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“That’s what we thought. But they are deadly serious.”
“We understand both species’ viewpoints on love,” I interrupted. “But this is sudden. A decision like that... there’s more to it.”
“I know,” uncle Mehdi said. “But that’s all I could get out of them. The Caid has called for a meeting with the Lunja tomorrow to discuss terms. Until then, we know nothing.”
My mother stared at her teacup.
“It will devastate the Selkies,” I hissed. “They hate us already. They wouldn’t want to see a hearth caster as the crown prince’s wife.”
The magic users of the sea were a mystery to me. But their hatred for hearth casters was well known. If the prince were to marry one of them, it would be a disaster. A disaster we had seen coming.
This.
We hadn’t.
“They’ll see it as an insult,” my mother said.
“I know.” Uncle Mehdi sighed. “But we can’t do anything about it now.”
“The Lunja are spell crafters themselves.” I leaned forward and placed my elbows on the table. “What are the political implications of this step?”
My mother and uncle Mehdi both looked at me then, surprise etched on their faces.
“You’re right.” My mother nodded. “This is a power play.”
“But what does he hope to gain?” I asked. “What does House Finardsil hope to gain from this move?”
We all considered the implications.
Uncle Mehdi took a sip of his tea. “There have been many discussions about this. But we don’t have any answers. Our information is simply outdated. We know nothing. But we can’t say no. This may trigger the event, but saying no might do the same thing.”
“He’s trying to upset the balance of power.” My mother’s eyes narrowed. “By taking a wife from Midar, he’s showing that he can reach into our territory and take what he wants.”
“But why?” I frowned. “What does he hope to gain from this?”
The Lunja already controlled Midar.
Uncle Mehdi looked at me. “We don’t know. But we have to be careful. This is dangerous.”
“Who is the lucky bride?” My voice sounded heavy with irony.
“They didn’t say.” He shook his head. “All we know is that she needs to be of age and unmarried.”
My stomach dropped. That poor girl, whoever she was. This wouldn’t end well for anyone involved.
“It will most likely be Hafsa, the daughter of the Caid.” He saw the uncertainty in my eyes, and he understood what I was thinking. “Hafsa is a good girl. Kind and gentle. She’ll be able to handle this. She’s our only option.”
Kind and gentle. That wasn’t what we needed. We needed a viper with the venom to match. But Hafsa was the only one who fit the bill.
“I hope so.” I placed my hand on my face. “For her sake.”
“Yes, for her sake,” my mother echoed.
Was she up for the heavy task in front of her? She was young. And then there were the rumors... Hafsa was kind, but also fickle. Spoiled as the youngest child of the Caid. I had never met her, but I heard the stories.
My mother leaned back and stared at the ceiling for a long time before she finally spoke. “She’s beautiful and rumored to be a skilled painter. We all know how Lunja think about that. She might be a good fit.”
“That will work to her advantage,” uncle Mehdi said. “They will want her for that.”
