Her father arrived just in time to stop their squabbles. Once they had explained the cause of the disagreement, her father and the boy shared opinions on the painting, which resulted in Caedmon praising their unexpected guest. She almost couldn't believe it. When was the last time he'd directed such words at her?
Soon enough they were in the great hall, where the boy would eat his first meal in weeks. From the look on his face, she would have thought he'd never eaten before. With wide eyes, he marvelled at each component of his stew and even cried at the taste. Afterward, her father told him about how he had wound up in their care, and then asked after the reason as to why he'd been unconscious on the side of the Winding Road. She wasn't prepared for the tragic story that followed—nobody was, not her father nor the house servants—as he told his tale through quaking sobs. To see this boy crying made her uncomfortable, as if it were something that wasn't supposed to happen.
