“That’s very kind of you, my lord, but I’ve already paid for my lodgings, so I might as well use them.”

“Think of it as an upgrade at no extra cost then,” Pavoo told him.

Edmund smiled. Owen did too. Caelin merely stared, unspeaking. She would give her husband a piece of her mind later. How dare he, she thought, invite a commoner to live under their roof, even if it was only for a short time.

“Will you be returning to Mayce after that, Owen?” Caelin asked.

“Indeed, my lady. I would hate to miss the dance my brother hosts each year.”

“The same dance we attended last year?” Caelin inquired.

“The very one,” Owen confirmed.

“That will be what that letter is,” she said, turning to her husband. “The one closed with the wolf in black wax.”

“I am yet to open it,” Pavoo told her.

“You must tell your brother to expect us all this time,” Caelin said, looking at Owen now, “Edmund included.”

“I’m sure he will be glad to hear it.” Owen smiled.

Pavoo said nothing, but smiled also. It seemed he was used to Caelin making the decisions, sure she was bound to change her mind just as easily should he interject.

“Will Penelope be there?” Caelin asked her son. “I am yet to meet her, though I have always admired her from afar.”

The daughter his mother had always wanted, Edmund thought, a lady who had no desire for trudging through the mud and snow, or flying from place to place on some temperamental beast. “I believe so, mother.”

“Oh I do wish your sister would return soon so that she can join us.”

“Be careful what you wish for,” Edmund warned, teasing the woman.

There had been a series of boats. The ship back from Nejem and now the infinitely smaller vessel that seemed to drift over the water, as though sensing her reluctance to return home. Home to Burhan, now that was a strange thought.

Elyna drummed her fingers on the railing that circled the shops prow. Her breath turning the air into a fine white mist. It was a chill Frost evening, following a day of weak winter sunshine. She always felt nervous going back to Burhan. As though the moment she was seen she would be put in chains and stopped from leaving. It’s why she avoided going back.

Why now? Because it had been a long year in Nejem. Because strangely she’s felt a yearning for something familiar. The woman hopped off the boat as it docked in port. Hood up, and dressed like any other soldier, she’d been able to sail without anyone recognising her.

She crossed over the wooden pathways, winding her way through the forest and wooden houses that were safe within the wall. Nothing changed. Sure, some of the walkways had fresh timber and repairs, but the layout was the same. Burhan sometimes seemed like a maze to people who didn’t know it, but she could have walked the path between the docks and the noble residences with her eyes closed. As a child, she often had.

‘Last Elyna!’ One of the older serving ladies recognised her at the side entrance. She swung the door open for Elyna to slip through, pulling her cloak off and folding it over her arms.

‘Estelle, a pleasure to see you,’ Elyna couldn’t help but smile as she was pulled into a brief hug.

‘You look so tanned!’ The woman was clearly shocked.

Elyna grinned, ‘I’ve been in Nejem for the best part of the year. It’s all sun, sand and more sand.’

Estelle held her shoulder, giving a small squeeze. She’d been working for the family for longer than Elyna had been alive. She and Pavoo had grown up together, and Estelle was one of the few members who had never treated Elyna and Edmund any different to each other, no matter Caelin’s wishes.

‘Well you look happier for it,’ Estelle released her. The woman was close to Elynas height with white hair nearly tied back into a bun, and quick grey eyes that seemed to notice if even the smallest biscuit was missing from her kitchen. ‘Does my Lady know you are here?’

‘Edmund does, he is here isn’t he?’ Elyna grimaced, not looking forward to spending time at home without her brother. And who knew when the navy would be called away. Hopefully not in midwinter though.

‘They’re eating in the main room. We should announce your arrival, Lady Burhan.’

‘I know,’ Elyna grimaced and looked down at her travelling gear. ‘Could I freshen up first? I’ll join them straight after?’

‘Of course,’ Estelle offered a wry smile, fully understanding how displeased Caelin would be with her daughter attending dinner in travel stained layers and trousers.

Elyna scurried through the hallways to her usual room. Thankfully, it didn’t take long to shed her clothes. She took time to scrub her face and arms before dressing in a long-sleeved gown of dark brown velvet. It was simple enough, warm and had been worn enough times to soften against her skin.

