Page 32 of Stolen Princess's Secret

He answered more questions while she helped him weigh the next set of hatchlings. He watched her eyes grow round when he told her he was thinking about placing one with a young woman in Aergoveny whose main job was to help her father run a tavern. He thought the young woman had a way with animals and people too, and he wanted to teach her and many others the art of falconry and experience the practical partnerships between people and birds.

‘I want to experience the practical partnerships too,’ Sophia assured him earnestly.

‘It takes a lot of time. And right now you’re learning other big skills. Don’t you have a new pony to ride and a wolfhound puppy coming soon?’

Sophia nodded.

‘Show me how well you care for them, over and over for years, and we can talk again about getting you your own hatchling.’

‘Aunt Claudia had a falcon of her own when she was seven.’

‘Did she now?’

‘And so did you. Aunt Claudia told me.’

‘Did she now?’

‘She says you were her best teacher ever.’

Ha. ‘I was eleven at the time and my father was teaching us both. It’s good to learn things alongside a friend.’ He hoped his new apprentices proved his words true.

‘So you and Aunt Claudia are friends. Is that why she doesn’t want to trap you?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘With a baby.’

She wasn’t making sense. ‘A—what?’

‘Aunt Claudia’s baby. In her belly.’

Still not computing. He lifted the last of the eyas off the scales and back into the bucket, and wrote the weight down in the record book. Miracle of miracles, his hands stayed steady throughout.

‘Aunt Claudia has a baby in her belly?’

The little girl nodded.

‘Did she say that?’ He should be ashamed, pumping a child for information, but here they were.

Another nod. ‘And then my father said, “He needs to know” and Aunt Claudia said, “Why would I trap him when he’s just been set free?” and my father said, “It’s your duty to tell him” and that’s when they really started yelling.’

‘So you overheard this conversation but you weren’t part of it.’ Sophia was beginning to look scared. He hadn’t raised his voice but if he could track the tight tension in his words, doubtless so could she.

‘Am I in trouble?’

‘Not with me.’ He tried to make his voice sound less harsh as he crouched in front of her. ‘No, but princesses have rules they need to live by. And one of the first rules of princessing is that you don’t repeat conversations you’re not part of in the first place. You might be giving secrets away to the wrong people.’

‘Indeed,’ said a voice from the doorway, and there stood Ana, her pretty face grave as she stared down at them. He straightened, crossed his arms for good measure and held his Queen’s gaze with a flinty one of his own.

‘Thank you, Tomas. I can take it from here. Come on, Soph.’ Ana held out her hand for her daughter to take. ‘Let’s get you cleaned up for dinner. Your father will be joining us.’

He hadn’t started this conversation but, one way or another, he would hear the end of it. ‘Will the Princess Royal be joining you too?’

‘Do you have business with her?’

‘You tell me.’

Ana was the first to look away. ‘With the water rights negotiations completed, she was heading north with Lord Ildris for a time. To celebrate.’

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