Page 2 of Obsidian Throne

I sank into a bow that was probably a hair too shallow. Given his relatively new power and the fact that Bear had no fewer than three clans directly allied to us, in addition to Lochlann, not to mention, we were now in control of most of the resources…Iiro couldn’t actually do anything about it.

Though he did enjoy every moment of dragging out the time before he gave the order for us to rise.

He stopped a few feet from me, his wife and his brother trailing a step behind. Iiro was an inch or two shorter than I was, but he compensated for that with his new crown.

Or rather, his old crown, since it was either the original or a very close replica. Every history book in Socair had a sketch of the tall, black, pointed spikes that made up the obsidian crown.

“I trust your father is well.” His lips tilted up in a taunt. “And your charming stepmother.”

“Both excellent,” I lied.

“And the princess?” he goaded. “I hear there has been trouble at the border. I do hope she makes it in time.”

For all that I had talked to Rowan about self-control, it took everything I had to keep my features neutral at his blatant threat of my wife. Before I could respond, though, Korhonan spoke up in an uncharacteristically hard voice.

“I’m certain she’s well, Brother,” he said pointedly. “After all, we both have a vested interest in Rowan’s safety.”

My eyebrows rose of their own accord. The Theodore I knew would never have contradicted his brother, even in private, let alone in public. Begrudgingly, I was forced to raise my opinion of him the smallest increment.

Iiro’s eyes flickered irritably to his younger brother, and he straightened to his full height.

“Of course.” A mocking smile tilted his lips. “Though, given the girl’s penchant for idiocy, I should hardly be surprised if something befalls her of her own accord. Shame, though it would be,” he tacked on.

Korhonan stiffened, and even Iiro’s wife pursed her lips.

But I had eyes only for him. Everything in me went still, and I let him see the cold, empty, ruthless part of me that had been slowly taking over before Rowan burst her way into my life.

“Speaking of idiocy,” I said in a deadly casual tone. “It’s awfully bold of you to show up in that crown when I hear that there are still two signatures missing from your coronation docket.”

It was a reminder of why he couldn’t openly stop mine and Rowan’s wedding and risk losing what support he had. A reminder that threatening the heir to the single largest clan in Socair while his reign was not yet secure was, well,idiocy.

“An oversight that will be corrected shortly,” he said tersely.

“No doubt,” I said, my tone implying the opposite.

Finally, I stepped back to usher our party inside, bracing myself for another week of these political games and reminding myself that this was nothing unexpected.

I knew he would try to find an underhanded way to stop this wedding. That’s why we were taking these precautions to begin with. Our plan would be enough.

It would have to be.

Because I might have told Rowan there was nothing I wouldn’t do for the safety of my clan, but if something happened to her...I would raze this entire kingdom to the ground to get her back.

And I would start with Iiro.

CHAPTER TWO

ROWAN

My breath seized in my chest as we finally rounded the last bend of the mountain pass that led from Lochlann to Socair.

To Bear territory, more specifically.

My husband’s territory.

After two weeks of twiddling my thumbs and drinking too much with Davin and trying to enjoy the last of my time with my family while every part of me ached for Evander, the five-week journey here had been excruciatingly slow. Though, the rest of my caravan did make it a little more bearable.

Still, it was seven weeks.