Page 135 of Winds of Ruin
His threat rang out in jest.
I hoped.
“Nothing like that. She’s a friend,” I said too quickly.
“Mhm,”Fenris mumbled. “Yes, I’m sure that’s why you’re dancing in place right now.”
I hadn’t noticed my foot tapping against the marble until he mentioned it and halted the movement.
“She’s flown Mayra to check on the west border before the festivities,” Asterie chimed in.
I stilled. “What for?”
Asterie placed a hand on my arm. “Nothing to fret about. There have been camps of soldiers set up along both sides of the border for over a year. Lark shared what Prince Bringham told her. Therehasbeen movement. The West doubled their men in the past few days, but there will not be a war—Bringham knows he’s outnumbered.”
I scratched my chin. “Then what’s he playing at?”
“I believe he’s trying to bait us into making a move to win support from the townships nearest. If Source-wielders used force against the troops, it would make the lords nearby skeptical. He wants land, and he won’t hesitate to make us the villains to take it.”
Rubbing a hand down my face, I scoffed. “It really never changes. From one ruler to the next, there will always be greed and conflict.”
Asterie squeezed my arm once more before she said, “We stand a chance of changing it someday.”
I hoped her words proved true.
“With that, I renew my alliance with the Central, East, and South Corridors. The North has prospered under interim leadership. For that, I thank those who ruled in my stead and dedicate myself to the best interest of this Corridor.”
The one face I wished to see in the crowd still hadn’t arrived.
Sybilla stepped forward with that terrible golden crown. I bent so that she could reach my head; the crown felt as heavy and out of place as the first time I’d worn it.
The Lynx at the ballroom doors chattered with excitement, and the North Corridor lords, full of food and drink, seemed appeased as they gently clapped their praise.
With that, I nodded and ended my sincere, albeit short, address. I stiffly descended the stage’s steps as the strings picked back up behind me, filling the air with jovial sound.
This evening was about dismissing any lingering ties with Bringham. I shook hands with and smiled at anyone who approached me. The conversations were dry but amicable.
“Well said, King Mattock.”
“We wish you the best of luck.”
“It is good to see you awake.”
I grabbed a flute of bubbling wine to curb my nerves.
All the while, I searched the room for the woman I wanted by my side for every one of these conversations. I flexed my free hand, wishing that pacing counted as good manners. A woman in a red dress passed me—she looked peculiarly familiar, and I couldn’t place from where.
Across the ballroom, Asterie and Fenris spoke with Lark. I noticed Dritan had joined her, but for now, he stayed a few feet away, trailing her like a lost puppy and trying not to draw any attention to himself.
I didn’t want to force him to confront anything he was not yet ready to. El would likely tell me fear clouded my judgment. When Dritan and I had spoken earlier, I’d nearly invited him to come live in Helos with me. He had his own life to build; I’d need to find a natural way to be a part of it.
To my relief, a head of auburn hair bobbed down the staircase, and my mood lifted. Stopping halfway, Elsedora pulled on a pair of heeled shoes. The slit of her dress allowed for an enticing display of long legs as she wrestled the shoes on. She wore a throwing dagger in a garter on her thigh.
Even when she was frantic and hurried, her grace took my breath away. The silk gown draped her in solid, shimmering gold. Thin ties were cinched together at her waist, and the fabric spilled down her body like running water.
A lump formed at the back of my throat.
I loved that color. On her.
