Page 45 of The Lost Art of Finding Where You Belong (Lost Arts #2)

Perian smiled at him. “You’ve asked me before, and I don’t mind.

I’m happy to tell you about my day. Defense in the morning and, of course, the picnic with Renny.

I’m spending time with the doctor and Nisal in the afternoon again, more salve preparation, but apparently, it’s harvesting this time, things that need to be dried or made into oils. Or both. No horses, as far as I know.”

Brannal looked torn between protest and relief.

“No, but honestly,” Perian conceded, laughing a little, “It does seem like it might be better to just stay well away, at least for a day or two, and let everyone calm down.”

“I’ll speak to Cormal and the Queen,” Brannal promised.

Yeah, Perian had suspected the Queen must have been involved in at least some of the words from yesterday.

He didn’t think Brannal would have been quite so ruffled if it was just a discussion between him and his Secundus.

Although maybe if said Secundus wanted to be Summus, it was always awkward when he called you out for anything?

Just when Perian had thought maybe things were going well, this happened, and Perian wasn’t totally convinced it was accidental. After all, Molun was Tertius, and he’d been present throughout the ride, but it was clear he hadn’t been consulted.

But that was Brannal’s problem to deal with today.

“Are you going to spend the whole day yelling at Cormal?” Perian asked with would-be innocence.

Brannal rolled his eyes, but he looked amused. “After I straighten out what happened yesterday, it will be more of the usual: reports, checking in on training, making sure that everything is running the way it’s supposed to.”

“A Summus’s job is never done.”

Brannal’s eyes shadowed. “No, I don’t suppose it is.”

Perian reached across the table and clasped his hands. “That wasn’t an attack. I mean you’re busy and important.”

Brannal huffed a laugh. “Thank you. But as you’ve observed before, all jobs are important. And maybe it’s a little too easy sometimes to get lost in those details. Everyone matters. There was another Summus before me, and there will be another one after me. I’m just a person, like anyone else.”

“A wonderful person,” Perian told him.

“One who still has plenty to learn.”

It must be a lot of pressure, Perian realized suddenly, to be someone everyone looks up to.

“I think you can be a very positive example for everyone to look up to and still be human,” Perian pointed out. “Teach everyone that you can stumble but still recover.”

Brannal looked at first like he wanted to protest, but then he nodded. “You’re probably right, but I don’t like the idea of messing up.” He sighed. “People can die when that happens.”

Oh. Of course.

Perian came round the table and wrapped his arms around him, and Brannal buried his face in Perian’s stomach.

“You’re an excellent Summus, Brannal. And you’re figuring out how to be a pretty decent partner, too.”

Brannal snorted, but Perian could hear the smile in his voice. “Thank you for that overwhelming praise.”

Perian leaned down and pressed a kiss to Brannal’s head.

“I’m so glad to have met you. I’m so glad you cared about a random stranger on a random street one night. That’s the kind of person you are, Brannal. Don’t forget it.”

Brannal clung to him for a moment and then let go, and Perian returned to his side of the table.

Brannal sniffed and went for his tea. He took a long drink of it.

“I’m not entirely certain how I’m supposed to face the morning now.”

“With grace and maybe a little bit of yelling?” Perian suggested.

Brannal’s face relaxed into a grin. “If a little bit of yelling is called for.”

Defense was a little tenser than usual, with even more looks at Perian than he usually got, telling him the rumor mill was in full swing. But since even Fomadin’s group of friends didn’t do more than mutter a bit louder than normal, he ignored it all and tried to concentrate on his training.

At lunch, he learned that Brannal had gone directly to Renny to get the actual details of what had transpired yesterday. Molun was there, too. Renny cheerfully relayed to Perian how she had razed the objectors in the meeting, shattered Cormal’s theories, and loved Perian.

“Did you actually tell them you loved me?” he asked. “Because we both know what you mean, but the next thing we know, Cormal is going to suggest I have designs on you or something.”

She made a disgusted face, and he laughed.

“I was your champion ,” she corrected with dignity.

He stood up and bowed to her. “Thank you, my lady.”

She described it in glorious detail, and she really had been scathing.

She wanted to know if they thought that if she saw a sheep leap off a cliff she would immediately do the same thing.

Did she not have a mind of her own? Was she not allowed to see Warriors fighting?

Or any other horses? Was she not the one who actually lived in her body and was aware of what it was capable of?

Had she not, in fact, just kept riding her way while Perian rode his—which had been done at her request, to make her feel better?

Did they not want her to feel better but would prefer she was sad and stuck in her bed and not able to ride with friends?

“Oh, Renny, I love you,” he told her. “You’re magnificent.”

She beamed at him. Truly, though, it sounded like it had been spectacular.

Cormal had apparently looked irritated and embarrassed and flushed. He had finally said it must have been a misunderstanding and of course, his only concern was the health of the Princess.

Renny had apparently scoffed pretty loudly, but Brannal had given her a warning look, so she didn’t actually venture her opinion on this matter. The Queen hadn’t been overly impressed with all the drama, and she’d agreed that Renny was capable of making her own decisions within reason.

Perian would be permitted to continue to ride with her when she wished it, but perhaps he could also minimize the theatrics to protect the sensitive hearts of her fierce Warriors.

There had been enough tone, there, apparently, that Renny was pretty sure she wouldn’t actually be upset about a few more theatrics, but Perian thought it better to play it a little safer.

“I can take Prince Horsey for a run beforehand, and then he’ll be in better humor when we’re walking afterwards.”

Renny pouted. Perian looked for a distraction.

“Oh, in all the excitement, I almost forgot to ask. Kee, did you manage to ride with me? How was it?”

Renny beamed at him. “He was able to stay behind you on Prince Horsey the whole time. He said it’s not the same, of course, because he can’t really feel it, not like he could when he had a solid body, but it was still nice.

He wishes that Prince Horsey could feel that he was there, but it didn’t seem like he could.

But you’re a very able rider. He’s never seen anyone ride in circles like that before, and while he thinks it’s totally useless, he also thought it was pretty fun. ”

Perian laughed. “Thank you. I’m not sure I’ve ever ridden in circles like that before. It seemed like a good idea at the time?”

“Does a lot of your life work like that?” Renny asked.

Perian wasn’t sure if the question was coming from her or Kee.

He laughed again. “I guess I sort of… tumble into things, sometimes. Some of the best things in my life are happy surprises.”

Renny beamed at him, and he smiled back.