Page 30 of Knight from the Ashes (Crown and Crest 1)

A flummoxed expression passes over his face again, and he corrects, “I was fifteen when I joined the infantry.”

I roll my eyes. “The point is, I know who you are, Henrik.”

Suddenly, a horrible thought crosses my mind. Appalled, I say, “But you don’t know me, do you?”

He glances over, meeting my eyes briefly. “You’re one of Camellia’s ladies.”

“Lovely.” I roll my eyes, so glad that, first and foremost, I’m known to be associated with the princess.

“Your father serves upon King Algernon’s council. Your eldest brother is a knight commander, and the other two are bannerets.”

“Anything else?” I say wryly.

“You’re friendly with Lawrence.” He says the prince’s name with distaste.

It’s a mark against me, to be sure.

“And you’re a decent archer,” he adds.

I press a hand to my chest, pretending to be offended. “Decent? If I am only decent, why did you ask me along?”

He drops his voice and nods ahead of us. “Because decent is better than what I’ve got.”

I cross my arms, shaking my head.

And then Henrik looks over, making me forget what we were talking about. His eyes are soft, and his mouth curves up in a tentative smile. “All right—you’re good.”

I find myself returning his smile, and my stomach suddenly warms. I’ll admit he’s a bit charming with his broad shoulders, muscular arms, and serious eyes. In his own way.

“Especially for a woman,” he has the nerve to add.

My warm thoughts evaporate, and I scoff under my breath.

“I didn’t mean it as an insult,” he says, looking confused.

“Well, it certainly wasn’t acompliment.”

Irritated with my reaction to him, I gesture to the captain who rides ahead of us. “What’s that man’s name?”

Henrik seems confused by the abrupt change of subject, but he answers, “Simon.”

With a nod, I call out to the captain.

“What are you—”

“Yes, my lady?” Simon immediately yells back, turning his horse around. “What can I do for you?”

“I’m not stopping the wagon for you two to switch places if that’s what you have in mind,” Henrik says under his breath.

“That’s not a problem—I’ll just ride with him.” Without a second thought, I twist on the bench and hop from the slow-moving wagon.

“May I join you?” I ask when the soldier reaches me.

Simon’s face goes blank. “You want to ride with me?”

“That’s right.”

“Y…yes.” He clears his throat. “Of course.”