Page 6 of The Lost Art of Revealing Hidden Truths (The Lost Arts #3)

Chapter Three

T hey stepped inside, and Brannal closed the door behind them.

Oh, was he going to stay with Perian? Was this a good or bad thing?

Was this Summus right now, and did that make a difference?

Perian decided it wasn’t the thing to worry about with the Queen in front of him.

No matter what Brannal or Summus thought, it was the woman in front of him that Perian needed to convince.

He bowed, and she gestured at the chairs in front of the desk.

“Sit.”

No armchairs by the fire today, apparently.

He sat. Brannal sat in the chair beside him. The Queen’s gaze didn’t waver from Perian’s. She had the same gray eyes as her daughter, her dark hair done up in even more elaborate braids than Renny’s. Her expression was a lot more severe, though.

“Do you think you know Princess Larenia better than those who have been by her side her entire life?”

“Your Majesty—” Brannal started, but he cut off abruptly at a sharp glance from the Queen.

Her eyes cut back to Perian. She raised an imperious eyebrow .

Perian swallowed and chose his words with care. “Not better, Your Majesty. But I think, perhaps, that my distance is what she needs. Someone who sees her now.”

The Queen’s gaze was narrow. Perian wondered if this was what a mouse felt like before a cat. “You think we don’t.”

Perian explained, “I think you can’t see her now without seeing how she was, which is to be expected, really.”

“You think we’re… coddling her,” the Queen proposed.

Perian shook his head. “I think you’re all striving to take care of her to the very best of your abilities. I think Renny’s health is changing and shifting, and perhaps not everyone is adjusting as quickly or as smoothly to that as they could.”

“And you think to minister to her health better than all of us? Better than a doctor?” she demanded.

Perian gazed narrowly back at the Queen, though he made sure to keep his voice even. “It was my understanding, Your Majesty, that the doctor agreed with me.”

She exhaled sharply through her nose, and Brannal was tense at his side, but after a moment, one side of her mouth tipped up slightly in an almost smile.

“You still have very strong opinions,” she observed, no longer sounding like she wanted to pick a fight.

“Still, Your Majesty,” he agreed, smiling a little ruefully.

Then he sobered. “Renny’s so scared that she’s not going to get well.

And it’s possible that’s true, but let’s face that if it happens.

In the meantime, if she can believe and hope and do things that fill her life with joy, then, just maybe, that ’s the reality we’ll experience instead. ”

“You can’t make my daughter well just by wishing it.” She sounded a little wistful.

Perian shook his head. “But I can try.”

She blinked several times, and Perian wondered suddenly if she was trying not to cry. A moment later, the look was gone, and she was leveling a stern stare at him.

“No boisterous play. She may have her picnic in her rooms—in the bedroom until she is well enough for anywhere else. The doctor will declare when that occurs. You are not to give my daughter any timelines. You are not to promise that she’ll ever be able to ride again.

This is a significant setback, and it must be treated as such. ”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Perian agreed.

He didn’t totally agree, but he knew better than to say so .

The Queen’s keen gaze made it seem like maybe she could see his unspoken disagreement. Her eyes narrowed. “You may visit her for this picnic, and you may read to her if she finds it beneficial.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Perian said hurriedly.

“The doctor will continue with the application of tonics and any medicines that are deemed necessary for the Princess’s improving health.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” he agreed blandly, hoping this meant the doctor wasn’t going to get a big scolding.

“You are not to be a nuisance and disturb her,” she warned.

“Certainly not, Your Majesty.”

She huffed a breath that sounded a lot like Renny. “Get out of my sight.”

Suppressing a smile, Perian climbed to his feet. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Brannal rose to his feet as well, but the Queen said, “Brannal, I would speak with you.”

He inclined his head and flashed a small smile at Perian before sitting back down. Perian bowed to the Queen.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

She inclined her head, and Perian decided to get while the getting was good.

He’d forgotten about the Warriors that were outside the Queen’s door, which meant that his sigh of relief was probably a little more audible than he’d intended.

Well, they probably already knew the Queen could be fierce, what with guarding her all the time.

He flashed them a smile. “Have a good day.”

They looked a little bemused but inclined their heads to him.

Perian headed out to the quadrangle, because he had a few hours before he could see Renny, and rushing up there now didn’t make sense. He’d been given permission for the picnic, and that was at lunchtime.

