Oskar has shed his rumpled clothing and somehow managed to settle on a couch. The physician is shown in and finds Oskar still struggling to breathe. The physician examines him but finds nothing except a tender spot on Oskar’s chest, just below his breastbone. “Have you fallen? Were you training with your guards again?”

  Oskar glances around the room and spots his discarded shoes. “I was preparing to change clothes and tripped over my shoes. I seem to have slammed into the fireplace.”

  The Physician stays silent for a moment, clearly not believing a word of Oskar’s explanation but also reluctant to offend the King. “I see… Your Majesty. Yes. A most unfortunate and localized accident.”

  Oskar fixes the Physician with an intense look, almost daring him to object to this flimsy excuse. “What is the official diagnosis, Doctor? I will see no one until I am recovered. This humiliation is not to be discussed outside this room. Not my Queen, not my guard. Absolutely not the dukes.”

  The physician nods, “Of course, Your Majesty. I will officially document a severe 'pulmonary congestion' caused by extreme nervous exhaustion and the stress of the kingdom's duties. I will not tell anyone about your rather unrefined attempt to change your attire. I understand why you might want to keep that private, especially from the dukes, since I expect you to make a full recovery."

  Oskar nods, “If the dukes catch even the faintest whiff of weakness, they might challenge me.”

  The Physician nods thoughtfully.

  Oskar doesn’t seem entirely convinced by the answer, so the Physician adds, “This requires absolute and immediate seclusion for at least three days. We can re-evaluate your condition after the three days."

  Oskar nods and slumps back onto the couch. He dismisses the Physician with a wave of his hand. Oskar sinks back, still struggling to breathe but grinning despite the pain. "This will be fun. I haven’t enjoyed anything this much in ages. I’m hunting a Fey.”

  He’ll either call for my arrest, try to harm Kenric, or give up. I’m rooting for the last option, which is also my preference. Lilli has a book she wants to finish, so she’ll keep the door locked and make sure no unauthorized visitors come in. With eyes on both Oskar and Kenric, all we can do now is wait. If Oskar calls the guards, I want to be out in the open where we have a better chance of escaping, not locked up inside the palace. If I’m free, I can help get Kenric out. The rest of us will go shopping. This is our excuse to get us out of the palace. Now we wait to see how Oskar responds.

  I send Larissa and Maria to the exchequer’s office to tell Kenric where to find us as we head into the street of booksellers. I doubt any of these merchants will have anything interesting, but it’s a good way to pass the time. The ladies might find some things, since I’ve insisted that they all learn to read. Most of them have had to learn to read, at least a basic level, to understand simple notes. Now that they’ve discovered books, reading has become a favorite pastime.

  One of my favorite spots is The Paper Trail. It’s a small store that sells unusual books. Most of their selection is in exotic languages, at least by Centis standards. It’s right next to another shop called Tome Raider, which specializes in cheesy romances that my ladies all seem to love. That makes it a favorite hangout for all of us. There’s even a charming tea shop across the street called The Brewtiful Day. I’ll need a whole tray of those mint-and-cucumber sandwiches to myself, and they also sell Fey teas.

  I’m browsing through the books in The Paper Trail when Kenric arrives with Hagiwara and Oshida. All three men look highly amused, and I sigh. We can’t really talk here, but I put on a bright smile. “I’m so glad to see you.”

  Kenric laughs, “I’m quite glad to see you as well, my beautiful bride. Am I so boring that you need reading material?”

  I shrug. “I thought I might find something for the carriage ride.”

  Kenric smirks and gives me a sideways glance. “I had planned to keep you quite entertained in the carriage.”

  I blush and smile, which makes Kenric chuckle while Oshida and Hagiwara wander off into the background.

  Kenric leans over and growls in my ear, “They told me what happened.”

  I shrug and smirk. “It was better than my other plan. I really wasn’t in the mood for a big meal.”

  Kenric should know precisely what I mean because we talked about it.

  He laughs, “You truly are a treasure. Such devotion should be rewarded.”

  “No reward for my self-control? That was the part I was most pleased with,” I ask.

  Kenric laughs again, “Víl?, my love. You are the most perfect creature in existence. Let us finish loading the carriage and depart before anyone else can find an excuse to detain us.”

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  Before Kenric can object, I buy the book I’m holding. Kenric gives me a strange look.

  I waggle the book at him, “You’ll have to be more entertaining than this.”

  Kenric eyes the book and grins, “What language is that even written in?”

  “It’s in Yegali,” I reply, still smirking.

  “And what is the title of this masterpiece of Yegalian literature?” Kenric asks.

  “The Accidental Expert,” I reply, “I thought I’d brush up on my Yegali if you’re not sufficiently riveting.”

  “How many languages do you know?” Kenric asks.

  “Quite a few. It’s mandatory where I’m from. It starts when we’re small and continues until we’re twenty. The language changes every couple of years.”

  Kenric quickly does some mental math. “So… You know eight or nine languages?” Kenric asks.

  I nod, “A bit more than that, but that’s how many I learned in school. We’re all required to learn the languages of our major trading partners. That way, we can be welcoming when they visit.”

  “You’ve had to learn the language here,” Kenric says with a frown.

