Page 16 of Betraying Korth

“Thanks for the tip. I’ll have to try it.”

Tess beamed. “That’s what sisters are for.”

“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never had one.”

“You do now. I’m your sister!”

I couldn’t help returning her smile, glad that I wouldn’t have to exploit this girl who trusted so freely and wholly. “So you are.” With a meaningful look at her, I tapped the side of my nose. “Let me know if you think of anything else to help me get to know your brother.”

During our strollin the courtyard, Korth remained stiff and silent. No matter how many questions I asked about his day, he would only respond with short phrases that were courteous but didn’t invite more conversation.

Across the lawn, a narrow bridge curved over the moat, leading to a closed door on the east side of the castle, nearly hidden away in the hedges that bloomed with flowers. “I wonder how much weight that could hold,” I mused aloud, nodding at it. “I don’t know much about bridges.”

Instantly, Korth’s entire demeanor brightened. “That’s a simple footbridge that can support upwards of a thousand pounds, but most bridges will differ on how much weight they can hold based on the length of the bridge, materials used, and the design specifications.”

Excitedly, he pointed to the drawbridge in the distance. “That one, on the other hand, can support carriages and horses, but their payloads are actually much smaller than most people thinkbecause of all the moving components that are used in the assembly. Truss bridges are the most common in our kingdom, but I’d like to upgrade the infrastructure to something less prone to erosion. Since the materials will corrode over time, we will need a more robust system in place.”

I made to step off the path to take a shortcut over to examine the drawbridge, but Korth’s arm became iron beneath my fingers. “We aren’t supposed to walk on the grass.”

“I’m sure the gardeners wouldn’t mind if the prince does it.”

“But they’re the rules.”

Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I nodded politely. “Of course. I lost my head from your enthusiasm. Tell me more about bridges.”

He did so, barely pausing to draw breath, and I made a mental note to thank Tess for her tip.

“Most people don’t recognize how important bridges are to the economy. Just like how sirens prevented trade when our ships couldn’t take to the seas, merchants can’t trade in other cities and towns if rivers block their way and they don’t have safe passageways. I even heard”—he lowered his voice as if he were about to reveal the answer to life’s greatest mysteries—“that in Berkway, their stone arch bridges support entire aqueduct systems that provide running water to theentirekingdom.” Korth sucked in air, marveling at such a phenomenon. “I’ve always wanted to visit. Once Tess is fourteen, she will attend a finishing school there and I told her I would take her.”

“Because you want to ensure that she arrives safely, or to examine their bridges?”

Korth’s cheeks tinged pink, and I found myself admiring how attractive he was. “Both. But…can you imagine? Their streets are even kept cool because they have aqueducts that run under the roads filled with water that absorbs the heat of the summers. All because they have the stone bridges that go from hill tohill, sometimes spanning several miles! They have to maintain a certain angle, see, to ensure that the water is always running at a downward slope and doesn’t pool in recessed areas.”

“You seem to know a great deal about them if you’ve never seen them yourself.”

“I’ve read about them. Do you know what a keystone is?”

“No, tell me.”

Korth did so, lovingly detailing more facts about different types of bridges than I ever dreamed one could know. After describing each of the different types of bridge load-bearing capacities, he went on to give his opinion on the efficacy of the various construction techniques and architectural styles as compared to the cost of labor and materials, as well as the duration of the construction period.

I nodded, doing my best to absorb the information that clearly meant so much to Korth, because if talking about bridges made him feel more connected to me, I would gladly talk about bridges. But after a lengthy lecture about the geometry of arches and how they compared to the more triangular construction of truss bridges, my brain felt as saturated as a soaked sponge, and all new information simply dribbled away and was lost.

“I’m sorry; this must be very boring for you,” Korth apologized.

“No, not at all. I’m fascinated by what interests you.” With a coy smile, I asked, “Is that why you kept looking out of the carriage window when you brought me here from the harbor?”

Korth shrugged one of his shoulders. “One of the reasons.”

“I’ve never been to Berkway either,” I said. “But I look forward to you showing me the bridges there. We’ll be married by then.”

“I’d love to show you.” Korth placed his hand over mine that was curled around his elbow and for the first time, it didn’t feel stiff and awkward. “What interests you?”

I raised one shoulder. “It really isn’t a typical interest for a princess, but…”

“What?” As I’d expected, Korth’s relief at my expressing genuine interest in his unconventional passion had made him much more eager to listen to mine.

“I have an interest in dumbwaiters. Silly, isn’t it?”

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