Reading through the letter on the very paper he had given her as a gift for a second time, Carolus sighed ever so slightly.
“You skipped over a lot, didn’t you, Misha? You can’t tell how hard it was from this letter at all.”
When he heard that the Red Eye plague had been found in the capital, Carolus had immediately tried to rush back to the city, but his attendants had come out in full force to stop him. At present, there were only three people left with royal blood. Two of them were already in the capital, so to secure the bloodline of Redford’s royal family, it was imperative he keep his distance.
Carolus knew that full well, but couldn’t stand the feeling of being safe and sound in hiding while the people he cared about were in danger. As a result, he’d turned his attention to what he could do, urging the owner of the land he lived on, the former prime minister of Redford, to help him secure aid for the capital. His efforts to help gave him quite a bit of insight into how difficult things were in the capital—and for Misha specifically.
If at all possible, he’d really wanted to send a ship up north to pick up the herbs they’d needed and bring them back quicker, but that ship would not have made it in time in all likelihood. The two sides would have probably just missed each other as they traveled. So instead, he’d worked hard to ensure that food and medicine never ran out.
Carolus had avoided appearing in public up until that point for fear of being targeted by political enemies, but deciding there was no point in having clout if he wasn’t going to use it in an emergency like this, he had been running around the entirety of Redford to secure supplies for the capital along with the former prime minister. His mother had naturally been opposed to the idea, but he had overruled her objections. His own father had given his life to protect the kingdom, so he couldn’t bear the shame he would feel if he sat idly by and did nothing.
The sudden appearance of the former king’s hidden son during a time of crisis had left a tremendous impact. When the people saw how much he resembled his father, their outpouring of support had been enormous. Borrowing the names of his father and his uncle to get things done had hurt Carolus’s own pride, but the people he wanted to save were much more important to him.
“I don’t know much about this country, or its people. But I want my family and my friends to be smiling.”
Even as the constant travel had worn Carolus down, he had continued to face the people with pride and dignity. The former prime minister had satisfied himself with quietly performing the role of his retainer.
“Okay, Kyne. This is my house. Make sure you remember it so you can deliver letters from Misha,” Carolus spoke seriously as he took the mail bird from his servant on the roof of his house, letting the bird perch on his arm.
The surprisingly heavy bird looked him straight in the eye, then tilted her head. Carolus couldn’t help but smile at the unexpectedly cute affectation.
“This is Caro’s house. Understand?” Carolus repeated slowly. Kyne’s beady eyes stared right back at him, then she gave her wings a single flap as if to answer him.
“Wow. It really does seem like you understand me. You must be really smart.”
After giving Kyne a final pet on the head, he swung his arm wide. Using the offered momentum, Kyne leaped up into the air and began to soar.
“Be careful!” Carolus shouted up at the mail bird as she flew a single loop around the estate, then glided off into the distance.
Carolus watched her go in silence, staring until she finally became too small to see.
“Wait, how am I supposed to send her letters in the meantime?” Carolus pouted as the bird vanished from sight.
Granted, it wasn’t like he had any other way of contacting her while she traveled. He had asked about the mail birds they kept at his own place, but was told that normally they were only able to fly between a number of predetermined locations. The fact that Kyne could track people down while they were traveling just showed how remarkable of a bird she was.
“Oh well. I’ll just have to grow up as much as I can by the time Kyne comes back.” Carolus gave a big stretch before turning, heading back to the room where his tutor waited.
Though he hadn’t realized it, it had been almost the same exact pose his uncle had made.
The People of the Forest left before the sun climbed over the horizon. With Misha having said all of her goodbyes the day before, the castle was still quiet when she left. In an effort to prevent it from becoming a huge event, they left almost as if they were sneaking out, as the People of the Forest often did.
Despite their considerable pace, they were almost silent as they walked, the castle quickly shrinking behind them. Many people of Redford who weren’t able to see them off at the gate watched from windows, but Misha was too excited at the prospects of her next adventure to notice them. In her place, Ryne waved at them with a wry grin from his spot at the back of their procession.
Upon hearing they intended to go back to their village, Ryan had offered to send an escort with them as far as the border of Redford, but Nel had declined. While the king might not have had any ulterior motives, there was no shortage of selfish fools in the world. Nel had decided it was better to be safe than sorry. That sense of caution was what had preserved the tiny tribe known as the People of the Forest for all this time.
For the same reason, Misha had been told the others would be returning by ship, but they were scattering and returning home by all different means. This deception was a sign that while they acknowledged Misha’s existence, they hadn’t accepted her as one of their own yet. That acceptance would be determined during their journey back to the village and in the days that followed.
Besides, even Nel couldn’t say how many of their group were actually planning on returning to the village. Their love for the tribe was matched only by their love for freedom. That’s who the People of the Forest were.
“Okay then, time to head home,” Nel murmured just as the sun peeked over the horizon.