Page 38 of Queen of War and Ruin

These men didn’t even attempt to disarm me. It’s insulting.

“Maybe Elrick changed his mind,” the man with the dagger offers with a sly smile, “after you told him to suck a dead dog’s balls.”

The messenger makes a strangled little cough that sounds like he’s trying not to laugh. I wince as the man with the dagger grins.

“It was a very persuasive argument,” he says.

I groan and drop my head back into my hands. If only hangovers were lethal.

“Two hundred gold,” I mutter, “and you’ll never have to see me again. Just let me ride away right now.”

“Fuck you,” the man with the dagger replies cheerfully. “Come on, get your drunk ass out of the straw. If you’re coming to Ethiria with us, then we’re putting you to work.”

I stagger to my feet. The barn sways around me. I brace myself against the wall, then wait to see if I’m going to lose the contents of my stomach.

“I like Princess Lilias,” the man with the dagger says, almost under his breath, as the messenger stomps out of the barn.

I frown at him, almost afraid to see where he’s going with this.

“We all like her,” he continues.

He slides the dagger into its sheath, then turns to me with a sharp little smile.

“I don’t know what in the nine hells a woman like that sees in a man like you,” he says in a low voice, “but, if you hurt her, I’m going to cut your balls off. And I’ll do it very slowly.”

Last night’s wine comes back up in a rush. I turn away, just missing the man’s boots as I vomit on the floor of the barn.

“You’re a real piece of shit,” he mutters as I wipe my mouth on my sleeve.

I shrug. I can’t argue with that.

Chapter 21

Lilias

ON YOUR OWN

It takes a lot of buckets to fill a bath.

I feel like I’ve already made at least twenty trips to and from the kitchen, and the massive basin in the bathing room is still only half full. I sigh, then bend down to pick up the empty buckets. At this rate, the water will be cold again by the time I’m done.

There’s a knock on the door. I freeze; my heart beats inside my throat. Is it Gerard, come to tell me Zarek has left?

Is it Zarek?

“Lilias?” a woman calls. “May I come in?”

Anura. I drop the buckets and cross my arms over my chest. Anura knocks again.

I huff. My back aches from carrying buckets of steaming water. And from riding across half of Vsenrog to pass on a desperate message that my brother completely ignored.

Well, he didn’t completely ignore it, my mind whispers. He just thought the one marrying for political gain should be me, not him.

“Please?” Anura calls from the other side of the door.

“Fine,” I say.

The door opens, and Anura comes in. She’s carrying two steaming buckets.