Page 107 of The Kingdom's Reckoning
They would reach the capital tomorrow, which meant that Rian’s chances of being recognized had increased tenfold because of his proximity to the castle. They had done their best to avoid the villages where possible. When they were forced to pass through them, Rian kept his head down. But they could all sense the tension among the civilians. They had opted to avoid the inns at all costs, despite the knots in their backs and shoulders. But even in the deserted cave they had found, there was still a chance of hunters or soldiers searching the woods. They wouldn’t be safe until the war was over and Rian was back on the throne.
Rian swiped his sword from the ground and twisted it in the air. "Happy?"
"Not even close," Laurince argued gruffly.
"Too bad. Maybe Mys can help you navigate your feelings, yeah?"
Myra’s gaze snapped to Rian, who was backing away as Laurince poked the fire with a long stick, mumbling to himself. A rebuttal was on the tip of her tongue, but Rian was quicker.
He tipped his head in Laurince’s direction and mouthed, "Do it."
She glared at Rian, realizing he was using this as an excuse to make her listen to his advice from the other day. But before she could argue, he left the cave, slipping into the woods with a mischievous grin on his face. Myra held her legs closer to her chest. Yet no matter how hard she squeezed them, her heart hammered against her ribcage. She kept her focus on the fire, praying that Laurince couldn’t hear her rancorous heartbeat.
Minutes passed, and neither she nor Laurince broke the silence.
Restless, Myra shifted. She crossed her legs and slipped her hands beneath her thighs. Her knees bounced as she glancedbetween the fire and the entrance of the cave. Maybe Rian was right. Maybe she should tell Laurince.
Then again, what if she told him and Rian came back and overheard her silly proclamation? How embarrassing would that be?
"He’ll be fine," Laurince said, poking a burning coal with a stick. The rock disintegrated upon contact.
"Hmm?" Myra hummed, dragging her attention from the fire to him.
He propped his leg up, throwing his arm over it. "I just mean that Rian knows how to use that sword of his."
Myra’s brows scaled up her forehead. "Oh?"
"That’s not—that wasn’t—" Laurince rubbed his hand across his face in embarrassment.
Myra tilted her head, eyeing the captain. Was heblushing?
"What I meant was…" He cleared his throat and scratched the scar on his neck. "When I said I didn’t want him to go before, it’s not because I don’t have faith in his ability to wield a sword. He’s been thoroughly trained. I’ve trained with him many times. He can handle himself if he were to come across someone or something. Although I doubt he will. I just did a lap around the campsite not even half an hour ago. This area seems deserted."
"That’s…that’s good," Myra said, unsure why Laurince was babbling. He was sounding like her.
"So you don’t have to worry."
"Do I look worried?"
"Well…" He gestured to her knee, which was still bouncing against the ground. "You haven’t stopped fidgeting since he left."
"Oh." Myra froze. "Oh.You think I’m worried about his safety?"
"Of course."
If only it were that simple.
She hadn’t realized Laurince paid that close attention to her. She sucked in her bottom lip and chewed on it nervously. When Laurince clocked the movement, her heart pounded. She released her lip immediately.
Dropping her gaze to the pebbles on the cave floor in front of her, she confessed, "I’m not worried about him."
"Then what’s the matter? Are you cold? I can add more wood to the fire," Laurince offered, getting ready to stand.
"No, no," Myra said quickly. "You shouldn’t."
"I can though. We can let it burn a little longer. I’m sure?—"
"It’s you," she blurted.
