I stared at him, surprised at his ruthlessness. We sat in silence for a while, until we came to a stop in front of yet another house with gold-plated trim and ornate columns.
"You know, Rhys, you ought to be grateful I couldn't kill a person in cold blood," I said, before opening the car door. "Or else your brother would've been a dead man."
Galian
Although Olivia was in the forefront of my mind, at the hospital, my impending wedding with Theo was on the forefront of everyone else's. After two days of talking with patients, most of them fell into one of three categories. The first pitied me, and wondered how my father could force me to marry someone against my will. The second group thought me a monster for preying on an innocent Raven, as I was obviously using her for cheap political points and would treat her horribly. But the third group was merely curious, seeing through the spin and the stories and wondering how I really felt about being permanently attached to a woman from another country who I supposedly barely knew.
I gently diverted all the questions back to the examination, knowing that "no comment" would be better at this point. But even Mom had mentioned that we were due for a splashy media inquiry—a day I was dreading.
"Dr. Helmuth," Nurse Rima called as I walked by her. "You've got a patient in room four."
"O-oh, thank you," I said, glancing at the name and smiling. "Thank you very much."
"I thought you'd want to be the one to examine him," she said with a wink.
I patted the table in front of her and sauntered to the room, knocking briefly before letting myself in.
"About time. I've been waiting for half an hour." Kader sat shirtless on the examination table, the wound on his shoulder still pink and healing with the wire stitches poking out.
"Are you here for an examination or to talk?"
"Both?" he said, and I went to the cabinets to retrieve some gloves. "Feels fine though. You should clear me to go back to work."
"Uh-huh," I said, checking his shoulder for signs of infection. "And how does your wife feel about this?"
"Married two days and you're an expert?"
I shrugged.
"Then perhaps I won't tell you what your friend Olivia said when I paid her a visit on the way to the hospital."
"Oh yeah?" I leaned against the cabinet, pulling off the gloves and tossing them into the garbage. "Fine then, what'd she say?"
"She's got an uncle upstairs who's had surgery, so she'll be popping in to visit tomorrow," Kader said. "Thought you might want to check in on her."
I laughed and leaned against the cabinets. "Thanks. It's been hard to get around."
"It's a good thing I stopped by," Kader said, looking around as if for surveillance equipment. "A lot of ministers are being reassigned. You'll notice some new reporters on the front page of the Kylaen newspapers. Your father's taking full advantage of having a whole country to make people disappear in."
"But Rave's not...I mean, people know what's going on there, right?" I said. "He can't say someone's going to work for Bayard and then..."
"Bayard's in your father's pocket, so he'll do whatever Grieg says, whether he wants to or not. The reports we're getting from Johar aren't good. There's been rioting in the streets, and from what I hear on our end, Grieg is mobilizing the Kylaen military to 'help.'"
I rubbed my face. "That didn't take long."
"No, it didn't. Destabilizing Rave might not be our best option after all." He slid off the table and donned his shirt, flinching only once as he pulled it on. "So Olivia getting to Jervan and Herin is more important than ever."
Which would, in effect, result in more bloodshed. More war. More pain.
"Kader..." I said after a long silence. "How does this end?"
"Bloody."
NINETEEN
Theo
"R-rioting?"
Galian had arrived home after I'd already gone to sleep, so our now-familiar breakfast was the first chance I had to catch up with him. I'd intended to tell him all about Kopec and Rhys' methods for pressuring her, but when he'd told me Kader's news about the situation in Rave, I'd forgotten all about it.
"The reports from Johar are fuzzy," Galian said, reaching across the small table to take my hand, running his finger along the gold band. I could only wear it in the privacy of our bedroom. "But...Grieg is sending troops over. Bayard must've lost complete control of the country. Which is good, but...not good."
"Fuck," I said, no longer hungry. "What does that mean? What can we do? What should we do?"
"To be honest, we should've expected this," Galian said. "Grieg's ruthless. And if you look at the papers, it's all stories about the wedding—nothing from Rave."
"And nothing about the missing ministers either," I said, remembering the look on Rhys' face. "There was someone yesterday, I can't remember the name, but a minister had been replaced."
"Mansela?"
I shook my head. "Someone else. Bassett?"
"That's two," Galian said. "Guess Rhys'll have to dig up some dirt on whoever's replacing them."
I stared out the window at the gray day as rain splattered against the window. The small hope that I'd had when Galian and I married on the island was in danger of flickering out. Yet again, we were outmatched and outmaneuvered and there were no clear answers.
Galian's squeezed my hand. "Hey, amichai."
I turned back to him, the word still sending chills down my spine and distracting me from from my worried thoughts. "You know," I said, running my other hand over his, "to be honest, I thought I'd never hear you call me that."
"No?"
"I thought it was just something I'd have to accept, falling for a Kylaen. Your shitty country and your shitty accent."
He grinned. "Oh, I'm so glad you lowered your expectations so I can constantly exceed them."
I laughed and his other hand joined my two. Then I slipped my hand out from the bottom of the stack and stuck it on top. He pulled his out and placed it on top of mine. We played this game of whose-hand-is-on-top for a moment, until he went for my side, and I shrieked and nearly fell out of my chair.
