Page 26 of Crimson Kingdom
“I’ll be late,” I told her, my head pounding with the effort of talking. “That’s why I didn’t call for Taisiya.”
Reluctantly, I made myself chug the rest of Aunt Clara’s tonic, pulling a face as I did so.
“Then be late,” Avani said with a defiant shrug. “It isn’t like Aunt Jocelyn -- or our parents -- will let them start negotiating your marriage without you.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but she tilted my face until I met her eyes.
“Listen to me, little sister. You are Rowan Pendragon, second in line to the most powerful throne in the world and daughter of the Warrior Queen. I know this alliance is for the best, and that you...want to marry Lord Theo.”
The hesitation in her voice was nearly as evident as my lie had been, but I ignored it anyway.
“But,” she finished up, “donotlet him or Lord Arseling think they hold all the cards here.”
I couldn’t suppress a chuckle at that. “I see you’ve been talking to Davin.”
She nodded, a rueful smile on her lips. “You know how bored he gets now that…”
She trailed off, but I knew what she was going to say. Now that Mac was gone. I reached out my hand to squeeze hers.
“I missed you, big sister.”
She squeezed my hand back. “And I missed you.”
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one making a late appearance to the Council Room. My father’s heavy knock sounded on the door while Avani was still working her deft fingers through my curls.
I called for him to enter, and he strode in on measured, angry steps.
Not at me, though.
Mamá must have shared with him the reason for Evander’s presence in the meeting this morning.
“Ye don’t have to come to this meeting at all,” he said without preamble.
“I do if we want this alliance,” I responded carefully.
“To hell with this alliance,” he practically yelled. “And with their entire stars-damned kingdom, and certainly with the man who thinks he can take advantage of my daughter being captive, then stride in here under false pretenses and try to dictate her life.Again.”
Though several of those were thoughts that had crossed my mind more than once, one thing did stand out.
“He didn’t take advantage, Da’,” I said, absurdly grateful that I didn’t have to look him in the face while we talked about this.
Avani’s hands moved more slowly in my hair, like she knew how much I needed that barrier.
“Mo bhobain, I willna force ye to speak of it.” Da’s accent thickened like it always did when he was upset. “But we both know where ye were sleeping when Taisiya came to fetch ye.”
“Sleeping,” I said insistently. “That was it. Evander might be an arseling of epic proportions, but he was never going to...go there.”
I couldn’t see my father’s face, but he made an uncomfortable noise in the back of his throat.
“And for what it’s worth,” I went on, hating myself for defending theaaliobut not particularly wanting to start a war when my father murdered him. “I don’t think he came on false pretenses. Theo sent his letter to Evander about the betrothal after we responded to the trade request.”
“Then why did he come?” Da’ demanded.
I finally turned to face him. “Evander is just here for his clan. That’s why he does everything.”
Did he hear the fatigue in my voice as plainly as I did? The lines around his eyes tightened, and I averted my gaze.
He opened his mouth again, but Avani cut in smoothly.