Page 41 of Ashes, Apples, & Amorous Orcs

"Explain what?" I pivot to face her, my hands clenched at my sides. "How you turned my personal life into public entertainment? How you convinced an entire town to invest in a story that was never theirs to tell and didn't bother correcting them about Vaelis?"

Her face crumples. "I never meant for it to go this far. I just thought—you both seemed so⁠—"

"You thought wrong." The words come out sharper than I intend, but I don't soften them. "You saw what you wanted to see and decided everyone else should see it too. Just like everyone else in this damned village."

"I'm sorry." Maddie's voice cracks. "I'm so sorry, Izzy. I got carried away because I love you both and I wanted⁠—"

"You wanted a fairy tale." I cross my arms, the late afternoon chill seeping through my sleeves. "Complete with a happy ending that would make everyone feel good about themselves."

She opens her mouth to protest, but I hold up a hand.

"I don't regret caring for him, Maddie. I don't regret any of it." The admission tastes bitter on my tongue. "But I won't stay somewhere like this. Where I have to compete with assumptions and expectations and whatever version of me fits best into other people's plans."

"He chose you today," she whispers. "In front of everyone."

The silence hangs between us, filled with the distinct sound of festival music that feels hollow now.

"I leave at dawn," I say finally.

"But—"

"You love this town, Maddie. You found your place here, your person, your future." I gesture toward the square where the sounds of celebration continue despite the drama. "But I'm not interested in any sort of agreement with people who treat a good man like a tool instead of a person. Who decide his worth based on how useful he is rather than who he is."

Maddie's eyes fill with tears, but she doesn't argue. She knows I'm right.

"You won't wait until the end of the festival?" Maddie's voice carries a desperate edge, her fingers twisting the ties of her apron into knots.

I shake my head, already calculating how long it will take to pack my remaining inventory. "There's no point. Who's going to buy honey from the woman who disrupted their perfect narrative?"

"That's not—people will forget. They always do when something more interesting comes along."

"Will they?" I gesture toward the square where the sounds of heated discussion still drift on the evening air. "Because it sounds like they're having quite the time dissecting every detail of what just happened."

Maddie winces. "Mrs. Penwhistle will move on to someone else's business by next week."

"And in the meantime, I'm supposed to smile and pretend I don't hear the whispers? Stand behind my honey table while they debate whether I'm a homewrecker or just delusional?"

The festival music shifts to something livelier, fiddles and drums creating a cheerful backdrop that feels obscene against our conversation. Children's laughter carries on the breeze, innocent of the adult drama that's fractured their celebration.

"Some of those visitors from other towns seemed interested in your lavender blend," Maddie tries, her voice gaining strength. "The merchant from Millbrook was asking about wholesale orders."

"Before or after I became the center of Harvest Hollow's latest scandal?" I pull my shawl tighter around my shoulders as the sun dips lower, painting the sky in shades of amber and rose. "Face it, Maddie. The moment I defended him, I painted a target on my back. Half the town thinks I'm a fool for caring about someone they've decided is beneath their notice, and the other half thinks I'm a manipulator who stole their golden boy from his proper match."

"Vaelis was never his match. Anyone with eyes could see that." Maddie's face shifts to sympathetic. "He's not good with words. You know that."

"I know that actions speak louder than words. And his actions told me exactly where I stood in his priorities." I turn toward the path that leads to my temporary lodgings, my decision crystallizing with each step. "I won't stay somewhere I have to compete with ghosts and assumptions and whatever version of me fits best into everyone else's story."

CHAPTER 26

DRAVEN

Itake three steps toward the lane where Isolde disappeared with Maddie before a weathered hand clamps down on my forearm.

"Let them talk," Granda Oltar's gravelly voice cuts through my momentum. His grip carries surprising strength for someone who moves with deliberate slowness.

"Save your lecture for later." I try to shake free, but his fingers tighten. "Whatever you need to say about public displays and duty⁠—"

"Walk with me."