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Beneath her fingers something in him relaxed, as if he truly had been concerned about that.
Kostaria was her home, and it stirred a deeper love and sense of duty than even Tarenhiel had. Or, perhaps, she had finally figured out what loyalty and duty and love actually meant.
She might not be as brawny, hardy, and impervious to cold as a troll woman, but that did not mean that she was helpless. She would figure out her own way to survive in this icy kingdom. More than that, she would thrive.
Rharreth pulled back farther, sighing, and shot a glance toward the Escarlish prince-turned-spy. His jaw hardened. “He should be questioned, but if he is going to be out for a while, then you should dress and eat. Your health is most important.”
Melantha also sighed and leaned against the head of the bed. Romance and kissing would have to wait. They had duties to attend to. She started to get out of bed, then halted, sending her own glance at the Escarlish spy. “I trust my magic, but I think I would feel better if he was tied and blindfolded.”
“Right. So would I, now that you mention it.” Rharreth stood, fished out his ragged, bullet-torn shirt, and drew his elven dagger to cut it into strips. Once he had enough strips, Rharreth tied the spy’s hands, then wrapped a blindfold over his eyes. “There. He’s secured. If you’re all right here, I’ll fetch food for you.”
“Thanks.” Melantha slipped out of bed as Rharreth left. She found that her gray woolen dress had been laundered and some of the rips repaired.
By the time Rharreth returned with a plate of steaming caribou roast and fresh cornbread, Melantha had dressed and brushed out the tangles caused by the blizzard that even the last of her elven conditioner had not been able to prevent.
When she sat down to eat, her stomach was gurgling and rumbling. The warm food banished the last remaining sense of cold, and she savored each bite, finally taking the time to fully assess her surroundings. “Where are we?”
“Gozat Stronghold. We arrived yesterday.” Rharreth sat in the chair across from her, his gaze flicking to the sleeping Escarlish spy before focusing on her. “You slept so long we were worried that you were going to slip away, succumbing to the cold.”
“I am sorry for worrying you.” Melantha shoveled in the food, telling herself that it should not matter that she had not been strong enough.
“At least you are small enough that you are easy to carry.” Rharreth’s mouth quirked into a small smile, though his eyes were still shadowed.
“I guess that is one benefit to being an elf.” Melantha chewed the last bite of the caribou and pushed aside her plate. She eyed the sleeping spy. “I suppose we should wake him.”
“Yes.” Rharreth drew the knife again and pushed to his feet. He approached the chair where he had dumped the spy. “Go ahead.”
Melantha called on her magic, then touched the human’s temple. As soon as she pulled away, Rharreth reached out with his free hand and tugged her behind him.
The Escarlish spy-prince did not so much as groan or stir. There was only a slight change to his breathing to show that he was awake. He leaned his head against the back of the chair, as if getting comfortable. “I underestimated you, Queen Melantha.”
“What reason did you have for approaching my wife, spy?” Rharreth rested a hand on the human’s shoulder, touching the blade of the knife to the human’s neck.
The spy did not stiffen, even with a knife to his neck and Rharreth’s voice rumbling over him. “Nice to meet you again, King Rharreth. I approached your wife for information about what happened in Osmana and to find out your plans for taking back your throne, but I didn’t want to reveal my presence. As that is now not a consideration, I can discuss your plans with both of you.”
“Why would I share my plans with you? You were caught spying in my kingdom. I have every right to execute you.” Rharreth’s voice deepened with a hint of a growl.
This Escarlish prince was made of stern stuff. Either that, or he was very good at bluffing. He did not so much as flinch at the threat even though he remained blindfolded and bound. “I am Prince Edmund of Escarland, and as far as I am concerned, I was simply visiting and enjoying the sights found in your beautiful kingdom. Nor do I really think you want to risk the political ramifications with Escarland if you executed me, no matter what I may or may not have been doing.”
Rharreth’s jaw remained tight, and he did not remove the knife from the spy’s neck. “I can still use your presence here to humiliate Escarland and force your brother to cooperate.”
“You could do that, though I doubt my little adventure in your kingdom would severely hurt Escarland’s political standing. Nor will threatening me gain you anything from my brother. He will simply deny he had any knowledge of my whereabouts.” Prince Edmund gave a shrug, looking for all the world like he was discussing this over tea instead of while tied to a chair, blindfolded, and helpless. “Besides, Tarenhiel and Escarland trounced you in the recent war, and that was while your people were united and you had Laesornysh tucked away in your dungeon. Do you really want to find out what would happen if you incited a war with Escarland when we have Laesornysh fighting at full strength and your kingdom is in shambles from a civil war?”
The muscle at the corner of Rharreth’s jaw worked, and his fingers flexed on the knife as if he was barely stopping himself from using it on this far-too-confident human prince.
Melantha rested a hand on Rharreth’s arm, sending some of her most soothing magic into him. While this human prince was tweaking Rharreth’s pride, he was speaking the truth with his bluff. They had enough of their own problems without causing another war with Escarland and Tarenhiel.
More than that, they needed Escarland’s grain and produce far too much to risk angering them over executing their prince, even if he was caught spying.
Rharreth’s tense muscles loosened, and he eased the knife a fraction away from the spy’s neck. A good sign, even if the heat did not entirely disappear from Rharreth’s gaze.
“How is my brother? Farrendel? Have you had news of him while you were...visiting Kostaria?” Melantha wrapped her free arm over her stomach, hoping she sounded nonchalant.
The last time she had seen Farrendel, he had been barely holding himself upright and so thin and wasted that his clothes had hung from him. It would be reassuring to hear that he had recovered after the torture and pain he had been put through.
“Due to the nature of my visit, all communications were kept vague.” The corner of Prince Edmund’s mouth quirked, and it was probably as close as he would come to confirming that, yes, he was spying and probably had been for the past three months ever since the war ended. “But I have been told that he is well and that his magic is stronger than ever.”
Melantha was not sure if that last part was true or something that Prince Edmund added for Rharreth’s benefit.
