Page 35 of To Save a Kingdom

With a sigh, he spun on his heel and marched down the hall. If he couldn’t help Aliya with the missing Whisperers, he could at least do what she requested and go distract Tsara. The two of them were overdue for a talk about the princess’ ridiculous proposal, and if doing that now bought Aliya time she thought she needed before an important meeting, so be it.

“Elessan Svialto!”

He froze, fighting the urge to flinch as Roland Enorathil’s booming voice rang through the halls. Straightening his spine, he turned to face the sun elf monarch with a bow. “Your Majesty. How may I be of assistance?”

The king came up beside him, throwing an arm around his shoulders that landed with too much weight to be friendly. “My daughter tells me she’s proposed.”

“Oh?” This couldn’t be good. He couldn’t tell Roland he hadn’t accepted without risking offending the royal.

“I will admit I’m surprised at her choice, but you’ve certainly proven your worth to the realm.” Roland slapped him on the back again, hard enough to no doubt leave a mark. “Congratulations, my boy.”

Elessan squinted as he peered at the man from the corner of his eyes. The words said one thing, but the king’s actions revealed his anger. Roland wasn’t as happy with this situation as he would have any observers believe.

What had Tsara done to get her father to agree to a betrothal to him, a lowly mountain elf? Roland scorned anyone except full-blooded sun elves, including Zadé, his most brilliant general.

Pulling out of the other man’s grip, Elessan turned, facing the male head-on. “I don’t understand, Your Majesty. I didn’t think you would allow your daughter to tie herself to me.”

Roland’s eyelid twitched. “You underestimate my fondness for Tsara, and my desire for her happiness.”

Rubbish. That was a lie if Elessan had ever heard one. Roland cared about his power and reputation first and foremost. Which meant Tsara had likely figured out a way to blackmail him into giving her what she wanted.

He may need to put his sleuthing skills to work figuring out what leverage she’d used, so he could turn it around on them both.

He hadn’t missed court politics one bit.

And Aliya was facing a lifetime of these maneuvers all on her own.

He turned his focus to Roland. “I would like to speak with your daughter. Do you know where she is?”

Roland shrugged. “You could try her suite, or the training grounds. She’s taken an unseemly interest in the sparring rings of late.”

That sounded like the Tsara he knew, alright.

“Your Majesty.” With a curt bow at the waist, Elessan took his leave, headed for the central courtyard.

Chapter 15

Aliya

Zadé reached the top of the rise and came to a halt, her arm to the side, fist clenched in the universal sign to stop.

Aliya drew up beside her, eyebrows furrowed as she scanned the valley below. “What is it?”

The trail was clear, except where a torched evergreen lay across it at the bottom of the hill. Right behind the log was a boulder larger than the royal stables. It was a perfect ambush spot.

“That tree was felled by lightning,” Aliya said, waving toward the blackened frayed stump. “It looks recent, probably earlier this summer.” She shrugged. “Thunderstorms aren’t uncommon here that time of year.

Zadé pressed her lips into a thin line as she jumped off her horse and pretended to rummage in her saddlebags. Likely as justification for their sudden stop in case they were being watched. “Prolly, but other travelers would’a been this way a’fore now. They’d’ve cleared the blockage already.”

Fair point. Squinting, Aliya examined the area around the downed tree. There may have been drag marks off to the side of the road, but from this far away, it was hard to tell for certain. “So what do we do? Find another route, or risk springing the trap?”

Zadé flashed her a wicked grin. “Whadda ya think, Princess? Yeh ‘n I can handle a band o’ ruffians better’n most, yeah?”

Well, between Zadé’s fighting skills and Aliya’s magic, that was likely true, as long as she didn’t get into a one-on-one duel with their best swordsman this time. “But what if we’re outnumbered?”

Zadé’s smile expanded until it showed off her fangs. “That’s what makes it fun!”

Leaning over, Aliya grabbed a fistful of the other woman’s sleeve. “Be serious! We’re two women traveling alone. You know what will happen to us if we’re overwhelmed by a gang of thugs.” What had almost happened the last time, when she’d been stabbed and nearly died. “Elessan isn’t here to kill everyone if I get hurt.”