Lianna forced herself to spoon her soup into her mouth and swallow again and again, but she tasted none of it. Her eyes were on Aaron who sat across from her at the table. Her father’s seat, of course, was vacant.

Ah, this is harder than I thought. She and Charlona had packed several saddle bags and stored them under some hay in the stables earlier, but there was still some time before Lianna could leave under the cover of night. Dinner had been unavoidable, and through it all, she had to act as if nothing was amiss.

But her brother was sharp. He kept giving her curious glances as she stared at him. I can’t help it though. This may be the last time I see him if things go horribly wrong.

“Lia, is everything alright?” Aaron set down his spoon and frowned at her.

Lia flashed him another calm smile, the same one she had given him each time he had caught her staring at him. She knew she couldn’t deny everything, but she settled for the least amount of truth she could get by with. “Ah, well, mostly. But it was just unpleasant to deal with that knight earlier.” Aaron would have caught wind of that altercation, so there was no use denying it, but she wasn’t going to divulge the reason for it.

Aaron scrunched up his nose. “Yes, that would be enough to make anyone uncomfortable. Have you told father about it yet?”

“No. It hasn’t been that long since the last knight came to bother him. All that stress is making his condition worse. I want him to at least get another week of rest.” She sighed and tried to smother the guilt she felt about the lie she was about to tell him. “Some of the reports that came in from the citizens in Riverbend is troubling. I’m going to have to make a visit there, so I’ll be gone for a bit. I know this is sudden, but will you be alright taking charge of the manor with Charlona while I’m gone and looking after father?”

Aaron’s eyes widened, and then he frowned. “Of course I can. I’m not a little kid anymore.”

“That’s true.” Lianna chuckled and blinked the tears that threatened to form away. “You are about to be thirteen. You’re a young man now.” She only smiled wider when he nodded emphatically. “And try not to let father know I’m gone. I don’t want him to worry about Riverbend. I’ll make a full report to him once things are taken care of. Right now, he just needs rest, right?”

Aaron thought a moment. “Yes, that would only stress him out more. Okay. I won’t tell him. But are you sure you’ll be okay going by yourself? Riverbend is a two-day ride even on a fast horse.”

“Ah, good. You’ve been slacking on your study of the county maps.” She smiled at his look that said, Of course! “But I’ll be fine. It may take me longer since I won’t be galloping the whole way. And I’ll be heading down with others that have business that way. There will be guards and other women there.”

“Okay. Well, if you’re sure, but shouldn’t you take…well, no, taking Harrace or Reggie would leave too few people here.”

Lianna nodded, proud that he’d discovered that conclusion on his own even though the situation as a whole was a lie. Though the part about everyone else needing to stay here is at least true. It was small comfort, but Lianna would take it.

“That’s right.” She glanced out the dining room windows at the lavender and pink clouds that marked the sunset. “We should both turn in early. You’ll need to be up early to manage the manor, and I’ll need to be up extra early to head out.”

Aaron’s pinched mouth told her that he didn’t really like the idea of going to bed early. So he is a kid still after all. But he nodded and got up from the table. Lianna followed him upstairs to his room. She decided to take her time tucking him into bed tonight. No doubt, he would complain that she was treating him like a baby, but she’d ignore him this once.

If only he knew how precious this time really was…

***

The air was warm and muggy as Lianna mounted her horse, Thicket. The stable’s natural odor was especially thick and seemed to stick in the back of her throat. She could almost taste the hay and manure.

“Please be careful. Avoid the usual checkpoints on the roads near town, and stay close to the roads and villages once you’re far enough away. Try to wait to sell the jewelry until you get to Yivim near the border. You’ll need it in Rithan.” Charlona patted Lianna’s leg as she looked up at her with concern drawing deep lines on her face.

Lianna nodded and appreciated the warnings. “You all take care as well. Should the knight break his promise and come back before a week is up, buy as much time as you can. And run if need be.”

There was no real need to say more. Lianna was firm in what she had to do, and Charlona had committed to helping her hours before. There were unshed tears in Lianna’s eyes, making her vision waiver until she blinked, and she was sure from the way Charlona blinked that her nanny had them as well, but she refused to think that this could be the last time she saw Charlona–let alone the rest of her family.

Still, it was one of the hardest things Lianna had ever done, to lift her heel and tap Thicket’s flanks. But after that one movement, she simply gripped the reins tight, the leather biting into her palm, the pain of it clearing her thoughts. She pushed Thicket to move a little faster.