Page 36 of Obsidian Throne
“It was...a mixed bag,” I said, taking a deep drink.
“Want to talk about it?” she offered.
I lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “What is there to say? Evander treats me like an equal one minute, acts like he wants others to do the same, but I have to wonder how deep his Socairan ideals run if I’m not even allowed to speak up in the council room.”
Mila eyed me over her glass, her expression thoughtful. “Things must be very different in Lochlann.”
“They are,” I muttered. “My parents rule equally, and my sister is poised to take the throne. Even now, if I find myself at a council meeting, I have a voice.”
She nodded slowly, and I sensed she was holding in her commentary for a rare change.
“What?” I asked.
She took a deep breath. “You know that the hierarchy here is...very strict.”
“I have gathered that,” I said drily.
“It’s unprecedented, really, for an heir to be granted the kind of authority that Evander has.” Mila met my gaze, and I nodded my understanding, though I wasn’t sure where she was going with this.
“I’ve been here long enough to see the way things are with the duke,” she said carefully. “It might be different, if Evander’s authority were like Aleksander’s, unquestionable, but with the work he has put into gaining the respect of the lords…” She trailed off, waiting for me to put the pieces together.
“So if the lords don’t respect him, there’s no solid reason to obey him?” I clarified.
“Then the running of Bear would fall entirely to Aleksander, and, through him, that horrible wife of his,” she added darkly.
I shook my head, frustrated by the entire situation.
“So I should just, what?” I gestured vaguely with my cup. “Sit back and let him order what’s essentially torture on young boys and keep my mouth shut? You said yourself that flogging is barbaric.”
Mila took a long sip of her drink, chewing the inside of her lip. “I did...”
“But?” I prompted.
“But…” she answered thoughtfully. “The clans have been separated for less than twenty years, so most of them have the same laws. I can’t be sure about Bear, but in Lynx, even one instance of disobedience in a soldier is an unclannable offense. So by giving them lashes, fewer lashes, even, than what the law calls for…”
Again, she waited for me to fill in the blank, and it didn’t take me long.
“He really was being lenient,” I said quietly.
She nodded. I had to wonder why Evander hadn’t explained any of this, but then, my husband was neither used to explaining himself nor particularly fond of it.
And, I could admit, I hadn’t really given him the chance.
“If it makes you feel any better,” Mila said, a small smile playing on her lips. “Taras and I come from the same kingdom, and our first month of marriage had plenty of...disagreements.”
“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow, inviting her to share.
“Well, he’s very…” She cast around for a word. “Disciplined.”
“Well, you can’t just leave it there,” I said. “I’m going to need some specifics.”
She giggled, finally caving.
“The man folds his underthings before he puts them in the soiled basket. Which would be nothing more than an oddity, except that he apparently expects me to do the same because itlooks neater that way.” The last few words were in a hilariously accurate imitation of Taras’ voice, and I laughed out loud.
I thought about Evander’s absurdly tidy side of the room, and the way he frequently cast glances at my less than organized side.
“It must run in the family,” I muttered.