Page 36 of Onyx Cage: Volume II
“Apologies,” Davin said half-heartedly while his mother muttered something about censoring himself in front of the children or being banned from family dinners.
“Come on, Mamá. Man-meat isn’t bad. It’s not like I taught Ellie to say arseling.”
The child, Ellie, clapped her hands merrily. “Ar-slee!”
Far, far too tame.
The king’s cheeks reddened with irritation. “For the love o’ the stars, Dav, one more and we’ll take it out in the ring. And we’ll go before Gwynnie is here to protect ye.”
Davin mimed clamping his lips shut, and Princess Avani reached for Ellie.
“Honestly, Dav,” she said with a tutting sound, but there was something just a bit false to it. Then the edges of her lips tilted up as she looked at her youngest sister. “Don’t be such aneejit.”
“Ee-jee!” the tiny voice echoed.
Next to me, Rowan went still, and she wasn’t the only one.
Avani looked at her father with the slightest bit of a challenge, just the barest raising of her eyebrows, waiting to see what he would say to her.
King Logan cleared his throat, his expression mirroring Avani’s.
“The way ye’ve been slouching,mo leannan, I could take ye both at the same time.”
Avani huffed out something close to a laugh, and conversation picked up once more in a low hum.
When dessert was served, I reluctantly chose one of the smaller, less offensive looking options. It was one of the few choices that wasn’t drizzled in some sort of syrup or covered in shaved chocolate, so there was hope it wouldn’t be sickeningly sweet.
Meanwhile, Rowan piled two glistening, fruit covered tarts on her plate, her entire body practically vibrating with excitement as she speared a giant strawberry with her fork.
Queen Charlotte furrowed her brow, tracking the motion with a thoughtful look. Having watched the tiny princess shovel in more food than should be possible on a number of occasions, it wasn’t surprising that she was doing so now.
Except, that it apparently was. Again, I noticed she was thinner than she used to be. Paler.
She glanced up at me like she felt my gaze. For the first time since I arrived, there was no ire in her stare, only a distracted sort of curiosity. She raised her eyebrows as if to ask what I wanted, the silent communication that had always been strangely second nature for a woman who had no problem finding her voice.
Before I could respond, she seemed to remember how much she hated me, shaking her head and narrowing her eyes while she turned her attention back to her left.
Gritting my teeth, I forced a small bite past my lips and immediately wanted to spit it back out again. A regrettable combination of flavors and textures coated my tongue, and I wondered why anyone would ever choose to eat this. It was cloyingly sweet, and somehow both sticky and chalky.
I forced myself to swallow one bite after the next before washing it all down with what was left in my wine glass.
When the queen inquired about my opinion of the tart, I was more than grateful when she was distracted by one of her younger daughters. Bronwyn whispered something in her mother’s ear that had Queen Charlotte blanching while her twin walked over to our side of the table and plopped their youngest sibling into Rowan’s lap.
Princess Ellie wrapped her chubby fingers around one of Rowan’s untamed curls. She grinned up at her sister, babbling nonsense that Rowan pretended to understand.
I started to wonder when the last time I had seen a child this close was, but the thought cut off abruptly. Amber eyes met mine, and the echo of screams and the scent of charred flesh seemed farther away than they normally did.
Warmth seemed to emanate from the youngest princess, enough that I found it hard to scowl even as Rowan taught her to say Korhonan’s shortened name. At least, until he responded.
“You’re really good with her. You’ll make a wonderful mother.”
Rowan visibly blanched, and I couldn’t help the scoff that escaped me. Had he been paying any attention at all? Did he honestly think she would go from smuggling vodka and sparring relentlessly to hiding away at Elk Estate to mother his children?
But then, Korhonan had always been an idiot.
She stiffened, but Ellie laughed, reaching over to grab a tiny fistful of my hair.
“Ellie, can you say,aalio?” Rowan cooed, not taking her eyes off the child.