Chapter 4

Hookers were seen as filthy—nobody wanted to lift a finger to help them.

So, I became the doctor at the Unicorn's Horn.

The ladies here were all stunning, and their words were always so sweet.

They never minded that I'd treat them while flipping through my medical books.

Instead, they'd rub my shoulders, feed me fruit, and ask if I was tired.

When I left Ashwood Village, the grapevines were just starting to climb the trellis.

Now, in Eikons, thick snow bent the branches low.

Gossip filled the air among the girls.

"Now that General Frank's back from his victory, I wonder what reward he'll be claiming for the Crown Princess this time," one of them said.

"That guest from the Royal Office of Ceremonies claimed the general didn't even turn up for his reward—he just bolted straight home to find his wife," another chimed in.

*****

Meanwhile, a rich young man strolled into the Unicorn's Horn, his hair bound with an emerald crown, though he only had three battered copper coins squeezed in his palm.

The moment he spotted me, his grin lit up the whole room.

He called out, "Darling, I've finally tracked you down."

I couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

Oriel Grant once said Ted Gray was Eikons' most notorious fortune-teller.

Every morning, he'd start his day by flipping coins just to decide which foot to take his first step with.

That day, while I was gathering herbs out on Mount Silver, I didn't even hesitate—I reached right out and snatched up a hibernating snake with my bare hands.

Ted, who happened to be hiking nearby, was so spooked he almost tumbled down the slope.

He crouched down quickly, scrambling to pick up the copper coins that had ended up at my feet.

Under his breath, he started chanting, "Wind guides the way, dead wood bursts to life—looks like it's throwing out a lucky sign today."

Then, he lifted his head, eyes ablaze, locking his gaze on me like I'd just stepped straight into his reading.

Ted practically shouted, grinning ear to ear, "Darling!"

'I swear, city folks are just bizarre,' I thought to myself.

I snatched up the snake and dashed down the hill in a panic.

Who would've guessed that this crazy fortune-teller would actually show up looking for me at the Unicorn's Horn?

He looked totally serious, eyes shining with certainty.

"Before heading out that morning, I spent three days fasting and bathing, then knelt in front of the shrine for two hours straight. Only when my hands were purified and my heart was sincere did I dare cast my fortune.

"The reading told me to follow the spring breeze, and you were the first woman I saw. That means you're my fated bride," he added.

Eyeing Ted, the so-called fortune-teller, I couldn't help but ask, "So, does this fortune-telling gig actually pay off?"

He grinned, "If I get it wrong, I don't take a dime. I never cheat anyone, young or old."

I pressed, "So, just how much silver have you actually raked in doing this?"

Ted made a show of glancing up at the sky, then peered thoughtfully down at the ground.

Finally, with noble seriousness, he replied, "Talking about money? That's way too tacky."

With a twinge of regret, I turned my eyes away.

I looked him straight in the eye and shot him down, "You messed up the reading."

I pointed at the snow falling under the eaves with a smile. "It's freezing out. Where are you supposed to find a spring breeze?"

Seriously, this Ted guy's scam was so full of holes you could drive a wagon through it. No wonder he never made any real money.

Ted shook his head, resolute. "No way. You and I—it's fate. You're only destined for one match, and that's with me."

He kept coming to the Unicorn's Horn every single day, never missing a beat.

From the long months when Mount Silver lay buried under snow, to the day the fish broke through the frozen river—until, at last, I could feel spring creeping in through every crack.

Out by the willow embankment on the outskirts of town, I told him, "Spring's finally here. Wait for the wind to rise before you throw your coins again, and after that—don't come for me."

Ted just kept tossing those battered coins up and down in his palm, eyes fixed on them, silently refusing to answer.

Just then, I heard a familiar voice call out. "Laurel!"

It was Frank.

He rushed over and seized my wrist, his grip so fierce it felt like he might crush it.

His eyes blazed with grief and fury. "Laurel, how could you... You've been lying to me all along. How could you be so cruel?"

After he came back to Eikons with Tracy, he was sent straight to the front lines by the King.

Military life had never fazed him before.

But on this campaign, he could barely eat or sleep.

I was always on his mind.

As soon as the war ended, he didn't even bother to stop in Eikons—he headed straight for Ashwood Village.

But what he heard there was that I was dead.

The shock and anger hit him so hard that he fell seriously ill.

Joanna, unable to bear it any longer, finally told him the truth.

He went south, searching for me for months, but there was no sign of me anywhere.

He never imagined that when he finally returned to Eikons, I'd be standing right there in front of him.

He looked noticeably thinner, with a hint of melancholy weighing down his brows.

His expression flickered between shock and joy, yet the first thing he said was a reproach.

Frank looked at me and said, "Seriously, Laurel, you've got some temper. All I did was act a little cold when I left—did you really have to go this far just to get back at me?

"You're the general's wife. Tell me, who else in all of Eikons would make her husband crawl so low before she'd even think about letting him off the hook?"

Then, he shook his head, a half-smile on his lips. "But honestly? No one but me could ever handle someone with your attitude."

Ted shoved Frank's hand aside, shooting him a protective glare.

With a frown, Ted snapped, "You're hurting her."

Frank's eyes narrowed as he shot me a cold look and demanded, "Just who is he?"

I gently rubbed my sore wrist, pausing to think things through.

Then I looked at Ted and said, "Told you your reading was off—I've already got a husband. Guess that means I'm never gonna be your bride."

With that, I turned to Frank.

"You know what? You're right. I do have a temper," I said, not backing down. "But a husband like you? Count me out."

Frank's eyelids twitched.

He looked up, letting out a cold chuckle. "Guess I've spoiled you too much."

There was a chill in his voice I'd never heard before.