Page 2 of Destiny of a King

“You were first a good friend and now my royal advisor, but even a most faithful friend or advisor can be bought for a price.”

“I know of one or two who have, but I would never betray my friend and never my king.”

“That is good to know,” Dravic said and took a swallow of wine.

Tavish could not help but grin, saying, “What about the fairy Fiora?”

“That blasted little creature,” Dravic said, shaking his head. “She flits around the castle like she rules it. She avoids all traps set for her. Laughs at them, she does. She says it is for my own good that she remains here. And Kaelan has the audacity to say better me than him. She is an absolute menace. But if I fail to capture one tiny fairy, then I am not fit to be king.”

“And what will you do with her when you catch her?”

“That depends on how long the war with her lasts,” Dravic said and hurriedly shook a finger at Tavish as soon as he grinned. “Do not dare laugh. This is war and I do not intend to be defeated.”

“Aye, my king,” Tavish said, hiding a chuckle as best he could.

“Go,” Dravic ordered, “and leave me in peace to plot my revenge.”

“I cannot do that, my king,” Tavish apologized. “You may think you succeeded in distracting me from my original reason for being here, but it is imperative we discuss your future wife.”

“And here I thought I’d been successful.”

It was the last thing Dravic wanted to do but Tavish was right. He could not avoid it, but he could delay it.

“I am not ready to wed,” Dravic said.

“Ready or not, you must wed and soon, especially with war not far off. A winter wedding would bring some joy to Caerith, if not all of Scotara, to be followed by news that your wife is with child. It will secure the future of the kingdom.”

“And if the kingdom falls to Drogath?”

“I do not believe you would let that happen but if by chance it did, the woman I have chosen for you comes from an island south of Scotara where she can retreat to and where she can raise, hopefully, a son who will one day reclaim the throne.”

“And she is aware of this?”

“Her father is and has sworn to protect the bairn if it comes to that.”

“I will think on it,” Dravic said.

“I would not take too long. Lord Kendrick, along with his daughter, Corvina, will arrive here in a couple of weeks to secure the arrangements and see his daughter wed.”

Dravic did not keep the anger out of his voice. “And if I do not approve of her?”

“She is the best of the lot, easy on the eyes from what I am told and a gentle soul. Believe me when I tell you the other choices are simply nightmares.”

Dravic caught Adira’s sudden movement and the way her eyes cringed in pain. He placed the goblet on the sideboard and went to her, dropping down beside her. He saw that her finger was bleeding and gently took her hand in his.

“Get Feena,” Dravic called out without turning his head.

The blood continued to pool on her finger and would soon run over. He looked around for a cloth, any cloth, but the only cloth there was her embroidery, and she had worked on it for several weeks, he did not want to see it ruined.

He reacted without thinking and slipped her finger into his mouth to suck at it and stop the bleeding. Something he had done often enough when he pricked his finger on something.

Her finger was warm, her blood tangy and he sucked on it meaning to stop the bleeding nothing more, and yet…

Warmth spread through him, unexpected and immediate. He would have lingered in the gentle feeling, but he heard heavy footfalls outside the door and quickly slipped her finger out of his mouth and felt her shudder.

He looked at her then and saw confusion in her eyes, and she tilted her head, her brow narrowing as if she sought an answer from him.

He had no time to explain or understand it himself, but then how would he if he could? She could not speak or hear.