Page 79 of Hollow Court

It waslate afternoon by the time we found ourselves in the village market.

It had taken me longer than I planned to scourge the stench of the dungeons off of my skin and change into something that didn’t reek of defeat and looming executions.

I met Galina and my cousins and our sizable escort of trusted—or as trusted as we could get at the moment—guards in the courtyard so we could walk down to the local village.

Being that market day was the busiest day of the week, it was a good time to introduce Galina to my people.

While we still had traitors to root out, we also had a vote to secure, and part of that meant selling the would-be betrothal to anyone who would listen. The people needed the stability and something else to focus on after word of the rebel traitors spread.

They would hear about it soon enough, if they hadn’t already. Tomorrow, we would be posting the formal execution announcement. At least we could give them something positive, too, something to root for.

So, we set out to do just that.

On the way, we discussed my plan to plant misinformation among the courtiers. Lina already had some ideas on that front, and on how to keep track of the information we spread and to whom. How she had memorized the titles and pastimes of the entire Lochlannian court already was beyond me, but then, she had always been a quick study.

This particular market day was the perfect opportunity to implement the plan, too, since many of the local noble families were also in attendance. As I had predicted, the ladies had donned gauzy scarves over their shoulders.

Including Fiona, who I dutifully steered us clear of.

As we walked along through the village square, we stopped at each stall and shop so I could introduce Galina. While most of them were congenial, there were those who watched her with expressions of wariness, and a few who held downright contempt in their gazes.

The children showed no such hesitation. Then again, that might have just been because their desire for sweets outweighed their apprehension.

“Did you bring us sweets, mi’laird?” one of them asked.

“Jem!” his mother chastised with an apologetic look my way.

I waved her off, reaching into my pockets for the square of chocolate I had, indeed, brought. I broke a piece off for Jem, and he happily ran off, making way for the rest of the children.

A tiny girl with red hair bounded up after him. Ariana Fraser. I always remembered her because she reminded me of Avani when we were children, the way she would size you up in a single, probing glance.

As much as I loved all of my cousins, I found myself wishing she was here now, helping me deal with this unmitigated disaster. As the heir to the throne, she was the only one of my cousins who understood the subtle maneuverings of life at court. Or at least, the only one who cared.

Until she lost Mac, anyway.

I shook the thought away, directing my attention to the next child; Ariana’s tiny brother hovered behind her, shooting terrified glances Galina’s way.

“She doesn’tlookdangerous,” the girl told him dubiously.

Galina appeared to be nonplussed, and I choked on a laugh, in spite of myself.

“Not to you,” I assured the child.

Galina shot me a thinly veiled expression of annoyance.

I leaned in, talking in her ear. “Well, you’ll never convince them like that.”

When she glanced uncertainly at the children, I remembered that Socair had suffered a plague several years back that impacted the fertility of many of their people. Children were scarce. I had never seen any at court, which wasn’t unusual in itself, but I couldn’t recall many being mentioned either.

I pressed the next square of chocolate into Galina’s hand. She took it gingerly, unwrapping the muslin around it and crouching down until she was closer to eye level with the children.

“You’re pretty,” a new boy said, his attention fixed solely on Galina. “Is that why mi’laird wants to kiss you?”

Galina flushed to her roots, and I decided to take mercy on her.

“It is, indeed,” I told him.

He nodded, like that was the answer he had been expecting, and took her chocolate before running to catch up with the others.