“Well met.” I inclined my head, letting my focus wander to the walls. The room exploded with color, a splattering of rainbow, but as I neared one kite, I noticed the stretched material wasn’t fabric at all, but hide.
Of course. Linen and cotton would be harder to source. They wouldn’t waste precious fabric on what might be considered trivial toys.
“Please tell me you’re not letting Kai make the grand finale kite,” Nienna groaned, collapsing onto a bench.
“He needs the experience,” Williard replied, easing himself beside her. Paint stained his worn tunic, leaving him as vibrant as the room. “I cannot craft kites for the rest of my days.”
“Just this year. Only one more.”
It amused me how easily she shifted from royalty to a beloved child. It was obvious she adored the man. There was history between them—and she leaned on that to coax his favor.
“And next?”
She laughed. “I won’t be here to nag you about it.”
My jaw tensed. Yes, I was taking her to Radaan—but hearing her tell someone she loved that she was leaving twisted something sharp inside.
“Is it true then? Radaan’s king has come to take our princess?” Williard’s question brought my attention back. His tone stayed even, but his eyes searched mine with the kind of wariness only age could perfect.
There it was. Jealousy tingled along my spine. He had every right to her. She belonged to this land, its people. And I was simply the king who wanted an alliance.
“I’ve come to unite Radaan and Draconia—through Nienna’s hand in marriage.” I didn’t owe him an explanation, but she trusted him. That was enough.
“To you?”
Whatever answer he preferred, I’d give the truth. “I’m asking to make her queen.” I paused. “My queen.”
He sat back, expression unreadable. Nienna kept silent, fingers folded in her lap.
“Honorable of you,” he murmured.
“Dragon King Nereus would let her go to nothing less,” I said, reminding him that I’d earned the right—through fire, steel, and a ruler’s scrutiny. I was a far cry from the monster he believed me to be.
He leaned on his cane, thumb tapping the wood. “I don’t recall the King of Radaan joining us in celebration before. This is your first?”
“Yes. I’m eager to see it.” I motioned to the surrounding kites. “These are works of art. Have they all flown?”
“Most.” He rose, shuffling past. “They’re sacred to us. They bind sea and sky, giving the common folk a taste of flight. We can’t all be riders, after all.”
I approached a kite shaped like a seal, flicked the hard spine holding it rigid. “Bone?”
“Fish mostly. Bird bones when we’re lucky. Trees are too scarce here.”
“I noticed,” I said. “And hides instead of cloth. Your bodies are bound to the earth, but your hearts belong to the skies.”
His gaze flicked back. “If Princess Nienna asks me to make a kite for you, I will. But she must ask.”
So that was it. He thought I pressured her, that I won her by force or trickery, took advantage of her and only wanted to clear my name.
My face fell blank, refusing to show that I’d caught onto his game.
“You would let him fly it? The finale?” Nienna’s breathless tone hinted at significance. Perhaps something symbolic.
Here I was, signing up for yet another thing I knew nothing about.
Reckless fool.
“Only if you want it,” he said, matching my stare. “You’ve flown a kite before, dear king?”
