His voice was cold as ever, but there was a faint warmth beneath the edge. "We could never hate you. You hear me?"
Nnenna looked from him to Carl, who nodded immediately, his eyes full of conviction. Slowly, she returned the nod. "I hear you. Both of you."
"Good," Carl said, straightening at last. His lips twitched into the first hint of a smile. "Now that we're all soaked to the bone, I think it's time we went inside."
Arthur allowed the corner of his mouth to lift, amused despite himself, as Carl retrieved his umbrella. He picked his own back up as well, and for the first time that night, the air around them felt lighter.
"I'm so going to need a hot bath," Carl muttered as they walked back toward the castle, rain still dripping from their clothes. "Our flight back to Riverum is in a few hours. I still have leftover work to finish…and we need to go over our strategy to reclaim your kingdom, Nnenna."
