Volgan ran a hand over his scraggly dark blond hair and grunted.
Their discussion ended just as palace maids bustled onto the grass carrying covered platters. Tables were filled with fruits and pastries and steaming piles of eggs and sausages. Paxton was more concerned with sleep than food at that moment, but he needed to keep his strength. He walked to his spot at the end of the table. Before he sat he glanced up at the balcony and paused, his heart giving a sudden bang.
The princess, locked hand in hand with her lady cousin, were looking down upon them, appearing worried. Her hair was damp and freshly combed, heavy about her body. Both girls wore dresses that appeared simple, the princess in yellow and the lady in gray, but their fabric and stitching was far finer than anything a commoner wore. Shawls with pastel rainbow beading draped over their shoulders against the morning chill.
The princess’s eyes darted across the men’s faces until they landed on Paxton. The brightened relief that crossed her face was like a punch to his gut, followed by something pleasant and warm, a feeling that appealed to him on a deep, masculine level.
Seas be damned, Paxton thought with near amusement. Princess Aerity was glad to see him alive. She wore her emotions freely across her face, unguarded. She continued to surprise him, which he didn’t care for.
Her expression of relief was followed closely by dark shadows in her eyes at the sight of the empty seats. Her gaze moved along and halted once again. A small smile graced her lips. Paxton saw Harrison send a nod up to her, and something soured within him. Were they in love or something? Wouldn’t that be the rub for the poor princess?
A cool breeze blew through. The princess dropped her head, clutching her shawl against the chill. She turned and nodded at her cousin. Together, they left the men to break their fast.
A wide fire pit was lit on the tent side of the commons. The hunters from the remaining four lands found themselves around it after their meal.
Chapter
13
Princess Aerity had a splendid view of the west commons from the sitting room window of her chambers above the balcony. Alone, she peered down upon the field area where the hunters exercised their skills, and the tables where the men were finishing their breakfasts. She hadn’t realized how nervous she’d been for Harrison and the Seabolt brothers until she saw them alive and well this morning and experienced a current of relief. Now she found herself staring unabashedly from her window at Paxton Seabolt, wishing she had a seaman’s scope so she could peer closer.
His movements were thought out and steady. Unhurried. Nothing wasted. Next to Paxton, his brother Tiern seemed like a bolt of energy, moving about, turning his head this way and that as if keeping an eye on everything at once. The contrast between them amused Aerity.
Something interesting she noticed about the men as a whole was how they naturally broke into groups based on their lands of origin. She understood the comfort level of similar culture and language, but it seemed a shame that the men rarely interacted except to fuss over that blasted map. She imagined they could learn a lot from one another, but what did she know? Men were strange creatures.
The cloudless sky was bright blue and Aerity longed to be out in the autumn breeze, feeling the sun on her skin. Trees beyond the commons were beginning to turn shades of yellow, orange, and maroon.
From the corner of her eye she noticed movement along the northern corner of the commons wall. Panic welled inside her as she leaned to the window and stared at the place where a lone spruce tree was shifting against the wall. Behind it was movement again, then something dropped down into the commons area. She jumped to her feet in panic, although this creature seemed too small to be threatening. Then she caught a flash of red curls.
“Donubhan!” Aerity gathered up her yellow skirts and raced to her chamber door, quickly changing from her house slippers into leather walking shoes. She rushed down the main corridor to the exit where two guards stood.
“Donny’s sneaked into the west commons,” Aerity informed them. The two men shared looks of frustration. Donubhan was a master escape artist.
Aerity moved between them. One guard stayed behind at the door while the other followed her. By the time they burst through the gate, startling the guards there, Donubhan was entertaining the crowd with his stunts. Aerity rolled her eyes.
The men laughed and clapped as the prince did a front flip, keeping his bow tucked tight in his arms. As he landed, he shot off an arrow, which lodged in the farthest circle of the target. She wanted to ring his little neck. It wasn’t safe for him to be wandering about the royal lands, and he shouldn’t be distracting the hunters. Perhaps she could embarrass him into learning this lesson.