pick his battles lightly.” Weylind shook his head, his black hair sliding across his shoulders.
Essie ducked her head, hot tears filling her eyes in a sudden rush. But she refused to cry here with King Weylind. They were making progress, but not enough that she wanted to break down in front of him.
But, for the first time since she had met him, she felt like she truly understood him. Weylind had always been first a king, then a brother. When the late elf queen had been killed, Weylind had been the one to take on the duties of the kingdom while his father had been grieving. When Farrendel’s illegitimate birth had been revealed and their father had all but stepped down as king to raise him, Weylind had again been asked to be king, even though his father yet lived.
Weylind had acted as the king so that their father could focus on Farrendel. It had been what was best for Farrendel, but it would have been a great burden to place on Weylind, even before his father had died young, for an elf.
From the moment Farrendel had been born, Weylind had never had the chance to relax and spend time with his brother apart from the duties of the kingdom. If he sometimes came across as a king giving commands even in his personal relationships, it perhaps could be forgiven.
The ship eased next to the wharf on the Tarenhieli shore. It took a few minutes to secure the ship to the pilings and lower the gangplank, but then they were disembarking, crossing the small stretch of ground, and boarding the elven train, a sleek silver thing that ran along rails of tree roots.
Essie sagged onto the seat in the elven train. The seating car featured two long benches on either side with banks of windows behind them and a silver domed ceiling.
Had it only been a week ago she’d taken this train with Farrendel and Jalissa? Essie hadn’t been able to stop chattering on that trip, too excited to sit still at the thought of introducing Farrendel to her family.
Now, she couldn’t work up the energy or willpower to smile. All her bones ached, her muscles shaky. She’d been abducted from Winstead Palace at just about midnight when she and Farrendel had slipped from the ball. As the train carrying her and Farrendel and their captors to the border clattered through the night, she had dozed against Farrendel’s shoulder. But it had been a light doze, and she had been in constant danger and worry since.
Edmund and Julien took seats on either side of her while Weylind sat across from them. No one spoke as the train eased into motion.
Essie propped her head on her hand and stared out the window, the trees blurring. Farrendel’s private sleeping car was probably still attached to this train. She could curl up in that bed and sleep.
But she didn’t want to be alone right now. Nor did she want to be alone in a place belonging to Farrendel. Her heart already ached too much.
Julien started a conversation with Weylind that had Weylind pulling out a folding table to set up in the aisle while Julien spread out a map.
Edmund wrapped an arm around Essie’s shoulder. “You can sleep, if you want. I can tell you’re tired.”
Essie leaned her head against his shoulder. Edmund’s shoulder was more comfortable than Farrendel’s, which was all bones and angles. Yet, Essie would’ve rather been curled up against Farrendel.
She squeezed her eyes shut, hot tears burning beneath her eyelids. “I just miss him so much.”
“I know. We’ll rescue him.” Edmund wrapped both arms around Essie.
Would they? How long would it take? What would the trolls do to Farrendel in the meantime?
More tears burned behind her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She could not break in front of everyone. She needed to be strong.
“It’s all right to cry.” Edmund held her closer.
She sniffled and allowed a few hot, silent tears to trickle down her cheeks.
When they arrived in Estyra, all of them had gotten some sleep during the night, though Essie doubted any of them had slept much. Weylind’s shoulders sagged, lines cutting into his face, as if he carried the weight of both kingdoms on his shoulders. He looked like he could use a hug, but even Essie wasn’t daring enough to try it.
As they disembarked, Julien and Edmund gazed about, wide-eyed, much as Essie had done when first arriving in Estyra. Elves strolled the