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Of course, Una’s test would be more dangerous by far. But I wouldn’t think of that yet.
Meck and Ferryn’s first assignment was to be my mizrah’s personal guard. I wasn’t so arrogant to believe she welcomed her new fate. She might try to escape. And if she didn’t try to flee, there was always the chance that a hidden enemy might do her harm to get to me. She wasn’t entirely wrong that her life may be in danger. The threat just wasn’t from me.
I tugged her along, noticing two of fae males carrying chopped wood for the campfires and the old smithy sharpening swords outside his tent. All three froze like stone as I led Una back to my tent. I ushered her inside, a knot tightening in my chest at the thought of all of their eyes on her.
Of course, they would stare. I knew this. Not only was she foreign and different, but she was the light-fae Princess of the highest court in all of the realms. And she was undeniably, jarringly lovely.
When I ushered her inside, she exhaled a breath, closed her eyes and crossed her arms. She was obviously relieved. Perhaps it was better for her too to stay away from all those prying eyes. I couldn’t avoid it forever, but I could give her a moment’s privacy to catch her breath.
“Make yourself comfortable. Ogalvet will bring you food soon,” I told her.
She nodded, finally opening her eyes and taking a look around. There wasn’t much to see besides a store of weapons and a small trunk of clothes. There was a fire dome, now cold, at the center of the room. A standing lantern had been lit, awaiting my return, casting a blue glow in the small chamber.
Stepping toward the fire dome, I opened the grate and whispered, “Etheline.” Flames leaped to life on the coals.
She held her palms out to the grate, relief softening her face. My chest eased at the sight but tightened again when her gaze finally landed on the wide bed of furs. She recoiled and gulped hard, her disgust for our marriage bed blatant.
“Do not fear,” I told her, my irritation obvious in my voice. “We will consummate our union in Silvantis, not here.” Not in Lumeria.
She nodded, looking down at the raised markings on the tops of her hands where the priest’s magick had left traces behind.
“Are you pleased we did your moon-binding?” I asked her curiously.
It galled me to do anything beneath Lumera’s light, but I wasn’t going to argue with her once she’d agreed to the terms. It irritated me to no end that I’d have done anything for her to agree.
“It will save my reputation since the rest of me will be lost.” She clasped her hands demurely and looked up at me with the haughtiness of an Issosian royal, gathering her shield around her. “Maybe I’ll be lucky. Maybe I’ll become pregnant after the first time and I’ll never have to suffer you in my bed again.”
I wondered if the gods blessed me or hated me by giving me this feisty harpy of a moon fae. For the way I wanted her was frightening, humiliating, and all-consuming. While she despisedme. As she should. She would hate me more after the Rite of Servium.
Over the years of war, word had come to me by my spies how beautiful the Princess of Issos had grown, how remarkably elegant in speech and manner, how regal in her bearing, how enchanting her violet gaze. But I’d never been able to picture anything but the young girl I’d taken from the dungeons. Nothing had prepared me for the reality of her.
Now, here we were. She was by all accounts already mine. And she loathed the very sight of me. The gods could often be cruel, but Vix had put her in my path for a reason, so I could use her to gain control of Lumeria. And I would use her however I wanted. It was my right after all her people had done to mine, after all the bloodshed and heartache.
When I stepped closer to her, she didn’t budge. I liked it when she stood her ground, a steady warmth burning low in my core.
“Best not get ahead of yourself, Princess.”
“Of course not,” she said sarcastically.
“And just to be clear, until you give birth to my heir, you will not go anywhere without my permission.”
She arched a brow in defiance. “Are you afraid I’ll seduce one of your soldiers?”
“Hardly. But I am concerned a rival amongst them might take advantage and put a babe in your belly before I can in order to make my men doubt my right as their king.”
She frowned. “Your people worship you.”
She was still so naive, my little princess.
“By all appearances.” I stepped toward the entrance and held open the flap, needing to get away from her. “But appearances can be deceiving, my mizrah.” Then I stormed out into the cold, a more welcome companion for the night.
Chapter 12
UNA
I heardthem long before they began to march into camp. The heavy tread of the cavalry sounded like a long roll of thunder that might never end.
Standing at the tent flap, I peeked through, watching the first of them approach the edge of the encampment. It was easy to make out Goll’s second in command—Soryn was what he’d called him. He stood even taller than the other cavalry on the back of the largest horse I’d ever seen. They rode Pellasians, a sturdy and hardy breed from Hellamir, a northern province of Lumeria.