He would try to make his visits count.

The Warriors were training just as they always did, and Perian waved at a few of them as he arrived. When Onadal had a spare moment, he came over.

“Ready to get to work?” he asked.

Perian shrugged. “To be honest, my head is all over the place. I get to see Renny again after this, and I’m anxious about that. But I’m going to do my best to put all of it out of my mind and concentrate on my lessons. Can’t have all my work go to waste just because I’m gone for a few days, right?”

Onadal clapped him on the back. “That’s the spirit.”

That might be the spirit, but it was harder to execute than Perian would have liked.

He was trying to pay attention, he really was, but his mind kept drifting towards Renny’s room, which resulted in him tumbling to the dirt more than once—as well as being tapped on the ass with a practice sword three times, because Warriors could be cheeky.

Perian hauled himself to his feet once again and reminded himself that if he was badly injured, he’d be going to the doctor instead of Renny. He didn’t want that, did he? He needed to concentrate so that he could see Renny later. So really, he needed to concentrate for Renny.

That helped to keep him focused on the matter at hand.

Bennan appeared on this side of the training yard partway through the session. He observed Perian for a few minutes, and then said, “One would almost think you were practicing this weekend.”

Without missing a beat, Perian said, “There was lots of wrestling.”

Bennan laughed uproariously, and their efforts fell apart when the Warrior-in-training Perian was now practicing with faltered and flushed so red their skin almost matched the cylindrical beads in their dark blond hair.

Perian made a face.

“Sorry—didn’t mean to get you mixed up in the middle of that innuendo.”

They laughed a little. “It’s all right. I think I speak for most of us when I say it’s really nice to hear such a happy story. We’re glad Summus is happy. And you, of course.”

Perian grinned at them. “Oh, that’s such a lovely thing to say! Thank you. I certainly do my best to keep Brannal happy.”

Bennan laughed again, his hazel eyes positively lit with mirth and the cleft in his chin on full display. He really was stupidly attractive, but Perian was more glad than he could say that the man was now with Chamis. Perian was admiring from a distance.

Perian protested, “No, I meant that seriously this time.” He gave up and grinned. “Well, I mean, I think he’s pretty happy with the sex, but you know what I mean!”

Still laughing, Bennan waved cheerfully and went back to his position of watching to make sure they all behaved themselves. It was probably a lot harder to do that when you were laughing too much because Perian was saying stupid things .

They managed several more bouts before the morning session was over, and Perian thought he’d done pretty well over the course of the training.

It had been shorter than normal for him given that he’d met with the Queen first, but he’d come out of both occasions relatively unscathed, and that filled him with hope.

He had no illusions that he was suddenly the smartest, most accomplished anything , but he was stubborn, and that seemed to be serving him in good stead.

He cleaned up quickly in their rooms and grabbed the picnic blankets even as it occurred to him that maybe there should really be an indoor blanket to go on Renny’s bed.

Then he decided he could just ask when he was there so he wouldn’t be late.

If she wanted another blanket, he would fetch her one.

He headed to the kitchens next and picked up the basket, which Alona provided, but she looked a little confused even as she welcomed him back.

“Indoor picnic,” he explained. “To lift Renny’s spirits.”

Her heart-shaped face lit up with a bright smile. “Oh, that’s such a lovely idea. Please give the Princess our best wishes. We hope that she’s well soon.”

Perian nodded. “I certainly will. Thank you.”

He made his way to the royal wing feeling a great deal more assured than he had projected the day before. He made it up to Renny’s room without getting lost, and the Warriors at the door were apparently expecting him, because no one tried to take away his basket or turn him away.

Instead, one of them tapped on the door and then opened it, and Perian was ushered inside.

Delana was on duty today with a Warrior Perian didn’t know by name. As always, Delana looked extremely competent and like she might destroy you if you crossed her. Thankfully, she’d mostly decided she liked Perian, as far as he could tell.

“Hello!” Perian said cheerfully. “I’m here to picnic with Renny.”

She nodded. “I can see that.”

“I’m a very obvious person,” he told her.

She smirked, but then said, “I wonder sometimes.”

Perian wanted to know what that was supposed to mean, but Delana was already tapping on Renny’s bedroom door.

“Princess, your lunch date is here. ”