  “We just signed a trade deal with Centis, so no, I never learned your language until I found out I was moving here,” I explain. I don't add that Centis isn't a major trading partner. The diplomat in me would say something like, "Centis is…quaint. There’s a certain something about a land so steeped in tradition, where the world’s advances seem content to wait politely at the border. One rarely encounters such authenticity, a place so untouched by the burdens of progress or the complexities of enlightenment." The soldier in me would say something like "It's a latrine-pit of a kingdom." This is Kenric and I prefer to be kind when I can. Since I can't lie, even a little, it's best to say nothing at all.

  We arrive at Oskar’s palace, and Larissa volunteers to go through the gates to see if anyone stops her. The rest of us wait at a tea shop, ostensibly discussing the books we’ve bought. A few moments later, Lilli joins us with a full report of the happenings.

  “I left Larissa waiting for us in the rooms. She said no one looked at her twice. No one tried to stop me on the way out either. Not even a sideways glance. Mila says Oskar has returned to his rooms, and the Royal Physician visited. She overheard him telling the guards that Oskar isn’t to be disturbed for at least three days.”

  “Hmm,” I nod, “I suppose that explains his rather abrupt departure.”

  “We should stop at the Temple on the way out of Dobile and make an offering for his recovery,” Maria says.

  “May our King be blessed with everything he deserves,” Lilli adds, seemingly pious.

  I shoot Lilli a look, but she just smiles placidly and nibbles at a sandwich. It’s nearly enough to make me spit my tea, but I manage not to – barely. One by one, we finish our tea and return to the palace as Kenric oversees loading the carriages so that we can depart quickly. We’ll get as far as we can before we have to stop for the night.

  I’m snuggled into Kenric as we’re heading out of Dobile, finally. The carriage driver yells down that a man is chasing us on foot.

  Before Kenric can answer, I reply, “Three gold ducats if you can leave him in the dust.”

  Without replying, the driver clucks to the horses, and they pick up the pace.

  “You never saw the man,” I yell up.

  “What man?” the driver replies.

  Kenric laughs, “You may well be the death of me, my love.”

  “Hrmph! Anyone or anything that wants to touch a hair of your head has to get past me first,” I reply.

  I snuggle back into Kenric, “Where are we going?”

  “It’s on my uncle’s holdings. He’s got a lovely hunting lodge in the Kinibron Mountains. There’s a lovely little village nearby, Ketra. The scenery is spectacular. It’s all high peaks, gushing waterfalls, and massive trees. His hunting lodge is out in the forest. I thought you’d love it there. It’s almost as untouched as your Old Forest in Imelenora. You can meet some of my family.”

  “I wonder if the forest there is old enough to have pixies,” I grin.

  “I wouldn’t know how to spot them,” Kenric shrugs, “We’ll have to spend a day with uncle and his wife. I’ve never met my new aunt. He remarried a few years ago. I know some of my cousins, but there are some new ones I’ve not met.”

  “Tell me about your uncle,” I say. Kenric thinks for a few moments about how best to sum up his uncle.

  “Hmm… Uncle Torsten is big, like the Sergeant, but even bigger. He’s got a big beard and wears his hair in braids most of the time. He’s built like a boulder, but he’s got a heart just as big. He’s quick to laugh, quick to anger, and usually quick to forgive.”

  “He sounds like horses hate him,” I say with a grin.

  Kenric nods, “You’re likely correct. I don’t think I’ve seen him mounted. At his size, it’d have to be a massive beast. I don’t think even Falke could carry him very far.”

  “He’d have to fight Inaba to get that horse. Those two seem quite happy together. If your uncle’s hunting lodge is secluded enough, we might be able to do some training there,” I add.

  Kenric smirks, “I’ll ensure you have adequate physical activity.”

  I frown at him, “I’m happy to play games with you, but this is a rare thing for me.”

  “I forget what this place is like for you,” Kenric says quietly.

  “You have no idea. The ladies of the court dislike me on principle because I’m attractive. I’m horrible at embroidery. Mila’s been attempting to teach me, but I think we’re both nearly ready to give that up. I don’t paint or play a musical instrument. My flower arrangements look like someone plucked some weeds from the garden and tried to pass them off as flowers. I can’t really participate in any of the approved lady-like activities. The only thing I’m good at is cards, and they hate me because I win.” Kenric nods, so I continue, “Our days are supposed to start with getting up and dressing for breakfast. We all sit around during breakfast and gossip. Then we have some approved activity. Afterward, we return from whatever it was and change clothes for lunch, where we’re supposed to sit and gossip. Then it’s time for the afternoon lady-like activity before we change again for dinner. The next day just repeats the same tedious routine. I don’t know how these women haven’t all gone insane from it.”

  “They don’t know anything else,” Kenric says with a shrug.

  His statement of the obvious hits me, and I stare at him in shock. “That’s it. This really is all they’ve ever known.”

  Kenric nods. “They’d die of embarrassment if they had to live a day in your life, and you’re dying of boredom because you have to live days of theirs. If you want to make some friends among them, you have to find a way to meet them where they are.”

  I sit in the jolting carriage thinking furiously. “The one thing we have in common is clothing.”

  Do you think the Physician will blackmail Oskar? Let me know in the comments...