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That only seemed to annoy Lady Rozynov—as if she resented the girls listening to Jace over her. “You do not need to seek me out to say goodbye when you leave,” she told Jace. “Consider this our goodbye.”
She glared at him, then turned and stormed off around the edge of the house.
Vera and Taisiya looked miserable. “We’ll speak to her,” Vera said before the two of them rushed after her.
I swallowed thickly and squeezed Peter’s hand tighter, then met Magnus’s eyes across the table. Scenes like that were ugly. Particularly since I had a feeling they were more common than they should have been.
“Alas,” Magnus said with a sigh, lowering his head slightly. “I fear we have just witnessed the beginning of the end of the Kostya Kingdom.”
A chill passed down my spine. Magnus was right. The people of the frontier wouldn’t be able to get the help they needed to stave off the advances of the Old Realm if that was how city-dwellers planned to treat wolves. We would have to carry the weight of our world on our own.
Jace watched his sisters until they disappeared around the edge of the cottage, then he turned away as Gennadi stepped up to him. I had to give Gennadi credit. He was right there where he needed to be, and he embraced Jace with silent love and support before Jace had time to flounder or fade.
Avenel rushed to hug Sebald as well, which was also sweet. But what surprised me the most was the glimpse I had out of the corner of my eye of Premila smiling while blinking away tears.
“Everything I have ever been told about wolves is wrong,” she said in a weak voice when she realized I was staring at her. I wasn’t the only one.
“Perhaps I have spoken too soon,” Magnus said with a gentle smile for Premila. “Perhaps the hope of the Kostya Kingdom sits right before us.”
Premila blinked in surprise when she realized Magnus meant her. “I…I’m not certain I wish to stay in this kingdom,” she said, tilting her chin up and looking as though it took her a great deal of effort to say what was on her mind. “Sebald has been kinder to me than anyone I’ve ever met in my life, and he is not of this kingdom.” She smiled at Sebald as he and Avenel moved to the table to sit with the rest of us. Premila turned to Ox and Katrina. “My new friends have no reason to show me such devotion so soon, but they have been like sisters to me. You cannot know what that means to me.”
She turned to face the rest of us, rocking her baby slightly as he began to fuss. “Truly, you cannot know,” she went on, glancing to Jace and Gennadi as well as they sat at the end of the table. “None of you were in the cities this winter. You did not see the way neighbor turned against neighbor. I saw people who I believed to be friends fight and kill each other in the streets over a heel of bread. I saw people hoard food and turn the other way as they walked past starving children. I saw shops looted and people robbed in broad daylight.”
She grew more emotional as she spoke, breaking down into tears and trembling at the end. Ox reached an arm around her and hugged her close, kissing the side of her face.
“And now, from you all, I have seen kindness and care,” she said, as if Ox’s silent offer of friendship had reinvigorated her. “Sebald opened his door to me in the middle of the night when I was in danger. Katrina and Ox sheltered me and found a healer for Yasha without even knowing me. And Jorgen….” She squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed hard. “Bee…he would have killed me,” she said, barely audible. “I can see that now. Eventually, my husband would have killed me and my son, especially if he believed it would set him free to pursue Sebald.” She glanced mournfully at Sebald.
“None of you had any reason to help me, but you did,” Premila said after a deep breath. “Which is why, if you’ll have me, I want to return to the Wolf River Kingdom with Sebald. He…he has already said he will take responsibility for me.” She sent Sebald another, pleading look.
“Of course I will, Pre. You know that I will never forsake you,” Sebald said, hugging Avenel against his side.
“And I would be most happy to welcome you into our kingdom,” Magnus said, reaching across the table and offering Premila his hand. Premila looked shocked, but slowly took Magnus’s hand all the same. “I am only a temporary king, but I would be overjoyed to count you as my subject.”
“Thank you, my liege,” Premila said, bursting into tears.
She withdrew her hand and huddled in to hug her baby, who was now crying softly, so she didn’t see the look of pure amusement in Magnus’s eyes. Magnus turned to me and Peter and mouthed, “My liege?” with humor dancing in his eyes.
I glanced at Peter just as he peeked at me, and the two of us nearly choked in our efforts not to laugh aloud. It was an important moment for Premila, and I, for one, refused to ruin it by being silly with Peter.
“So you really do plan to give up your crown, then?” Jorgen asked in a voice loud enough to shift everyone’s focus.
“I do,” Magnus confirmed with a nod. “It was never my sole ambition to be a king. There are other things that I would much prefer to do with my life.” He resumed eating, and as he did, the rest of us breathed a sigh of relief and put our energy into eating as well.
“Such as what?” Hati asked.
“Such as enjoying my husbands to the fullest while I still have the energy to keep up with them,” Magnus said, sending Peter and I lascivious looks.
Hati laughed out loud, and Jorgen shook his head.
“Don’t listen to him,” I said. “He has more energy than me and Peter most of the time.”
“You flatter me, my love,” Magnus said, tapping my leg with his foot under the table.
“That can’t be the only thing you intend to do,” Jorgen laughed. “You’ve been trying to unite the wolves for years now. I don’t believe for a moment that you would give it all up as soon as you accomplish that goal.”
Magnus sat a bit straighter. “Are you saying you’re ready to join your kingdom to ours to truly unite the forest?” he asked with a teasing wink.
Jorgen laughed harder. “Not on your life, Magnus.” He paused, then said, “But I am willing to discuss a solid alliance between the three of us.” He glanced to Olympus. “Now that it is all but guaranteed our hosts will prove useless in the endeavor.”