It was as Caelin made her wish that Elyna stepped into the room. She couldn’t help but smile as her father, brother and Owen stood.

‘Elyna!’ Caelin was all smiles, ‘what a pleasant surprise that you’ve decided to return home.’ The Baroness looked her daughter over and the smile faded, ‘you could have made more of an effort with your appearance darling.’

Elynas steps had faltered when she saw Owen. She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat and moved to kiss Pavoo, her mother then Edmund on the cheek. Serving staff appeared behind her and set another place, across from Owen.

‘Mother,’ Edmund took his seat again, ‘just be glad that she has returned safe, and come home to visit us all.’ He picked up his wine glass ‘welcome, sister.’

Elyna waited for her own glass to be filled before raising it in turn back at Edmund, ‘it’s good to see you,’ she smiled but her gaze moved back to Owen. It was hard to see the man without expecting his older brother to appear from behind him. Like some kind of magic trick.

‘Owen,‘ she breathed as everything seemed to settle again. ‘It’s so very good to see you as well.’ She held his gaze, meaning every word. Owen had always been a good friend. Even if the memory of his brother, made it hard for her to look at him.

Elyna looked down at the plate of food that had appeared before her. Although she had been starving, her appetite deserted. Should she ask after Malcolm? She was desperate to know how the man was, and yet at the same time dreaded to know. Sure he was happily ensconced in his married life with Lady Andaris.

Before tears could build behind her eyes and forced herself to look down at the plate once more, cutting up a slice of beef before pushing it around her plate.

‘Come, Elyna! You’ve been away so long. You must have stories to tell. How long are you back for?’ Edmund pressed.

She swallowed, ‘I have the majority of Frost as my own,’ she admitted with a nervous glance at her mother. She may as well have just condemned herself to a season on balls and boring parties. How many times would she have to watch Malcolm and Penelope dancing past? Her heart sunk and she set her cutlery down.

‘Well tell us?’

Elyna blinked at her brother.

‘Tell us about Nejem, what’s the news.’

‘Surely your sister needs news of home?’ Pavoo interjected kindly before Edmund shook his head with a laugh.

‘Come one Elyna, tell us about Nejem?’

Elyna glanced at Owen once more before sinking back. She took a few moments to organise her thoughts before giving a brief summary of the year just gone. Assisting in city patrols. Taking up painting beside the river. A brief description of any injuries or losses amongst the Iron Hand. People that Owen or Edmund might have known.

‘We were tasked with the capture of Yilmaz,’ she said finally before shaking her head. ‘He is still out there, somewhere.’

“I doubt he remains in Nejem, at least not in the major city,” Edmund said. “He’s a sailor, is he not? At least that’s what the crew say, that he sailed before he joined the knights. Cunning old man, is he not?”

Owen was yet to speak, though he had been polite and shared a smile with the newly returned noblewoman. She looked older, he thought, though perhaps that was just the tan. “Edmund,” he said then, “why don’t you share your good news with your sister?”

Edmund grinned from ear to ear as he chewed, devouring a mouthful of seasonal vegetables he had mashed together under his fork like a child. “I’d rather see her face for myself when I introduce her to my soon to be wife.” He watched his sister then, ever keen to get a rise out of her. In that way he was a bit like their mother, Caelin.

“Don’t tease her,” Pavoo said. He waved at the wait staff then to top up their glasses and carve him a few more slices of chicken.

Owen allowed himself a smile, his gaze too pointed at the woman for a spell, as if to gauge her reaction. “Does that mean you’ll be joining us at Mayce for the annual ball?” Owen interjected.

“Don’t excite yourself, Owen. My sister hates social get-togethers.” Edmund looked across at his mother, sure she had something to say about it. “What do you think, mother? Shall we twist her arm?”

Caelin studied her daughter, unhearing, lips pursed. Did she not understand the significance of her brother’s engagement? He would inherit everything when they were ready to hand down the responsibilities of the Burhan region. Elyna would be left with nothing. She knew her daughter thought her overbearing and unfair, but Caelin had come from very humble beginnings, she simply hoped for better when it came to her only daughter, more so than Edmund.

