Page 45 of Tarnished Crown
As much as I hated to give up what little time I had with Theo and Davin, it was more important to figure out a way out of this mess. With a rushed explanation, I followed Evander as he stalked away from the main tent to where a few of his guards were setting up a smaller one.
“You have got to be kidding me,” I hissed. “I told you last night, you do not get to treat me like your puppet and you sure as stars don’t get to tell me who I can marry.”
“Actually,Lemmikki, I do,” Evander stopped, but didn’t turn around. “And rest assured that when my clan’s safety hangs in the balance, I will.”
“You know that my family will come for me,” I said, my tone bordering on pleading. “Why trade the threat of war for the guarantee of one? We could have worked out a treaty.”
“There was no time, and once again, you fail to see the bigger picture.” He shook his head. “There would have been war either way. Just the idea that Lochlann is allied with Elk would have been enough for most of the other clans to cave, then the upstanding Iiro would be sitting on the Obsidian Throne. And my father would never let that stand.”
“Your father or you?” It was hard to picture the man I ate breakfast with leading a war at this point. “Is this all about power?”
“Is that what you believe?” He finally turned to look at me, his gray eyes probing mine.
Even as I said it, the words rang false. Evander had made it clear that he was interested in protecting his clan, but the kind of power and responsibility that came with ruling an entire kingdom was a different sort of beast. In spite of Iiro’s claim, it wasn’t one that I could see Evander grasping for.
Aleksander, perhaps. Back when he had control over his mind...
When I didn’t answer, he shook his head. “Think what you will, Lemmikki, but I don’t trust Iiro further thanyoucould throw him, and I won’t risk my clan on his dubious word.”
“What about my word?” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.
He raised his eyebrows, and I took it as encouragement to go on.
“What if I agreed to wait to marry Theo until we could speak to my father? No one wants another war, least of all, Lochlann.” As I spoke the words, I wondered at how true they were. Was Evander right? Hadn’t Iiro said he believed in Elk’s claim to the throne, but that Bear opposed it?
He had seemed to want to solve things diplomatically, and Theo had said more than once that they wanted to avoid a war.
Evander looked contemplative, but then he fixed me with a calculating gaze.
“You talk about trust, Lemmikki, but I’m not the one who has been lying.”
I chewed on the inside of my lip, knowing he was talking about Davin and not wanting to give away more than he had figured out.
“Davin is a eunuch guard, is he?” he prodded when I didn’t respond.
“All right.” I spread my hands out. “You got me. Davin is...intact, as far as I know.”
“Lemmikki.” He said the word like a warning, leveling a look at me.
I took a breath, bracing myself as I exhaled my next words. “He’s my cousin.”
“Hmm?” He pretended not to hear me, and I scowled.
“He’s my cousin!”
“You don’t say.” He was using his condescending arse voice now.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “How did you know?”
“Other than the fact that he speaks like a noble and shares a name with your uncle’s only son?”
“Davin is a very common name--”
“Indeed.” He said the word too agreeably, and I knew a rebuttal was coming. “And are there many Davins who you travel alone with? Who you openly embrace in front of your betrothed?” Evander spoke slowly, ticking the points off on his fingers.
I was already opening my mouth to argue when he laid down his final reason.
“And who happen to have lips shaped exactly like yours?”