Page 32 of Autumn Queens & Shadows

Thora

Elias chuckled from across the training court distance, shaking his head at the man who had just brought me the heaviest assembly of flowers I’d ever held. It had been just a day since I’d buried Erik and I had already gotten three unwelcomed visits from prospective men aiming for my crown. But considering the rumours spreading regarding the man who would end up marrying me, it surprised me that I was still getting visits from potential suitors. Whoever was to become my king had a target on their back. Had Elias threatened this one?

The man still held my hand, his mouth pressed to my knuckles. “My queen,” he purred, making my face curl with a wince. “I eagerly expect to court you at a time of your choosing.”

Pulling my poor hand back, I reluctantly said, “I’ll have someone send word for you.”

Satisfied, he backed away and left me alone.

Dropping the flowers to the ground, I looked up at the snowy skies and groaned for a solid long minute.

“At least he was not in his hundreds,” Elias said, walking up to me and glancing back at the man. “He’d make a fine docile king. That's what we’re after. A man to solely hold the seat next to yours warm, and provide you with children of Isjordian blood, of course.”

“Maybe I should force you to marry me.”

His eyes drifted to the distance for a split moment before they returned to me. “We promised it would be a last resort.”

“It is my last resort.”

“I–”

“Yes, you,” I sighed. “Still desperately in love with the woman who will not spare you a glance?”

When I heard him inhale the breath he would use to spit back something I’d confessed to him in a moment of weakness ten years ago, I put a hand to his mouth. “Say it and I will get the priest right here to marry us this second, whether you are tied to a chair, screaming and kicking, or not.”

“I’m sure you’d enjoy that. The tied up part.”

I shot him a cold look and he lifted both hands up in surrender. “Just make sure this one doesn’t mind me going to untie him from the bed at the crack of dawn after you’re done with him. Or will you actually let this one touch you? Erik was a special case you know, not sure if all will be good with your conditions.”

“Since when are any of the men that serve me allowed to not comply with my conditions?”

“The unlucky soul has my undying pity.”

“That unlucky soul might be you. What news do we have from Casmere?” I asked, stepping on the calla lilies laying on the floor. I hated calla lilies. Shouldn’t I be getting roses or peonies at the worst? Why was I getting funeral flowers?

“You mean, what news do we have from our little spirit friend?”

“Since when did the White Veil become our little spirit friend?”

“Since it started mercilessly slaying Iskyla’s soldiers and began bowing to you.” Again, he glanced behind me briefly. “People are getting scared.”

“A whole year and it hasn’t hurt a single Isjordian.”

“They’ve turned God fearing. They hear you visit the temple often. They don’t hear the part where you use Nubil’s statue as a shooting pole, but they hear you’re praying. And that your prayers are being answered.” He sighed. “Don’t bulge your eyes out like that, all excited, it’s really a disturbing sight. Fear is difficult to control, Thora. You control greed and desire with coin, you control power hungry vultures with empty seats in your court, you control peace by playing someone weak. But fear? Once you’ve spread it, there will be nothing to grant Isjordians comfort. They will want someone strong on that throne and you will be forced to hatch from this shell you’ve been disguising under for ten years. Fear might not work in our favour. At least not in the long term.”

“You could have saved yourself a lot of talking if you’d just found me a husband.”

His attention lifted to a spot behind me, and I turned to look at what had grabbed his attention only to see Malik standing a few feet away from us, his brows pulled in the deepest scowl and his jaw set tight. He didn’t move at all. Only glared at us. Mostly at Elias.

Clearing my throat, I looked at Elias again. “You have a couple of days to find me a decent enough man to marry me, or you will be going down on your knees, understood?”

“As you wish, my queen,” Elias said, shaking his head as he retreated.

Even though my back was to him, I knew he was looking at me. “What do you want?”

“I am well, and how are you?”

“Fabulous. What do you want?”