difficult for him, first dealing with his parents' death, then his brother's. Add to that the sudden burden of a kingship, and it was no wonder he wanted some time to walk peacefully to Bosuny. Too bad she'd forcibly imposed herself on his solitude. And no wonder he wished her anywhere but with him.
"It must have been very hard on you," she said softly, an apology in her voice.
He didn't appear to notice. Instead, his thoughts seemed turned inward as he stumbled over his words. "These last two years have been... sad and difficult."
She reached out and squeezed his right hand. It was meant to be a quick gesture, one of comfort and friendship, but he wouldn't let it end. Shifting the reins to his left hand, he captured her fingers, drawing them up to his lips. He kissed her knuckles with a courtliness that made her cheeks heat.
She searched for something to say, but his gaze captured hers. His eyes, a brilliant royal blue and gold, sparkled with a happiness she'd never seen before. They seemed full of a promise that left her breathless with excitement. Then they hit another rut, and Jane's hand flew out of his to keep herself from bouncing out of the seat. Daken too, had to steady himself. With a muttered curse, he redirected his attention to the horses.
"That one hurt," she grumbled as she tried to ease forward off her more tender parts. "How much further is it?"
"Another day."
Jane groaned and wondered how she could possibly want such torture to continue indefinitely. But she did.
* * *
"So are you at war or something?" They were sitting alone beside a fire after dinner, the fur trader gone to check his wares. Jane was once again intent on learning as much as possible about this world. "I haven't seen any soldiers," she continued, "but everyone seems to carry weapons." She glanced uneasily at the bastard sword strapped to Daken's back. Even the fur trader wore a long sword and dagger. "I almost feel naked without a knife." She was teasing when she said it, but he gave her a long, considering look that took in her body from top to bottom.
"You are not naked."
No, she wasn't, but the way he looked at her made her feel like she was.
"And we are not at war," he said. "Aggression is forbidden by the Elven Lord. We carry weapons to defend ourselves against... beasts." She saw his jaw muscles clench over the last word, and that told her he was holding something back.
"Beasts?" she pressed. "Like the panther?" Their silent shadow had not shown herself since the village, but she sensed the cat's presence almost as surely as she sensed Daken's current emotional withdrawal.
"This is the heart of the Elven Lord's lands. It is relatively safe with few beasts. If you look closer, many of the weapons are for show or to eat with."
Jane nodded, remembering that yes, most people carried small daggers used more to cut their dinner bread than to defend themselves.
"The trader and I both live in lands on the edge of the Elven Lord's influence. The animals there are much less tame."
He covered well, his tone almost conversational. But Jane hadn't spent the last few days studying him without recognizing when Daken was being evasive.
"Is that how your family was killed?" she pressed. "Beasts?"
Daken sat very still, his gaze lost in the depths of the campfire. "The Tarveen attacked and killed my family."
"The Tarveen?"
"A race of monsters in the eastern region of my lands." He spit out the words like bad caterpillars.
"I take it they aren't pacifists?"
He glanced up, repeating himself as if he were impressing the basics on a witless child. "They are monsters who do not bow to anyone, much less the Elven Lord. They are animals that know only how to kill and eat."
Jane shivered at the implacable hatred in his voice. "So they raid your lands, and you're forbidden to fight?" That seemed rather stupid to her, even in her most anti-violence moments.
"We can defend ourselves, but it's hard against their relentless raids."
Raiding
"It must have been very hard on you," she said softly, an apology in her voice.
He didn't appear to notice. Instead, his thoughts seemed turned inward as he stumbled over his words. "These last two years have been... sad and difficult."
She reached out and squeezed his right hand. It was meant to be a quick gesture, one of comfort and friendship, but he wouldn't let it end. Shifting the reins to his left hand, he captured her fingers, drawing them up to his lips. He kissed her knuckles with a courtliness that made her cheeks heat.
She searched for something to say, but his gaze captured hers. His eyes, a brilliant royal blue and gold, sparkled with a happiness she'd never seen before. They seemed full of a promise that left her breathless with excitement. Then they hit another rut, and Jane's hand flew out of his to keep herself from bouncing out of the seat. Daken too, had to steady himself. With a muttered curse, he redirected his attention to the horses.
"That one hurt," she grumbled as she tried to ease forward off her more tender parts. "How much further is it?"
"Another day."
Jane groaned and wondered how she could possibly want such torture to continue indefinitely. But she did.
* * *
"So are you at war or something?" They were sitting alone beside a fire after dinner, the fur trader gone to check his wares. Jane was once again intent on learning as much as possible about this world. "I haven't seen any soldiers," she continued, "but everyone seems to carry weapons." She glanced uneasily at the bastard sword strapped to Daken's back. Even the fur trader wore a long sword and dagger. "I almost feel naked without a knife." She was teasing when she said it, but he gave her a long, considering look that took in her body from top to bottom.
"You are not naked."
No, she wasn't, but the way he looked at her made her feel like she was.
"And we are not at war," he said. "Aggression is forbidden by the Elven Lord. We carry weapons to defend ourselves against... beasts." She saw his jaw muscles clench over the last word, and that told her he was holding something back.
"Beasts?" she pressed. "Like the panther?" Their silent shadow had not shown herself since the village, but she sensed the cat's presence almost as surely as she sensed Daken's current emotional withdrawal.
"This is the heart of the Elven Lord's lands. It is relatively safe with few beasts. If you look closer, many of the weapons are for show or to eat with."
Jane nodded, remembering that yes, most people carried small daggers used more to cut their dinner bread than to defend themselves.
"The trader and I both live in lands on the edge of the Elven Lord's influence. The animals there are much less tame."
He covered well, his tone almost conversational. But Jane hadn't spent the last few days studying him without recognizing when Daken was being evasive.
"Is that how your family was killed?" she pressed. "Beasts?"
Daken sat very still, his gaze lost in the depths of the campfire. "The Tarveen attacked and killed my family."
"The Tarveen?"
"A race of monsters in the eastern region of my lands." He spit out the words like bad caterpillars.
"I take it they aren't pacifists?"
He glanced up, repeating himself as if he were impressing the basics on a witless child. "They are monsters who do not bow to anyone, much less the Elven Lord. They are animals that know only how to kill and eat."
Jane shivered at the implacable hatred in his voice. "So they raid your lands, and you're forbidden to fight?" That seemed rather stupid to her, even in her most anti-violence moments.
"We can defend ourselves, but it's hard against their relentless raids."
Raiding
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