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“Hm,” Barion said. “Maybe he likes you.”
I said nothing. Barion knew this was not my ideal situation, but he didn’t know I was actively trying to lose. He probably said that to quell my nerves. Yet all it did was send a bolt of terror through me. Any curiosity I’d started to develop about the king had swiftly gone out the window after last night. His amusement and playfulness were clearly just a front to get the contestants to let down their guard.
“Well, that’s one way of showing it,” I muttered.
I stepped out from behind the dressing screen. “What do you think?”
Barion raised his eyebrows but then nodded. “Quite functional. How does it feel?”
I spun on one foot then kicked in the air. “Functional,” I said with a grin. “I think it’ll help me today.”
“I doubt you’ll need help,” Barion said. “Not with the training I’ve given you.”
“Usually, I’d agree with you, but we’ve both seen Wynona’s arms,” I said.
“Hmm. Good point.”
I sighed and smoothed down the skirt over my thighs, then joined Barion at the table to sip my coffee. “It just put me off-balance,” I admitted. “Being so close to the king in that form…”
“Your wolf was interested?” Barion asked.
I nodded, even as my face flushed. “You know I don’t like to feel out of control.”
“You need a shift,” Barion said. “A run would do you a world of good. You’re dealing with a lot of stress.”
Out of the question, I didn’t say. Gods know where my wolf would end up taking me.
“Just keep an eye on the king for me, please,” I said. “I’m worried about him losing control again.”
Barion watched me carefully for a long moment, then nodded. “You know I’m always looking out for you, milady. I’ve brought something for you.”
I blinked. “A gift? From Barion himself? The man who is even vehemently against celebrating birthdays?”
He rolled his eyes. “It’s not a gift. It’s a tool.” He reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a long, thin knife, sheathed in a dark leather scabbard. The hilt was small, with a narrow guard inlaid with moonstone. He withdrew the blade from the sheath.
“Wow.” I leaned closer to peer at the thin, gleaming weapon. “That’s gorgeous—the craftsmanship is so delicate.”
He nodded. “Had it made special.” I reached out and he snatched it away. “Don’t touch the blade.”
“Why not?” I asked. “Enchanted?”
“No,” he said. “Just sharp. Trust me, and keep it sheathed when you don’t need it. I only wanted you to have something to protect yourself, ever since you mentioned what happened with the king.”
Barion didn’t pull the ‘trust me’ card often. When he did, I knew he meant it. So I nodded in agreement, and only then did he hand the knife over hilt-first.
“Thank you,” I said softly. Barion did always look out for me. If he thought there was a reason I needed to keep a knife around, it wasn’t unfounded. Even if I thought he was being paranoid, it was better to be too paranoid than not careful enough.
And the conversation did make me feel better—less like I was running blindly into the wolf’s jaws, for lack of a better term. I couldn’t go on a shifted run, and I didn’t have anyone to attack with the knife, but surely I’d feel better after this trial. I always felt better after I got to swing a sword around.
I arrived at the solarium for breakfast in slightly better spirits. The coffee had helped, as had Barion’s promise that he’d keep an eye on things. It just made me feel better to know I wasn’t dealing with all this alone.
Fina raised her eyebrows at my outfit, but Adora just grinned from where she was seated. They were both wearing simpler gowns, too, Adora in tan cotton and Fina in elegant greens. Rona was seated at the table with them too, but she just scoffed at my outfit like it was the dumbest thing she’d ever seen. Her own dress was made for function as well, a brown skirt hitting just under her knees, and a black bodice with long fitted sleeves.
“Good morning,” I said as I joined them and made myself a plate of breakfast from the spread at the table. Wynona was still absent, though not late yet.
“How’d you sleep?” Rona asked with a half-smirk. “Any nightmares about the big bad wolf?”
I poured myself a coffee. “I slept fine.”
