Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 137958 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 690(@200wpm)___ 552(@250wpm)___ 460(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137958 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 690(@200wpm)___ 552(@250wpm)___ 460(@300wpm)
The King of Firenze was unarmed.
But there was a large, ceremonial broadsword hanging behind him studded with enormous Firenz rubies, even larger Sjofn ice diamonds, sparkling emeralds and beautifully-cut amethysts, which I knew were also mined in Firenze.
I further knew, from the stories I had heard as well as gazing upon him now, this king could have his hand around the handle of that sword in the blink of an eye and not give a thought to its pricelessness as he cut down my uncle’s guard in a thrice and then turned to True.
King Wilmer should not have made True keep his personal lieutenants outside. They were like True. And I’d heard tell they’d die for him.
This thought made me get even closer to my cousin and rub my knuckles against his.
True took my hand.
The instant he did, the king’s head turned, his face grew hard, and his eyes narrowed on our hands.
My heart skipped several beats.
Oh yes, he was attuned to True.
And perhaps even…me.
And right then, he was terrifying.
“You’re aware,” he said to our hands, “that no man, not her own, touches a Firenz bride unless given leave by the man who is her own.”
“With respect, Your Grace, she’s my cousin and not Firenz. I’ve known her since she was wee,” True returned. “And I suspect this is a fretful occasion for her.”
The king’s gaze lifted to True’s as he spoke again.
“You are aware,” he said, much more slowly this time, and his deep voice seemed impossibly deeper, “that another man…does not touch…a Firenz bride…unless given leave.”
“I’m fine, True,” I whispered, tugging my hand away.
I tore my eyes from the king to look up and see my cousin’s jaw dancing as he scowled at the dark king.
True then looked down at me and he’d forced his expression to gentle. “You’re certain?”
I swallowed.
True watched.
Then I nodded.
That muscle danced in his cheek again and he turned back to the Firenz king.
Doing perhaps the only wise thing he’d done in his life, my uncle interrupted this conversation.
“We’ve come bearing five hundred bushels of Dellish wool. Two hundred head of Dellish sheep. One thousand bags of milled Dellish flour, which you know, Mars, is the finest in all the lands. It makes the best bread and pastries in Triton. And also one hundred pieces of Dellish silver-pewter, which is renown. All of this as agreed.”
“And I sent a messenger some weeks ago sharing I wanted one thousand bushels of wool and five hundred head of sheep,” King Mars returned.
“That’s outlandish,” my father muttered under his breath.
“We received no message,” my uncle said to the king.
“This is unfortunate,” the king murmured.
“We cannot go back now. The ceremonies begin four days hence. The Nadirii already ride over Firenz land. And I’d hate to see what Serena would do if she rode all the way from The Enchantments only to have to turn back,” my uncle warned.
“I care not what the copper one thinks,” the king replied, and his eyes went back to True. “Everyone knows that gold is more precious.”
I made not a noise as I shuffled closer to True seeing as that was just, well…cruel.
And thus, I stared now without awe (and perhaps there had been a wee amount of rapture) and instead gazed coldly at the king.
It would surprise me, and annoy me in that moment, that he actually wasn’t attuned to True.
He was that to me.
I knew this when his gaze fell instantly on me the moment my expression changed.
“Have I irritated you, my intended?”
I glanced but briefly at the lush beauty on cushions by his side and I spoke no words about anything, specifically about the fact that my cousin was enamored of that “gold” that was more precious.
Namely, Elena of the Nadirii.
“Does she speak?” he asked someone else, for his words stated thus but his dark eyes never left me.
“She speaks,” my father said, then turned, glowered at me and prodded, “The king asked you a question.”
I drew in breath.
And then I answered softly, “I heard him.”
“Well, answer,” my father hissed.
I held the king’s gaze.
“Silence,” my mother whispered pleadingly when I said nothing.
“This is an odd name, no?” King Mars remarked. “And it seems she took it to heart.”
“She is standing right in front of you, sir,” I said quietly. “And she tends not to say anything when she has nothing to say, or nothing to say she wishes heard.”
At that, to my stunned surprise, he threw his fearsome (but handsome) head back and the large room filled with the thunder of his laughter.
Oh faith, but he was even more easy to watch when he laughed.
That muscled throat.
What a bother!
I felt myself glaring at him and I had no idea what came over me because I had learned long ago to keep such to myself.
I could think things.
I could feel things.