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She grinned. “Never fear. I’ll see if I can bring Nicolette with me.”
I chuckled. “In that case, I pity whoever might try to bother you.”
Sniffing out her amusement, she placing a kiss to my jaw, then pulled back to gaze at me with pleasure. I nodded, letting her know all was well. She nodded back, only to turn away and murmur something to her grandfather. After he answered her, touching her elbow, she went to Nicolette and convinced the girl to leave with her.
I watched them go before regarding my brother-in-law.
“Your Majesty,” I said solemnly.
He glanced back at me with momentary confusion before it struck him what I meant.
Face draining of color, he shook his head and muttered, “No. Dear God, not yet. I’m not ready for that right now.”
“All the same,” I told him with a humble bow. “You are the king, and your kingdom just experienced its first battle. Its first invasion. Even though we won, there are still some of our fallen soldiers out there on the field and wounded survivors to tend to. Plus, we’ve the captured prisoners to deal with and we need to let the people know how Caulder died, as well as why Far Shore came to hate us, and who betrayed us.”
“Christ.” Brentley closed his eyes and buried his face in his hands. “You’re right. We’re only just getting started this night, aren’t we?”
“It’s okay, my love,” Allera encouraged him, wrapping her arms around his waist and kissing his cheek. “You’ve got this. I have faith in you.”
Brentley opened his lashes to study her face. When she nodded, it must’ve given him the boost he needed, because he straightened and glanced expectantly around the room before frowning.
“Where the hell are all the guards? And servants?”
I winced. Stupid me, I’d ordered them all away to give the family time to say goodbye to Caulder. If only I hadn’t done that, Yasmin might not have been able to get away with what she’d done.
Then again, I realized everyone she’d killed tonight was now alive, and Nicolette had taken care of her. If any servants or soldiers had been near when she’d exposed her magic, she probably would’ve killed them off first. So it was just as well that they hadn’t been around to get hurt.
“I’ll get them, Your Majesty,” I promised.
“Good.” Brentley nodded. “Have them meet me in the Throne Room as soon as possible, you included, as you’ve just been upgraded from leader of my army to top advisor.”
I paused, shocked by such a proclamation. A part of me wanted to celebrate, so I could gloat to my father. See, I wasn’t a total fuck-up, I could tell him. A king trusted me and valued my opinion enough to make me his top advisor. Yet, another part of me cringed away from such bothersome, vile politics.
When I noticed that Allera had lifted her eyebrows my way, clearly wondering if I’d actually accept the position or not, I scowled back.
The brat knew me too well.
Clearing my throat, I smiled stiffly at Brentley. “As honored as I am by the offer, Your Majesty, I think my talents remain best executed on the battlefield.”
Brentley lifted a single eyebrow. “Are you turning me down, Prince?”
I chuckled. “While I’d certainly love to give you my opinion on every matter and probably will continue to do so no matter what my title is, I just wonder if the position of top advisor should go to someone who knows the kingdom better. Someone with, say, Mandalay blood in them.”
“Vienne,” Wren Mandalay murmured in pleased surprise. Then he nodded his approval and rotated toward Brentley. “I like this kid’s thinking.”
“Then it is done,” Brentley announced. “But… As she is busy tending to her child at the moment, would you mind standing in her stead for the time being?” he asked the old man. “I’d greatly appreciate receiving your wisdom and insight.”
Mandalay bowed to him, then winced when he straightened his crooked spine, pressing his hand against his lower back. “It would be my honor, Your Majesty.”
As they started for the exit to continue on to the Throne Room, I shook my head when Brentley glanced back to give me his own approving nod.
Then I set out to give orders to the servants. I found them all waiting expectantly to hear updates on Caulder and the rest of the kingdom. I gave them my news and sent them off to perform their duties before navigating my way to the Throne Room myself.
Two hours later, the king had sent his yawning wife off to bed and he’d taken care of most of the issues that should be attended to immediately. His one last task was to have an audience with the Far Shore prisoners his army had captured.
There were less than two dozen of them, wearing nothing but those loose, leather skirts, sandals, and strange tattoos on the center of their backs with more running up the sides of their arms. Every single one of them was young and dirty after spending the last few hours in the Iron Castle’s dungeon that Mandalay claimed had never been used before tonight.
As they were led into the Throne Room by four guards who had them bound together with iron chains around their ankles, wrists, and throats, I studied our enemies. They were here for what they thought was a good cause. Soren had made them believe we had wronged them, that we hated them. Their anger and sense of injustice was palpable.
