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her pie from the oven, setting it on a raised wooden rack to cool before retaking her spot at the table. The rest of the conversation was light, and Aston was grateful his reason for visiting didn’t come up again.
    When dinner and dessert were done and the dishes were put away, Alys excused herself for a bath. Delgrab motioned for Aston to sit on the couch in the living area, which he did so reluctantly. He knew what was coming. As Delgrab sat beside him, Aston looked everywhere but at his friend. Instead, he focused on his surroundings, letting his eyes wander around the familiar cabin.
    Not much had changed since the last time he’d been there. The curtains over the windows were the same dark hunter green ones that Alys had made years ago. The sofa was made of thick logs that Delgrab had strung together and carved out, making a seat t hat curved inwards. Alys had sewn two green cushions to fit perfectly into the curve, making a soft surface to rest on. The small end tables beside the piece matched. Most of the floor was hidden underneath various animal skin rugs, prizes of Delgrab’s hunts, and a couple of deer “trophies” adorned the space over the hearth.
    As his gaze neared the end of the room Aston finally made his eyes meet Delgrab’s. His friend was looking at him expectantly, waiting for him to tell his story. Aston realized Delgrab wouldn’t leave him alone until he knew exactly why, after three years of planned meetings, the knight would suddenly turn up unannounced.
    “I’m in trouble, Del,” he began. Delgrab’s eyes widened a bit, but otherwise he didn’t react. Taking that as a sign to continue, Aston moved on. “I was sent on a mission with Prince Talbot. You know who the Rogue Royal is?” At this , Delgrab nodded. “King Donn received word from King Aric that the Rogue wa s going to kill Duke Aeron. Donn sent Talbot and I to stop him, but Talbot messed up. We were supposed to wait outside and catch him as he was leaving, but everything was so still that Talbot and I went inside. Everything was fine until a woman screamed and Talbot ran off. The Rogue managed to kill his target and escaped. Talbot blamed everything on me and now…” Aston stopped, not sure how much he wanted to give away.
    “Now you’re on the run because you basically abandoned all of your duties to come here,” Delgrab finished for him. Aston shook his head.
    “I didn’t mean to come here. I shouldn’t have come here at all. I’m putting you and Alys at risk. I apologize for that. I didn’t know where else to go. Do you know what the punishment is for killing a monarch, for killing anyone you aren’t told to kill? Death, Delgrab. They were going to kill me, even though I didn’t kill the Duke with my own hands. According to Talbot’s story, he would still be alive if I hadn’t risked everything to save a woman. I didn’t want to die. I don’t...” Aston stopped talking as his voice cracked.
    He hadn’t realized it before now, but he was scared. His situation was finally sinking in. He could never be a knight again. If he ever went back to Fridel, he would be kill ed. He could never go home , see his father, his baby sister. He would be an outc ast wherever he went. Aston felt his throat constrict as his heart started to beat furiously within him. He was having a hard time cat ching a breath, and his mind raced as he realized all that he had lost.
    A hand on h is shoulder made him turn to his friend.
    “Calm down, Aston. You came to the right place. Don’t worry about Alys or me. We can take care of ourselves. What we need to be worried about is how we are going to keep you safe.” Aston nodded, appreciating his friend’s words, but he knew he couldn’t stay. He would never forgive himself if something happened to either of them.
    “You’re right. I’m sorry. Can we talk about this in the morning? I haven’t gotten much sleep the past couple of days.” Delgrab nodded, and Aston stood. When Delgrab