Page 76 of Obsidian Throne

But like everything in our lives, this, too, was tainted by Iiro and his insatiable need for power.

* * *

Evander’s first act as Duke was to send an official letter refusing Iiro’s tax law, as well as revoking the support of Clan Bear for Iiro to be king. It was a bold move, but a necessary one.

Now three clans opposed Iiro’s rulership.

It stormed that day, hailstones and lightning falling to the ground in perilous waves, destroying everything in its path, but even when the storm passed, the feeling of encroaching calamity didn’t.

“What happens next?” I asked Evander, though part of me felt like I already knew the answer.

“Either he peacefully abdicates.” My husband’s face looked as dubious as I felt about that possibility. “Or there is war.”

“War,” I echoed.

The one thing we had all been trying to avoid.

He met my gaze solidly. “We’ll certainly prepare for that, but there is still hope for diplomatic measures.”

I took a moment to think about that. It was possible, since Iiro had been content to do things with minimal bloodshed in the past. But he also had a lot of pride, and this was sure to rankle it.

Evander sent Taras and Mila to Lynx to talk to Arès about possible ramifications. He sent messengers to Crane and Wolf as well, so they could be prepared.

Then there was nothing to do but wait for word back and try to adjust to our new roles within the clan.

The latter of those two things came far more easily to Evander than it did to me, which was probably in part due to the strict laws of succession and in part because he had been the primary face of authority for so long already.

That didn’t stop the whispers, though. The hushed conversations around corners about the fact that we left with the duke and his wife but returned with both dead.

That Evander and I had conspired to get them out of the way.

Perhaps if that were true, I wouldn’t spend so much time questioning everything that had happened and wondering who the hell I had turned into in those last moments with Ava.

And what war would make of me yet.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

ROWAN

For the next few weeks, I saw less and less of my husband. As much as he was handling before, Evander managed to be busier than ever as the actual duke. Or perhaps that was the war preparations.

Every day, Evander and I went to the training rooms in the morning, and in the afternoons, when he went to a series of meetings, I familiarized myself with the responsibilities of Clan Wife that I was still learning.

I slowly realized the luncheons and teas were for far more than the superficial association they had appeared to be at first.

The ladies of court would often come to me to mention issues they were facing, but either weren’t allowed to present in front of the council or were too nervous to ask.

They also brought bits of information from their estates, rumors about what was happening in the outer villages and territories, all things they hoped I would be able to assist with or take to Evander.

And I did, glad to be helping, but also to be steadily quashing the residual rumors over the fate of the former duke and his wife.

As far as the nobles were concerned, things seemed to be going fairly well, but there was still the rest of Bear.

Back home, the villagers came to the castle once a week to petition my parents for aid or to settle a dispute, but that wasn’t the case in Bear. Or at least, it hadn’t been under Aleksander’s rule.

“Kirill?” I poked my head outside my door to speak to him. “How do you think the villagers would take to a visit?”

Opening my senses up, I could see the day promised to be particularly beautiful, cold and crisp and still.