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“Thank you.”
He stared at her. “The Wolfmark king is coming? I don’t think your father will like it.”
Naia knew that, but what was she going to do? “When he comes back, he can dislike it as much as he wants. I wasn’t going to forbid a king from visiting.” He was making her nervous here, reminding her of her father’s wishes, reminding her that this was no longer her place. “Also, I wish you didn’t try to meddle in royal matters.”
“Sorry, your highness, I guess I forgot my place.” He turned around and rushed down the stairs.
She hadn’t meant to hurt him and regretted her words, but on the other hand, at least he wouldn’t keep sitting outside her door. She went to the balcony and looked down at the court and the new temporary wooden gate. Beside it, some workers were preparing a new, better gate, also in wood. She’d suggested having two gates, both wood and metal, but it wasn’t as if they could build a huge gate just like that. And as much as Naia could manipulate iron, she couldn’t make a gate with it. She didn’t think even her brother could do that.
As she observed the construction, a sound caught her attention: howls. Umbraar didn’t have dogs in their army, and as far as she knew, there were no wolves in the area. She descended the stairs and saw Umbraar guards escorting a man on a horse. Beside him, there were two white creatures. At first she thought they were ponies or some small horses, but then, when she looked better, she realized they were wolves. Right. Wolfmark; wolves. That was King Sebastian.
Naia was wearing just a linen dress and hadn’t even done anything to her hair. Well, she had warned him he would find no finery here. She descended the stairs quickly and approached the king as he dismounted the horse. The two wolves sitting by him made her nervous, but she curtsied.
“Your majesty. What an honor.”
He kissed her hand. “The honor is mine.”
Naia resisted the urge to wipe her hand on her dress. At least the kiss hadn’t been wet. The issue was that she wasn’t used to being visited by other royals. She looked at the wolves instead, both sitting down. It was almost like he traveled with them to show off, to show that he had power over such wild and magnificent creatures. It was cruel—and dangerous.
Naia was about to make a request that could perhaps ruin this alliance.
“Your wolves, they’ll need to be contained.”
He smiled. “They are under control.”
“Your control, and this is Umbraar territory. If you wish to stay, the wolves will need to remain in a cell. We’ll give them water and food, but they’ll need to be locked up.”
King Sebastian ran his hand over one of the wolves. “They’re tame. You aren’t scared, are you?”
Naia approached and patted the wolf’s head, even though she was a little afraid, then whispered, “My men, they’re nervous. Please. I’ll feel much more at ease if the wolves are away.”
He smirked. “I’ll accept that, but not for your men, for you, and you only.”
Naia stepped back. “Thank you.”
She then turned around and ordered two soldiers to lead the king and his wolves to a large cell in the underground. The sky was already darkening, so it wasn’t as if the creatures would miss sunlight. To say that they would miss freedom was absurd, considering the king had been controlling them.
When King Sebastian returned, without his companions, he said, “Will you show me the signs of battle?”
“Of course.” She pointed to the gate. “It was melted. They had…” She was going to say ironbringers, but that would make it too obvious which kingdom had attacked. “Some kind of metal magic.” It wasn’t that better.
“Your brother was here. He has metal magic, doesn’t he?”
“He didn’t melt his own gate, if that’s what you’re suggesting.”
“I’m not suggesting anything, princess, I’m asking. What else can you show me?”
Naia led him outside, two Umbraar guards trailing them. The strange creatures had been completely burned, and most of the Ironhold bodies. She pointed to a large bonfire, now almost out, but the smell still remained. A couple of bodies had been left intact, so that visitors could see which uniform they were wearing.
“They don’t look fae to me,” the king said.
“Exactly. That’s what makes them so dangerous.”
“I’d like to speak with your highness.” He eyed the guards. “In private.”
“Of course. We’ll go to one of my father’s offices.”
Naia led him inside, not to the office with his father’s things and the communication mirror, but to a room beside it, which had just tables and chairs, no magical objects.
