"I offer it anyway," he said with a half bow. Then he turned to the men. "Does that clear up the matter, minister?"
"It does."
"I'll understand if you wish to report it to my father. I did act impetuously and did spirit the Keeper out against his orders."
"Young men are impetuous," the minister said. "Particularly when it comes to young women. I see no reason to tell your imperial father."
"I will remember that. Thank you." He turned to Ashyn. "I leave your sister in your care. Be gentle with her. We have a sparring appointment later this afternoon, and I'll be hard enough on her then."
He took his leave. The minister and his stewards followed without a word to Moria.
Once they were gone, Moria pulled a book from her cloak pocket and handed it to her sister. "I got this for you."
Ashyn gave her a withering look as her hound, Tova, grumbled under his breath as if to say that was a poor try, a very poor try.
"And I saw Ronan."
Ashyn went still. "You saw . . ."
"Ronan. That's where I was going. To
meet him, because he deserved an update, and you refused to provide one."
"Because we're not supposed to leave the court. You didn't tell him--Did you say I wouldn't meet with him? If you--"
"Of course not." Moria waved for them to start back to their suite. "I told him you were busy, and it may have had something to do with that handsome courtier I saw you speaking to the other day."
Ashyn's eyes flashed with outrage. "I did not speak to any--" She caught her sister's smile. "You're not funny, Rya. Not at all."
"Oh, but you are. Tell me again how you think of Ronan only as a friend. A dear, kind friend . . . who just happened to kiss you good-bye the last time you saw him."
"I should never have told you that."
"You'd have burst otherwise. So tell me again how you are not thinking of him, not pining for him."
"You make me sound like the fainting heroine in one of your ridiculous bard tales."
"The lovely fair maiden, bound by destiny to a life of spiritual service, pining for the dashing thief, who escaped his fate, only to be torn from her side--"
"He hasn't escaped his fate," Ashyn muttered. "He's out there, hiding like a criminal, when all he has to do is let us speak to the emperor on his behalf, and he'd be a hero."
"Which would make a very happy end to the story. Unless the emperor doesn't pardon him, but throws him into the dungeons as an escaped criminal. Given the choice, I can see why Ronan's not eager to take the chance."
"He would be spared. He's being stubborn."
Ashyn opened the door to their quarters.
"I suppose you don't want to hear what he said about you?" Moria said. "What message he wished me to convey?"
"Message?"
Moria laughed and continued into their rooms, with Ashyn trailing after her.
FOUR
Moria hated court life. By the second day, she'd been eyeing the gates, plotting her escape. Admittedly, her attitude had been different when they first arrived. After they'd spent nearly ten days on the road, the imperial court--with its gardens and lake and forest and hushed tranquility--had been welcome sanctuary. That had changed once they were told that the emperor wished them to stay within the court walls until this matter was resolved . . . and Moria learned that the word "wished" meant something entirely different when it came from an emperor.
The court had quickly become a cage. It didn't matter if it was nearly as big as Edgewood. In their village, they'd been allowed to venture beyond the gates. That made all the difference.