Page 27 of Queen of War and Ruin

Anura hugs me after that, with tears in her eyes. And then, finally, we climb the stairs to the room at the top of the lodge.

It’s filled with sleeping rolls. I blink at the chaos of blankets and trunks spread across the floor as I follow Elrick to the desk that’s been shoved against the wall.

“We’re a little short on space,” Elrick says with a grin. “So my men-at-arms are staying here.”

He’s limping now, although he’s trying to hide it. Whatever injuries he suffered when he and his men were attacked by Vsenrog, he still hasn’t fully recovered. He sinks into a chair with a sigh, and Anura hands him a mug of something that smells like willow bark tea. The door opens behind us and Gerard walks in. After another round of hugging where everyone thanks the gods I’m still alive and no one even looks at Zarek, Elrick asks us to sit. We do. Suddenly, I’m strangely nervous. My fingers twist in my lap as my brother leans forward.

“What happened?” he asks.

I swallow hard. Then I open my mouth and tell him how our father died.

Chapter 15

Lilias

YOU DID WHAT?

“Holy hells,” Elrick finally says.

He leans back in his chair. He looks pale, as if listening to me took something out of him.

“We knew the king passed,” Gerard adds. “But King Malrik assuming stewardship of Marion⁠—”

His voice trails off, and he stares through the window into the night.

“We thought he was invading,” Elrick continues. “Starting a war.”

“But the war is already over,” Anura adds in a soft voice.

She reaches down and places her hand on my brother’s shoulder, just above his thick bandage. He turns to rest his cheek against her arm. It’s such a strangely intimate gesture that it seems almost obscene.

Gods. My kingdom fell and that’s what I’m worried about? My brother and the maid who’s been his friend for his entire life? I shake my head.

“There’s, uh, still a lot we can do,” I begin.

My voice shakes, and I turn to Zarek.

“You’re not alone,” Zarek says in a calm, deep voice. “The other allied kingdoms are not going to look upon this favorably, to say the least. Vsenrog has already implicated Ethiria in this war, which means King Malrik’s armies could be marching toward the cliffs of Ethiria next. That gives Ethiria a powerful reason to stand with you and against Vsenrog.”

Elrick nods. I glance at Zarek. This next part makes perfect sense, of course, but something about the way Anura rests her hand on Elrick’s shoulder makes my gut pull tight.

It should come from me. I clear my throat, then brush my pants like I’m smoothing down a skirt.

“And then there’s Lisal,” I say. “They have seven princesses. Elrick, you could marry one of them, just like the Council of Mayors suggested. That would give us an alliance with another, even more powerful kingdom⁠—”

Elrick laughs. It’s so far from what I was expecting that it takes the air from my lungs. My brother smiles like there’s some big joke and I’m not in on it. And then he turns to kiss Anura’s hand.

Oh no. I feel like I’m sinking into the floor.

“I’m not marrying a princess from Lisal,” my brother says. “I’m already married.”

“What?” I snap.

Elrick is smiling like this is great news and he can’t wait to share it with me. I feel like my entire body has turned to stone.

“I married Anura,” my brother says.

He turns to smile at Anura. She looks away, her cheeks burning. In the absolute silence that fills the room, I hear the distant roar of dozens of little conversations drifting up from the common room. Laughter and stories, jokes and gossip.