The Vagrant King

Chapter 29

Julian's knees were sunk into the mud. His back ached from the position, and his blonde hair clung to his slick forehead. He drove the nail into the wood with his mallet, then sat back to admire his work. He lifted his arm and wiped the sweat from his forehead, leaving a trail of dirt.

Julian was building a larger hen house. He had spent the day before chopping wood for it. His arms were aching from the effort, but he was determined to finish most of it before nightfall. Adelaide had asked him to join her at the village to sell their eggs, but he made up an excuse about working on the henhouse instead.

As he considered bathing in the river later, a faraway scream startled him. "Julian!"

Julian flinched. He turned his head to see Adelaide running towards him. It wasn't that strange a sight. She was always running, despite the long skirts that occasionally tripped her. He wondered if he could convince her to wade in the river later. It was a simple joy to feel the cool water rushing over his boots. Taking advantage of the warm weather, Adelaide and Julian had slept outside last night. They hauled all of their blankets outside, Julian built a fire, and they stayed up late into the night. 

When she reached him, she threw a rolled-up parchment in his lap. 

"You lied to me!" She shouted, her face red with anger. "You've been lying this entire time!"

Julian's heart sank. He rose to his feet and grabbed the parchment, unfurling it to reveal a written order. He recognized the stamp of the royal insignia. He knew these orders. The King's guard tacked them to trees in village squares or church doors to find murderers and horse-thieves. He recognized some of the words, like Veneroi and wanted.

"I cannot read well," He said weakly, but the colour had drained from his face.

"You know what it says, don't act daft." Adelaide snapped. "It was nailed to the tavern door. One of King Regulus' soldiers was papering the village with them. Dangerous Veneroi fugitive, wanted alive by the High King of Admantine, three hundred gold pieces."

"Three hundred gold," Julian repeated in horror. It was an unfathomable amount of gold. Regulus spent his riches frivolously, but he couldn't understand why Regulus would spend such gold on finding him. In Regulus' own words, Julian was a Veneroi vagrant from the mountains.

"Fair-haired, blue eyes, in the possession of a stolen gold ring," Adelaide said, jabbing her finger at the parchment. "Julian, that's you!"

Julian felt nauseous. He cast the parchment to the ground. He turned away and ran his shaking hands through his hair as he tried not to be sick. Why would Regulus still be looking for him? 

I didn't even do anything wrong, Julian thought for a moment, rather childishly. He had not harmed Regulus as he had promised Gregory. Regulus had pardoned him, and Julian was content to live the remainder of his life anonymously on Adelaide's farm. 

"Julian," Adelaide said slowly, her fingers clutching fistfuls of her skirts as she tried to control her anger. "Why are you wanted by the King of Admantine?"

At his silence, she stamped her foot on the ground like a petulant child. "Julian!"

"Did you tell anyone I'm here?" Julian asked hoarsely, turning back to her. 

"No," Adelaide said scoffingly.

"You swear it?"

"Julian, I wouldn't lie to you."

Julian lifted his thumb to his lip and bit down on the nail nervously. He looked at the treeline as his mind whirled with speculation. Would it still be possible to flee to Berleant? How many guards were after him?