Page 18 of Obsidian Throne
An eternity passed before Evander announced the last dance, his eyes boring into mine with a heated promise that made my knees threaten to give out.
I knew from what Taras had told me that this one should have been for Evander and me, but it didn’t surprise me at all when Iiro asked for it himself.
He was all about power plays, after all.
Evander nodded, his face impassive but for the smallest twitch of his jaw. “Of course, Your Majesty.”
Iiro held a hand out, and I took it with all the graciousness I could muster, though I knew I wasn’t half as good at concealing my expression as my husband was.
It was a stately dance, easy to make the motions and leave room for talking, something I was not eager to do. I wondered if that was half of why Iiro picked it, since he didn’t take long to start speaking.
“For whatever it’s worth,” he said evenly, “I never meant for you to get hurt.”
Shock parted my lips. Was that…an apology?
His hazel eyes flitted toward the lash mark on my shoulder, and I suppressed the urge to scowl.
“What did you intend?” I couldn’t help but ask. “Why not just ask my father about a marriage alliance, if that’s what you wanted?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t he tell you? I did ask, and he declined.”
I supposed I shouldn’t have been surprised, given how Da’ felt about me being in Socair, even now. But the idea that he hadn’t taken no for an answer and had manipulated the situation to try to force my hand made my stomach twist in knots.
“Knowing my brother as I do,” Iiro continued, “I knew that once you were here, it would be an easy matter to pair the two of you together.”
“And what if it hadn’t worked?” I asked, careful to keep the ire from my tone.
“It very nearly didn’t.” He shrugged like that was of no consequence. Like it would have been an easy price to pay, if I had accidentally died.
“No one was more shocked than I was when the Summit was ready to set you free.” Iiro’s tone was dry, with a bitter aftertaste. “Though, if Aleksander had come, that wouldn’t have been an issue. I suspect Evander was largely responsible for staying their hands, since I doubt seriously it was your…charms. But fortunately, your little outburst solved that.”
My eyes went to Evander, recalling his frustration when he told me if I had just kept my mouth shut, I would have been fine. Because he was working, even then, to keep me safe.
Whether or not he had his own goals in mind, the thought warmed me. Until I glanced back at Iiro.
I thought about the way Mikhail had goaded me into my outburst that day at the Summit and cursed under my breath.
“That was your doing,” I said aloud.
He shrugged again. “Fortunately, you can always be counted on to do the inappropriate thing.”
Iiro looked pointedly at my dress, and I clenched my jaw.
“And what if the Summit had voted to kill me and refused to let me marry Theo?” I gritted out.
“That was a small risk,” he said with less nonchalance than I was expecting, a small frown creasing his brow. “One I didn’t expect to bother me.”
It was my turn to raise an eyebrow, and he gave another long-suffering sigh.
“I will admit, Princess, that I was almost beginning to not hate you, at the end.” His face darkened. “At least, until you turned my brother against me while simultaneously humiliating him.”
I shook my head, guilt over what happened with Theo warring with my general disdain for Iiro until the latter won out.
My lips pulled into a smile that was more a baring of my teeth. “And I was almost beginning to not hate you, until I found out you trapped me in the tunnels and manipulated me and nearly got me killed all in your quest for power.”
He raised both of his eyebrows, whatever momentary hint of humanity he had shown effectively dissolving in the wake of my comment. “Initially, I was upset when you turned my brother down, but I don’t believe I envy Lord Stenvall trying to keep you in line.”
I thought about telling him I wasn’t something to be kept in line, but he would never believe that, and I was tired of this conversation already.Let him believe what he will.