Chapter 420:
Smith
I follow His Highness to the secret meeting point where he is going to meet that lady.
He wanted to leave without guards. He said it would be safer. Fewer eyes. But I insisted. The capital is not safe. The court is not safe. People are not safe.
Besides, he has needed this moment of respite. I have seen how the crown is taking a toll on him—the sleepless nights, the heavy silences, the way he stares at the sea like he is searching for something he will never find.
We arrive at a commoner pub. The sign is faded. The windows are grimy. Loud music spills from the open door, accompanied by the thick smell of ale and sweat and pipe smoke.
This is not a place for royalty.
I watch as His Highness approaches a table in the corner. Two women in hoods are already seated there. Their faces are hidden, but I recognize the way they hold themselves. I did spend months with them at sea.
I take a seat at the bar, close enough to see, far enough to hear nothing.
