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“That’s not going to do anything—”
“We’re not going to stop until we fix this, Ian. I’m with you on this.”
“Huntley, I slept with someone else—”
“And while that was the wrong decision, this is a complicated situation, and you wouldn’t have done that otherwise. It’s all about the context.”
“Rancor is more important right now.”
“Nothing is more important than family,” I said. “The Teeth will face our wrath tomorrow.”
* * *
Avice had left her accommodations in the castle and moved in to the village. Lila had done the same, having her own home nearby. I approached the door and knocked, the torch outside flickering in the subtle breeze. It’d been our intention to implement electricity in HeartHolme after the war, but it was such a grand undertaking that it never happened. Homes were still warmed by fireplaces, and the streets were lit by flames. My mother was also too proud to change things, afraid it would soften her people who thrived in the snow.
The door opened, and Avice faced me, her brown hair pulled back in a braid. Her eyes were empty at the sight of me. I’d done nothing to her, but she regarded me as a stranger rather than her brother-in-law, rather than her sovereign. Her hand remained on the door as she stared at me.
I stared back. “We have a lot to catch up on.”
“I think you’re already caught up, Huntley.”
“Are you going to invite me inside?”
Her eyes flashed back and forth between mine, her hand still on the door to bar my entry.
“Or am I going to have to force my way inside?”
“I don’t want to talk about it—”
“As King of All Kingdoms, I order you to step aside.”
“You’re really going to play that card?” she asked coldly.
“Absolutely.”
She finally released the door and moved inside the house, the fireplace burning and illuminating the entire sitting room. White candles burned on the table and the counter, casting a light that reached the deepest corners.
I removed my coat and hung it on the coatrack.
She stood there, arms crossed over her chest, her eyes guarded.
“Ian told me everything that happened. So first of all, I want to tell you how sorry I am that you lost your child. I never told Ian this, but Ivory and I went through the same thing after we had Harlow and Atticus. It wasn’t easy for either of us, but especially her.”
Her walls crumbled slightly, the softness reaching her eyes and mouth. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“I know you are. And I know you understand the pain. But you have a wonderful daughter, and I have my children. I consider us lucky.”
She gave a slight nod, but her arms remained crossed over her chest. “Would you like something to drink?”
“Scotch—if you have it.”
The corner of her mouth ticked in a smile. “Men never change.” She moved into the kitchen and made herself a tea and returned with my drink. We took a seat at the dining table, facing each other as the fire burned in the hearth. We sat for a while, neither one of us saying anything.
“Why are you in HeartHolme?”
“Ian and I have to take care of something.”
“I assume Ivory isn’t here. Otherwise, she’d be the one having this conversation.”
