We stopped briefly for lunch and didn’t stop again until the late afternoon, when we were well past the River Ilara and deeper into Lord Clifton’s territory, Pirot.

“Why are you meeting with Lord Clifton?” I asked, my curiosity finally getting the better of me. “I thought he was trying to steal land from your father.”

Talin glanced down at me. “He is. Pirot is still part of Ilara, at least for now. But Father has been ill, and my brother’s concerns have been elsewhere.”

“The woman king in the South?”

“You know about that?” he asked, holding eye contact longer than he had all day.

“A little. Lady Hyacinth invites me for tea frequently.”

He smiled wryly. “Lucky you. And to answer your question, yes, Ceren is concerned about the woman king, though perhaps not as much as he should be. His experiments take up more time than anything else lately.” He reined his horse closer to mine. “Lord Clifton is an opportunist, but he has no military experience. His men are a bunch of mercenaries who only care about money and land. The woman king is more organized, and I think Clifton is scared.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Are you?”

“Of the woman king? No.” He shook his head, then gestured ahead of us. “We’re here.”

Talin asked Grig and one of Ceren’s soldiers to wait outside the encampment with Ebb and me, and I was grateful, remembering my uncomfortable encounter with the mercenary at the border. I sat in the shade of an apple tree with Ebb, enjoying the crisp fruit and the chance to stretch my legs.

“I saw you talking with Prince Talin,” Ebb said, tossing an apple core lazily to the side.

“And?” I didn’t bother with pretense anymore. Ebb knew most of my secrets now.

“I’m glad to see you two speaking again. That’s all.”

“Mmm-hmm.”

Talin emerged from the tent, and Ebb leaped to her feet, pulling me up with her. “Apologies,” he said as he mounted his stallion. “That took longer than I expected.”

“How did it go?” I asked him as Grig helped me back onto my mare.

“Clifton will lend us his men if it comes to war,” Talin said quietly. “Of course, we’re to concede a large parcel of borderland to him in exchange for the men, but the land is hardly any good to us if Ilara is attacked. We’ll also have to allow more refugees across the border.” His face was serious, but I could tell from his tone that he was pleased with the outcome.

“I’m glad it went well,” I said. “And I’m sorry that Ceren made you come with me. I know you’d much rather be with your father right now.”

“It’s not your fault. I should be grateful Ceren sent me here and not to end another skirmish.” His expression turned wistful. “And I’m afraid I’m not much use to my father now. His fate is in the hands of the gods.”

By the time we arrived at the inn that night, I was more exhausted than I cared to admit to Talin. He hadn’t been lying—the rooms were modest, with two narrow beds and a cracked porcelain ewer and bowl for bathing. I shared a room with Ebb and only saw Talin briefly that evening at dinner.

The inn wasn’t full, but there was a constant stream of people through the dining room, and I found myself staring at the other customers. They were dressed simply in tunics and shifts, but not a single one of them wore mourning clothes. One of the advantages of living in Pirot, I supposed. They were all tanned from laboring in the sun, their faces creased from hard work and from smiling. There was more joy in this one inn than I’d seen in all of New Castle.

Was this what Ceren hadn’t wanted me to see? That life outside of New Castle was far better than inside it?

My sleep that night was the best I’d had since coming to Ilara. I could look outside the window and see the moon and stars. Our lantern was lit by flame instead of moss. And in two days, I would finally get to see Sami. How I would evade Talin and the guards I didn’t know, but I hadn’t come this far to give up now.

We left early the next morning, Talin once again falling in line next to me. It was midmorning by the time he finally spoke.

“You’re a natural, you know.”

I glanced up at him. “What?”

“On a horse. Who knew life on the ocean would prepare you to be a horsewoman?”

I blushed at the unexpected compliment. “I’ve spent many hours balancing on the edge of our family’s boat, much to my mother’s dismay. And our cousins the Galethians are famous for their abilities on horseback.”

“I’ve seen them at the port. It’s incredible how their horses obey them. They don’t even tie them up. Anyone who attempts to steal a Galethian horse will receive a swift kick in the unmentionables. They say the horse can only be ridden by its rider, and that a Galethian horse will protect its master in battle until death.”

“I believe the Galethians don’t consider themselves to be masters of their horses, but rather partners,” I countered.

“And how do you know so much about them? I thought the Varenians had no contact with Galeth.”

“We don’t. But we pick up bits and pieces from the Ilarean traders.” It was a lie, but a small one. Everything I knew about Galeth I’d learned from Sami. “Did your mother ever learn to ride?” I asked.

“No, unfortunately. She was always afraid of horses. She said anything that large belonged in the ocean, not on the land.”

I laughed. “So what did she do for fun? I can’t imagine she loved knitting any more than I do.”

“No, she didn’t. She liked walking, though. She’d walk for miles when she was allowed. For all his faults, my father did love her and granted her a relatively large amount of freedom.”

“Then she was luckier than I am.”

He looked back at Grig and Ebb, who seemed to be getting along just fine together. “Do you think you can manage a little trotting?” he called back to them. “We should try to make up some time. I believe it’s going to rain soon.”

When they both nodded, Talin spurred his horse forward, and the little brown mare followed. I found the trot less difficult to sit now than I had the first time, but it was still my least favorite gait.

“Are you all right?” he asked, sensing my discomfort.

“Something feels off.” I peered over the mare’s shoulder. “Could she be lame?”

“She does look a little sore. She’s newly shod, and she’s not used to such long distances.”

I patted her on the neck and murmured an apology. “What can I do for her?”