AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I…I…” Even though her hands trembled within mine, she said, “Okay. But you’ll come with me, right?”
“Of course,” I nodded. “I’ll be right beside you the entire time, holding your hand.”
“Okay,” she whimpered. “Okay.”
And so, instead of getting to retire to the East Salon for a bit to drink my worries away, I escorted the king’s sister down to the Throne Room, where we asked the dignitary at the door if Caulder was available to receive an audience with us.
“He’s not yet arrived to the Throne Room to accept kingdom business, Lady Vienne,” I was told. “But I believe he’s in the Blue Chambers at the moment, if you two need a personal word with him.”
“Thank you.” I nodded and smiled my thanks before turning a trembling Nicolette away and leading her down another hall toward the sitting room called the Blue Chambers. But even as we neared it, we could hear Caulder shouting from within.
“Well, then message the goddamn ruler of Far Shore back and kindly inform them we’re already giving them a better price than anyone else for clear rock. Dammit! Did I not tell you I wanted no talk of business until I’m in the Throne Room? And where is my wife?”
At his sharp tone, Nicolette and I skidded to a stop, rearing back
ward away from the door. “You know,” Nicolette said uneasily, sending me a rueful cringe. “Maybe now isn’t the best time to bother him. I can just tell him tonight at dinner, when he’s less—”
“Nicolette! Vienne.” Caulder’s voice snapped, making us both jump in surprise since we weren’t expecting him to enter the corridor with us. But there he was, storming from the Blue Chambers, only to point when he saw us. “Have either of you seen Yasmin this morning? I’m…”
His words fell to a stop when he focused on his sister’s face. At first, he just stared, unresponsive, and Nicolette’s hand relaxed in mine. But then he shook his head, and his face went a bright angry red before he roared, “What the fuck have you done?”
“Oh, dear,” I murmured, while Nicolette shifted closer to me and whimpered.
“Caulder, please try to be reasonable,” I started. “This is Nicolette’s body, and her—”
“Into the Blue Chambers,” he growled. “Now.”
Nicolette and I hurried to comply as if we were both in trouble.
“Someone get that damned High Cliff prince in here this instant,” he told one of his pages.
“Wait. Why do you want Urban?” Nicolette asked, whirling to blink in alarm, just as the man assigned with the task of fetching Urban said, “I believe he’s already out training with the soldiers this morning, Your Majesty.”
Caulder shot his sister a dark look before turning it on the page. “I didn’t ask where he was; I said to go get him.”
“Y-yes, Your Majesty.”
As the runner raced off to do the king’s bidding, Caulder ran his hands through his hair, cursed under his breath, and began to pace the room.
I thought this would be a grand moment to remain silent and let him cool his temper, but Nicolette popped forward, wringing her hands. “Why did you send for Urban? You must know he had nothing to do with this. It was my decision completely. He isn’t even aware I had it done yet. Please don’t blame him, Caulder. He—”
“For a man you claim to be completely innocent, you’re certainly defending him an awful lot.”
“Because you called for him as if you already blamed him.”
“Of course, I blame him!” Caulder boomed. “Whether he helped you get it or not, you never would’ve thought that stupid bloody tattoo was so appealing if he didn’t have one.”
“That’s not true,” Nicolette muttered petulantly. “I thought they were neat before he even arrived at the castle. And he certainly can’t help having one himself, since it was given to him when he was an infant.”
“That doesn’t excuse the fact that he influenced you!”
“So what if he did?” Nicolette cried, throwing up her hands in an exasperated gesture. “Why are you so against the mark?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Caulder growled, “maybe because the one on Prince Urban caused him to lie to me and started up a completely unnecessary contention between him and Soren, not to mention it almost lost us our alliance with the entire kingdom of High Cliff. The damn tattoos are nothing but trouble, I swear.”
“My, my,” Yasmin murmured cheerfully, sailing in the room with a bright, perky smile. “Someone’s starting off the day in a temper. I could hear you two arguing all the way from the Throne Room, you know.”
Caulder whirled toward her, growling, “Where the hell have you been?”
