in her left hand, something round and heavy.
“What did you do to the guards?” I whisper.
She raises an eyebrow, and even in the dim light, I can see the wicked gleam in her eye. “You mean those two boys with their fresh-scrubbed faces and newly sprouted whiskers, who look as if they should have gone into the clergy rather than soldiering?”
“Yes. What did you do?”
“A bit of sleep draft mixed in with their dinners. Only enough to make them mortified when they wake in the morning and realize they fell asleep while on duty.”
She weaves a path between sacks of wheaten flour and barrels of oats toward me. After nudging two sacks of dried peas out of the way, she settles onto the floor. The small pop of a cork is followed by the sharp scent of wine. She lifts the jug that she has been carrying and takes a healthy swig, then holds it out to me.
“Well, sit down,” she says. “I don’t want to get a crick in my neck. Or are you mad at me for not telling you about Mortain sooner?”
The question surprises me. “No.” Of course she would have to ensure both my trust and loyalty before sharing something of that magnitude. Besides, it’s not as if I’ve told her all of my secrets yet, either. I do as she orders.
That settled, she takes another drink. “I was afraid I was going to stab someone if I had to endure another moment of pompous speeches, ceremonial presentations, or unctuous praying on behalf of our beloved queen, as if they hadn’t all been trying to bring her down for the last two months. How the queen can bear it, I’ve no idea.” She stretches her legs out so that one of them presses against mine.
“I’d wager she’s used to it by now. Maybe not the hypocrisy, but she’s no doubt had an entourage like that since birth.” I take a gulp of wine, welcoming the pleasant warmth of it against my throat. It isn’t watered.
Sybella leans her head back against the wall. “True enough. Although that would have sent me running years ago.”
“It is a good thing you are not the duchess, then.”
She smirks and holds her hand out for the jug. “I think we can all agree on that.”
It is such a small thing, I realize, to share a feeble joke, but it warms me more deeply than the wine. “How is the queen?” I ask.
“Away from the palace, surrounded by ceremony and celebration rather than intrigue and backstabbing, she blossoms—her cheeks have taken on a healthier color, her eyes are less shadowed and tinged more with, if not happiness, a relief of sorts.”
“That is good news. I was also worried about traveling in her condition. Especially since it is still a secret.”
“We travel so slowly and for such short distances that it won’t be an issue. In truth, I find it hard to believe we’ll reach Paris before August at this rate.”
“It is still only January,” I point out.
Her mouth quirks. “Precisely.” She shoves the cask at me. “Here. Maybe this will help you better appreciate my jests.”
I roll my eyes and take it from her. Mayhap I will drink it all and then we can talk about jests.
“How are you doing?”
Her question causes me to choke on the mouthful of wine I’ve just swallowed. No, not her question—the genuine concern and compassion it holds. “I am fine. The king has not visited me since we left Plessis, although he has set others to watching me. They are not very good at being subtle.”
“In addition to the two men currently napping?”
When I nod, her lips curl in amusement. “You will have a parade at your back before you know it.” Then she sobers, her glance drifting to my neck. The weight of the silver collar feels heavier under her gaze. “I still cannot believe you are letting him force you to wear that.”
I blush at the faint scorn in her eyes, but she leans forward and catches my chin gently between her fingers. “My scorn is not for you, but for the pompous kingling.” She gives my chin a squeeze—one could almost call it affectionate—before letting go to lean back against the wall.
“There is no harm in it for me—I can remove the chain whenever I choose. But it allows him to feel in control of something right now, and I think that aids us all, in the long run.”
“How did you get so