"You're such a cheater," I said, guarding my hips against any further attacks from his devious fingers.
"Apparently," he said, holding up his hands in peace. "You should hear some of these nurses. They're either pitying me that I'm being forced to marry you—"
"As well they should."
"Or pitying you that you're being made to marry such a philandering playboy."
"Also, as well they should."
He snorted and sat back. "Little do they know I'm actually the luckiest man in Kylae that I get to spend time with you every morning over breakfast."
My face grew warm, especially when he leaned over the table to plant a kiss on my lips.
"And lucky me that I don't have to go in for another hour. So how about we finish breakfast and then figure out how to get hungry again?"
As he spoke, he'd circled the table, pulling me to my feet and against his body. I giggled as his hands found my rear, lifting me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist and kissed him mercilessly. We stumbled toward the bedroom, banging into the table and knocking over a lamp and nearly dropping me as he tripped over the rug.
But when the door to the parlor swung open, I gasped in surprise.
Galian
"W-what the hell are you doing here?" Theo said, as she slid to the ground. I craned my neck and saw a slightly familiar Raven woman standing in the doorway, a thick binder in her hand and an amused look on her face.
"I missed you too, 'neechai."
"Don't call me that," Theo said through clenched teeth. "And get the hell out of my room. You weren't invited in."
"Theo, you and I both know that neither of us have any say in this country," she said, closing the door behind her and walking over to the sitting area where our breakfast had grown cold. "Now, why don't you put your clothes back on and we'll discuss your schedule for the day?"
I blinked, torn b
etween confusion at this woman's no-nonsense demanding and indignation on behalf of my wife. "Er...who are you?"
"My apologies, Your Highness. Emilie Mondra. President Bayard has offered my services while we deal with the public relations of your wedding."
Theo snorted, but I glanced between them. "P-public relations?"
"It won't surprise you that the Raven people aren't very happy about this situation," Emilie said, and Theo muttered something under her breath. "For them, we need to sell the two of you. Have them celebrate your union instead of the union between our nations."
"A union that we didn't want any part of," Theo snapped.
"From the looks of things when I walked in, you seemed pretty happy about it," Emilie said with a pointed glance at Theo's disheveled shirt.
"How can you even stand here when there are riots in Veres?" Theo said, although her face grew even redder.
"I could ask how you can stomach sleeping with your fiancé when his father has killed thousands of our countrymen, but then we'd be here all day," Emilie said. "As it stands, I appreciate that you look a little more alive now that you two are back together. I can only assume that's the reason behind your little spark of life in Jervan, 'neechai."
Theo's jaw fell in horror, and I stepped in front of her. "Despite what you might hear, our sex life is none of your business."
"Actually, everything you do is my business. What you do, who you see. What you say. How often and where you kiss. The next few months will be a carefully planned strategy, which you and Theo will play along with."
"Or what?" I said.
"Or I could tell a different story. I could talk about the building in Malaske, how Bayard had put all the millions in resources toward the defense of our country. But thanks to one lovesick Raven major, instead of ending the war in victory, the bomb went to the bottom of the Madion Sea. And, out of options, Bayard had no choice but to bow to pressure and return the country to Kylae." She tilted her head to the side. "How well do you think that will play with your rebels, 'neechai?"
Theo's eyes widened. "You wouldn't dare. P-people will see right through that. They'll question why Bayard had the bomb—"
"Because he was trying to end the fighting—"
"By killing half a million people!"
"By any means necessary. Theo, I've been in this game a lot longer than you have, and I can make anything look like anything I want, so how about you quiet down and let me help you instead of destroy you?"
"Okay, so I have a question," I said, before Theo could retort. "Not to sound...whatever...but how the hell did a Raven get put in charge of our public relations?" I tossed an apologetic glance at Theo. "Sorry."
"Much like your fiancée, I didn't let the simple fact of my race get in the way of what I wanted. Besides, based on the photos I've been seeing, she wants me here. I brought the right foundation color, at least. And I'll do my best to help her look as professional and put-together." She paused. "Despite what you might think, Theo, I did grow a little attached to you during our time together. I thought of you as a little sister."
Theo quirked a brow. "Then why the hell did you let them put me in a bomb?"
"I didn't believe you'd turn on us," Emilie said with a shrug. "You disappointed me when you left to warn the Kylaens."
"Who you now work for, might I remind you," I added.
"And aren't you so lucky that I do." She crossed the room to sit at the small table where Theo and I had been eating breakfast, moving a plate to put her thick binder down. "The king has been persuaded that Theo embarrassing herself by meeting with ministers who'd rather spit on her than shake her hand isn't the best course of action. And the queen was persuaded that Theo highlighting the plight of poor Ravens in the Kylaen slums is a bad image."
Theo glanced up at me, but said nothing.
"Instead, I've got a better strategy. We're going to showcase both of your strengths. I've got an idea, but it'll take me a few days to get the pieces ironed out. In the meantime, Theo, you and I will discuss your social profile. What I want you to say, how I want you to say it, and to whom." She smiled as Theo rolled her eyes. "It'll be just like old times. Complete with your prince to take to your bed every night."
