"Your Highness," someone said behind him.
At once, Ragnar and Lord Tomar turned to find Lady Taryn standing a few paces away, one arm draped loosely around a much younger woman.
"Lord Tomar," she greeted warmly, her gaze falling on Falein with a wide smile that instantly brightened her face. The same expression was mirrored on the younger woman's face. "You both remember my daughter, Avarine."
Ragnar returned Lady Taryn's smile with one of his own.
"Of course," he said, turning his attention to the young woman. "How could I ever forget little Avarine?"
The truth was, Avarine was not so little anymore, not the way he remembered.
It had been years since Ragnar last saw her and her older brother. That was around the same time the king began sending him from one battlefield to the next, leaving little room for anything outside war. In those years, Avarine had blossomed into a strikingly beautiful young woman.
