The Path of Giants by B.T. Narro (year 7 reading list .TXT) 📗

She smiled up at me, then stepped into the hall. I watched her go all the way down to her room. She turned back and waved. I returned the gesture.

My heart was still thumping against my chest as I returned to bed and took a few breaths as I tried to calm down…as I tried not to imagine what might’ve happened if Hadley had chosen to stay in my room a while longer.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

I was out in the courtyard and ready to train in the morning. I was pleased to see Kataleya out early as well. Like me, she must’ve been eager to resume. But I started to think I was wrong when she approached me with one of those looks that meant she had something important to say.

“I was hoping to find you here,” she said. “Can we talk?”

“Sure,” I replied.

We made our way to one corner of the large courtyard, out of earshot of any of the castle workers using the courtyard as a means to get from one building to another.

“Did you tell the king about your theory?” I asked Kataleya.

“I did. He didn’t tell me what he’s going to do about it, however. He has to think on it, but he had already assumed my father and the Chespars were plotting against him. I figure that’s why he didn’t seem too surprised that my father had a corrupted soul.”

It reminded me of the anger Kataleya had unleashed on Hadley when Hadley had taken her father’s essence without permission. I had never seen that side of Kataleya before. Even during the two battles we’d fought together, she had been in control of her emotions.

“Did he say anything else?” I asked.

“Yes.”

She looked up at me, her cheeks blushing. Kataleya was beautiful and so hurt by everything that had happened. I felt sorry for her.

“He said…” Kataleya paused, shifting uncomfortably. “Well, he asked if I was still planning on marrying Trevor Chespar. I told him marriage is the last thing on my mind right now.” She paused again. “Then he asked about you and me.”

I tried to set my features in an unreadable mask. “What did you tell him?”

“I said the last thing that happened between us was long ago.” I could tell she wanted to go on, but her mouth remained shut.

I gave her a moment. Eventually, she said, “The king might offer Callie’s hand in marriage to Trevor as a way of uniting the families.”

I was shocked. “He’s really considering that?”

“I believe he just wanted my opinion on the matter, or maybe he just wanted to witness my reaction. He needs to know if the proposal might cause problems with me and my family.”

“Isn’t Trevor much older than Callie?”

“I suppose.” She shrugged. “He’s a little older than I am.”

Kataleya was two years older than me. Meanwhile, the princess was four years younger. Well, a little less than four, I supposed, as she had recently turned fifteen. However, it wouldn’t be long before I turned nineteen.

“Isn’t that…a problem for Nykal?”

Kataleya had a way of shrugging without moving her shoulders—a lift of her eyebrows and a slight tilt of her head. “It’s not that strange. Young princesses sometimes marry much older men than Trevor. But I don’t think the king was very serious about the proposition.” She looked at me pointedly.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I’m not sure it behooves you to know…wait, I take that back. I’m not sure it behooves anyone to know what I believe his majesty is thinking here. I could be wrong, and even if I’m right…”

“For god’s sake, Kat, just tell me.”

She nodded. “I’m sure Nykal is considering how he might use Callie’s hand in marriage to further his goals. It’s something every noble and every king has done for centuries. He’s surely more desperate now, and a marriage offer is extremely valuable. But how he might use her hand in marriage could go in a number of ways. Again, I could be wrong, but it was his questions about you that led me to believe this. He asked a number of things not only about us, in a romantic fashion, but about you specifically. I think he’s considering making you a nobleman and allowing you to marry his daughter.”

“That can’t be right,” I said without giving it much thought. “I don’t have anything to offer like the other nobles do. He would have to give me land and coin, and that doesn’t benefit him at all.” But there was doubt in my tone, and for good reason. I was not very knowledgeable about politics and how the rich and powerful tended to behave. Kataleya was.

“Jon, you are very valuable to the king for many reasons.”

I wondered if there was something more that she wasn’t saying. Perhaps she was curious if I still was interested in her. I felt like I should address it, but I could be completely wrong and end up insulting her.

She put up her hands. “I’m probably wrong.” She lowered her head to look at me through the tops of her eyes. “But if I’m right, I think you should at least know what a marriage to the Lennox family would mean for you, not just what it means for the king.” She touched my arm. “Jon, I know you don’t feel the same way about me that you used to. Let’s just get this over with. I can almost feel you holding it in. Our window has closed. It’s completely fine. I’m not in any state to commit to another person, anyway. I missed my opportunity, and it’s not your fault.”

Kataleya always had a way with words. I didn’t know what else I could say. She had summed it up better than I could hope to do. “Thank you,” I said. “I still want us to be friends.”

“I want that, too. And as your friend, let me give you some advice. I think you should go for it with Hadley.”

I didn’t bother to feign confusion. “How did