Since we’d left Estian, his face had tanned. Hair dark as rich earth had been tamed and trimmed. Only the thinness of the body beneath the rich tunic and over-robe gave any hint of what he’d been a short month ago.

But inside . . . I knew how deceptive the outer coverings could be. If he weren’t strong and we weren’t careful, we’d have nothing to put upon the throne. Tisala was right,Rosem was the crutch that would let him survive. Kellen needed someone who cared for him because he was Kellen and not their only hope to defeat Jakoven.

“It wasn’t a suggestion,” I said mildly. “You need to hit something and so do I. There’s no one in the training ring by the stables.” We only used the ring for a few months in the spring with the young horses. “And you can’t afford to let your sword arm weaken any further.”

His eyes flashed hotly. “You overstep yourself, Wardwick of Hurog.”

I raised my eyebrow. “Do I?”

Anger swept over me that I had not been able to avoid putting the fate of Hurog in the hands of this man. He was so badly damaged he might take the rest of us down with him. Hehad to be strong.

I bent down and set my face close to his, so he backed up involuntarily.

“I think you are weak,” I said. “A weak man cannot save Hurog for me. I won’t have my people destroyed because I was worried about stepping on royal toes. Now get yourself down those stairs and take your attitude into the ring.” I almost didn’t recognize the voice I used as mine; I sounded so like my father in one of his killing rages.

His eyelids fell until his lashes veiled his eyes, but it was anger, not fear, that made his shoulders tremble as he preceded me down the stairs. I shadowed him through the bailey, out of the inner gates, and past the stables to the training ring.

The fence was solid so a young horse wouldn’t have anything to distract him, and taller than I so a frightened animal wouldn’t be tempted to try and jump over it. It made an excellent place to fight if you didn’t want to be observed.

The ring had been scraped after the heavy snow, but there was a new skiff on the ground, and I could see the evidence of Kellen’s previous practices in the frozen earth.

Kellen pulled off his heavy over robe and tossed it over the top of the fence. Slowly he pulled his gloves off and drew his sword. He walked to the center of the ring before he turned to face me with the relaxed air of a man who had been in many similar battles.