“Coffee, please, and cakes,” Mother ordered, her servant nodded then she went on, “Close the door as you leave.”
I looked from a grinning Jocelyn and Bess who heard this, their smiles faltered and then they started to back out of the room and turned my eyes to Atticus and Aurora who both appeared tense. Then I looked up at Frey who I felt had tensed at my side. Then I felt his hand in the small of my back propelling me toward the two sweep-lined, graceful sofas upholstered in pale yellow damask that faced each other but ran perpendicular to the fireplace and were separated by a low, gleaming eggshell lacquered oval table.
“Is something amiss?” Frey asked quietly after we heard the doors close.
“Please, sit,” Father muttered and I looked back up to Frey who was studying my father.
Then he guided me to a sofa and we sat close together, Frey’s arm around my shoulders pulling me even closer and tucking me to his side. I leaned into him as he sat back and crossed one booted ankle on the other knee and Mother and Father sank into the sofa opposite us. But even close to my husband’s solid warmth, my parents’ behavior was beginning to freak me out.
“You’re anxious, Atticus,” Frey stated the obvious, “and your unease is causing the same in my bride. Tell us what’s happening.”
“You made haste from Sudvic,” Father replied strangely and Frey nodded.
“Indeed,” he confirmed. “We docked just late yesterday afternoon and rode swiftly, spending the night in Dalehavre and leaving early. Finnie was keen to see her parents.”
Father’s eyes moved to me so he could give me a warm smile before they went back to Frey, the warmth fled and he studied him a moment before he said, “We received word only this morning from the messenger you sent ahead that you were to arrive in Snowdon imminently. As you have actually arrived, I can see our return messenger did not meet you.”
Frey’s body got tighter when he returned, “We took the forest trails; they’re swifter.”
This was true. Frey, I was getting, didn’t bother with roads. He was not a man to waste time that didn’t need to be wasted and, unless there were sleighs involved, he always took the more direct routes. And our journey didn’t involve sleighs. Frey and my belongings would follow and likely not arrive for hours if not take until the next morning. Though, Kell had charge of the sleighs so, I figured, that man on land, anything went.
“This is unfortunate,” Aurora murmured.
I felt Frey’s impatience mount and my anxiety increased.
“Perhaps we can dispense with the mystery and you can explain why,” Frey suggested in his way where it was clear his suggestion was not a suggestion, as such.
Father looked Frey directly in the eyes and he did it in a way where I could tell he was avoiding mine which, obviously, made my anxiety increase even more.
Then he announced, “The executions commence at nightfall.”
I blinked and Frey’s body went solid.
Then he muttered, “Bloody hell.”
“Executions?” I whispered and felt Aurora’s eyes on me so I looked at her.
“The traitors, my dear,” she said softly. “Berg Enger, Hernod Greig and Viola Milstrom. In your absence, they were tried, found guilty and are sentenced to hang this eve.”
Oh shit.
“Our messenger rode out to warn you this was imminent and suggest you delay your arrival for a few days,” she went on. “It is unfortunate he did not succeed in this task.”
Unfortunate was not exactly the word I’d use. Still, I wasn’t quite certain why this was such dire news. Of course, executions were dire news seeing as they were executions but considering I wasn’t scheduled for the noose, I was a little concerned why they were being so careful with me.
“You rode through the city, I assume?” Atticus asked and to this, Frey grunted, “Of course,” which caused Father to pull in a breath and let it out in his own curse of, “Bloody hell.”
“What?” I asked but no one seemed to want to answer, even Frey which I did not take as good. Mother and Father were avoiding my eyes and when I glanced up at Frey I saw his jaw was tight like he was clenching his teeth. So I repeated, “What?”
Father finally looked at me and his face went soft before he lowered the boom. “It is our responsibility, my daughter, as sovereigns, to attend the executions of traitors to the crown.”
It was my turn to suck in breath and go solid as I stared at the king.
One could say this was not, in any way, the next adventure I had hoped for. Shopping with Mother in a new city, yes. Attending a play in one of the acclaimed theaters Snowdon had that Frey told me about, certainly. Taking Gunner up on his offer to teach me advanced maneuvers on a horse, definitely. And skating on that pond in that park was one I’d just added.