I couldn’t really disagree.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-SIX
My fingers were stiff around the reins and my breath puffed in huge clouds as we rode up the steep road toward River Bend.
“Are we there yet?” Scarlett called out.
“Are you five?” I yelled back.
She gestured at the frosty landscape. “Travel by horseback is not appealing this time of year.”
“That’s why we avoid it unless we’re visiting newborn babies who can’t travel.” My horse tugged at the reins, trudging with his head hanging down in the vain hope of finding grass poking through the snowdrifts.
“Have you considered trains?” Scarlett asks. “Since you’ve made clear that cars are out of the question and dirt bikes aren’t cutting it.”
“Trains,” I repeated, wondering why I didn’t think of it myself. “Interesting idea.” All the advantages of commodity transport without the inherent risks of cars. “The Mountain Folk have them. Small ones, in the mines. If Saskaya and Raghnall could consult designs from the rest of the world, I’ll bet they could develop a system for our complicated terrain...”
My imagination was off and running. More plans. More money. More knowledge needed. It never ends. I never want it to. The challenges are stimulating, and the opportunity to impact Auralian society for generations is both heady and terrifying.
I couldn’t replicate my father’s hands-off, administrative approach to ruling if I wanted to. Every decision we make is consequential.
Lorcan wasn’t into the train idea. “You’d have to blast through some of the best parts of Auralia. Not worth it.”
“What if we could devise a workaround, though?”
The train debate lasted the rest of our journey to River Bend. King Myseci was ecstatic to have an excuse to show off his new grandson.
“Look at you,” Scarlett laughed on seeing Raina with her newborn, Ravian. We’d settled in and were gathered around the fireplace having tea. “Holding that baby like a natural. Never would have imagined it when we were together in Scotland.”
“Indeed, we’ve come a very long way.” Raina smiled, a little sadly, remembering our lost friends. A mournful twinge in my heart. I reminded myself that we carry them with us. Kenton, Cata. My father. History lives with us. Grief never really goes away. We just learn to live with it, over time.
Especially true for Scarlett. She laughs, but she stays because this country is the only part of Kenton she’ll ever have, now.
“Are you getting any sleep?” Scarlett asked, reaching for Ravian and settling him into one arm.
“I am,” Tovian shrugs. “Raina not so much. He’s up every couple of hours wanting to be fed.”
“That’s how it goes,” Lorcan murmured, which leaves me feeling like the only person who knows absolutely nothing about babies. I shot him a raised eyebrow.Don’t get any ideas.
Raina caught me and bit back a smile. While the others were cooing over Ravian, she leaned over to me. “It’s good to see you happy.”
“Thank you. I am. I’m glad you and Lorcan have made up.”
“Mostly. I accept that he was not acting like his true self when we argued. All of us have been through a lot in the past year, but the two of you, perhaps more than anyone.” Raina inclines her head toward her son. “You’re not planning to have one?”
“No.”
Before the wedding, Lorcan and I both agreed to take contraceptive teas. That way we each have veto power over the issue. Plus, there’s less of a chance of an accident happening—even Auralian herbs aren’t one hundred percent reliable, and we’ve been testing their effectiveness for months.
“What are your plans for the winter? Not staying here, I assume?” Tovian asks.
“Heading south to Oceanside. Might stop in to visit Brenica,” Lorcan squeezed my knee. My face burned. “We might combine it with bridge inspections, with an eye toward reinforcing them to support the weight of trains.”
Since we’re headed south, he agreed it would be prudent for me to do some basic, preliminary assessments, in case we change our minds later.
“Trains?” Raina perked up. “You’d have a tough time getting all the way down to Oceanside, but if you could pull it off, it would be great for the interior. Grasslands District might really benefit.”
“It’s an idea we’re exploring,” I told her, reluctant to overcommit without Lorcan’s buy-in. I can make an executive decision if I want to, but I try to avoid doing that. Especially around large issues. His reasons are always thoughtful even when I disagree with them.
