Page 24 of Obsidian Throne
Ram, Crane, Bison, Viper, and Eagle had already left, leaving only Lynx, Elk, and Wolf lingering in the courtyard. Along with the royal envoy, of course. Iiro couldn’t possibly leave quietly, or less annoyingly.
Mila stood quietly off to the side, talking with her father in what appeared to be a tense conversation. Sir Nils, predictably, left without saying a word to me, and Evander reluctantly followed to make sure they parted on peaceful terms, though his eyes flashed irritably.
Wolf was one of Bear’s longest-standing allies, and arguably the most important, due to their large, shared border.
Which left me in the uncomfortable position of saying goodbye to Theo while Evander took off after the Duke of Wolf.
“Sir Theodore,” I greeted awkwardly as he dipped his head in a small bow.
I tried to tell myself this was no different than our dance yesterday, but knowing he had heard the...report this morning certainly made it feel that way.
“Princess,” he returned, his voice quieter than normal.
I finally met his eyes and saw the hesitation dancing within them.
“Theo--” I began before he stiffened and cleared his throat.
Taking my hand in his, he leaned down, pressing a kiss to my knuckles before whispering so quietly I nearly missed it.
“Be careful, Rowan.”
This was now the second time he had warned me, and it sent tendrils of fear raking down my spine. They only intensified as he turned to walk away, leaving me to face the too-familiar voice behind me.
“Lady Stenvall,” Iiro greeted, and I spun around to face him and Inessa. “What a lovely wedding.”
Though a thrill usually went through me at the name, hearing it on Iiro’s lips felt like a snake slithering down my spine. I dipped my chin into a deep nod, mostly to hide my expression.
When I looked back up, I had managed to school my features until they resembled something closer to boredom.
“Your Majesties, what a pleasure it was to have you here.” I grinned, and Iiro narrowed his eyes.
“Indeed.” His lips parted to say something else when he sighed instead.
A warm, comforting touch rested against the small of my back, and I turned to see Evander at my side.
“Apologies, My Lady,” he said, addressing me first. “Your Majesties, thank you for honoring us with your attendance.”
Evander’s voice was smooth, and his expression was perfectly neutral, making me wonder if it was only me who could hear the murderous undertone in each word.
“But, please, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” He added in his next breath, urging Iiro to continue with whatever he was saying.
The corner of Iiro’s mouth twitched before he opened his mouth to speak.
“I’m looking forward to seeing you both at the Obsidian Palace soon,” he said, looking back at Evander.
There was an undercurrent to the words, a threat veiled by an innocuous invitation.
“Of course,” Evander said, his eyes locking on Iiro’s. “We’ll send word once we look at our schedules.”
A condescending laugh pulled my attention back to the new king.
“I’ve already discussed it with your father, and he’s assured me that five weeks will be sufficient time.” Though his tone was pleasant enough, his eyes were cold and calculating. “Reestablishing the Obsidian Throne will benefit us all, but in order to rebuild, we first need to discuss taxes.”
Iiro looked pointedly at the supply wagons before continuing.
“Of course, Sir Aleksander is welcome to come by himself. I could use his support on a few--”
“We’ll be there,” Evander said flatly before Iiro could finish.