Page 130 of Season Warriors & Wolves

“Besides war,” I agreed.

Snow took one of the candies he offered. My wife was less interested in eating it than studying the soft jelly dipped in powdered sugar.

That made the Unblessed King chuckle. “Imported,” he explained, taking a seat and rubbing his aching knee. “Like most of our foods. Our lands are rather—”

“Barren,” Snow continued for him. “It must cost you a fortune.”

Drystan seemed rather pleased to quench Snow’s curiosity. “We’ve found ways to compensate for gold and riches. Fishing, manpower, artisanal skills, metal, fine horses.”

Snow nodded. “Commendable.”

“A necessity,” he corrected. “To survive in a land that wanted us to disappear.”

My wife fought whatever intrusive thought was trying to escape her tightly pressed mouth. It made me smile a little and the Unblessed King noticed.

“Your wife is quite the beauty. But being her father’s child, I can’t not think that she’s used that trait to her advantage,” he said, surveying her with some scrutiny now.

“Believe me,” she said, chewing on the sweet, “if you were beautiful too, you’d want to use it to your advantage.”

He laughed. “I’ve never been called ugly more graciously.”

“If this conversation continues any more in this direction, you will find that I was less gracious than I was direct.”

His brows rose and he glanced between my wife and I. “You’ve come for business, I apologise. Though I cannot understand what business exactly since your husband and I have already set connections and I’ve given word of solely trading with him. Especially since your father is now looking to open war to the realm.”

“It is not your loyalty I deem faulty,” Snow said, and Drystan narrowed his eyes on her. “But your chosen.”

“You mean the princes?” He laughed. “I can assure you, my kin no longer serves your father.”

“Your kin already is serving my father.”

“Impossible,” he said, signalling his Dark Crafter to take his side.

“Quite the opposite,” my wife said. “Father was in Breshall not long ago, with the purpose to meet your kin. Who, by the way, had politely agreed to hold meet.”

Drystan’s shadows twirled with an array of disbelief and curdling fear. “And you are certain of this?”

Snow leaned back on the seat and crossed her legs. “I’ve got no desire to turn a precious ally useless. And useless you would be if an unfortunate civil war was to overtake your lands right about when my father is to declare ruin on all the realm. You human kings are weak. It would not take a day to take you down, perhaps even less considering they have my father’s aid.”

He turned to me. “Is it true?”

I nodded. “Unfortunately.”

He rubbed a shaky hand to his jaw and signalled his Dark Crafter who didn’t delay to portal away. “Your father is quite set on causing ruckus in my kingdom.”

Snow’s mouth twitched a little and she forced a saccharine smile. “Don’t take it personally.”

Not even a few minutes later, a knock sounded on the doors behind us, and three men strode in, their expressionless faces suddenly turned a shade of cautious when they took notice of us. Their shadows, however, were rather thick with fear. Fear was so ever present in the unblessed lands that it was starting to stink too.

“What is the meaning of this, uncle?” the shortest one said, stepping forward. The Prince of Norodoh looked annoyed. “We have lands to run, not time to waste chewing candy in the mainland with your drunken court.”

Snow stood and faced them, her smile turned cruel. “Apologies, did we interrupt your meetings on how to usurp your king, you useless pests?” They blanched the colour of paper at her harsh words. “What did my rotten father offer you for your rotten souls, huh? Whores? Gold? Power that he cannot give you?”

He stepped forward. “How dare—”

Darkness spilled from me, coating the room and air with thick obsidian fog that hissed when it touched the air. Death was so present in Vrammethen that it wasn’t at all difficult to summon it. “Sit,” I said simply and rather politely but the men quickly rushed their shaking limbs toward the empty settee across from us. Which made me feel bad since I was not in the business of making men with groomed moustaches feel afraid and threatened.

Snow’s lashes had dropped, and she did not even bother glaring at the three princes. “It is idiots like you that give soliciting a bad name.”