We walked off in the direction of the garrison at the tip of the northern wing, each of us lost in thought. Considering this was Meg's first time at the palace, I'd expected her to be more awed by its grandeur. My news must have overwhelmed her.
"Why do they remain?" she asked. "Why not go in search of their families?"
"They don't know where to begin their search. At least here, they're together. They're among friends in the same predicament." I indicated the palace. "This is the only home they know."
There were more guards in the garrison than usual. They lounged about, resting their booted feet on the table, napped in chairs, or picked at the bread and cheese. I was greeted amiably upon entry. Some nodded, and others smiled or greeted me by name, while Max ushered us inside.
"Come. Sit." He pulled out a chair for Meg but not for me.
She sat, tilting her head to the side in an attempt to obscure her birthmark. No one was fooled. Some of the men stared at the plum colored patch on her jaw and neck for a few brief moments before returning to their conversations and ale. Meg was the only one who seemed to care. At least she'd come today. Mere weeks ago, she would never have dared.
Max sat beside her, while Erik pulled up a chair. "Two pretty ladies in our garrison today." The Marginer beamed. "We are lucky."
"You have many pretty ladies in the service commons," I chided him.
"Aye, but they are not here now. You are." He took my hand and kissed the back then did the same with Meg.
Max rolled his eyes. "Go and find something to do, Erik."
"There is nothing to do. All is quiet at the palace."
"Then go and polish your sword."
One of the men snickered.
"And not talk to Josie and Meg?" Erik crossed his arms and shook his head. "You cannot have them both to yourself, Max. I will stay. Hammer would want me to." He winked at me.
I couldn't help laughing. Erik always had a way of cheering me up with his open exuberance. Meg, however, eyed him carefully. I suspected she wasn't quite sure what to make of the big guard with his thick accent, tattooed forehead, and long blond hair. We'd always been told that folk from The Margin were a squabbling, disorganized horde of barbarians, who luckily had no interest in crossing Hawk River into Glancia. Erik was the first one we'd ever seen. If all Marginers were like him, it might not be so terrible to let them come.
"Did you come to see Hammer?" Max asked me.
"Not particularly," I lied. "I brought tea." I pulled out a jar of mildwood leaves that Meg and I had gathered from the slopes of Lookout Hill and dried in her mother's kitchen.
"Tea?" the guard named Tom scoffed. "What do we want tea for?" He picked up his cup. "We have ale."
The guard sitting next to him shifted suddenly, and Tom hissed under his breath at him. He set down his cup and turned to me with a hard smile.
"Although tea will be nice in the mornings," he said. "Thank you, Josie."
"I'll deliver it to the kitchen on my way out," I said. "Would you like me to look at your leg or did he not kick you that hard?"
"Er…"
"Forgive them, Josie," Max said quickly. "We're glad to see you, whether or not you bring tea."
"Also, they are fools," Erik added. "Especially Tom."
"Oi!" Tom cried. "He kicked me. Where's the sympathy?"
Max cleared his throat. "My apologies, Meg. They're not usually this irritating."
"They are," one of the other guards shot back. "They'll get worse after a few ales. If I were you, Miss Meg, I'd be long gone before then."
Meg smiled weakly. "Duly noted, thank you."
The guard smiled back at her.
Max scowled.
"There are more guards than usual in the garrison," I pointed out. "Why aren't you all on duty?"
"There's not much to do without the king," Max said. "We used to have a minimum of six men escorting him at all times, and others stationed outside his rooms or along the path if he went for a walk."
"The dukes don't want you to do that for them?"
"Doesn't matter if they do," Tom said. "We work for the monarchy, not the nobles."
I didn't think his reasoning very sound. After all, if they were seen to do nothing, they were in danger of being dismissed to save money. At this perilous time, the treasury shouldn't be spending more than necessary. Hopefully the ministers were too caught up with political machinations to notice idle servants.
"It is strange without the king," Erik said quietly.
Max arched a brow at me and nodded at Meg.
"She knows about the magic," I told him.
"I'm still coming to terms with it all," she said.
"So are we," he added. "Everyone feels restless since Leon admitted it. No one knows what to do next."
"Has anyone left?" I asked.
"Not yet, but I think some will."
"Where's the captain?"
"Meeting the sheriff in Mull to discuss security."
"I thought there was little for the guards to do in the village now. It seems quiet."
"We thought so too, but the mood is shifting again," Max said. "The shock of the king's death is wearing off, and the old troubles are resurfacing. There's talk among some of protesting about rising costs and the influx of Vytillians from The Thumb."
"Let me guess," Meg said wryly. "Is Ned Perkin the instigator?"
"That's what Hammer's gone to find out."
"Ned needs to be put in his place, once and for all. He and Ivor Morgrain. Do you know, he tried telling me he was no longer a friend of Ned's? I didn't believe him."
"Why not?" I asked.
"Because he made a particular point of asking me to tell you. He's simply trying to win you over, Josie. Thank goodness you're smart enough not to fall for him and his lies."
"Aye," Erik said with a decisive nod. "She is Hammer's woman."
"She is no one's anything." Meg swallowed her next words and sank into her chair, her face reddening. She'd retreated into her shell again after briefly emerging. I wished she wouldn't. She had worthy opinions that ought to be heard.
Erik grinned. "She is Hammer's woman. This man Ivor will learn it the hard way."
"Ignore him," Max said to Meg. "He's as subtle as a hammer picking flowers."
The door opened and Balthazar entered. He paused upon seeing Meg and me, then resumed his plodding pace toward a spare chair. Theodore entered behind him.
"Josie!" He threw his arms around me. "It's good to see you."
I introduced them to Meg, and just as I finished, Dane and Quentin arrived. Like Balthazar, Dane paused upon seeing me, and like Theodore, Quentin threw his arms around me.
"I hope these lugs haven't been boring you to death," Quentin said.
"You're the boring one," a guard muttered.
Theodore poured two cups of wine from the jug on the sideboard and handed one to Balthazar. "We've missed you, Josie. What brings you here today?"