A Prince's Duty (The Royal Houses of Sea and Snow, #1)

by Marquez, Jude

  "I'm not even brave enough to get in the ring with him. Good show indeed," Alik agreed. He looked up at the sun shining down on them and noted the soldier’s golden skin, as well as the princes'. "Is the weather always this beautiful?" He asked.

  "We have our rainy season. It’s the reason they are called the Storm Isles," Edmond said, "But otherwise yes."

  "I don't think you and I would make a very good pair," Alik said suddenly. "But I think I would like to learn from you."

  Edmond did not seem surprised by his words but nodded seriously. Then he turned to Alik and said, "Oh, but what a handsome pair we would have made."

  Alik tossed his head back and laughed.

  THE FUTURE KING OF the Grayhaven was a curse, Eamon decided. He was indeed handsome and his manners were impeccable, but Eamon already knew that. Alik kept his eyes upwards of the slits on Eamon's sister's skirts and tried so hard to be likable. He was exceedingly polite to both the servants and Eamon's parents and although he was clearly terrified of the wolves that Eamon called friends, he was not disgusted by them.

  Eamon did not like him. He did not like the way Alik looked at Edmond or the way he regarded Stormholme or even Vlann Island where the castle sat. As though they were treasures to be plundered and not cherished.

  Eamon reached down and helped the boy up to his feet. "You'll grow into it. Go get your breakfast," he said.

  "Sir," the boy said and bowed. He left, rolling the shoulder that took the brunt of the strike from Eamon’s sword.

  Eamon was familiar with that ache. He dismissed the other knights and soldiers and approached his brother and Alik.

  "Enjoy the show?" He asked them. He wiped his brow as he looked up at the two of them. Alik was clearly fresh from his bed and bath, Edmond taking a break from his own arena.

  "That wasn't a show. That was a massacre. Can any of your men compete against you?" Alik asked eagerly. He looked younger than he did the day before, like he was enjoying himself for the first time in a very long time.

  That wasn't the answer that Eamon was expecting. He blinked and looked at the men departing. He wasn’t sure how to parse his answer, either. Did he enjoy the show because he enjoyed seeing Eamon fight? Or did he enjoy the assurance that if and when the Vresal army came marching on their borders, Eamon was more than able to defend them?

  As Eamon thought on the choices, he watched his men leave, wondered if they were just meat for Alik to throw in the way of the Vresals.

  "Serrell came close once," Edmond said after a moment of considering and brought Eamon back to the conversation at hand.

  Alik laughed once more. Eamon did not turn to look at him because he had only seen that laugh a moment before. His hair was long for the style of the Grayhaven empire and the dark blonde hair brushed the top of his ears. His green eyes reminded Eamon of ponds during the first spring rain and his skin was so fair, that Queen Christenne and Avelina voiced worries about him being outside too much. He was long and lean and Eamon knew that men with bodies like that had an untold strength that was not as obvious as the men who had bodies like Eamon himself.

  Eamon forcibly made himself turn his thoughts away from Alik’s body.

  Edmond leaped down from the fence and faced his brother. "Bathe before breakfast. You know how mother is.”

  Eamon waved him off and turned from Alik. He was going to pick up the arena, but his men completed the task for him before he could even think of it. Yet still, there were other tasks he had to tend to before he went inside.

  "Will I see you at breakfast, Your Highness?" Alik called at his retreating back. He hadn't said yes or no either way to his brother.

  "I have some things I have to take care of first," Eamon said and glanced over his shoulder. The sun fell on Alik like he was blessed from on high and Eamon stumbled over a stray rock and straightened himself before turning back to the open gate.

  "Would you mind some company?" Alik asked, pushing his luck.

  Eamon glanced him over and nodded. "Sure."

  He wasn't sure if Alik would care for the duties Eamon had to tend to, but he wasn't one to deny curiousity.

  "Have you many state duties?" Alik asked as he fell in step with Eamon.

  "The minutiae is taken care of by Lissandra. I am only called in during the event of war, threat of war, intimidation tactics, strategy, and overland transport of goods," Eamon replied.