Caelin sighed. She wanted to yell, to snap and tell the girl enough was enough, but everything she had tried up until this point had failed. Pavoo fought her every step of the way. He did not seem to understand, having grown up so privileged, the kind of life their daughter faced should she continue to flounce about doing as she pleased. Even now she was fresh home from a trip that had taken a year of their time together, and Pavoo had not so much as blinked at her sudden reappearance. Had he known, she wondered. Had he kept her in the dark as to her daughter's whereabouts all this time?

Quietly Caelin rose from her seat and excused herself. “Forgive me,” she said, “I’ve got a headache and must lie down.”

Owen and Edmund were on their feet, while Pavoo sat a little stunned. Caelin, with so little to say? He stumbled from his seat and excused himself before going after his wife.

Edmund smacked Owen’s arm with the back of his hand and the two of them sat once more. The dark haired man shrugged and looked across at Elyna as if to suggest without words that their mother’s actions were very strange indeed. “So, little sister, where do you plan to go in Bloom?”

Owen shot her a grin. “I hope you don’t plan to return to Nejem so soon? We’ve got a lot to catch up on.”

Elyna had little that she could add to the conversation about Yvan. Part of her wondered if the man would stay in Nejem, just because it would be so unexpected. He was a difficult man to track either way.

She took the opportunity to eat, curious to know more about her friends and family. Her fork lowered as Owen spoke and she glanced across at her brother. ‘Engaged?’ Elyna grinned, if Edmund was willing to tease her about the match then she could assume that he was pleased with it. So she could be happy for him.

Failing to rise to his bait, Elyna shook her head. ‘I will eagerly await meeting your bride, Brother. If only to see which Lady could be deranged enough to accept your hand.’ She wasn’t afraid to tease her brother in turn. Although she expected retribution from her parents and glanced at them when none came.

Return to Mayce for the ball? She drew a careful breath, wondering if Owen could see that her heart had almost stopped. She was saved by Edmund from answering immediately.

Return to Mayce? It had taken the best part of a year to feel as though she could breathe again, away from her memories of the place and the man who ruled it. Returning to Mayce would force her to relive those memories, and experience them from afar. She couldn’t imagine watching Malcolm and his new bride from a polite distance. The thought of seeing Malcolm again made her want to run. Heart pounding in her chest, she was startled by Caelins’ sudden exit and Pavoo’s departure.

Bloom? Elyna blinked quickly, trying to shake away her thoughts of Mayce and the memory of Malcolm’s bare skin beneath fur blankets. She swallowed, ‘I uh, I’ve not given much thought to it,’ she admitted and set her cutlery down once and for all. Her meal untouched.

‘I expect that I will go wherever the Riders send me,’ the woman shrugged. It was easier that way, without planning much for her future. ‘I have a small holding nearer Renmere though, it will need planting…I would like to help with that and make sure the land is being well maintained.’

Bloom seemed like a long way away. First she had to survive Frost and undoubtedly a visit to Mayce.

Elyna drew another breath and forced a smile at Owen. ‘Indeed we do…please do share your news? How have you been? Has the Iron Hand treated you well? How is Ben and…’ she couldn’t help but stumble, ‘how is your brother?’ She couldn’t ask after his wife. No matter how polite she tried to be.

“Oh honestly, little sister, you’re such a puzzle. I will never understand your fascination for all things mundane,” Edmund said in response to her mention of planting fields. “Why don’t you work on your embroidery, you’re so very good at it, and spend your days deciding which dress you hate least of your ever-growing collection.” It was true, even in Elyna’s absence Caelin made sure her wardrobe was kept up to date with the latest styles and fashions from the capital.

Owen merely smiled as Edmund made fun of the girl, mild toned and good humoured, of course. “Not the Elyna I know?” He then added. “Though I’ll admit she scrubs up well. When I think of you, Elyna, our missions in the city and Nejem come to mind. Don’t you know, Edmund, your sister can outride me and probably out fight me too.”

Edmund scoffed, playful. “Not something most ladies would boast.”

