Free By Grace Alone (The Death Dealer Book 2) by Katie Roman Page B

hand.”
    “Don’t pretend a boy outside the merchant’s district doesn’t know how to court properly. They don’t club women and drag them back to their lodgings in Glenbard,” she said.
    Nathaniel laughed. It was a sound Grace could get used to, like large bells proclaiming good news. It was genuine. “I thought I could impress you, but I suppose I’ll have to work harder. Perhaps if I ate fire or juggled?”
    Grace frowned. “And why would you need to impress me? If you want information, you should have asked Rosemary. She’s prettier and will say anything for a wink and a flower.”
    “Well I happen to find you pretty, and I know better than to ask information of you. I meant only that I like you. Though it is nice to know in what esteem you hold poor Rosemary.” He laughed again, those melodious bells sounding, and she blushed.
    Nathaniel led them into the market. He talked mostly, commenting on the heat, the recent festival to the sun god, Ciro, and various other light topics. He picked up some cinnamon pastries and led her over to the fountain, where they sat side by side and enjoyed their breakfast. There was no wind, but a few cooling drops of water still managed to hit Grace where she sat.
    “May I ask you a rather personal question?” Nathaniel said when he’d finished his pastry. “You don’t have to give me an answer, of course.”
    “I suppose,” Grace replied. She knew he would ask something about the Marcus business, and she was having such a lovely morning with the sergeant, too. “If I may ask one of you.”
    “A fair deal, from a fair lady,” he said, nodding his agreement.
    “Ask away, Sergeant Moore.”
    “Is it true you beat Prince Drake with an arm tied behind your back?”
    “I...what?”
    “In last year’s tournament, you bested our prince. I heard tell you did it with one arm tied behind your back and an imp on your shoulder.”
    Grace blinked, and for once was unsure what she should say. “Is that what people say?” She thought she’d already heard all the strange tales people told of her, but this was new and weird, even by the standards of Glenbard. “Why would there have been an imp?”
    This time Nathaniel paused. “I imagine it was to tell you in what direction to swing the sword.” His face was deathly serious. “I must know, Grace.” His stone face remained another moment before he cracked a smile. He quickly hid it away again. He was trying to tease her.
    “Well I am sorry to disappoint you, but there was no imp and both my arms were free.”
    “Then how did you best a trained knight?” This time his question was serious, with no hint of mockery on his face.
    “A bit of luck, I suppose. It helps that the Prince had been dueling all day and I was fresh to the field. And I had training with a sword.” Nathaniel waited silently for her to continue. “My Uncle Leon was a trained knight and the arms master in Barony Arganis. He thought the village children should know how to defend themselves, and took it upon himself to train them. We have a port in the north. It is small, but ruffians still land there from time to time. Leon trained girls in the basics of defense, the same as he did the boys. A few years after my father’s death, I decided I wanted to be useful and book learning bored me to tears. So I joined the village children in their lessons.
    “Long after the others were dismissed, I continued. I made Uncle Leon teach me the same things my cousin Calvin was learning. Calvin was newly knighted, and I got the better of him sometimes. Sword fighting makes sense to me because I don’t have to over think it. I let my muscles do that instead. I practiced from dawn to dusk, sometimes even bringing the sword to meals with me.”
    “And your uncle didn’t see it as unnatural to teach you?”
    “I was always to be at the mercy of my uncles after my father died. Uncle George married my mother so she could keep her title, but that meant he would arrange a