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None of those things would ever belong to him. And the quicker he accepted that, the better.
Clinging to all the hardness he could muster, Farrendel turned his back to her and strode out the door.
At this late hour, the pathways of Ellonahshinel were deserted. Farrendel strode over the branches swiftly, gripping Essie’s letter, until he reached Weylind’s study near the center of the large treetop palace.
Here, the branches weren’t deserted. Instead, aides and servants bustled back and forth as they prepared for the king’s late-night departure. Weylind stood next to his desk, hunching as he swiftly signed paper after paper to get through a week’s worth of paperwork in a few minutes.
Farrendel had to press his back to the wall and edge through the doorway past an aide to enter the room. His throat closed at the presence of so many people packed into a tiny space. If he did not have Essie’s letter burning against his fingers, he would bolt for the train.
Weylind glanced up, then he straightened. “Farrendel. Was there something you needed before we leave?”
Too many people. Farrendel swallowed several times, the words sticking in the back of his throat.
Weylind glanced from him to the aides who had frozen where they stood, shifting as if they did not want to be in the same room as Farrendel. With a flick of his hand, Weylind dismissed them.
The aides hurried from the room, piling through the doorway in a way that was verging on undignified.
When it was just him and Weylind left in the room, Farrendel took a deep breath and held out the letter. “I have a letter from Essie—Princess Elspeth—that needs to be sent to Escarland.”
Weylind’s jaw did not harden, exactly. But something flashed in his eyes as he pointed to an empty spot on his desk. “I will leave instructions for it to be sent in the morning after someone has had a chance to look it over for any sensitive information the human princess might try to send back to her brother.”
Wait, Weylind intended to have someone read Essie’s letter? Farrendel’s fingers tightened over the piece of paper. Sure, she was a princess of an enemy kingdom. Perhaps she was even a spy, as Weylind had maintained since the diplomatic meeting.
But it still seemed wrong to let one of Weylind’s aides paw through her letter. These words were meant for her family. No one else.
Farrendel glanced down at the letter he held. Essie had sealed it, but she had used only a small glob of wax and had pressed it flat without any identifying marks, even though she was sure to have a royal seal along. It was almost as if she expected that her letter would be read before it was sent to Escarland.
He was too broken to give her happiness or love. But he could give her protection here in Tarenhiel, even if that meant protecting her from his own family.
As Weylind reached for the letter, Farrendel snatched it back. Ignoring the puzzled furrow to Weylind’s brow, Farrendel marched around Weylind’s desk, snatched Weylind’s seal from the top of the desk, and pressed it into the still-warm glob of wax. It did not work quite as well as it would have with fresh wax, but it was still distinctive enough for everyone to recognize the king’s seal.
Yes, it was a crime for anyone but Weylind to use the king’s seal. But Farrendel and Weylind were alone, and Weylind was not about to do anything to Farrendel.
Farrendel would have used his own seal, but he had left it back in his rooms. He rarely had any reason to use it.
Besides, Weylind’s seal was better, in the end. An overzealous border guard might still dare to break Farrendel’s seal, but no one, at least on the Tarenhieli side of the border, would break the king’s seal, even on a letter going to Escarland.
Farrendel faced Weylind and held out the letter again. “This needs to be sent to King Averett of Escarland.”
Weylind’s jaw was definitely flexing now. “Shashon, what are you doing? We do not know what information about you or Tarenhiel she might send to her brother.”
“She is no spy.” Farrendel held Weylind’s gaze. He was not going to back down on this. “This is a letter to her family. No one else will read it, understand? If that creates trouble for Tarenhiel, it will be on my head.”
“A little late for that now that you have used my seal on it,” Weylind muttered. After a pause, he raised his voice, calling for one of his clerks.
A clerk hurried inside. “What do you need, Daresheni?”
Weylind gestured to the letter Farrendel held. “Please see to it that this letter is sent to Escarland as soon as possible.”
The clerk’s eyes widened, but she took the letter from Farrendel. “I will see to it, Daresheni.”
As the aide turned to leave, Weylind raised an eyebrow at Farrendel, as if asking,Are you happy now?
Farrendel gave a short nod and turned toward the door.
“Shashon?” Weylind’s voice halted Farrendel at the door. “If you wish to talk…I know these last few days have been tumultuous…”
Farrendel spun on his heel, gritting his teeth to keep from yelling at his brother. Really? Weylind was offering to talk? Now? As if Farrendel wanted to talk about Essie with Weylind after Weylind had become smothering. “Only if you want to talk about how you sent Iyrinder to spy on me and Essie.”
