Crown of One Hundred Kings (Nine Kingdoms Trilogy #1) - Rachel Higginson Page 0,34

now. And Arrick was an outlaw. But those blue eyes were a perfect replica of the ghost of my past, the ghost that should have been the foundation of my future.

At last I looked at his hands. They were wrapped around leather reigns and stretched long and true. Young hands. They had neither the wrinkles of time nor the scars from many battles, though they were weathered and calloused and proof of a hard life.

“Twenty-three,” I guessed.

He nodded. “Close. Twenty.”

“Twenty!”

He laughed. “Do I look older?”

“Much,” I assured him. His age… Three years had separated the boy prince and me. The same distance between Arrick and me now. It was impossible though. Mere coincidence. Magic from the Blood Wood. I swallowed down my suspicion, hiding my reaction behind teasing. “I would have guessed fifty winters if I had not been worried about offending your ego.”

“Now you’re just being cruel.”

I smiled because he was right.

We rode in comfortable silence for several minutes before he said, “For eight years you lived without horses and yet you are obviously proficient with this one. Did you ride often before?”

“Before the monastery. Yes, we had horses. It used to be a favorite pastime of mine.”

“Well, you have impressed me with your proficiency, Stranger. I commend you on your ability to stay with us even though I know you’re hurting.”

“You are escorting me, Commander. There is no other option.”

I heard the smile in his voice, even while I kept my gaze focused ahead. “I’ve never heard of monks taking in orphans. Is this a custom in Heprin?”

I nibbled my lip, realizing I’d said too much. Monks did not take in children, especially female children, unless they were pledged to the order. Which I clearly was not. “No, it is not custom. I was a special case. The high priest knew my family. He agreed to raise me out of obligation to them.” And to the realm. But I knew better than to say that particular piece of truth out loud.

“And you were the only female among them?”

“The only.” I turned my gaze on him. “And the only person allowed to speak out loud. The Temple of Eternal Light is a silent order.”

His mouth opened and closed as he floundered for something to say. “Completely silent?”

“Completely,” I laughed. “Your rebel army is the most voices I have heard speaking at once in a long time. More concerning than the pain in my backside is the pain in my head from their constant chatter.”

He shook his head. “Eight years of silence. I cannot even imagine.”

“In truth, I think the brothers started to see me as useful. While they remained loyal to their vows, they had me to barter with vendors from the market and the women that made their clothes. I could communicate in ways that were otherwise impossible for them. I’m not sure what they’ll do now that they don’t have a stray orphan around to voice their very frugal opinions.”

I enjoyed his low chuckle. But when he spoke again, he was as serious as before. “You were obviously very valuable to them if they let you stay with them for so long. Did they protest when you decided to leave?” His gaze narrowed on me. “Or maybe they did not know? Has another fugitive joined my ranks? Is there a price on your head meant to be paid in cucumbers and tomatoes?”

“Hardly. I left with as much fanfare and pomp as a silent monastery is capable of giving. The Brotherhood of Silence were without a doubt generous hosts and gracious teachers, but they knew I would not stay with them forever. I could not. I would never agree to their vows and it’s forbidden for a woman to join the order.”

“So off to Elysia you went.”

“Yes,” I agreed, thankful he seemed to accept every part of my story without question. “Home at last.”

“Home? Is it?” His movements drew my attention back to him. From his pocket he withdrew my necklace. The two glittering gemstones shimmered in the bright sunlight, dancing as the horse moved onward. “But these are Soravale colors, are they not? The blue and the silver belong to the Soravale coat of arms. Elysia’s are white and gold.”

My fingers itched to snatch the necklace from his taunting fingers. He asked too many questions. “And how do you know so much of royal colors?”

Arrick inclined his head toward the army that surrounded us. “My men come from all corners of the realm. They still wear their