air out of my lungs along with a loud grunt. He made himself comfortable between us, fluffing his pillow and then putting his arms behind his head again, his bare armpits in our faces.
I scoffed. “Damn, Henry!”
He pushed out a fart as if in reply.
Shara really scoffed.
We lay there for what felt like an hour, Henry soon falling asleep while Shara and I listened to each other rustling on opposite sides of the bed. Eventually I heard her get up.
“Shara?” I sat up.
“Push him over here.” She grabbed Henry’s arm and started to pull. I pushed him from the other side, unsure what she was doing but trusting her judgment.
He awoke with a snort, his battle reflexes kicking in as he grabbed our arms.
“Ow!” Shara squealed. It hurt me as well. “Let go.”
He unlocked his grip and appeared startled.
“I can’t sleep,” Shara told him. “We won’t whisper, so please just let Neeko lie beside me.”
Henry whistled. “Yes.”
Shara came around to my side of the bed. I happily put my arm around her. She kissed my hand and then let out a relieved breath.
Soon her shoulders twitched, sleep taking her. I fell into a sound slumber right after.
Breakfast the next morning was the worst meal I’d ever experienced, but not because of the food. We had hot soup with bits of chicken, yet I could’ve been eating a cut of the finest steak and still wouldn’t have been able to enjoy it, not with the constant harassment.
People I’d never met shoved my back as I was about to put a spoonful of broth in my mouth, causing it to spill. They kicked my chair, called me a no good thief, and laughed to each other. I almost lost my temper when one person crossed behind Shara and muttered, “And look at the ugly hag with him.”
I stood, ready to fight him if that’s what unfolded after I said nasty things about his mother.
Shara grabbed my arm. “It’s not worth it.”
We both ate as quickly as we could, but hot soup wasn’t the easiest meal to devour. Falister sat down in front of me. I gritted my teeth as I expected the cruelest harassment yet from the king’s squire.
“I heard what you are.” Falister spoke quietly.
“I’m not.”
His confused expression confused me in turn. “You’re not?”
“No.”
Falister glanced around. “No one can hear us. You can tell me the truth.”
“I’m not a thief.”
“He’s not,” Shara echoed.
“A thief? Of course not. King Quince wouldn’t recruit a thief. He told me you’re a pyforial mage.”
“Oh, yes I am.”
“I didn’t know there were pyforial mages who weren’t dangerous, and I didn’t know that you saved the king from another pyforial mage. I’m sorry for the earlier judgment.”
I was confused, honored, and speechless. Falister reached across the table for a handshake, which I gave, still half expecting this to be some deceitful act, its overall purpose just to demean me.
But no, he smiled and that was it. I looked to Shara. She shrugged.
So Falister wasn’t told the same terrible lies as everyone else. Was it because he was close with the king and Swenn knew not to let these rumors get to Quince?
Henry finished his third bowl of soup and stood, pushing out his chair with the back of his knees. He pointed at me, then to his eyes. With just one look over his shoulder, he strode out of the great hall, probably to see Swenn.
“I have to go,” I told Shara, slurping down the rest of my soup.
“Where?”
I lowered my voice. “I need to train to lift myself with py while Henry isn’t watching me. Eventually I’ll be good enough to get into Swenn’s room through the balcony.”
“Be careful.”
“I will.”
She didn’t need to know I was going to see if I could make it onto his balcony this morning. She would just worry, and I already was worried enough for the both of us.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The northern inner courtyard was empty. I would be here again after lunch, training with Jaymes Jorgan, yet I dearly
I scoffed. “Damn, Henry!”
He pushed out a fart as if in reply.
Shara really scoffed.
We lay there for what felt like an hour, Henry soon falling asleep while Shara and I listened to each other rustling on opposite sides of the bed. Eventually I heard her get up.
“Shara?” I sat up.
“Push him over here.” She grabbed Henry’s arm and started to pull. I pushed him from the other side, unsure what she was doing but trusting her judgment.
He awoke with a snort, his battle reflexes kicking in as he grabbed our arms.
“Ow!” Shara squealed. It hurt me as well. “Let go.”
He unlocked his grip and appeared startled.
“I can’t sleep,” Shara told him. “We won’t whisper, so please just let Neeko lie beside me.”
Henry whistled. “Yes.”
Shara came around to my side of the bed. I happily put my arm around her. She kissed my hand and then let out a relieved breath.
Soon her shoulders twitched, sleep taking her. I fell into a sound slumber right after.
Breakfast the next morning was the worst meal I’d ever experienced, but not because of the food. We had hot soup with bits of chicken, yet I could’ve been eating a cut of the finest steak and still wouldn’t have been able to enjoy it, not with the constant harassment.
People I’d never met shoved my back as I was about to put a spoonful of broth in my mouth, causing it to spill. They kicked my chair, called me a no good thief, and laughed to each other. I almost lost my temper when one person crossed behind Shara and muttered, “And look at the ugly hag with him.”
I stood, ready to fight him if that’s what unfolded after I said nasty things about his mother.
Shara grabbed my arm. “It’s not worth it.”
We both ate as quickly as we could, but hot soup wasn’t the easiest meal to devour. Falister sat down in front of me. I gritted my teeth as I expected the cruelest harassment yet from the king’s squire.
“I heard what you are.” Falister spoke quietly.
“I’m not.”
His confused expression confused me in turn. “You’re not?”
“No.”
Falister glanced around. “No one can hear us. You can tell me the truth.”
“I’m not a thief.”
“He’s not,” Shara echoed.
“A thief? Of course not. King Quince wouldn’t recruit a thief. He told me you’re a pyforial mage.”
“Oh, yes I am.”
“I didn’t know there were pyforial mages who weren’t dangerous, and I didn’t know that you saved the king from another pyforial mage. I’m sorry for the earlier judgment.”
I was confused, honored, and speechless. Falister reached across the table for a handshake, which I gave, still half expecting this to be some deceitful act, its overall purpose just to demean me.
But no, he smiled and that was it. I looked to Shara. She shrugged.
So Falister wasn’t told the same terrible lies as everyone else. Was it because he was close with the king and Swenn knew not to let these rumors get to Quince?
Henry finished his third bowl of soup and stood, pushing out his chair with the back of his knees. He pointed at me, then to his eyes. With just one look over his shoulder, he strode out of the great hall, probably to see Swenn.
“I have to go,” I told Shara, slurping down the rest of my soup.
“Where?”
I lowered my voice. “I need to train to lift myself with py while Henry isn’t watching me. Eventually I’ll be good enough to get into Swenn’s room through the balcony.”
“Be careful.”
“I will.”
She didn’t need to know I was going to see if I could make it onto his balcony this morning. She would just worry, and I already was worried enough for the both of us.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The northern inner courtyard was empty. I would be here again after lunch, training with Jaymes Jorgan, yet I dearly
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