The Twelve Kingdoms: The Mark of the Tala Read Online Free PDF Page A

walked Fiona in, studying her gait for any sign of injury. Now my body ached in every joint. I could feel the bruises blossoming.
    “What happened to you?” Ursula, wearing a court gown, came from the direction of the castle and gave me a scorching look.
    “Don’t you have things to do?” I muttered, unstrapping my sword from the pommel. “Ruling kingdoms? Digging up obscure laws?”
    She narrowed her eyes. “Amelia and Hugh have arrived for a visit. When I heard you’d been spotted riding in, I thought you’d want to know. You should keep your sword on you, not strapped to your saddle. Especially if you’re going to take off for Glorianna knows where without a bodyguard.”
    “Yes, Your Highness.”
    “Nice attitude—what happened?”
    “Nothing. Fiona took a fall, is all.”
    “So I gathered from the grass all over both of you. That’s not what’s bothering you.”
    I shrugged, careful to hide my wince at the shooting pain across my shoulders. “What—you’re the only one who gets to be crabby around here?”
    “You should be thrilled that Amelia and Hugh are here and you barely acknowledged it.” She drew a long stem of that acid-green grass from my hair and examined it thoughtfully. Bit it lightly. Settled a hard gaze on me. “Where in—or outside—Mohraya did you get to? And is that blood on you?”
    “I never left King’s Land, Highness,” I snapped. “I know my boundaries.” More or less.
    “That means nothing and you know it. You went over the foothills, toward the Wild Lands.”
    “Which is still King’s Land.”
    A young groom started to lead Fiona away. “Check her over, would you, Jemmy? She took a bit of a fall.”
    He nodded at me, eyes wide.
    Ursula held up the blade of grass, blocking my way, gray eyes hard as steel. “I’ve seen this while hunting. It’s at the border of the Wild Lands, probably over. Have you lost your precious mind?”
    “Clearly you have been there.”
    “With about fifty other people, not gallivanting by myself!”
    “I need to get cleaned up. I cut myself up a bit—that’s the blood.” I shouldered past her and she grabbed my arm. I hissed at the pain. Ursula softened her grip and flipped up the torn fabric.
    “That’s a bruise and scratch from a hand—not a fall. And you have a swollen lip.” Her voice sounded clinical, but I could see the fury building in her. “You’re going to tell me what happened right now, Andi. Or I’ll tell the High King and let him drag it out of you.”
    Tears unexpectedly pricked my eyes. Maybe it was her fierce concern. Or the aftereffects of the whole incident. I felt as young and fragile as Ursula saw me. Her face softened instantly when she saw me crumple.
    “Oh, honey . . .”
    She started to embrace me, but I put up a hand to stop her.
    “Please, no, Ursula. I don’t want to get into it now. I need to take a bath. I want to see Hugh and Amelia. We can talk later.”
    “I need to know if you—or any of our territory—is in immediate danger.”
    The man’s severe face and dark words scattered through my mind. Long-range plans, he’d said. “I don’t think so.” I hesitated, then added, “Not yet, anyway.”
    Ursula cursed, her hand twitching for her sword. She tossed the blade of grass aside and pointed at me. “Tomorrow I’m taking a scout team up there. You’re coming with us and you’ll tell me every single detail.”
    “And if I’m too sore to ride?”
    “Serves you right for being so careless. I know you don’t pay much attention to such things, Andi, but you’re no longer a tomboy who can ride everywhere. You’re a pretty young woman and second in line for the throne. You dangled yourself like a juicy snack in front of a pack of wolves, endangering yourself and your kingdom today. Trust me—my methods of punishment won’t come near what Uorsin will do when he hears of this. And don’t mistake me. Once I’ve dragged everything out of you, then you get to tell him.”
    She spun