Page 43 of Tarnished Crown
His heartbeat was steady against my ear, and I buried my face in his chest, happy to hide from reality until the sardonic clearing of a throat interrupted us.
“You’re awfully cozy with my pet, Korhonan, and you know I don’t like to share.”
Theo stiffened, but it was Davin who spoke.
“And you’re awfully cocky for someone who stole the Lochlannian King’s favorite daughter.” His tone almost sounded joking, as it had with me, but there was the barest edge of steel underneath that reminded me Davin was heir to the most powerful holdings in all of Lochlann, even if he generally let people forget it.
Still, I had to bite back a laugh.My father’s favorite?More like his problem child, but I wasn’t going to undermine my cousin’s threat by arguing.
Davin went on. “Either you’re arrogant enough to believe you can withstand a war against our people even when the first one failed, or you’re too stupid to realize it will come to that. So, which is it? Arrogant, or stupid?”
“Davin,” I chided, easing out of Theo’s arms.
Usually, my cousin was the one who kept his head, but I got the feeling he was intentionally needling at Evander to gauge his reaction...which was substantially less murderous than I expected it to be.
If anything, suspicion coated the lines of his face. “This must be the eunuch guard you’ve told me so much about.”
Davin blinked, but he didn’t skip a beat or even look to me for an explanation.
“Mhmm,” he agreed, nodding slowly. “That is me. A...big ol’ eunuch.”
I pinched my mouth shut and turned my head subtly away to keep from laughing. Theo did a valiant job of keeping a straight face, though his eyes widened briefly. Fortunately, another familiar voice broke in before we lost it all together.
“Welcome Princess Rowan.” Sir Arès, Mila’s father and Duke of Lynx, had agreed to mediate, something I was sure she had a hand in. “Lord Stenvall. We should be on with negotiations sooner than later. Daylight is escaping us.”
We headed to the tent, but not before I heard Evander’s growl sound behind me.
“My, my, Lemmikki. It would seem you’ve been keeping secrets of your own.”
There were furs spread out on the ground of the tent around a small fire. Everyone took their seat, and it finally hit me that someone crucial was missing.
“Did Iiro not come?” I asked no one in particular.
There was an uncomfortable silence until Evander spoke up. “You had your terms, and I had mine.”
I made a sound in the back of my throat. “I just hadn’t realized your terms were quite so petty.”
Davin choked on a laugh, and Arès shot me a paternal look to be quiet. I obliged him, settling on the ground between Theo and Davin. Arès gave a brief opening spiel about how there would be no weapons or threats tolerated. This would be a peaceful negotiation, which he would arbitrate.
“Clan Elk, please state your desired terms.”
“Clan Elk desires to purchase the blood debt of Princess Rowan.” Theo went on to give a fairly exorbitant sum, along with a list of goods and even services Elk was willing to provide.
While he was speaking, he fiddled with the charm on my bracelet, his fingers grazing the inside of my wrist, as if to remind us both that there was still hope for us. Warmth spread from my wrist to encompass my entire body, chasing away the cold of the day.
It baffled me that Iiro would go to those lengths for me, but Davin’s face made me wonder if he hadn’t maneuvered that, negotiating recompense from Lochlann on his parents’ behalf.
It would certainly be cheaper than war, I supposed.
Evander looked at me, then Theo before answering. “A generous offer. Or, it would be, if you weren’t planning to ally with the princess and vie for the throne.”
Arés’ eyes widened slightly.
Evander put a mocking finger to his lips like he was contemplating. “So I think I’ll keep her, Korhonan.”
Theo’s face was like a thundercloud, but he kept his composure. “At the Summit, you said you didn’t want a war. What exactly do you think is going to happen when Lochlann finds out you have her?”
Evander laughed darkly. “I don’t want a war, but I’d sooner fight one on my own behalf than yours, which, by the way, were my only two options when you and brother dearest decided to cart the storms-blasted princess off to a Summit. Tell me, what did you think was going to happen when you locked her in a dungeon and then coerced her into marriage?” His tone was deceptively calm, but a tempest brewed in his eyes.