  "And Edmond?" Alik prompted.

  "Edmond is Captain of the Guard. Or, he will be in a month's time. That's when Aberadus will retire and hand the official title over to him," Eamon said.

  "He's young to be Captain, is he not?" Alik asked. They were headed towards a different arena, one that was shaded by trees.

  "Young or not, he is capable. The men are his more than they are Aberadus' at this point," Eamon knew he sounded testy as though Alik were questioning his duties and not simply curious. Alik paused as though he considered for a moment scaling back on the questions but forged ahead anyway. Alik wanted to understand a family that delegated nearly all the tasks to the children but they all seemed so at ease with their responsibilities. King Alexios seemed like he would rather cut his own hand off rather than hand any major responsibilities over to Alik before Alik was married.

  "And Avelina?" Alik asked.

  "Charity and taxation. She is-" Eamon smiled slightly and Alik saw him soften at the mention of the youngest of his siblings. "She is adored by all. Loved by everyone who meets her."

  "I have never heard of a tax collector who is loved and adored. I must know her secrets," Alik quipped. He wouldn't admit it if anyone asked, but he was trying to win a smile from Eamon.

  "Oh, she doesn't collect. No. She calculates taxes and disseminates charity where it's most needed. She is the face of the royal family among the people," Eamon paused and then added, "The fact that she gives money to the needy, to the orphans, libraries, artisans, and whatever else catches her eye probably does us well in the people's eyes too."

  They rounded a corner and Eamon pulled another gate open and Alik walked through, his mouth already forming another question when he turned around was greeted by several dozen wolves staring at him. Most of them were laying on their bellies, staring at the gate and Alik with bright, curious eyes.

  "I thought there was only three," Alik whispered and went still.

  "Last night, yes," Eamon said and whistled.

  The wolves lined themselves up and a young man looked over the high wall at them. He handed a bucket to Eamon who took it and started at one end of the line. He started pulling chunks of raw meat from it and hand feeding each wolf. He would pause at each one and murmur a word and stroke the fur behind their ears before moving on to the next one.

  Alik still had his back pressed against the wall of the large kennel. Kane alone was fine, or even the two he saw last night with Kane, but to see so many packed so closely made his heart beat so hard, he could feel it in his throat.

  "They won't hurt you," Eamon said when he glanced over his shoulder and saw Alik staring at him. "Come, bring me that other bucket," he said and a bucket appeared at Alik's shoulder. The boy who handed it to him met his worried eyes and only offered him a shrug. The boy seemed unconcerned.

  "I should warn you that I am the sole heir to my parent's kingdom-" Alik said and clutched the bucket to his chest as he forced himself to inch closer.

  "I am well aware," Eamon replied and waited patiently for Alik to approach.

  "And should anything befall me-"

  "Yes, Your Highness," Eamon said and sighed. "Come, bring me their food." He held his hand out and when Alik stepped closer, Eamon took a step away, forcing Alik closer to the wolves. They eyed him speculatively.

  "Feed one," Eamon urged.

  And there it was, that damnable smirk. Eamon was toying with him.

  "I cannot afford to lose a hand," Alik insisted.

  "You have two. And they are sweeter than old women to children," Eamon promised.

  "If the
y are so tame why are you the only one in here?" Alik asked.

  "I never said tame. These wolves are not tame," Eamon shook his head. "Never make that mistake, Your Highness. These are the hellhounds of the Vlann shores."

  "Your words offer little comfort," Alik pointed out.

  "But they listen to me and obey," Eamon said and snapped his fingers. Even the ones eating sat up at the sound and looked at him. "And they will not make a move on you unless I say so."

  Alik glanced from him to the great gray wolf in front of him. "Do they all have names?"

  "They do. She is Titan."

  Her body was well muscled and her eyes were a warm chocolate brown. If she stood on her hind legs she would be taller than Alik. Her coat was gray and her mouth was filled with more teeth than Alik had seen in a single being. She watched him steadily.

