War's Crown by Anne Wheeler

Author:Anne Wheeler [Wheeler, Anne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Anne Wheeler

CHAPTER NINE

My entire body ached from sitting in that chair by the ballroom window, but I hadn’t moved from it in almost six hours. Sara had brought me tea and a light supper, and now as the spring air grew cool around me, I shifted in my seat again. Dancing hadn’t appealed to me for some reason, but sitting no longer did. The map hadn’t sparkled, hadn’t glimmered, had just rested there on the ballroom floor looking to me like it looked to everyone else who crossed over its wood insets and borders.

Harnow had flashed white the first time I’d seen it, then white with red the second. I grabbed the journal I’d brought to the ballroom with me ever since I’d returned from Iraela. The colors had to mean something, had to, but unless the map spoke to me again, I’d never figure it out.

Unless it spoke to me again, I would never puzzle out its meaning. And if I could not puzzle out its meaning, how could I keep Meirdre safe?

And I hated myself for that. It might have been Laurent’s decision to send me away to Iraela—and I supposed I could understand why—but he couldn’t fathom the responsibility I felt as crownkeeper. I’d married him to fulfil my duty, all so I could live out my life at Lochfeld and protect Meirdre from the vexatious map that had probably sent the royal guard toward Mama and Papa’s house in the first place.

But it wasn’t speaking to me tonight. Realizing I’d fall asleep and end up spending the night here if I didn’t stand eventually, I found my footing and crept out of the ballroom with one last glance back. In the darkness, with only the single oil lamp, I couldn’t see the map, much less any detail. Shadows followed me as I strode to the library, and for the first time since I’d come to Lochfeld, the protection of Willem’s men was welcome.

They dropped back as I entered, but the fire was still roaring on the opposite side of the expansive room, and the figure huddled in the chair across from it meant I wouldn’t be alone while I searched. With any luck, he’d be able to help.

“Father?” I called, praying I hadn’t disturbed a late evening nap.

Father Gerritt shifted around in his chair and waved for me to join him, the dark circles under his eyes more prominent than usual. “You’ve finally dragged yourself away from the map, I see.”

“I shouldn’t have, I don’t think.” I sank into the chair beside him and put my head in my hands. “I missed something while I was in Iraela.”

“And that bothers you.”

“Of course,” I said indignantly. Sometimes his seeming mind-reading was too much.

“You know that’s not your fault,” he replied. “If he ordered you to go there and leave the map unwatched, he has no one to blame but himself.”

I choked out a laugh. Father Gerritt was the only one in Lochfeld to speak that way about Laurent.

“That’s not going to matter if whatever I missed harms Meirdre—or it affects me.

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