Page 88 of Kingdom of Feathers

“What brings you here, My Lord?” he asked Lord Baldwin impatiently. “Surely it’s almost midnight.”

“Half an hour from it, Your Majesty.” Lord Baldwin’s arms were crossed, and he twisted his sleeve nervously in his hand. “And I came because I need to speak with you.”

Basil resumed his pacing, irritation flickering to life inside him. “I don’t want to hear any more about how we should turn tail and run home to Tola. I’m committed to this course, and I intend to see it through, no matter how unreasonable King Lloyd is being.” He shot Lord Baldwin a look. “And I’ll acknowledge that he’s been extraordinarily unreasonable.” He stopped pacing with a sigh. “Although I suppose it’s to be expected. If Wren disappeared without his knowledge, he must have been terrified he’d lost the last of his children. Who knows what tale the Mistran guards have told him about her disappearing into the mine, and emerging from the Entolian side with me in tow?”

He chewed his lip thoughtfully, almost forgetting his companion’s presence.

Lord Baldwin cleared his throat, sounding more uncomfortable than Basil had ever heard him. “Your graciousness toward King Lloyd is commendable, Your Majesty. I don’t think I would be half as understanding in your position.”

Basil just blinked at him. Lord Baldwin hadn’t so far been one to try flattery to get what he wanted, but it was clear he hadn’t yet reached his point. The nobleman walked stiffly across the room, pausing at one of the tall windows that looked into the castle’s central garden.

“I didn’t come to talk about King Lloyd, Your Majesty,” Lord Baldwin said at last, his back still to Basil. “Or to urge you once again to leave.”

“What did you come to talk about?” Basil prompted, when Lord Baldwin fell silent.

The nobleman turned to face him. “I wished to tell you that I have come to greatly respect you, King Basil. You are a good leader. And, if I’m honest, you’re not at all what I expected when I agreed to come on this journey.” He gave a rueful smile. “Knowing how you value honesty, I will acknowledge that at first I thought the same as the rest of the Lords’ Council, that in addition to being too young and inexperienced for your role, you were rash and without tact, and would almost certainly make a mess of the whole business.”

Basil took no offense at the honest words, but he couldn’t help grimacing at the blunt but undoubtedly accurate description of his advisors’ view of him.

“But I’ve learned more of you in these past weeks than I expected to in a lifetime. Although I don’t always agree with your decisions, I can say without reservation that you’ve proved us all wrong. And I hope the other lords will be brought to recognize it as well.”

Basil frowned. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate the praise, but there was no doubt in his mind that Lord Baldwin was still building to his point, and Basil couldn’t help feeling apprehensive about what it might be. He moved toward the nobleman, and as he did so, his eyes were drawn to the window behind Lord Baldwin.

No servants had attended him since his arrival, other than the one who’d brought him food, and Basil had been too distracted to pull the curtains closed himself. The window afforded him a clear view of the garden, bathed in spring moonlight, quiet and unmoving save for the dark silhouettes of the trees swaying gently in a light breeze.

That and a figure, descending the wall of one of the castle’s other wings. With a sharp intake of breath, Basil stepped up beside Lord Baldwin, his eyes riveted on the form. Dark as the shape was against the darkness of the night, there was no mistaking that figure. Or that exuberant hair.

“What is she doing?” he muttered involuntarily, hardly knowing whether to be entertained or alarmed by the sight of Wren climbing precariously down the stone walls from her second story window. He would hazard a guess that her door was being guarded as closely as his own.

“Is that the princess?”

Lord Baldwin’s startled question belatedly reminded Basil of his company. He nodded vaguely, his eyes still fixed on Wren’s form. When she reached the ground without incident, he let out a sigh of relief.

“But why is she climbing out of her window?” Lord Baldwin asked, sounding aghast.

“I have no idea,” said Basil. A moment’s reflection, however, made him think he might. He knew better than anyone how fond she was of her swans, and how protective of the injured one. She’d been away for almost a week. She probably wanted to check on them, and he was guessing that outing wasn’t sanctioned by whoever had charge of her right now. She’d disappeared from sight now, but there could be little doubt she was heading for the big pond in the center of the gardens.

He chewed his lip again. “I wonder if I should go to her.”

“You can’t go into the gardens now, Your Majesty,” protested Lord Baldwin. “I doubt the guards will let you stir from your room at this hour of the night, and they certainly won’t let you anywhere near the princess.”

Basil didn’t answer, barely listening to the nobleman’s words. “I hope her parents weren’t too harsh with her,” he mused, still staring into the garden, although he could no longer see Wren. “I’m pretty sure her whole outing was based on a misunderstanding from my letter to her, so it’s really more my fault than hers.”

“King Lloyd will have no difficulty believing that, Your Majesty,” said Lord Baldwin dryly. “If you come out of this in one piece I’ll be relieved, and if we leave Myst without war being reignited, I’ll own myself astonished.”

Basil turned from the window at last, frowning at his advisor. “I’m not leaving until we’ve reached peace, My Lord.” He glanced back into the night. “I’m more determined on that than ever.” He didn’t add the thought in his mind—that if true war broke out between the two kingdoms, he’d lose any hope of continuing his friendship with Wren—but Lord Baldwin seemed to understand anyway.

“You’ve come to care very deeply for her, haven’t you, Your Majesty?”

Basil turned at the soft words, frowning as he tried in vain to read the expression in Lord Baldwin’s eyes. He had no patience right now for the nobleman’s overblown discomfort regarding Wren’s reputation.

“I have no hesitation in saying that I consider her more deserving of my respect than almost anyone I’ve ever met,” he told Lord Baldwin shortly.

To his surprise, the nobleman responded with a wry smile. “I didn’t ask if you respect her, Your Majesty. I asked if you care for her.” He gave Basil a meaningful look. “Deeply.”

Basil turned back to the window, frustrated with the heat he could feel rising up his neck. For once, he had no desire to be forthright. Politics and military strategy were one thing. Matters of his heart were quite another. It wasn’t that he was rattled by Lord Baldwin’s blatantly poor opinion of Wren. That reflected badly on the nobleman, not the princess. But Basil was fully aware of the futility of his cause when it came to Wren, and it made him anything but eager to discuss it.

“I will say no more, Your Majesty.” Lord Baldwin gave a deep bow, his tone respectful. To Basil’s surprise, he began to move toward the door.

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