“Nor could they,” Owen corrected him. He turned his gaze on the woman then. “I’ve taken the year off to help my brother,” he told her, choosing not to add much more. “He’s…” Owen paused to study the girl. Did she know how much she had hurt him? Did she even care? “My brother is much like the mountains themselves, steadfast and rather solitary as of late.”

“I thought you were going to say old and weathered,” Edmund teased.

Owen flashed him a grin.

“He seemed a little grim when I last saw you both in the capital.”

“Tired I imagine,” Owen said, making excuses for his brother’s lack of social graces that particular day.

“Nonetheless, it will be good to see you both again at the ball. It’s been an age since I was able to attend anything. Do you think my betrothed will be there?”

“I made sure she was sent an invitation,” Owen assured him. “The sixty-first of Frost will be a night to remember.”

“Good,” Edmund said, “I am so looking forward to meeting her family which, all going well, I’ll soon count as my own. Elyna I hope you’ll join us? I can’t wait to introduce you.”

“Listen to this guy,” Owen teased. “Have you ever known a man so pleased to rush off to marry?”

Edmund reached out and squeezed Owen’s shoulder. “And I have you to thank, brother. “You and Thomas, that is.” The dark haired man looked thoughtful for a spell, his gaze once again falling upon his sister. He knew she would feel every bit of pressure to marry now, especially given her age and the agreement she had made with Caelin. Their mother was bound to focus all of her energy on the girl now that her son was engaged.

“You didn’t meet anyone special in Nejem, little sister?” Edmund asked, sure that if Elyna had, she would never breathe a word of it to him, given their current company. “Maybe you should consider marrying this guy,” he said in jest, full-well knowing Caelin would never approve, especially since she had been so critical of the duke. “I hear you’re a hit with the ladies, Owen, but much like your brothers, difficult to lock down.”

Owen laughed at that. It felt as if it had been a long time since he had really laughed. “No, I fear we work better as friends,” Owen said, meeting Elyna’s gaze. “Besides, I have no desire for flying or tending fields.”

Edmund smirked. “See little sister, you best consider those dresses. You’ve even managed to scare Owen off.”

Elyna almost snorted at Edmunds suggestion that she spend her days choosing dresses. Did he spend his days choosing tunics? Well, maybe he did. She took a drink of the deep red wine. Edmund had always taken pride in his appearance, another way in which he was similar to their mother. Pavoo had a tendency to dress in whatever he found to hand, so after years of marriage, Caelin ensured that the clothes to hand were both of good quality and stylish. Elyna had been her bane, wearing whatever would draw the least attention to herself.

‘I like to be of some use to my country…as more than a decorative bauble,’ she replied at last, ‘there were food shortages last year and with so many extra mouths to feed from Nejem, the country can use all the crops it can get.’ Elyna looked up at her brother, lifting her shoulder in a shrug. ‘I pay a man to look after the fields for me, I just want to make sure they’re being kept well.’ She stretched out her legs beneath the table, ‘as for embroidery I’m sure there will be plenty of time for that over Frost.’

Her cheeks started to stain when Owen spoke up, remembering her abilities. She pressed her hand against her cheek and smiled at him, grateful for the compliments.

‘I think you underestimate your own strengths Owen,’ she smiled at him. It was easy to smile around the man. He invited easy company. Surely even Caelin couldn’t find cause to find Owen disagreeable.

He spoke of Mal and she barely dared to move. Listening intently to his description. She was surprised to hear that Malcolm had been solitary of late. Her brown drew together in a frown as she considered what Owen said, and didn’t say. More puzzling was Edmunds assessment of the man being grim.

Back to the ball again, Elyna offered Owen a faint smile, ‘I can only hope that his betrothed is as eager as he’’ Maybe Edmund would be happy. She hoped so.

Thomas? She looked between the two young men quickly. Thomas Yilmaz? Now she was really curious, although it was a surprise to return and find Owen and Ed such good friends, it was a welcome arrangement. She loved her brother and had grown close to Owen the year before. But where did Thomas fit into all of this?

