Page 6 of The Kraken Bride

Pulse skittering, I glided toward the same door I’d entered, doing my best to appear unhurried while King Sebastian’s gaze bore into my back.

One step. Then the next. But dinner? With the king? Just the two of us? Or a welcome banquet for all ambassadors?

Sebastian Mórisi didn’t strike me as the sort to indulge in social niceties, especially those involving rival berserker factions.

I swallowed. And what did he mean by my duties?

As an ambassador, my official responsibilities were clear: relay messages between kraken and dragonkind, attend a monthly meeting, and report kingdom deviltries to my sister. Nothing more, nothing less.

Turning around to ask would require meeting those fathomless, bottomless eyes again. Hearing his sultry voice. Enduring the weight of his attention. Nein, thank you.

The moment I exited the throne room, a woman stepped neatly into my path. Coral-pink hair pulled into a severe braid. Tailored suit with pearl fastenings and fabric that glistened like wet silk. Clipboard in hand.

“Princess Bronwyn, I’m Freyja, your personal assistant,” she said, brisk.

If I had one word to describe this woman, it would be impeccable. “Are personal assistants standard for ambassadors?” They weren’t in Ashmorra. And Henry hadn’t mentioned one.

“Follow me, please,” she said, very obviously choosing not to answer my question. “I will escort you to your room. You’ll be staying in the palace tonight.” She pivoted and marched off.

I hurried after her, forced into an undignified jog to keep up. Forget the personal assistant. Being assigned a room here at the palace? Why? Ambassadors stayed in their embassies.

Freyja led me through corridors with quiet authority. As we walked, the walls curved, spiraled and unfolded like the inside of a seashell, all pale stone and opalescent veins. Still, she explained nothing.

I should let the subject drop. According to Adelaide, curiosity left tracks. Every question told people what interested you. But…

“Why am I staying here tonight?” I’d been looking forward to some downtime. And now that I’d met with the kraken king, I really needed to decompress. Alone.

When I’d spoken to Henry, the former dragon ambassador to Krakenströnd, he’d described his stay as “little better than prison” and the embassy as his only refuge.

“All ambassadors spend their first night in the palace, in a wing for visitors, under royal protection.”

Ah. Under guard, more like. But okay. That, I understood.

“I’m sure King Sebastian will explain anything else you need to know,” she said.

Translation: Zip your lips.

She turned a corner. “By the way, your bags arrived safely at the dragon embassy.”

An entire night without my gowns—my armor. My music box. My books.

“Everything you will need tonight is provided for you,” she continued. “From now until veil you may relax and freshen up from your journey. You’ll have access to the Ambassador Communication Lounge to contact your realm.”

No reason to visit the lounge. I had another way to contact my sisters. I brushed my thumb over the ring on my left index finger.

Freyja tapped her clipboard. “Finally, you are scheduled for a private dinner in the king’s suite later this evening.”

Grace held, even as surprise struck. So it was just the two of us. In his suite, no less.

Prickling unease spread beneath my ribs. I may be new to ambassadoring and all that it entailed, but I did know this: when someone invited you to their private quarters, it was for bed, not conversation.

The woman in me wanted to fire up my temper, but my dragon rolled her eyes. Why waste my flame? If he made a move, I’d react then.

But what if he suspected the truth? That I suspected he might be my firebrand?

If he intended to charm dragon secrets out of me, the delicate ballerina, the easy mark, well, he’d soon learn better. I was a vault. What’s more, I was determined. I would charm him and use this time to change his mind about faction marriages.

We turned another corner and came to a hall where guards lined the walls. They didn’t glance our way but remained on alert.