Aveline's back ached from riding all day.
She had managed only a piece of bread with cheese at lunch, and even that had gone down because she knew she ought to eat, not because she had any appetite for it. She had no idea how soldiers managed to travel for days on horseback. It was miserable. Uncomfortable in every possible way.
If she had known just how punishing it would be, she would have chosen the carriage without hesitation. At least then she could have stretched her legs and escaped the harsh glare of the sun. But now evening had finally begun to soften the world, and she still had no idea how much longer they would have to travel.
"How long?" Aveline asked with a sigh so deep it sounded as though life itself had personally offended her.
Kael rolled his eyes. She had asked the same thing every five minutes, as if she were a restless child and not a grown woman. What exactly had his liege seen in her?
