Page 78 of I Ran Away to Evil 3
The western garden fountain bubbled happily under the hot sun.
He didn’t know why, but every time Julian had gone for a walk by himself, he’d found his way back to this fountain. In the North, Julian rarely had time to himself; he was either defending the border or exploring the Ice Fields. Any spare time hedidhave, he spent writing letters to his mother and little sister. Julia’s replies were scattered at best, absent for months at worst.
When shedidwrite to him, her letters were full of her adventures, the most recent being that time she’d saved a mushfolk village from an angry griffin in the Dark Enchanted Forest, a dungeon delve in Peldeep where she’d found a treasure chest full of enchanted socks, and notably, Chloe’s proposal.
His mother, on the other hand, wrote routinely, with subtle and not-so-subtle hints that she would like him to come home.
Julian had a goal in the North, more so than simply preventing the Ice Fields’ dungeon monsters from storming across the border; he wanted to find and conquer the dungeonitselfand stop the threat altogether. And until that happened, being home made him feel restless. He needed to leave soon, before he got too comfortable … Before he started having second thoughts about leaving.
A softclickdrew his attention. Gerda ducked through a door before quickly closing it behind her. She was breathing deeply, as if she’d been running.
“Miss Gerda?”
She spun to face him. “Your Grace?”
“Going on a walk?” he asked.
She glanced back over her shoulder before joining him at the bottom of the short stairs. “I’m going anywhere that isn’t full of people,” she admitted. “I enjoy gatherings as much as the next troll, but not when I’m the center of attention.”
“That bad?” he inquired.
“No one came to physical blows. It was just a lot of fake niceties from people who were too polite to ask me to tell them their future.” Her shoulders slumped. “I told Henrietta I’d be back, so this is only a short reprieve.”
A cool breeze ruffled her hair, and the troll turned her face into the wind. She was lovely.
“I should be going.” He took a step back, suddenly feeling a differentkindof restlessness.
“Wait.” She turned back his way and then joined him. Suddenly, they were both walking on the path together.
“Yes?”
She smiled. “You live at the northern border?”
“I do.”
“What’s it like?”
“Beautiful and harsh,” he answered immediately. “The Northern Fortress isn’t so bad, but the further you head into the Ice Fields, the more dangerous it gets—from monstersandthe cold.”
“I see …” She tapped her chin, deep in thought as they arrived at the bench where she’d found his locket. “Are you going back early? Or are you staying till the end of the ball?”
“The day after the ball, actually …” Though he didn’t tell her he was still hoping to sneak away early if the opportunity arose. He asked, “Why?”
Gerda gathered herself. “I was going to ask you for a favor—”
“Alright,” he accepted. “What’s the favor?”
She eyed him, concerned. “Shouldn’t you hear what the favor isbeforeyou agree?”
“You expect me to deny you? After today?” Julian sat down on the bench, staring up at Gerda. Honestly, he felt no small amount of guilt that helping his family had revealed the troll’s hidden identity … And about the manacles, too.
“Yes. Well, Idid…” she replied. “Now, I need time to think.”
“You were just about to ask, so what is there to think about?” Julian crossed his arms.
The sun reflected in her soft brown eyes, and she had to move slightly to escape the glare. “That was before I knew you’d say yes towhateverI asked for!”
“Whatwereyou going to ask for?” He was genuinely curious.
