33

When I made my way inside, he was nowhere to be seen. I realized I had no idea where Kodan was staying, or where they were having strategy meetings. So much for me being involved in the decision-making. I made my way back to the guest quarters, where luckily Fina and Adora had just called in afternoon tea from the kitchens. When I stepped into their room, the table was spread with fine meats and cheeses, and hot spiced tea that I accepted eagerly.

“Are you all right?” Fina asked, peering from over the rim of her own teacup with concern. “Wasn’t today a day off? You should be resting.”

“It was certainly supposed to be a restful day,” I said. “I went on a run with Elias.”

“That seems lovely,” Adora said. “Especially with the weather here. Perfect day for it.”

“You’d think so,” I said. “And it was, until King Draunar butted in.”

“He crashed your date?” Fina gaped at me.

“I know,” I said.

“I hate to say this,” Adora said, with her voice lowered, “as he’s been such a lovely host, but he’s been giving me a strange feeling most of this trip. Like he’s hiding something.”

“You can just say he’s creepy,” Fina said. “He is a bit creepy.”

Adora hid a laugh behind her hand. “I wasn’t going to say it!” Then she shook her head. “But it does seem to be mostly directed at you, Reyna. I’ve noticed the way he seems to watch you.”

I sighed. “So I’m not imagining things?”

“Definitely not,” Fina said. “What did he do?”

“He said he was ready to sign the peace treaty, but with one additional requirement,” I said.

Fina and Adora glanced at each other, like they knew where this was going.

“He wants me,” I said. “He wants Elias to give me to him as tribute.”

“Well, that’s ridiculous,” Adora said. “The king would never do such a thing.”

“Exactly,” Fina agreed. “He’s smitten with you. I mean, he chose you—and if I learned anything about him during the Choice,

it’s that the man is seriously possessive. There’s no way he’d ever go along with such a disrespectful request.”

“I know,” I said as I stared into my tea.

“Don’t let King Draunar get to you,” Adora said. “This is just two men having a dick-measuring contest.”

Fina squawk a surprised laugh. “I can’t believe you just said that!”

“What?” Adora asked, even as her cheeks reddened. “It’s true!”

“It’s absolutely true,” Fina said, “but I can’t believe you just said ‘dick-measuring’! Say it again!”

“Oh, gods,” Adora said, blushing even harder, “you’re ridiculous.”

Fina broke down into giggles. I offered them both a smile, too, but their familiar teasing didn’t make me feel any better. I knew they were both right—Elias was possessive, and certainly didn’t want to give me up—but they hadn’t heard the second half of Draunar’s threat.

What Elias wanted and what Frasia needed were two disparate things. And in this case, I wasn’t sure if they could be reconciled at all.

11

“I

t’s here!” Adora squealed, nearly leaping out of her seat. We were having mid-morning tea in the conservatory, enjoying the fine plants under overcast skies. The servant who had brought the news to Adora reeled back, visibly surprised by her reaction. “Oh, we have to go back to our quarters. Come on, I’ll have someone bring the tea in.”

“What is it?” I asked. “What’s so important?”

“You are going to love this,” Fina said. She grabbed my upper arm and tugged me through the gardens and back toward the palace. “Remember how the staff told you your gown for the ball tonight was already taken care of?”

I nodded, even though I didn’t really remember. It’d been a week since Draunar had made his demands in the quiet of the clearing, and Elias had refused to discuss it since. He’d been tied up in negotiations each day, and we only saw each other for a few moments in the morning and the evening. We barely had time to speak, and when I tried, he pushed me away.

Things had been improving between us—I’d really thought this trip to Shianga might be what we needed to build a real marriage. And yet now things were back to where they were before this journey. Perhaps even worse. Worse because he was the one stonewalling me. There wasn’t any cruelty in it, he was just…distracted. Absent. Like he was too busy to make time for me.

Or like he was trying to put distance between us.

If he was going to use me as a tribute, that would make sense, wouldn’t it? He would be trying to make the loss hurt less.

“You thought the Shiangan Court had something put together for you, didn’t you?” Adora asked.

“I suppose I did.” I hadn’t thought about the ball at all.

Fina and Adora glanced between each other like they knew that. Fina just sighed gently and led me back into the guest wing and back to my bedroom.

“Come on,” Adora chided. “This is the farewell ball. It should be quite extravagant. Aren’t you even a little excited?”

“At least excited to go home?” Fina asked. “I know I’m looking forward to it. If not the journey.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I just—I’m worried about the treaty. I know nothing’s been signed yet.”

“King Draunar is all about pomp and circumstance,” Adora said. “I’m sure he’s just waiting to sign it in front of everyone at the ball so he can force everyone to cheer and applaud.”

“Elias said he had it all worked out, didn’t he?” Fina said. “Once this ball is over, we’ll be able to go back to our normal lives.”