just worried.”
“Well, don’t be. I’m a grown man, Lukien, and I don’t need you to protect me anymore.” Akeela turned and looked out over the city. His hands gripped the stone railing of the balcony hard, turning his knuckles white. “I think I’d like to be alone now,” he said.
“I can stay with you,” said Lukien. “She won’t be here for a while yet.”
“Yes, but I need time to think, to consider what I’m going to say.”
“What’s to consider?” said Lukien. “She’s been offered to you, and all you have to do is take her.”
“Oh, yes, that’s very romantic,” replied Akeela dryly. “Look, don’t try to help me with this, all right? Just let me think.”
Lukien turned to go, angry at being dismissed. But before he took three paces, Akeela called after him.
“Wait, I forgot something.” He wore a sheepish grin. “A favor, actually.”
Lukien scowled. “What?”
“If Cassandra accepts my proposal, I’m going to be leaving for home at once. I want to prepare the castle for the wedding, and I won’t be taking her with me.”
“So?”
“I’ll need someone to look after her, someone to escort her back to Koth for me.” Akeela’s eyes twinkled as if nothing had just happened. “Would you do that for me?”
The question astonished Lukien. A little voice warned him to refuse, but instead he said, “If that’s what you want . . .”
“Yes,” said Akeela. “You’re the only person I trust. Who better to look after her than you?”
Lukien hedged, saying, “She may not like my company. To her I’m still the Bronze Knight.”
“Don’t worry about that; I’ll explain it to her. I want her to have the best, and you’re the best soldier I have. You’ll protect her, I know.” Akeela’s smile was all-forgiving—and terribly naive. “Thank you, Lukien. You’re a good friend.”
Friend. Were they friends, Lukien wondered? At times like this, when Akeela was his most petulant, it was hard to believe they truly loved each other. Giving his king a half-hearted nod, Lukien turned and left the balcony, hoping Princess Cassandra refused her royal escort.
Cassandra moved through the hallways of Castle Hes, floating with anticipation. It was nearly time for her meeting with Akeela, and Jancis had told her that the Liirian was already on the eastern balcony, waiting for her. Because the balcony was very large and studded with statues, Jancis had been able to spy on Akeela quite effectively. Apparently, he had been waiting for her for some time now, first talking with his bodyguard Lukien, then pacing nervously among the statues. According to Jancis, he had even been talking to himself. Cassandra slowed her pace as she neared the balcony, taking the time to smooth down her dress and adjust the braids in her hair. She wore a velvet gown of midnight blue and just the right amount of make-up to highlight her eyes, and she already knew from the way the young king had stared at her that he was attracted to her. He had done a very poor job of hiding his attraction, in fact, but Cassandra was flattered. Soon she might be leaving Hes behind. She would be the first of her sisters to become a queen.
Queen Cassandra. Cassandra tried the title on and liked the way it fit. And she had a thousand questions for the Liirian king. She wanted to know everything about Liiria, about its people and customs, and she wanted to know what her new home, Akeela’s castle, was like. Was it tall, she wondered? She had heard everything in Liiria was tall, so much the opposite of squat and stubby Hes. Supposedly, Liirians were great architects. Their culture had influenced much of the eastern continent. Once, Cassandra had considered that a terrible thing. But now she was about to marry a Liirian, and she hoped they were the most powerful, most renowned nation in the world.
Cassandra paused in the middle of the hallway and looked around. Castle Hes wasn’t spectacular, but it was home and she
“Well, don’t be. I’m a grown man, Lukien, and I don’t need you to protect me anymore.” Akeela turned and looked out over the city. His hands gripped the stone railing of the balcony hard, turning his knuckles white. “I think I’d like to be alone now,” he said.
“I can stay with you,” said Lukien. “She won’t be here for a while yet.”
“Yes, but I need time to think, to consider what I’m going to say.”
“What’s to consider?” said Lukien. “She’s been offered to you, and all you have to do is take her.”
“Oh, yes, that’s very romantic,” replied Akeela dryly. “Look, don’t try to help me with this, all right? Just let me think.”
Lukien turned to go, angry at being dismissed. But before he took three paces, Akeela called after him.
“Wait, I forgot something.” He wore a sheepish grin. “A favor, actually.”
Lukien scowled. “What?”
“If Cassandra accepts my proposal, I’m going to be leaving for home at once. I want to prepare the castle for the wedding, and I won’t be taking her with me.”
“So?”
“I’ll need someone to look after her, someone to escort her back to Koth for me.” Akeela’s eyes twinkled as if nothing had just happened. “Would you do that for me?”
The question astonished Lukien. A little voice warned him to refuse, but instead he said, “If that’s what you want . . .”
“Yes,” said Akeela. “You’re the only person I trust. Who better to look after her than you?”
Lukien hedged, saying, “She may not like my company. To her I’m still the Bronze Knight.”
“Don’t worry about that; I’ll explain it to her. I want her to have the best, and you’re the best soldier I have. You’ll protect her, I know.” Akeela’s smile was all-forgiving—and terribly naive. “Thank you, Lukien. You’re a good friend.”
Friend. Were they friends, Lukien wondered? At times like this, when Akeela was his most petulant, it was hard to believe they truly loved each other. Giving his king a half-hearted nod, Lukien turned and left the balcony, hoping Princess Cassandra refused her royal escort.
Cassandra moved through the hallways of Castle Hes, floating with anticipation. It was nearly time for her meeting with Akeela, and Jancis had told her that the Liirian was already on the eastern balcony, waiting for her. Because the balcony was very large and studded with statues, Jancis had been able to spy on Akeela quite effectively. Apparently, he had been waiting for her for some time now, first talking with his bodyguard Lukien, then pacing nervously among the statues. According to Jancis, he had even been talking to himself. Cassandra slowed her pace as she neared the balcony, taking the time to smooth down her dress and adjust the braids in her hair. She wore a velvet gown of midnight blue and just the right amount of make-up to highlight her eyes, and she already knew from the way the young king had stared at her that he was attracted to her. He had done a very poor job of hiding his attraction, in fact, but Cassandra was flattered. Soon she might be leaving Hes behind. She would be the first of her sisters to become a queen.
Queen Cassandra. Cassandra tried the title on and liked the way it fit. And she had a thousand questions for the Liirian king. She wanted to know everything about Liiria, about its people and customs, and she wanted to know what her new home, Akeela’s castle, was like. Was it tall, she wondered? She had heard everything in Liiria was tall, so much the opposite of squat and stubby Hes. Supposedly, Liirians were great architects. Their culture had influenced much of the eastern continent. Once, Cassandra had considered that a terrible thing. But now she was about to marry a Liirian, and she hoped they were the most powerful, most renowned nation in the world.
Cassandra paused in the middle of the hallway and looked around. Castle Hes wasn’t spectacular, but it was home and she
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