  "Titan, be sweet to your guest," Eamon said casually.

  Alik glanced at Eamon and Eamon nodded for him to go ahead. Alik pulled out a particularly large hunk of meat from the bucket and held it out to Titan. His hands trembled and the blood spattered the dirt at their feet. Titan stood and stepped forward, took the hunk of meat from his hands and laid on her belly.

  "Ah. Clean up after yourself," Eamon said.

  Titan huffed but stood and her warm tongue engulfed Alik's hand, cleaning up the remnants of blood and fat on him.

  "That's my girl," Eamon said warmly but did not approach her. Titan's tail swished in acknowledgment as she ate.

  "Excellent," Alik said and nodded. "I believe that this was a successful exercise in me retaining all my body parts. Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe there are several jugs of wine with my name on it."

  Eamon took the bucket from Alik but did not reply. When Alik looked over his shoulder at Eamon, he was petting another gray and white wolf and didn't bother to bid Alik goodbye.

  AFTER HIS MORNING WITH Eamon and Edmond, Alik went back to his room. There was a spread of food on one of the tables and after he washed up, he began to pick from the platters there. There was no word on lunch and Alik was fairly certain he missed breakfast while he was cleaning himself of the morning's activities.

  There was a polite knock on his door and when Alik bid they come in, a young woman that Alik did not know stuck her head. She opened the door the rest of the way and Avelina swept in with three more women and Issat who looked supremely uncomfortable.

  "Your Highness," Avelina said and curtsied. This day's dress was different. It was a single strip of gauzy material folded over and over to cover her breasts, crossed and hooked around her neck and somehow attached itself to skirt made of the same material that was split high. The dress itself was a pale purple and her ladies wore the same design although none so well and they all wore a variety colors.

  Even Issat was in the same manner of dress which explained her look of discomfort and how awkwardly she moved.

  "Princess," Alik said and bowed. "Can I get you anything?" He asked and gestured to the platters on his tables.

  "No, thank you, though," she said and took a seat at one of the chairs. The ladies arranged themselves around her on chairs and loungers and looked up expectantly at either Alik or over to their lady. "I actually came to request your company on a ride to a nearby village," she said.

  Alik looked to Issat and she nodded slightly.

  "That sounds wonderful," he said.

  "Excellent," she said and stood. He took another drink from his cup before he offered the princess his arm and they set off.

  It was mid-morning and there was a group of knights waiting for them. Some were from his own court and there was an equal number from the Grayhaven court.

  "It seems like you have been preparing for this," Alik accused gently and put a hand on Jericho's snout. He was about to offer his help to mount her own horse but she performed some complicated maneuver and was seated without having shown off any more skin than she normally would. The ladies accompanying them did the same bit of magic and Issat looked panicked for a moment before Alik helped her up into her saddle.

  "It's a... technique," Avelina acknowledged to Issat. "We learned as children how to mount and dismount horses in gowns such as these."

  "I am normally in fighting leathers, Your Highness," Issat said.

  "You should wear those if you are more comfortable in them," Avelina said.

  "I wouldn't want to make anyone uncomfortable," Issat said. "I know that there are courts that look down on a woman in such a manner of dress."

  "Not this court. Not my family," Avelina said and offered her a smile. "But, if you would like to learn how to mount and dismount a horse, I can teach you."

  "I would appreciate that," Issat replied.

  The knights arranged themselves around their group and they were off. As they crested a hill, Alik saw in the distance a horse and its rider riding hard for another path and even further in the distance, another horse and rider.

  Avelina covered her eyes and squinted.

  "Who is it?" Alik asked.

  "My brother. I do not know who rides for him though," Avelina said and looked to her side.

  "Word from the merchants, Your Highness," one of the knights said softly to her.

  "Hm," she said. She did not give anything away but there was a pinched look to her face that told Alik that there was something happening that he was not privy to. An uncomfortable feeling settled around his shoulders. Perhaps this place was not so different than his own home. They probably kept their secrets behind prettier, brighter masks.

