Beloved in His Eyes (Angel's Assassin #2)(16)

“Wait for him?” Justina echoed, rising from her curtsey.

“Yes. You will wait, won’t you?”

“Of course!” Adam called.

“How long will he be?”

Aurora looked at her with sympathy. “I’m afraid most of the day. I’m certain we can find entertainment for you.”

Justina scowled. She would love to wait for Gawyn, but she couldn’t be away from Uncle Bruce and the farm for long. And then, she remembered the reason she came. “Lady Aurora, I wanted to thank you for the horse. It was generous of you.”

“I was disturbed at the raids happening so close to you. I don’t want you to be in danger.”

“The captain brought a lot of guards to protect us!” Adam exclaimed excitedly.

Justina blinked. Her brother! “My lady,” she said quietly, “this is my brother, Adam.”

Aurora turned to Adam. She folded her hands before her and regarded him with an appreciative grin. “What a marvelous little man. You shall grow into a great knight, I am sure.”

Adam beamed and puffed out his chest.

Justina had never seen him so quiet. Lady Aurora certainly cast a spell over all of them.

“Will you stay?” Aurora asked Justina. “Gawyn would be so upset if you left.”

Justina felt uncomfortable and torn. She knew that they should return to Auch and Uncle Bruce, and yet she didn’t want to disappoint Gawyn, not after everything he had done for them. She glanced at Adam.

He put his hands together as if praying.

With a small sigh, she nodded. “I suppose one more day would be acceptable.”

Adam whooped.

Aurora smiled. “I am very glad you’ve chosen to spend one more day with us. I am sure Gawyn will be happy, also.”

“I’m happy!” Adam exclaimed.

“Have you eaten?” Aurora began walking down the corridor.

Justina and Adam followed. Justina was afraid that if she didn’t, she would be lost in the castle forever.

“Grapes,” Adam said.

Justina grinned. She glanced back at the guards that followed them.

“I trust your accommodations are satisfactory?” Aurora said.

“They’re so big!” Adam stated in awe.

“Yes,” Justina said. “They are more than satisfactory. It’s all so generous of you to welcome us like this.”

“You are guests here,” Aurora said kindly. “I hope that you will return often and report upon the conditions of the borders. You will be our border ambassadors.”

Border Ambassadors. Justina liked that. It was an important title.

“Border Ambassadors,” Adam repeated with an impressed tone.

“I will,” Justina promised. “We will. We would be honored. You’ve done so much for us already. We’ll make regular trips now that we have a horse.”

“Thank you for the horse!” Adam piped in.

“You’re welcome, Adam,” Aurora said.

“I can’t thank you enough for sending soldiers to guard us in Auch.”

“I wish you had told me earlier. I do not want any of my people living in fear. I had no idea the Hungars were raiding our land.” Lady Aurora nodded at a noble man with pointy-toed shoes who passed them as she walked down the hallway. “You live with your uncle?”

“Uncle Bruce!” Adam chimed.

“Uncle Bruce takes care of you?”

“Yes,” Justina admitted.

“Where are your parents?”

“Mother died in childbirth a long time ago,” Justina said. She didn’t want to talk about her father, but she felt obliged. “And father is dead, also.”

“He died when I was little,” Adam added.

Aurora stopped and turned to them. “I am sorry. I know how hard it is to lose a parent.”

Justina remembered hearing about the death of Aurora’s father, Lord Gabriel. “I’m sorry about your father.”

Aurora nodded. “Thank you.”

Justina heard the pain in her voice and knew her agony was still fresh. She recalled the heartache of losing her own father and felt an instant kinship with her.

Aurora started down the corridor again. “How did your father die?”

Justina almost tripped. The question shouldn’t have caught her off guard, but somehow it did. “An accident.”

“Someone killed him,” Adam added.

Justina threw him a stern look. She couldn’t blame him, it wasn’t a secret. He didn’t know that their father’s killer was somewhere in the castle. And for a moment, Justina had almost forgotten. She had basked in the honor and prestige of following the lady of the castle and forgotten what darkness lurked around one of these corners. They should not stay. And yet, she wanted to see Gawyn again.

“How horrible!” Aurora exclaimed. “Why would someone do that?”

Adam shrugged, turning to watch a knight in chain mail walk by.

Aurora glanced at Justina, meeting her gaze. “Was the killer ever found?”

“No,” Adam said softly.

Justina looked down at the stone floor, remembering. “He disappeared as quickly as he came.”

“You saw it,” Aurora whispered. She placed a comforting hand on Justina’s arm. “How old were you?”