dynasty of Ghosts by PL Nunn

Author:PL Nunn [BJ, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

It was phrased so politely, so cordially, that Illya automatically nodded. He narrowed his eyes a moment later as it occurred to him to ask for what.

“Oh, humor me. Nothing to endanger the state of your soul, you have my word.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT Even though there had been talk of a hunt today, in the throes of the wine and the excitement of arriving at the hall last night, not a high-blood in the company was out of their beds before noon. Most lingered long after that. Ashe did not particularly like being up with the sun and had gotten out of the habit once he’d returned home to Rhu. He did not mind being in the field with the army, but he did miss the luxury of lazing in bed a few extra hours. Especially if it were a soft goose-feather mattress covered with fine, baby soft sheets. Summercroft might be a forest retreat, but the luxuries therein were quite fit for – well, for royalty.

He reacquainted himself with the hall and its small permanent staff. There were only eight that stayed there year round. The cook and her husband, who was in charge of the hall, and their sons Alud and Thul who took care of the stables. Rylan the huntsmaster, who had one boy in training under him, a widow who saw to the chamber cleaning and her son who did odd jobs about the hall. The rest of the staff came and went, depending on which high-blood was a guest at the hall.

He’d rather had hopes of cornering Illya into sharing company throughout the day, but the ranger proved too skittish to press, so he’d had to settle for the promise of a bit of time in the evening. He occupied himself helping Alud and Thul take the extra horses and the brood mares to the paddocks. Only the hunters and the riding horses would be used while the court was in residence. The others would fare better with the open space of the paddocks.

He enjoyed working with the horses. He enjoyed the simple joy of brushing the tangles out of mane and tail, of currying a dull coat to gleaming. He liked the smell of the stables and no one here – well with the exception of a few of the more snobbish nobles and they wouldn’t stay forever – thought it improper for the prince heir to spend ungodly amounts of time in the barn doing the work of a commoner.

He had no notion of where Illya had disappeared to. He was always aware when the ranger was in his vicinity, always sensitive to his nearness. It was odd, almost, how attuned he had become to the mere sense of Illya’s presence and them not even lovers. He’d had lovers – close ones – who he was never so intimately aware of.

He presumed Illya was taking full advantage of the wood. Kenthy he saw playing dice with a few of the other escort, but he refrained from inquiring.

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