"Fuck off," Theo growled.
"And as for you, Your Highness," Emilie said, leveling her intense glare at me. "You're free to do as you wish, but I ask that you try to keep your behavior respectable when you're in public." She glanced at her watch. "Speaking of, it looks like you'll be late for your shift if you don't leave now."
"Uh..." I began.
"A word." Theo grabbed my shirt sleeve and dragged me into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her and taking heaving, deep breaths as she paced in front of me.
"What the... I can't even.... Ugh!"
"Calm down, amichai," I said. "She's just trying to get a rise out of you."
"Put on makeup and parade around while my people are rioting?" she said. "And now she's had the brilliant idea of stopping me from going to the slums—now what am I supposed to do?"
"We'll think of something else," I said. "Maybe you can persuade her to come visit me at work, and we can arrange a meeting there?"
Theo frowned, glaring at the door and, presumably, the woman on the other side. "Galian, I feel like a puppet again. I hate this feeling."
"Then don't be a puppet," I said with a shrug. "If you know what they're trying to do, you can figure out how to use it to your advantage. You know Emilie's here to prevent you from screwing with this treaty, whether by Bayard's order or Grieg's, so everything she says is designed to do just that. All you have to do is figure out a counteroffensive."
She leaned against the door. "Please don't go to work today. I need you here. Emilie's so much smarter than I am—even if I could come up with something, she'd already be three steps ahead of me."
"I've got to meet with Olivia today," I said. When her gaze darkened, I qualified, "As soon as I meet with her, I'll come right home, I promise."
She released a loud sigh. "Fine. I'll deal with Emilie by myself. But you promise—"
"Right home."
"Can't believe you're abandoning me to meet with your ex-girlfriend," Theo said with a ghost of a smile on her face. "But you'd better make some serious progress with Olivia or else there will be hell to pay tonight."
I swallowed. "Oh really? What kind of hell?"
Her eyes flashed. "No sex."
"Fine," I said, saluting her. "I'll do my best, ma'am."
Theo
Galian left with a kiss and a heartfelt apology, but I hung on to my annoyance. I knew I was being a bit irrational. We both had our roles in this staged production, and he was playing his. But his promises to work together were starting to ring hollow. Making me laugh in the morning was one thing; leaving me to contend with Emilie by myself was quite another.
When I finally walked out into the parlor, Emilie had already set up shop on the table, and was reviewing her notebook.
"Get that scowl off your face, you'll get wrinkles," she said without even glancing in my direction. "Now, I've got a few ideas for how we can shape your image. You've already got a few requests for interviews, but I've taken the liberty of declining them all, as per the king's request. He's not sure you're ready for the media's glare, and after your performance in Thormondia—"
"Veres, for fuck's sake. Call it by the right name," I said.
"Rave is no longer a country," Emilie said, and I was surprised she didn't show even a modicum of sadness over that statement. "We are now the seventh province of the Great Kingdom of Kylae, so it's back to Thormondia." She tapped her pen against the folder, furrowing her brow in thought. "The queen was fairly adamant that she wanted you to help out with charity. Was that her choice or yours?"
"M-mine," I said, wishing I was better at lying. "If I'm going to be stuck in this damned country, I want to help my people."
"The slums are so...well, I might be able to figure out a way...but I'd have to scout
the location first, and make sure the...urchins are clean, at least." She pursed her lips. "Fine, Theo. As a favor to you, I'll see about getting you a photo opportunity with some Raven refugees. You met with Kopec, right? She's the leader of a good one—good reputation, and she rarely gets her hands dirty."
I smiled, pleased that I'd achieved one small victory against her. Maybe Emilie wasn't as impervious as I'd thought. "Emilie... how do you really feel about this treaty?" I asked, hoping to test my luck a bit more.
She glanced in my direction then opened her mouth. "Of course, I fully—"
"Not the spin, just...your honest opinion. I know you have one. Tell me you don't honestly believe this is what's best for our country."
She didn't respond immediately, and when she did, her voice was thoughtful, a little softer than it had been. "No, I don't think this is what's best for our country, and frankly, I think Bayard is making a grave mistake. I personally believe Rave will declare independence in another decade, led by Anson and his little band of renegades, and we'll begin another fifty years of bloodshed with Kylae."
I couldn't believe her bluntness. "So why are you here, then?"
"Because it's my job."
And just like that, she was back to normal.
Galian
I hated leaving Theo to her own devices, but she had the spark in her eyes that had been missing these past few days. At the very least, I was sure Theo knew how to handle Emilie. But her arrival had made things far more complex. She'd done Grieg's work for him by vetoing Theo's visit to the slums with logic and reason.
Which meant my time at the hospital needed to be effective, and I spent a good portion of my downtime in the morning making sure I rehearsed exactly what I needed from Olivia. We were on better ground than when I'd asked for her help before, but I still was prepared for her to throw things at me—especially now that I was officially engaged.
The Complete Madion War Trilogy Page 61