‘I would love to know how you became such good friends,’ she admitted, and how Thomas fits into all of this,’ she shook her head mystified.

Her cheeks, already painted with embarrassment, darkened at Edmunds question. Had she found someone special. Elyna shook her head quickly and took another drink.

‘You know me, Edmund. It’s safer to avoid affairs of the heart.’

‘Nothing risked, nothing gained!’ Edmund teased.

‘And mother will make whatever decision she will make, no matter what.’ Elyna reply, tone flat. She was beyond the hope that there was anything but an arranged marriage in her near future.

Edmund stood, shaking his head. ‘Still,’ he grinned, ‘you could do a lot worse than marrying Owen.’

‘I’m well aware,’ Elyna offered the man another faint smile, ‘alas,‘Owen is far too sensible a man to court me.’

‘And with that, I will visit the powder room…’ Ed chuckled, tapping Owen on the shoulder once more before slipping out of the room to use the lavatory.

Elyna found herself alone with Owen and looked across at him. ‘Ed said that you would be using the guest rooms?’ She looked across at Owen. ‘I can show you the way?’ She tucked strands of hair behind her ear, her own heartache dulled by wine and no dinner.

The candles burned dim around them in the dining hall. Owen had proposed, and now as Edmund said, even he had been ‘scared off’ by her. She bit her bottom lip.

‘Owen,’ Elyna asked quietly, ‘Is he happy?’ If Malcolm had found some happiness, though she feared not from what Owen had said… but if he had, maybe it would hurt less.

“Made a right tit of myself last year,” Owen explained, “not long before Elyna joined our merry band of knights.”

Edmund had leaned back as if he were in for a good tale, but Owen didn’t elaborate too much beyond the simple truth. He had been a few feet from the city gate when something or someone had spooked his horse and sent him flying, at least, that was the story he told. Even a novice would not be so prone to injury as he had been that day.

Elyna’s brother made his excuses without delving into the ins and outs of their getting to know one another, so Owen filled in the gaps, letting his gaze go about the room to make sure no one was in earshot before he did. “Thomas joined your brother on the boats not long after you left. I bumped into them at the brothel where I was supposed to meet a friend of mine. He must have been caught up because he never appeared that night, but I found your brother entertaining enough.” Following that explanation, he did not add much more, though there was a lot to add. “He asked me to join him and Thomas on the boats the following season, but both my brothers needed me back home. I’ve been working with them ever since.” Of course Malcolm, unlike Yvan, allowed everyone to do as they pleased in Frost, unless they desired to work, that was.

“I have no intention of staying,” Owen admitted to his friend. Though he had found Pavoo’s offer more than generous, the dinner had been far too strange for his liking. He also felt tension whenever he shared a room with Caelin, though he was quite sure the fault was his own. He dabbed his face with a napkin and set it aside, quite content following the delicious meal his hosts had put on. Owen was all but ready to depart when Elyna inquired after his brother again.

Did she truly not know, he wondered. Elyna had spoken about some holdings near the capital. Owen wondered if he left tonight, could he possibly intercept his brother's letters before she discovered them at her door? It was unlike Owen to be defensive, but he had witnessed Malcolm’s inner turmoil and watched him suffer in silence for the better part of two seasons before he seemed to put his troubles to rest.

“Why did you leave?” Owen asked, though the question seemed to be more an accusation than a search for answers. Did he buy her story? A hunt for an ex-lover, one she had seemed done with the year prior. Had she really gone in service to the nation or herself?

“Never mind,” he said, “I best be going. Do pass on my regards to your parents and thank them for their hospitality.” Owen rose from his chair then and gathered his things, fastening his weapon, and fitting his cloak to his shoulders. “I’m glad you’re home,” he added, his tone genuine, far kinder than it had been moments before. Elyna did not deserve any secondhand resentment on his part. “I hope to see you again soon.”

Elyna couldn’t help her wry smile when Owen mentioned his accident. He’d broken his arm, hadn’t he? Even though now she knew him better it did seem an unusual accident to have. Owen was good with horses, and not without his own grace.

