Her expression went sour. “No. But only because you’re already injured and that would be mean.”
He put on an exaggerated expression of delight. “Does that mean I can say all the things I think you won’t like all at once, and you won’t do anything to stop me?”
She huffed a reluctant laugh. “Alright, tell me.”
“I’m not saying I think Kee did the right thing. Having Brannal and Cormal present was a definite improvement to going alone. But I don’t think the two of them would do it now, not in their positions, not if they thought it put you in danger. And much as I don’t want to bring it up, I think you would have more trouble than your brother fleeing on horseback if there were trouble.”
Renny’s lips pressed together in a thin line, but after a moment, she nodded, looking more unhappy than angry.
“But,” Perian continued carefully, stressing the word, “I think everyone agrees you’ve been doing better recently, right?”
Renny nodded again.
“Still feeling less tired?”
She nodded again. “It’s so much better than it was. I haven’t had a dizzy spell in weeks!”
“I think proposing you leave the castle for an overnight stay out of doors might be a bit premature. But you’re twelve now. Maybe it’s time to raise the idea of riding again?”
Renny’s spine shot straight, animation lighting her up. “Riding?”
“Probably not the fastest horse in the stables,” Perian cautioned. “And I’m sure they’d insist on people going with you, but in a supervised setting, what do you think? Only if your mother says it’s all right,” he hastened to emphasize.
She nodded. “Oh, there’s no point if Mother doesn’t say it’s all right. Even if I could sneak out to the stables, I certainly couldn’t saddle a horse and get astride one on my own. And if she doesn’t agree, then the best I could get is maybe one ride sneaked in before everyone got in trouble. I want this to be something I do regularly.” She beamed at him. “You’re right. It’s time I asked to do more things.”
Perian smiled back at her, hoping he hadn’t suggested something that was going to end in tears.
“Just don’t go so fast that you exhaust yourself,” he cautioned.
She blew out a breath but nodded. She was clearly a lot more familiar with her restrictions than he was.
“Sorry,” he said. “You probably already knew that.”
She reached out and clasped his hand.
“I know you’re just looking out for me. You give me as much freedom as possible and think of things I can do even if I’m not like other children. That means a lot to me.”
Perian sniffed and told himself he was definitely not tearing up.
“I really enjoy our time together. You mean a lot to me, Renny.”
She came over to snuggle in his arms, and they rested like that for a few minutes, in the sunshine in a secluded section of a garden in a quadrangle surrounded by the castle that Renny had lived her whole life in.
Before she went off to her lessons, she assured Perian, “You can go visit the place by the lake when Brannal is back. I hope to get out there one day, but we shouldn’t all wait for me. Kee’s right. Someone should be enjoying it.”
“Thank you,” Perian said sincerely.
He reallyliked the idea of him and Brannal out there together. He wondered if there was any way for the two of them to get away for a day or two. Obviously not as soon as Brannal was back, but maybe once he’d got caught up?
Perian would definitely suggest it.
He dropped off the picnic basket, got the blankets back to Brannal’s room, and decided to lie down. He was pretty sure the stress of the morning had caught up to him, and he felt suddenly exhausted.
Perian started awake, not sure what had woken him, and then he heard the call from the sitting room, “Perian?” and then, “I don’t think he’s here. You’re sure Nisal hasn’t seen him?”
“I’m in the bedroom,” Perian called before Molun could send out a search party.
A moment later, the man appeared at the bedroom door, and his face lit up when he saw Perian.
