“To a point,” he conceded. “But it’s hard to forget that you were nearly queen.”

“So there you have it,” I said flatly. “You don’t really trust me, and I don’t trust you. How can I know you will keep your word, that you won’t be arguing with me and belittling me all the time?”

He looked me dead in the eye. “I would hope by now that you know I never say things I don’t mean.”

The sound of our horses echoed in the night. “Well, I can’t deny that. Fine. I will keep my distance, and I will avoid talking about anything in front of you that might tempt you to be an arse.”

“Good luck there.”

I smirked for a quick second before becoming serious again. “And please don’t tell them I left.”

“I won’t.”

We sank into silence, and I rode beside him all the way back to the manor. The sky was turning a beautiful pink, but I was worried with each new ray of sunshine that everyone would wake to discover that I’d attempted to abandon them.

“Hurry,” Etan said, reading my thoughts. “If we cut through here, we can come up around the back of the manor.”

He launched off the road, and I followed, springing into a gallop. Etan was a fair rider, nearly as steady as Jameson, which was saying something. After a sleepless night, it felt good to really move, to almost fly across the field. We ducked into a short line of trees, coming out into fields of grain where people were already hard at work.

As we rode past, men tipped their cloth hats and women curtsied, recognizing one of the landowners on sight. Etan greeted many by name in return.

“You put me to shame,” I told him, and he looked over with questioning eyes. “I don’t know a single person who worked our land. I wish I’d done better.”

He shrugged. “You can do better. When you go back. Because you will one day, Hollis. Eventually, you will get your life back.”

“We’ll see.”

I wasn’t sure if I’d survive the month, so it was hard to make plans beyond that. Etan led me to a familiar row of trees. We went through the opening, and there was the back of the manor and the path leading to the kitchen.

“Do you think anyone’s up yet?”

“No,” he said with a yawn. “But we’ll take the servants’ stairs just in case.”

He tapped on the kitchen window, waving at whoever was in there. Someone came and opened the door for us, and we got a few shocked looks from the cooking staff.

“Don’t get any ideas,” Etan said, playfully wagging a finger at them. “This was a rescue mission, and I expect you all to keep our presence to yourselves. There’s enough going on as it is.” Etan’s tone was so lazy that it hardly felt like a command, yet I knew everyone in that room would obey.