She could no longer deny that maybe her assumptions about him hadn’t been entirely warranted. And perhaps, just maybe, she’d been more scared of him for her own reasons than because of him.
“You looked worried before you saw me. Is it about tomorrow?” he asked.
Penelope nodded. Even her laugh sounded nervous. “Who knew, me, being nervous? It’s not a feeling I’m accustomed to.” Her voice caught.
Ryon pulled back, cupping her cheek in his hand. He made her feel safe, like there was a bubble around them protecting them from the harsh outside world. Her heart was beating at a chaotic rhythm. Fear and excitement was rushing through her blood, but she didn’t cower from it, because she knew Ryon was experiencing the same feelings. They were connected. She wasn’t alone.
She held onto his strong shoulders and let him hold her. Really, she felt greedy because she wanted to hold him. A purely selfish move that made her feel whole and happy. It was as if she felt herself giving him some of the weight of her emotions, and he shouldered that weight with ease. For her. Because he cared. Sniffling a bit, Penelope squeezed him close simply to enjoy the heated pressure of his body against hers. Such a simple touch, but it was reassuring.
She broke away after regaining her composure. Somewhere along the way he’d grabbed her hand and still held it.
“So what brought you out here?” she asked, feeling nervous. Like a girl around her first boyfriend. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
He was watching her carefully, still worried. “We didn’t part ways as I would have liked. Plus, I wanted to see you.”
She exhaled a breath she’d been holding. “Oh, well I’m happy you came.” She wanted to smile at him but nerves kept her from doing it. She ended up looking like she had a twitch of the mouth. These feelings were new and exciting but tentative. They could easily be broken at this raw stage.
“Maybe you should come stay with me. You look upset.”
“That sounds lovely, but I can’t.”
He squeezed her hand. “Why not?”
She shrugged. “My sister, Priscilla, is staying the night. She’ll be here to help me get ready in the morning. Tomorrow is the ceremony.” It was strange talking to Ryon about these things when he’d be the one stepping forward tomorrow to claim her. A wave of butterflies hit her stomach so hard she pressed a hand over it to quell it.
“I could bring you back in the morning,” he offered.
Her eyes lit up, then deflated. “I can’t leave. Even if that sounds like a great idea. I need to be here to think and plan and worry.” She laughed at herself.
Ryon leaned in close and cupped her cheek. “Try not to worry yourself. Everything will be fine and no matter who steps forward tomorrow night, I’ll be the man who wins. You don’t have to doubt that.”
Well, she didn’t feel so certain about her future. She simply nodded though and kept her fears to herself, not wanting to worry him further.
A whistle blew nearby startling them. Ryon scowled at the perpetrator. A young soldier wearing the royal emblem on his chest jacket came forward. He held a small scroll in his hand the size of a cigarette.
“General Ward, a message from the king.” The young man was sweating as if he’d run all the way here to find Ryon.
The sudden spike of chills down her spine bode ominous.
Something had happened.
This worrying thought led to another much darker one—would Ryon be in danger? The frigid numbness she felt thinking that thought told her just how much she cared for him.
Maybe she even…loved him some? A crazy notion, but not an impossible one. Looking around, she was happy neither man had noticed her wild-eyed revelation.
Ryon took the message and stepped aside to read it. His expression remained passive. Only the quick response he made showed how dire the situation was.
“Pen, I have to go. Go back into the house, lock up, and stay inside,” he said.
“Wait, what happened? What’s going on?”
What could cause him to react like this? Had something happened to the king?
“I can’t talk about it. Go inside now!” He ignored all her protests, gave her a swift kiss, and pushed her toward her house.
She watched over her shoulder as the messenger related whispered information.
Ryon left running.
Never a good sign.
Chapter 9
Ryon arrived at the location written on the missive by Lyle using encoding. The site was close to the eastern border, near where Karl Christenson had gone missing from his cabin.
The twenty-five foot tall stone wall that surrounded the kingdom had taken four years to complete. Forty-four men and women had suffered injuries or died during the building process. It was grueling, but the final product was impressive. The sight never failed to fill him with pride. To those who’d died in the making, their names were carved into the wall by loved ones. Fresh flowers and gifts were placed there weekly, though some teenagers had taken to stealing said gifts in a disgusting show of disrespect. Now the watch guards patrolled the perimeter.