I felt for my sheath and cursed. When did she take my knife ... again?
That had been a masterful move on Kestra's part. More reason to worry about exactly who we had captured. Kestra was naive, but she was also dangerous.
"Run," Kestra said to Rosalie, who merely stood there, frozen with fear.
I slid off the horse, one hand on my sword, approaching Kestra like I would a frightened child. "Let this man go. Dominion soldiers will be here. Let's not call their attention to us."
"You will be arrested for this," the man said. "Rosalie is my property to deal with in my own way!"
"She's no one's property," Kestra said. "And no longer your concern."
Rosalie probably was his property, something else Kestra had yet to learn about her country. Indenturement wasn't exactly legal, but the Dominion always overlooked it.
At my continued urging, Kestra released the man and he turned to face her, then laughed, revealing several missing teeth. "Well, you ain't more than a child yourself. A wealthy one too, I can tell. Pay me enough, and you can take Rosalie with you."
The knife twisted in Kestra's hand. "How dare you demand payment? I just told her she's free to go."
His beady eyes narrowed further. "Oh, you told her, like you're something special? If she tries to leave, she'll pay for it."
Kestra turned to Rosalie. "Run. I'll take care of this!" And this time, Rosalie left, though she only crossed the square and crouched beside a small wooden fence, huddled, waiting to see what would happen next.
The man immediately cried out, "Thieves! Arrest these two!"
I grabbed Kestra's hand, trying to pull her back toward our horse. But she shook it free, and instead landed a fist on the man's fleshy jaw.
As he reeled backward, she said, "We cannot steal what cannot be owned."
"Stop!" Two Dominion soldiers ran forward, wearing black uniforms with a green stripe across the shoulders. Endrick's colors.
I'd already noticed their eyes. Glazed over, looking but not truly seeing. These were Ironhearts. Through those eyes, Endrick might not be aware of everything happening here, but then again, he might. Either way, this was a disaster.
One soldier grabbed Kestra, but she twisted around and with a steady voice said, "My name is Kestra Dallisor. You will release me at once!"
Her voice was firm as she spoke. Dallisors never hesitated to say their name, especially to inferiors, which they figured everyone was. Except Lord Endrick, of course.
"Daughter of Sir Henry Dallisor?" The soldier who spoke immediately dipped his head at Kestra and let her go. "We heard your father was bringing you home. Our apologies."
She nodded at Rosalie, still crouched near the fence. "You will not threaten that girl, on my orders."
"No, my lady, of course not. If you are headed to Highwyn, it would be our honor to escort you there."
It would also be their honor to arrest me and Trina and escort us to Highwyn as their trophies. I didn't know these men, or, at least, I didn't think I did. But I'd offended plenty of soldiers before. It was possible they knew me.
Kestra gestured at me. "I've already got a protector. He'll take me home."
I straightened up in a lame attempt to look confident, but based on my rigid smile, the soldiers had to be wondering if I had thorns inside my boots. If only my life were that simple.
"Your young protector was unable to keep you out of trouble here," the second soldier said dismissively. "We'll get our oropods and meet you back on the main road."
Kestra agreed, far too readily, and my temper warmed. As soon as they were gone, I marched over to her. "This is perfect! Are you going to have Trina and me arrested now, or wait until we're closer to your father's dungeons?"
"I did us a favor," she hissed. "If they accept you two as my servants, nobody in Highwyn will question it. I just got you both inside Woodcourt's gates!"
"Escorted by guards whose careers will be made if they figure out who Trina and I are. All you do is make things worse!" I pointed to Rosalie. "Do you think you helped her? Where will she work tomorrow, and the day after that? You've doomed her, and probably her entire family!"
Kestra's cheeks reddened before she shoved past me and crossed over to Rosalie. She removed her cloak and wrapped it around Rosalie's shoulders, then knelt in front of her. "Your family needs to find another place to live. Far enough away that you don't have to work in this market."
Rosalie's lower lip quivered. "We have no money to leave."