Anaisa awoke early, as she always did.
The sun wasn't quite up, and she stretched in the soft bed, tempted to shut her eyes and try to go back and hold onto the pleasant, peaceful dream she'd been having.
What strange effect this fresh air had on her! Each night, though her dreams started as they normally did, they morphed into beautiful fields or seashores.
She'd never even seen the sea. Why was it that her imagination conjured such lovely things here?
Deciding not to think too hard about it, she got up and prepared herself for the day. Her eyes involuntarily drifted to the top of the cabinetry, where Trace's strange letter resided. She still didn't know what to make of it.
Grimacing, she quickly dressed and heard Trace rise and do the same. The door opened and shut, signaling he'd gone out, and she took down and folded the blanket carefully, along with the rope, placing it with their luggage by the door.
When he returned, they ate a modest breakfast together. She was still heavily debating whether to bring up the fact that she saw the letter, but never quite found an opportunity. They talked idly of nothing in particular until it was time to go.
Trace prepared two horses, assuring Anaisa that it would be a much faster way to travel than riding on a wagon. She was excited; Father only let her and Katia go out riding on rare occasions, and she had always enjoyed it.
Anaisa stepped closer to the first horse as Trace saddled the second. It nickered and nudged her with its large nose, and she chuckled softly, petting it.
"Is this the horse you said was picky about who he spends time with?" She asked, remembering some of Trace's first words to her at the inn.
"Well, he's not that picky. He's actually a big teddy bear, but I had to open the conversation with you some way, didn't I?" Trace teased as he finished getting the other horse ready and led it towards a crate near the barn's exit before he continued talking.
"If you don't mind, I need to make a stop at my family's farm on the way. It shouldn't delay us much." He held the horse still. Anaisa stepped atop the box for better leverage to mount the animal. At home, a groom would have brought steps, but this worked as well. Trace looked as if he wanted to help her, but maintained a respectful distance as he always did.
It was so odd to be married and yet never touch each other, but the practice of avoiding each other had been established and neither of them seemed to dare changing it.
"That is fine," Anaisa responded easily. "I would like to show your mother and Sarah my finished coat."
She genuinely enjoyed the women's company. When she got her fortune back, she would have to send them nice gifts in apology for running away from Trace. Guilt flooded through her. Maybe… she wouldn't have to leave him. Maybe she could learn to trust him enough to include him in her life in the city. He was untitled, but for the moment, so was she…
Trace smiled at her warmly, and she felt an increasingly familiar tightness in her middle.
"I'm sure they will love to see it." He said.
Anaisa watched the fields pass by in silence, settling into the rhythm of the horse's gait.
"You can wait here, if you'd like. I won't be long." He told her with a brief smile as they arrived some time later.
He dismounted, dropping the reins to the ground, and walked quickly up the steps and in the front door without knocking. Anaisa waited a few moments as her horse pawed the dirt. She could faintly overhear conversation from inside as the door opened and Sarah stepped out.
"Anaisa! How well your coat turned out!" She declared. "I'm sad you'll be leaving so soon after coming; we'll have to have a proper welcome party for you upon your return. It's such a shame we didn't get more time to prepare!"
Anaisa smiled at Sarah, but avoided agreeing to the party. Would she ever be back?
"Thank you for the compliment! I'm sorry we haven't been able to get to see each other more."
"And your sister you mentioned, we'll have to welcome her as well!" Sarah smiled wider. "I hope she gets settled nicely."
"I'm sure she will," Anaisa put more confidence into her voice than she felt.
Just then, Trace emerged from the home, a dark look on his face, his mother on his heels. It startled his wife; she'd only seen that kind of stormcloud countenance once before, in the fabric shop. She didn't expect it here, amongst his family.
Anaisa shifted nervously in the saddle.
Trace caught her eye and frowned, then seemed to put effort into giving her a bright smile. He wasn't terribly good at hiding what he felt, was he?
He wasted no time mounting his horse and turning towards the road. Almost as an afterthought, he called over his shoulder towards his mother.
"Sorry we can't stay longer, we'll see you when we get back!"
"Safe travels!" The older woman raised a hand in farewell as Sarah joined her on the porch.
By instinct or training, Anaisa's horse took up a pace beside Trace, shaking its head with obvious impatience. She patted the creature's neck gently, trying to bond with it for the journey.
When they reached the road, Trace guided his horse toward the city and cleared his throat.
"I need to tell you something," He turned to his wife, and his eyes bored into Anaisa's. She wanted to flinch under the seriousness in them.
Afraid to hear what he had to say after the angry expression he'd worn coming out of the farmhouse, she could do no more than nod silently.
"That letter I received from Conlan, that day in town," He began, and she stiffened. Had he figured out she'd seen it? Did she fail to put it back in its exact place? Her breath stopped. How angry would he be at her?
"I need to tell you more about it," Trace's words were measured, as if he'd thought about them carefully. Anaisa relaxed only a fraction, wondering what he would say next. "There is some background that you do not need to know, but essentially, someone in the capital has been forcing me to work for them against my will. I thought after the war I had broken free of that hold, but now, it seems they are using you and your sister to continue to get to me. I can't apologize enough for you both being put in this position."
Anaisa's mouth dropped open, and she stared for a moment.
"What are they forcing you to do?" She blurted, eager for the answer yet afraid of it. Trace didn't answer immediately, and she began to regret asking.
"I have certain skills they find useful." He shrugged, "But I do not like being at their disposal."
She blinked, trying to digest the information. What skills would a farmer have that would make him uniquely useful to someone in the city?
"Why me? Why Katia?" She asked next, forgetting her inner vow to not press him for too many answers, lest she need to give up her own secret. "You have your own family, why would this person need to use me to get to you??"
"I've been wondering that," He admitted, "I asked my mother if she knew anything about it two days ago when she came to see you and visit. Apparently they received an 'invitation' to the royal celebration of the army's return. Farmers can't leave their land very often, and it seemed strange that none of the neighbors who also had sons in the war did not receive such invitations."
Anaisa regarded him evenly until he continued.
"I wanted to drop by just now and examine the letter, and it matches the script and paper that I receive my blackmail letters on. I'm sure Jin must have received a similar invitation to the Capital for some honor or another. He and Katia likely have no idea that they are involved in any sort of plot, much less why."
"So my sister may be in terrible danger, but does not even know it??" Anaisa bit her tongue to keep from lashing out at her husband.
On the one hand, Katia seemed to be in no immediate danger, either from Jin or from this mysterious blackmailer that Trace did not name. Come to think of it, the letter was not signed. Perhaps even he did not know?
On the other hand, it would be risky and perhaps impossible to untangle the web of intrigue that the sisters were now caught up in. Would they be at the mercy of others forever?
"I'm sorry," Trace shifted his eyes to the road in front of them.
"Why tell me all this now?" Anaisa narrowed her eyes at him, and did she imagine that he flushed slightly?
"Before we arrive, I need you to know more about what we're in for. I'm not sure what assignment might await me, but it shouldn't endanger you. Still, if we find Katia and Jin, we need to urge them to get away from the city. The town isn't absolutely protected from my blackmailer's influence, but as long as I cooperate, the threat against them shouldn't escalate any further than it already has. For all they know, this can be a pleasant vacation that they took, and nothing more."