THE TABLE OVERFLOWED with food, and Ravenna felt awful. She wasn't hungry —she didn't even need to eat. But she felt obligated to at least eat a bite of every single item placed in front of her. These humans had worked so hard to create it. She hated to waste anything.
Eoin seemed to be of the same mindset. With every new plate that arrived in front of him, his eyes widened slightly and his smile became more forced. He nibbled absently on pastry after pastry, just trying to survive the food overload.
"So how would you like to spend the day?" Ravenna asked once the plates stopped coming. Her stomach felt bloated and she really didn't want to move at all.
Eoin didn't immediately seem inclined to move either. He leaned back in his seat, his palm flattened against his stomach. He pursed his lips. "I'm not sure what exactly there is to do around here," he admitted.
Ravenna hesitated. Aside from the market, this city didn't seem to feature much entertainment —at least, there was nothing advertised so far that she'd seen. Some towns had frequent festivals and sporting tournaments. Others had natural entertainment, like a nearby beach or a forest filled with wildlife to hunt. And while this city was near a forest, Ravenna wasn't particularly fond of hunting.
"We could go exploring," she suggested, somewhat half-heartedly. There wasn't much to explore within the city. It was just a maze of stoned streets and old buildings —one that they'd strolled through just last night.
He arched an eyebrow. "Where would you like to explore?"
"I'm not sure," she answered honestly. She spent most of her free time experimenting with magic and learning new spells.
Eoin chuckled. "If we were back at home, there would be so much to do. Inside the castle and out. We have a festival almost every night and the castle has a lot of old rooms to explore."
"That sounds so wonderful," Ravenna said.
He suddenly bolted upright, his eyes wide and a massive grin on his face. "I have an idea!" he said excitedly.
"Oh?"
"It's a bit crazy," he said and scratched at his head sheepishly. "There are several Blood Knights with the ability to manipulate magic. We could see if one of them had a spell that could take us to the Capitol for a day. I could show you everything!"
Ravenna blinked at him. "You mean, leave the city?"
"Just for the day," Eoin assured her. "We could return the moment you want to. I just think it would be so much fun!"
She wasn't sure what to say to that. Leaving the city was an alarming thought, especially without Vyses and Lyth. But going to the Capitol itself was a serious risk. She was supposed to be on the run and staying low.
Not parading around the Capitol with the Crown Prince for a day.
"I've never been to the Capitol," she murmured, mostly to herself. She crossed her arms over her chest and sunk back in her chair. In order for her plan to work, she needed to spend as much time with Eoin as possible. She needed to gain his favor.
Eoin beamed. "You'll love it. It's the largest city in the Kingdom. It's surrounded by gorgeous mountains that can be seen from anywhere within the city. Plus, we will be able to visit the festival tonight. Some of them are themed, depending on the day, but I doubt this one will be anything that's overwhelming."
"But don't you have duties here?" she asked. A frown tugged at her lips. "You are a Blood Knight. And you did just fight in a battle."
He blinked. His shoulders sunk a bit. "Oh, that's right," he muttered under his breath. His forehead creased. "That is true. I will need to discuss it with the rest of the Blood Knights. When I awoke this morning, I received a status report from our medics. Most of the injured had been healed and our men were already making preparations in case there is another attack."
A surge of panic sizzled through her veins. She frowned. "Do your men believe that another attack is coming?"
"We always have to be prepared," he answered. He sent her a sad smile. "It is much better to be safe rather than sorry."
"That is very true," Ravenna told him, somewhat relieved. Her frown remained present on her facial features —and Eoin noticed.
He leaned forward and reached out, his hand finding hers. "Please don't fret," he told her. "Those creatures are gone. We are working very hard to keep this city, and the rest of the kingdom, safe from them. I won't let any harm befall you."
Ravenna smiled softly at him. Eoin was a good human, sweet and kind hearted. She had no doubt that he earnestly believed in every word that he said. Her hand turned over and her fingers intertwined with his.
He had no idea who he was talking to though.
She changed the subject. "So how exactly do you plan to get me to the Capitol again?"
He seemed to radiate sunshine. "Let's go talk with a few of my friends. I have an idea, but it may be hard to explain. I'm not sure how much you know about magic."
"You might be surprised," Ravenna said offhandedly.
It was a good that Eoin believed she knew nothing about magic. That mindset meant that he genuinely believed that she had nothing to do with the ice soldiers. He simply had no idea. And that was necessary in order for her plan to work successfully.
It was, however, annoying that someone could automatically assume that she had no clue about magic.
Eoin stood and kindly helped Ravenna to her feet. The young girl immediately rushed over to them, the baker hot on her heels. They both bowed graciously and expressed their gratitude toward Eoin, and all that his Blood Knights had done for the city. It was almost nauseating how much they fawned over Eoin. Ravenna smiled absently, observing, as Eoin thanked them profusely for their service. He reached into his pocket and slid out a small sack that jingled with coins. He handed the entire thing to the baker and wished them a good day.
The baker was beside himself. So was the young girl. Eoin took Ravenna by the arm and gently guided her out of the bakery. She glanced back over her shoulder and watched as the baker poured some of the coins out. The coins were solid gold.
"I thought you didn't have any money," she muttered toward him, her expression disgruntled. "At least, you didn't when I won that bet yesterday."
He beamed at her. "After yesterday, I managed to convince my steward that I needed at least some small change in my pockets at all times. It wasn't much."
"That small change was more than they'd probably ever seen in their lives," Ravenna commented.
Eoin seemed somewhat shocked by that. He didn't say anything further, leading her through the market quietly. The humans that filled the streets seemed awestruck. Some stopped walking completely to gawk. Others lingered near the buildings, whispering to others around them, their eyes glued to Eoin and Ravenna.
It was extremely unnerving for Ravenna to be watched so closely by humans. Eoin, however, seemed utterly oblivious to it.
She just couldn't wrap her head around it.
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