Rex watched the conversation from across the square and noticed how Mara's body language changed when Helena made the offer. That was a real and honest sense of relief, which meant that Mara had been more worried about the change than she had let on.
Good. People who were grateful were easier to manage, and having Mara in the capital, where he could maintain access to her, was considerably better than having her disappear into some random border town.
"Rex!"
He turned around and saw Diana coming toward him with a bow in her hands and a look of challenge on her face. Iris and Lily were behind her, both grinning in a way that made it seem like they knew what was going to happen.
Diana said, "You still owe me a rematch."
Rex raised an eyebrow. "Right now...? We're going to leave in a few hours."
"That's why it has to be now! I've been preparing so that I won't lose to some mere luck again," she said, holding up the bow. "And this time, I'm not going to go easy on you."
