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“What if I asked you for it?” He frowned. “Iamasking for it.”
“My father is the longest ruling monarch in Maridrina’s history. His wisdom and understanding of the relationship between our two kingdoms is what guided him to choose me to be your wife.”
Ahnna abruptly jerked toward her brother, her voice urgent as she said, “Aren, we’ve been infiltrated. There’s a spy amongst us.”
Lara felt her stomach drop as Aren’s eyes turned on her. Her fingers twitched toward the knives at her waist, ready to fight her way out if she needed to.
“There’s no other explanation for it,” Ahnna said. “How else could that deceitful prick of a king have known which daughter would make the absoluteworstwife for you?”
Snorting, Aren shook his head. Lara hid her relief behind another mouthful of fish, which now held the same appeal as swallowing sawdust.
“No wonder he looked so damn smug at the wedding,” the princess continued. “He probably figured you’d send her back after a week.”
“Ahnna.” The King of Ithicana’s voice was full of warning.
“It’s amazing, really. It’salmostas though she werecreatedto drive you into an early grave.”
More accurate than you know,Lara thought.
“Ahnna, if you don’t shut your mouth, I’m going to drown you in your wine.”
Ahnna held up her glass in toast. “You’re welcome to try, brother dearest.”
Lara chose that moment to interrupt, while at the same time, refilling both the siblings’ glasses. Pouring the wine herself made it an easy thing to deposit several drops from the tiny vial hidden in her hand into each, ensuring they’d both sleep heavily tonight. “Speaking of my father, will you allow me to correspond with him?”
They stared at her, their displeasure at her request clear as they both drained their glasses, seemingly unaware of how they mirrored each other. Lara smiled internally, knowing the narcotic mixed with the alcohol would do its duty well.
Finally, Aren asked, “Why would you want to? And please don’t tell me it’s to sustain what is so obviouslynota close father-daughter relationship.”
A dozen nasty retorts formed in her mind, and Lara bit down on every last one of them. Shedidneed the cursed man to fall for her. “It has been made clear to me that to protect the interests of Ithicana, I will never be allowed to see my family, my home, or even my people again. That this house, as lovely as it may be, is to be my prison for as long as you see fit. Pen and paper are all I have left to maintain my connection with all that I have left behind. That is, if you allow it.”
He looked away, his jaw working as though he were waging some great internal debate. Then his eyes flicked to his sister, the woman giving him the very faintest shake of her head. Which was interesting.Ahnna portrayed herself as the lighthearted and compassionate of the pair, but perhaps that was not an accurate assessment of her character.
Yet whatever warning had passed between brother and sister, Aren chose to ignore it. “You are welcome to correspond with your father. But your letters will be read, and if they contain information that jeopardizes Ithicana, you will be asked to remove it. If you’re caught using a code, your privileges will be revoked.”
Whathe might ask her to remove would reveal a great deal, a concept that was not lost on the Commander of Southwatch. Ahnna’s eyes flashed with irritation, and she opened her mouth before shutting it again, unwilling to compromise her performance. Though Lara had no doubt she’d argue against the correspondence once Lara was out of earshot.
“I don’t care for having my private letters read,” Lara argued, only because he’d expect it.
“And I don’t overly care to read them,” Aren snapped. “But we must all do things we don’t care to do, so I suggest you get used to it.” And without another word, he shoved back his chair and exited the room with a slight sway to his step.
Ahnna let loose a world-weary sigh. Pulling the cork from another bottle of wine, she filled Lara’s glass to the brim. “At Southwatch, this is what we call an Ahnna pour.”
Despite knowing that the woman’s behavior was an act to earn her trust, Lara smiled, taking a mouthful of the liquid. “Is he always this quick to temper?” she asked, even as she thought,Is he always this much of a prick?
The smile on the other woman’s face fell away. “No.” There was a slight slur to her voice, and she frowned at her glass. “God, how much of this did I drink?”
“Amarid makes the finest wines in the world—hard not to indulge.”
Moments later, Ahnna’s chin hit the table with a heavy thud. One of the servants entered at that precise moment, his jaw dropping at the sight of his princess snoring at the dinner table.
“Overindulged,” Lara said with a grimace. “Will you help me get her to her room?”
Ahnna was deadweight between the two of them as they half dragged, half carried her down the hallway and into her room, which was as lovely as Lara’s own.
“If you hold her, Majesty, I’ll check the sheets for snakes.”
Snakes?The thought distracted Lara enough that she nearly fell sideways under Ahnna’s weight when the boy let go. He walked over to the bed and gave it a solid kick before flipping down the bedding, which was thankfully devoid of serpents.
