Page 22 of To Save a Kingdom

She blinked, realization hitting her as clearly as if Zadé had screamed it in her ear. Roland didn’t care about the use of his army or his soldiers. He’d used his initial request—something she couldn’t grant—to soften her up for the one thing he wanted he believed she could relinquish.

But she couldn’t. She’d promised not only her council, but the dwarves. If the thanes found out Aliya handed the Whisperers over to the elves, she’d have another war on her hands, even more destructive than the one they’d just ended.

She shook her head. “No,” she said again. “The devices are abominations. They need to be destroyed. That is not negotiable.”

Roland’s eyes flashed, a cunning smile morphing across his face. “Then you will hand over the one who created them.”

Aliya’s heart thrashed, pumping blood past her ears with so much force she barely heard his words. Giving Roland the master artificer was worse—it was tantamount to an unlimited supply of Whisperers, and whatever else the twisted little man came up with.

“I couldn’t give him to you if I wanted to,” Aliya said. “I had him executed two nights ago.” The lie was bitter on her lips.

Tsara’s eyes widened. She knew the truth—the man had escaped with Brooks the other night.

Aliya glared at her, praying to the seven gods the woman held her tongue.

Grunting, Roland dabbed the edges of his mouth with his napkin and tossed it into his soup bowl. Standing, he turned to face Aliya. “You ask me to speak plainly, then lie to my face.” He pushed his seat back. “I’ll give you a few days to think about it. But without those Whisperers or their inventor, the trade agreement is void and the war still stands.”

And his full army was camped outside her walls.

Aliya gripped the table as Roland pivoted on his heel and marched from the room.

Tsara threw her an apologetic glance before trailing after him.

With a sigh, Aliya rested her elbows on the tabletop, pressing her palms into her eyes.

“Aliya?” Elessan’s voice came from behind her as the reassuring weight of his hand settled on her shoulder.

“You know,” she said, not lifting her face from her hands, “Sometimes, I can see why Malkov simply executed those who opposed him.” Not that she was considering trying to assassinate the king of the sun elves. Doing so would no doubt lead to more problems, including reigniting the war, but it was entertaining to dream about the possibility of him randomly dropping dead.

Elessan cleared his throat. “Aliya?”

Something in his tone had the few bites of soup she’d managed to swallow curdling in her gut.

“I’d like you to meet my mother, Sorisana Svialto.”

Aliya dropped her hands from her face and leaped to her feet. Crap. She shouldn’t have said anything about wanting to murder Roland. Turning toward the mountain elf pair, she schooled her expression, plastering a smile on her face. Holding out her hand, she studied Sorisana. “It’s nice to put a face to the name.”

Elessan’s mother was stunning. It was clear where he’d gotten his high cheekbones and lilac-colored irises. Her hair was more of a medium brown than moonlight blond, but it fell similarly across her shoulders.

She offered Aliya a quick grin that almost reached her eyes and grasped her hand in a firm handshake. “It’s an honor to do the same, Your Majesty. Congratulations on your recent victory.”

Sorisana didn’t like her. Aliya felt it deep in her bones, but wasn’t sure why. She hadn’t done anything to the woman. They’d never met before.

“Thank you,” she nearly stammered, only catching herself at the last minute. “Though your son, Princess Tsara and General Zadé deserve most of the credit.” Turning her focus to Elessan, the warmth in his gaze melted away the chill permeating Aliya’s skin. “I owe him my life several times over.”

“Hmm.” Sorisana glanced between them then waved to the vacated table. “May we sit?”

Aliya studied the dinner. The soup was cold, the other courses still covered. The weight of Roland’s demand pressed against her, making it hard to breathe. She wanted to be anywhere but here, facing the remnants of her failed attempt at political negotiations. “Do you mind if we go outside instead? We can walk in the garden. It’s quite beautiful in the evening.”

“Oh.” Sorisana’s forehead puckered as her eyebrows drew together. “Of course.”

Aliya led them out the door. The two sentries fell into step behind them. She’d need to get used to them following her everywhere she went. The sensation sent unpleasant prickles of awareness up her spine. It was just one more of the lovely side effects that came with being the queen—always watched and judged.

She, Elessan and Sorisana headed for the grounds. The night-blooming Jasmine buds were opening, sending their fragrance throughout the area. Aliya took a deep breath, letting the scent relax her.

The gravel on the path scraped beneath her feet, the only sound in the otherwise quiet evening. Even the crickets had the common sense to keep silent. Elessan’s mother clearly had something to say, Aliya could feel the pressure and anticipation radiating off the woman.

When the silence became heavy, Sorisana spoke. “Your Majesty, may I speak freely?”