between them but strong emotion would, too, particularly if it generated a physical response. Thinking of the Wilmerian filled her with something slithering and uncomfortable, and without bothering to examine her reasons, she knew she didn’t want Gavin to know what happened. “Nothing. I came back here and enjoyed the quiet.”
“Really.”
“Really.” She picked up a bun from the tray on the low table between them.
He let a breath’s worth of silence pass. “Did your new courtier friend enjoy the quiet with you?”
She threw the bun at him. It had been stale, anyway. “Go hang.”
“It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for you, you know,” he said with a laugh. “The rest of us are busy all the time now. It’d give you something to do.”
“I have plenty to do. How late did Theron stay last night?”
“Not much longer than you. He said the smoke from the fire dancers made his chest feel tight. Funny how that never seems to happen with the torches and acids in his workshop.”
“Maybe it does. Maybe he just thinks that’s worth it.”
Gavin’s annoyance would have been obvious even without the scowl. “He snuck out early this morning. If he put half the effort into actually training that he puts into avoiding it, he’d be commander of the army already.”
It wasn’t annoyance he was feeling, after all, Judah realized; it was anger. In a few years, Theron would be commander of the army anyway, no matter how ill-suited he was for the job. That was what the second son did. Gavin had always been frustrated by his brother’s refusal to prepare for the role, but somehow this felt different. She narrowed her eyes. “Why are you so angry at him?”
Gavin chewed his lip for a moment. “He needs to start showing up to training. He needs to at least try.”
“It doesn’t matter how hard he tries. He still won’t be able to see past the end of his arm.”
“All the same.” His usually-easy grin seemed forced. “I didn’t know I was angry enough for you to feel it. Sorry. When he’s not there, I feel like I have to try twice as hard. And I already try pretty hard. So.”
That didn’t feel entirely true but Judah decided not to press it. “You could try a little harder not to get hit. If I’m going to end up with all the bruises anyway, they might as well put me down there with a sword.”
Gavin’s smile caught and spread to his eyes. “You’d be terrifying in battle. If you came at me with a weapon, I’d give you whatever you wanted. The whole country. Anything.”
“Make it so, Lordling. You were just saying that I needed something to do.”
“And you were telling me to go hang.” He yawned. “Speaking of training, I should get down to the field. My hangover pass won’t last past noon.”
“So go.”
“I am. I’m going.” He stood up. Then he stopped. “Jude—last night, after you left...you felt sort of strange.”
She put on a puzzled expression. “Strange, how?”
“Your heart was beating fast.” He shook his head. “I don’t know. Strange. You’re sure everything was okay?”
“No. I had to go to a state dinner and sit between a courtier and a zealot. It was horrible.”
“Duly noted. Anyway, that’s why I sent Elly after you. Not that she minded leaving—but I wasn’t just being nosy.” Leaning down, he took an apple from the bowl on the table, and kissed the top of her head. “See you later.”
“Don’t get hit with anything,” she said.
“Talk to Theron for me,” he said in return.
* * *
The House didn’t feel as empty as it had the night before. Their rooms were in one of the older, more run-down sections, but there were still guest rooms nearby, and the halls were full of kitchen staff and skittish pages rushing by with trays. Judah even passed a few courtiers, who either ignored her or sneered at her. Those who were truly talented at courtcraft managed both. Many of them believed the story about the midwife was a lie, that she was a Southern Kingdom hostage or some illicit offshoot of Elban’s, but even if there’d been no mystery about her origins, the courtiers would have sneered. They made it quite clear that the least she could do was dress decently, even if she couldn’t actually be decent.
The courtiers could sneer all they wanted. Elban was healthy and strong, but when a man waged war the way he did it was wise to