Heart of Winter (The Drake Chronicles Book 1) by Lauren Gilley

Author:Lauren Gilley [Gilley , Lauren & Gilley, Lauren]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HP Press
Published: 2020-12-15T18:30:00+00:00

16

By Friday, Oliver was out of bed and on his feet.

More or less.

Revna had shown up with sturdy, warm Northern clothes, all of them taken in and hemmed to fit his smaller frame, all of them in the noble house colors. He knew they’d all come from Erik, or Leif, or Rune, and he found that he didn’t mind that, even if he did draw some startled glances from the merchants and nobles having breakfast in the great hall. Tessa walked at his side, her arm looped through his, and he hated that it wasn’t just for show, that she was providing a considerable amount of support.

His knees threatened to give out every other step, and his legs felt weak as water.

“It’s not too late to go back to your room,” Tessa whispered.

“Oliver!” Rune shouted, standing up from his table, and waving enthusiastically with both arms.

“I rather think it is.”

They got settled on the bench across from Rune, with Oliver not quite falling in the process.

Rune pushed his empty plate aside and leaned forward to put his elbows on the table. “How are you feeling?” he asked, excitement giving way to notch-browed worry. “You’re pale, still.”

“Yes, thank you, Rune, I’d noticed,” Oliver said, but couldn’t help but smile. “I’m feeling much better.”

Rune tilted his head, doubtful. “Are you sure?”

He chuckled. “I’m conscious. And upright – mostly. I’ll be fine.”

Rune beamed – and traded grins with Tessa, his dark eyes going momentarily soft. “Are you hungry?” he asked Oliver.

“A little.” He twisted around to look toward the buffet table. “Did I see griddle cakes over there?”

“With jam.” Rune bounced lightly to his feet. “I’ll get you some.”

“Oh, you don’t–”

“Be right back.”

Oliver watched him go, shaking his head. “In the last week, I’ve had a king bathe me – twice – a princess sit watch over me, and a prince go to fetch me breakfast.”

Tessa giggled. “So much for the Barbarians of the North, hm?”

“Indeed.”

There were indeed flapjacks, with strawberry and fig jam. Rune brought them both plates heaped with far too many cakes slathered in jam, and with piles of bacon and hash on the side. With the food in front of him, Oliver found his stomach growling, and his appetite returning, and he dug in with grateful thanks for the hand-delivery.

Oliver ducked his head over his plate, but stole glances toward Tessa and Rune, noting the way they couldn’t seem to look away from each other. Tessa all but ignored her food in favor of laughing and exclaiming in all the right places of Rune’s complicated story about a reindeer sleigh race gone wrong last winter.

“What’s that?” Tessa asked, breaking off mid-sentence.

Oliver lifted his head in time to see that, as the breakfast-goers drifted off elsewhere in the palace, and kitchen staff came to clear the plates and wipe the tables, a group of burly young men were carrying in great armfuls of greenery. Pine boughs, Oliver realized.

“They’re decorating,” Rune said, launching from one excited tone to another. “The solstice is next week.

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