Page 34 of When the Baker Met the Dragon

Cyrus takes my hand and smiles. “They will love it, Kaya. Everyone does.”

He releases me, and my fingers mourn the loss of his touch. I nod and click my tongue so Tamar will line up behind the row of folks trying to enter through the city gates—gates larger than my entire shop.

Cyrus’s eyes glitter as finely armored guards patrol the top of the curtain wall. “It’s an adventure.”

That’s exactly what I was afraid this was. Sio curls into my lap. I shake my head at myself and try to feel excited instead of anxious.

Chapter 19

Cyrus

Kaya looks like she is about to vomit over the side of the cart. “It’s bigger than I remember.”

Her voice is strained like she’s trying so hard to have a good time that it’s nearly killing her. Maybe if I get her talking, she’ll relax.

“When was the last time you were here?” I ask her.

“I was maybe ten years old? Renen brought me here before he took me to Leafshire Cove.”

The city is a riot of sounds and smells. Chicken roasts on sticks at a stall festooned with thin, red banners. Horses and fine carriages clog the streets, residents calling out to one another as they pass. Kaya grimaces as she tugs on the reins to keep Tamar on the far left of the road to avoid a four-horse carriage. She looks my way and laughs nervously.

“So exciting,” she says, trying to smile.

“I’m sorry this isn’t your cup of tea.”

“No, no. I like it. Some of it. Look at the little goats!”

A herd of black and brown spotted goats bleat and trot by, their shepherd tapping his staff on the cobblestones on either side of them to keep them in line.

“Adorable,” I say. “Did you see the acrobats?”

I touch her chin and turn her face toward the display on the castle keep’s raised stage. There’s always something going on here around May Day. The king and queen enjoy entertaining their subjects. Two figures in bright yellow and blue do cartwheels and then leap onto long scarves that hang from wooden scaffolding.

“Amazing!”

She truly does seem happy to see the sights now.

“What is the address Lady Egrettington gave you for delivery?” I ask.

Her features slide into what I’ve always privately called her “work face,” and she pulls a slip of well-worn paper from the pocket of her apron. The front of the apron boasts her bakery’s name and the two maplecats that are also on her sign at home.

I study the paper. “Ah, this is a receiving area the royals have on the northeast side of the keep. It’s a separate building.”

She raises a brow. “You know everything about every social event in the world, don’t you?”

I laugh. “No, but I did attend the princess’s birthday party there once when I was visiting a friend. I was just a youngling.”

The cart bumps over a damaged spot in the cobbles, and a wagon full of vegetables pulled by a mule narrowly misses sideswiping us. Sio yowls and hisses from Kaya’s lap.

Kaya makes a whimpering sound, but she manages the wagon and Tamar like a natural. “As in the princess who is now queen?” she asks me.

“Aye. She was a wild little thing, let me tell you.”

Kaya steers Tamar through the madness of the city like it’s nothing but another recipe to untangle. I have to give her credit because most would balk at this.

“I’m impressed with your ability to handle the cart in this chaos, Kaya.”

“I handle the reins when Renen and I journey up to the mountains. This is no worse than fallen trees, pitted roads, and rabbits.”