Following the explanation of her brothers meeting with the Knight, she nearly coughed on her wine. A brother? Her eyes were wider than she thought possible. Her cheeks burning with embarrassment. ‘Oh,’ she managed to squeak trying not to think too hard about Edmund entertaining Owen in a brothel. Surely she had the wrong idea? Or maybe not? Still, Edmund seemed excited enough for his upcoming marriage.

‘I’m sorry to hear that you won’t stay,’ she admitted. ‘I have to say that when I realised you were here, I looked forward to spending some time in your company.’

Instead she spread her fingers over the tablecloth, bracing herself for the answer she was dreading to hear. She wanted Malcolm to be happy…of course she did. But the past year had shattered her heart. How many seasons had she spent, trying to ignore the countdown to Blaze and the marriage set by the King himself?

Owens question forced her to look up, head jerking like a horse pulled too hard by the reins. He stood up before she had a chance to answer and she followed him. Her chair scraped back on the floor.

‘Owen,’ she couldn’t help but frown, ‘I- I told you…of everyone I thought you might understand.’ She swallowed, ‘I couldn’t watch him marry someone else…‘ she wet dry lips.

‘We returned to the city and…I heard nothing from him. Nothing except the reports of him attending dinners with the Andaris…’ Elyna looked down then, ‘I wanted to stay until Blaze, until those vows were taken but - I …’ she shook her head a little, ‘I had a summons to return home,‘ she grimaced. ‘I could never be a match for the Prince. I couldn’t let that happen, so I took the first patrol out to Nejem that I could.’

Elyna drew a shaky breath, ‘I just…I really hope he found some happiness, with Lady Andaris. He deserves that.’ She blinked fast, determined not to cry, ‘e-excuse me…I’ll pass your thanks on.’

Elyna made her excuses and Owen watched as her features fought some welled up emotion he couldn’t quite place. Embarrassment, he assured himself in the short silence that followed. How could he imagine heartache for the girl when he had only witnessed that close to home.

You should have waited, he wanted to tell her. You should have kept your word. “There is no running from duty,” Owen said instead. “Ben’s father taught us that and I imagine it is even more relevant in the case of a noblewoman trying to outrun her place in the workings of a kingdom.” He watched her then, were those tears she fought? Surely not his doing… Owen hardened his heart a little, allowing his quiet fury to offer that much, even if his tone did not betray such.

“I can’t deny the fact that you would have made a wonderful sister,” he told her. Now they would never know.

Owen put his hands to his hips. “He does deserve happiness.” But I fear that happiness is your brother’s now, Owen thought. “But he will always put himself last. Sometimes, Elyna, I wish my brother would run from the fickleness of kings and nobles alike.”

Edmund stepped into the room as Owen put a few steps between himself and the man’s sister. He looked a little startled by their closeness, almost as if he imagined something was going on between the two of them. Only Edmund knew the truth about Owen, knew that he would never dare lay hands on his sister.

“Are you leaving?” Edmund said, his hand going to Owens shoulder to stop him. “Father said it was fine for you to stay.”

Owen’s hand found Edmund’s shoulder in turn. “Another time, my friend.”

“Will I see you tomorrow on the docks?”

“I fear not. I have urgent business in the capital. I’m so sorry to let you down again, Ed.”

Edmund smiled. “Nonsense. I’ll see you in Maybe then?”

“I look forward to it,” Owen said as he gave the man’s shoulder a light squeeze. “Until then.”

“Until then.” Edmund smiled and released his friend.

He saw the man out before returning to face Elyna. Edmund was as gleeful as the naughty schoolboy he had once been. “He’s a great guy, that Owen. Lots of fun and good for a laugh. You should hear some of his stories about growing up. Don’t drink too much around him though—he’s very persuasive.” Edmund warned, and it was suddenly clear he knew something he was not letting on about.

Anyone would have thought Edmund had just helped himself to a secret stash of the cook’s famous baked goods. In a sense, he had taken something. The man held up a bottle of wine. “Care to catch up over a glass or three, sister?” He offered. It was so rare for the two of them to be home together that he was willing to make the most of it. “I promise I won’t bombard you with any more talk of matches and weddings,” he said. That was something best left to Caelin.