26

Elias stormed into the bedroom in a huff when I was in the midst of braiding my hair.

“Oh, hello,” I said. “Should I ask how negotiations are going?”

Frustration radiated off him in waves. He stormed over to the small bar cart in the corner and poured himself a finger of brandy even though it was barely noon.

“We’re going in circles,” he groused. “One minute, Draunar is demanding more land, and the next his advisors are suggesting they not look power-hungry, lest they make Askon suspicious. Then, the tax advisor wants adjustments to the proposed trade policy, then the general wants more land, and then Draunar is the one questioning if that will make Shianga look power-hungry, and around and around they go.” He shook his head. “It’s exhausting. I almost wonder if they’re doing it on purpose to stall the talks.”

My dreamy mood was suddenly doused in cold water. My anxiety spiked a little. “What do you mean? Why would he try to stall the talks?”

“I don’t know,” Elias said. He sighed and leaned heavily against the wall, then stared into his brandy glass. “I’m probably just being paranoid. He might just be peacocking. Trying to make me feel like he has the upper hand.”

“Does he?” I asked.

Elias looked up. “Certainly not. He doesn’t have the Queen of Frasia on his side.” He padded over and put his lips to my temple as I finished my braid. “How are you feeling?”

“Good,” I said. “A little nervous about this lunch. He’s not going to be happy to see you.”

“Probably not,” Elias said. “But it’s better than you going to see him alone. I have a feeling he’d try something shady if you did.”

“You don’t want me to murder the King of Shianga in an act of self-defense?” I teased. I turned and caught his lips in a brief kiss.

“I wouldn’t be totally against it,” he said, “but that wouldn’t be great for the negotiations.”

“Let’s get it over with,” I said. “The girls want to go into town afterward.”

“Well,” he said, straightening up, “we certainly can’t leave them waiting.”

King Draunar had invited me to lunch in the conservatory, located in the courtyard behind the throne room. It was a beautiful building, covered in pebbled glass and filled with well-tended bright flowers and a few small gurgling fountains. In the center of the conservatory, King Draunar had set up a polished wooden table, small enough to be intimate but grand enough for a king. It was a gorgeous setting, and though there were four chairs at the table, it was clear Draunar had only been expecting to see me.

He stood as I entered, and tugged at the embroidered sleeves of his fine, pale linen robes. “King Elias, welcome.” He narrowed his eyes at Elias he entered. “My manservant will fetch another place setting for our unexpected guest.”

“My apologies, Your Highness,” I said as I took my seat at the table. “Was I not supposed to invite my husband to this fine meal?”

“I’d hoped to speak with you privately,” King Draunar said, “as I’m sure your husband is quite sick of hearing my voice already.”

“Nonsense,” Elias said as he dropped into the seat across from me. The servant the king had called swooped in and set his place with impressive speed. “I greatly enjoy your presence, Your Highness. Though” —he flashed King Draunar a charmer’s smile— “I can’t let you swoop in to court my wife.”

“I’d do no such thing,” King Draunar shot back, matching Elias’ teeth. “I simply wished to enjoy the queen’s company. Is she not allowed to go out alone?”

Elias’ eyes flashed. “She’s allowed—”

“My lord,” I interrupted. “Please. Let’s not bicker. We’re here to develop peace between our nations, are we not?”

Elias and Draunar stared at each other for a long moment. Elias’ eyes were shot through gold, and Draunar’s burned bright green. The air seemed to crackle with tension, and my wolf raised her hackles—both Draunar’s dragon and Elias’ wolf were just under the surface, ready to burst forth and handle the conflict physically.

But then Draunar leaned back in his chair and flashed us both a beatific grin. “You’re right, of course, Queen Reyna. We’re all friends here, aren’t we?”

“Of course,” I said. “Shall we take a breather from the negotiations and enjoy lunch?”

Elias smiled back, but it looked more pained than anything else. Lunch was tense, and more than a little awkward. Every time I tried to bring up the map, King Draunar deftly sidestepped the question and brought the conversation back to safe, dull topics, like the design of the gardens and the history of the gilded paintings in the throne room. His conversation was as skillful as his flying, and there was no way he was going to tell me anything about the map. From the look in his eyes, it was clear I hadn’t held up my end of the deal, so he wasn’t going to hold up his, either.

After lunch, King Draunar excused himself for a meeting with his generals. As soon as the door to the conservatory clicked closed, Elias slumped down into his seat, pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes.

“Gods above,” he said. “That man is exhausting.”

I had a bit of headache myself from playing verbal volleyball with him for the entirety of lunch. “I see why negotiations are so frustrating.”

“Do you still plan to go into town with Fina and Adora?” he asked, with his eyes still covered.

“I’d like to.”

“Might I join you?” he asked. “I need to get out of this palace. The second I make it back to our quarters, I promise you there will be an attendant knocking at the door, asking me to come review some tax forms I’ve already looked at a hundred times.”

I bit back a smile. “Sure. Some fresh air will do us good.”