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“I don’t need to. You leave, we’re with you. Cavis would…” His voice turned hoarse. “Cavis would want this for you too.”
“I can’t pull you away from our people. You know the law.”
He nodded. “You leave, and Conreth will enforce the boundary.”
Grief ripped into me at the thought. It was an old law, but Conreth wouldn’t provide any exceptions. There was no chance he wouldn’t use the Boundary of Blood. Which meant I wouldn’t be returning to this kingdom. Conreth had always been concerned that I would take the throne from him. That concern proved that he’d never really known me at all.
Galon sighed. “You were always going to leave. The moment you fell in love with Prisca. But you’ve been keeping your decision to yourself, because you didn’t want to lose us. You won’t, Lorian. We won’t let that happen.”
“We will make you pay for thinking you could leave us behind, though,” Rythos said from behind me.
Marth let out a humorless chuckle.
I turned, facing all of them. All of us were older. Weathered. Dented from life’s blows. Rythos had a faint frown line between his brows, while Marth stank of wine. Galon wiped blood from his mouth.
I want you all to think carefully about this,” I said.
Rythos rolled his eyes. Marth just sneered at me.
“Go talk to your brother, Lorian,” Galon said. “It’s time to make your choice.”
I was due to meet Conreth for a strategy session to prepare for the summit. But I could no longer pretend nothing had changed. I didn’t botherbathing and changing my clothes, even knowing it would irritate Conreth. Instead, I strode through the castle, finding my brother in the sitting room within his private chambers. The chambers my parents had once shared.
The spacious room was once my mother’s favorite place. Plush velvet cushions had adorned the artisan-crafted settees. Drapes made of iridescent silk had hung from the tall windows, pooling on the marble floor. If I inhaled, I could imagine the air still smelling faintly of her favorite roses. If I listened carefully, I could almost hear her laugh echoing in the crystal pendants of the chandelier above my head.
My mother had spent many hours of her days here, taking tea with her favorite courtiers, relaxing with my father, or helping me with my lessons. Her patience was endless, her voice always steady, calm.
I dragged my gaze away from the corner near the wide window overlooking her garden, where she’d loved to sit and admire the flowers.
Prisca had been right. Some part of me had never wanted to admit how much I loved Aranthon—since I spent so little time here. But this castle…
I loathed this castle and all the memories it contained.
“Emara said she likes Nelayra.” Conreth kept his back to me, gazing down into the garden.
I stayed silent. Conreth knew my wildcat preferred to be called Prisca and so had gone out of his way to ignore her wishes—just another way he attempted to put her in her place.
Conreth pivoted to face me, his gaze sweeping over my swollen cheek to the still-fresh bloodstains darkening my shirt and the traces of moss on my boots. One eyebrow arched ever so slightly.
Conreth was shockingly easy to irritate—so easy, that I usually didn’t bother poking at him. But now, I had to stifle the urge to punch him in the face.
“I hope you’ll dress appropriately for the summit tomorrow,” he said.
I just angled my head. “Are my clothes truly what you wish to talk about now?”
He sighed. “No, Lorian. We need to strategize and plan. I’ve received word that you intend to go to the pirate queen directly after the summit. I can only assume this is yet another half-conceived plan of Nelayra’s.”
I wasn’t surprised Conreth’s spies had managed to get that information back to him. We hadn’t bothered keeping it quiet. But it was time to address the way he spoke of my mate.
“Prisca has been eyeing Daharak Rostamir’s fleet since the moment she learned of it. And since you’re no closer to convincing the Arslan to give us their ships, the pirate queen may be our only chance at preventing Regner from entering our waters.”
“The pirate queen is a self-serving opportunist who would do anything to hold on to her power.”
I gave my brother a slow grin and let my gaze flick indolently up to the crown on his head. “You don’t say.”
“If you have something you’d like to discuss, now is the time,” Conreth said, voice strained with forced tolerance.
“I do. You will watch how you speak about Prisca, or I will ensure that you won’t speak for some time.”
