Page 33 of Obsidian Throne
“No, My Lord. The noise was what frightened the women.”
It sounded like something the younger lairds in Lochlann would do. Something meant to cause a stir and be shocking, but not to actually hurt anyone.
My husband considered for several seconds, deliberating for a bit longer than he had on the others. He cast me the briefest of sideways glances before he gave a sharp nod. “Fifteen lashes each.”
“What?” The word escaped my lips unbidden.
Surely, I had misheard him. I had been given thirteen lashes, and it had nearly killed me.
Evander’s head turned slowly to me, his features inscrutable.
“Fifteen lashes for children playing a prank?” I said the words quietly, but they nonetheless carried. “Surely that’s excessive.”
He blinked, and the muscle in his jaw ticked, the one that either meant he was fighting back amusement or fury. And I was fairly certain he found nothing amusing about this situation.
Which made two of us.
“Twenty lashes is standard for disobedient soldiers,” he explained in a deceptively neutral tone. “Given the potential consequences. Theleniency,” he stressed the word, “is because of their age.”
The room was deadly silent and thick with tension, with offense that a woman would dare to contradict their precious lord.
“Leniency,” I repeated, disbelief evident in my tone.
He nodded, a single, sharp dip of his head.
My lips parted in disbelief. “Well, then. I suppose I can be grateful Lady Mairi was even morelenientwith me.”
His eyes lit up with something like a warning, but it was Taras who spoke.
“I’m sure their families will appreciate the concession,” he said in a quiet voice that was nonetheless pointed. “Is there anything else, Lord Juto?”
Evander tore his gaze from mine, returning to his meeting like nothing had happened. I hid my hands in my lap before any of the lords could see the way they trembled with fury.
“No,” the man said shortly.
He cast me a baleful glance until Evander cleared his throat pointedly.
I ignored them both, and the rest of the room, after that, fixing my attention on small details on the walls, focusing on taking even breaths.
And counting down the minutes until I could get out of this room.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
ROWAN
When Evander finally called for a break for lunch, I couldn’t leave fast enough.
Kirill waited outside the council room for me. I wasn’t sure if he was more guarding me at this point or just making sure I knew my way around when Evander was busy, but either was appreciated.
His usually affable features faltered when he caught sight of mine.
“Is everything all right, My Lady?” he asked cautiously.
All of the men had taken to calling me that, because being a Clan Wife of Bear was a higher honor than being a princess of a foreign land.
“Perfect,” I spat out, forcing myself to walk at an even pace toward the stairs.
Of course, that meant Evander caught up to me easily, dismissing Kirill. I ostensibly ignored my husband, though there was no real escaping the waves of ire emanating off him.