The Empty Crown by Georgina Makalani

Author:Georgina Makalani [Makalani, Georgina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780648722762
Published: 2020-06-13T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Sitting by the small fire in her oversized room, Ana was surprised by the quiet knock at the door. She was more surprised when she opened it to find Dray rather than Ed standing in the dim light of the hallway. She moved back as he pushed into the room and closed the door behind him. He glanced around as though checking for danger, and then his focus settled on her. Ana was sure she looked as tired as she felt.

She still wore the same dress she had worn down to dinner despite the lord’s offer of servants, which she had declined, not wanting the strange people around her again. Not that she worried about what they would do; she had been in such a position herself not so long ago. She shivered at the idea and then looked back to Dray as he scanned the room again.

‘Where is Ende?’ he asked.

She pointed up to the ceiling, and his eyes travelled up then back to her.

‘He finds castles somewhat confining,’ she said with a small shrug.

Dray looked at her seriously, but then a smile broke across his face and she felt as though she could breathe again.

‘Now tell me,’ he said, settling into a chair by the fire and indicating the one she had been sitting in not so long ago, ‘how and why you managed to make it here before us?’

‘It took you longer than I expected.’

‘It was a long walk,’ he admitted, ‘and although the girl is strong, she wasn’t as fast as I would have liked. We had talked about it, but I didn’t think it was a good idea for the king to say who he was.’

‘That was a surprise,’ Ana admitted, sitting on the other chair by the fire. ‘I know he needs the help and I encouraged him to come, but somehow I thought he would try to keep his identity a secret.’

‘You haven’t answered my question.’

‘It appears that Ende’s idea of training is to drop me into the middle of a lord’s castle and see what I can do.’

‘You appear to be doing just fine.’ He gave her a little smile, but there was something else in his voice she couldn’t quite place.

‘I nearly slipped into my serving ways—pouring wine, asking if there is anything the lord would need.’

‘You looked like you have lived in such a world your whole life,’ Dray said, raising almost sad eyes from the fire to her.

‘I have,’ she said, disappointed at his words. ‘Only not quite like this.’

‘And the how?’

‘Ende thought it best we were already here when you arrived.’

He leaned forward. ‘He carried you here?’

She grinned and nodded.

‘How did you convince him to do that?’

‘Do you really think I could ask Ende to do anything he didn’t want to do? This was all his idea. He is sure we need to work together, but I’m not sure if he knows as much as he says or more than he has told me.’

‘Do you think he

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