  Alik watched as the two riders circled each other and the men speak to each other. Much to his surprise, it was Edmond on the horse, not Eamon. A few words were spoken and by the time Alik lost sight of them behind another hill, they were both gone.

  They were silent and one of the ladies began singing softly. Alik tried to hold onto his resentment at yet more secrets being kept from him but was lulled into a kind of comfort he did not expect. The passing scenery was lined with trees and beyond them, the ocean glinted. The knights around them talked softly amongst themselves and there was the occasional laugh.

  "What business do you have in your village?" Alik asked.

  "An orphanage requested books that we were not using. These past days, Eamon and I have been going through his library to send them," Avelina said.

  Alik looked back at the litter that was being driven by another knight and blinked. He thought that it was tools for some kind gardening or construction or some furniture.

  "That is... quite a few books," Alik finally managed.

  "Didn't even make a dent in Eamon's library," Avelina assured him. "And yes, there are quite a few books there. More than my ladies and I could carry in on our own. Some of my knights were kind enough to volunteer to help."

  There was a round of sighs but no protests. Alik had to wonder if Eamon or Edmond had anything to do with their "volunteering".

  Issat smirked at Alik and turned to Avelina. "Back home, the knights would complain about such tasks. They often think they are above such menial duties.”

  Avelina nodded thoughtfully. "During my father's time there was that school of thought as well. When Eamon took over and then Edmond, they were swift to remind the men that the luxury we live in is from the kindness and goodness of our people. That they, and we ourselves, are no better than the people we rule. We are not currently at war and men need a duty, a mission, lest they get lazy and unruly."

  The Ataton knights didn't seem bothered by her words but the Grayhaven knights looked uncomfortable.

  "How did you enjoy your morning, Your Highness?" Avelina asked, sensing the discomfort among the men.

  "Please, call me Alik," he said. The formal titles were grating after awhile.

  "Then I am Avelina," she said.

  He smiled and looked out to the ocean. "Your brothers are fascinating creatures," he said after a moment of thought. He did not miss the look she gave him but he only offered the slight shrug as an explanation. "Edmond is quit
e the fan of Eamon."

  "None love Eamon quite as much as Edmond," Avelina acknowledged. "And there is no one closer to Eamon than Edmond, not even Lissandra. Though, I must say, Lissandra can read Eamon like no one else."

  "Your parents must be very proud," Alik said. "Such a warrior, such a captain, an artist, and a mind as quick as yours? Most royal families I meet cannot do one thing, let alone produce four heirs that can do so much as you."

  "You knew Lissandra is an artist?" Avelina said and looked startled for a moment.

  "Your mother sent a portrait of the sea to my mother. My mother hung it in her bedroom. She stares at it sometimes because it reminds her of her own home so much." Alik said quietly. "She wanted the artist to come and paint other things at our home but when she heard that it was Princess Lissandra, she understood why that was impossible."

  "My sister is very talented. She does not have much of an interest in children or marriage, but the healing arts and her faith and her artistry define her. I wish more than anything to be able to build her a studio that she might create and teach in," Avelina said quietly.

  If they married, Alik could have something like she spoke of built quickly and easily. And between Eamon and Alik, both Kings, they could protect her from an unwanted marriage.

  If Alik so desired to marry Avelina, which he wasn’t sure he wanted at all. Her age made him hesitate but he could not deny the easy affection he already had for her.

  Though if he were being honest with himself, he could not be sure if that affection was born from the softness that came over Eamon every time he spoke of his youngest sister or if it was Avelina’s spell, all her own.

  They came to a bend in the road and when they rounded it, the village of Galalos appeared before them. It was a village like any other, save for the large building at the opposite end of where they entered. They approached some stables and Alik helped Issat down while a stable boy took Jericho for water and slipped him an apple. Alik saw him and the boy blushed and scurried off.

  The only one that remained on their horse was the knight pulling the litter. As soon as Avelina left the stables, Alik understood why Eamon said that she was the most loved of the royal family.