Of Blood and Deceit

by Rachel A. Collett

  Proposal

  Riaan’s brow ticked upward. “Didn’t you send your niece as an offering of peace?”

  “I sent my niece as an offering of marriage as the price for peace. Surely, good king, you must know that nothing of value is given for free.”

  “The Wraith Queen beats at our door and you worry over price?” Vega asked.

  The king eyed the general. “What door does she beat at? Not mine.” A smirk twisted Johan’s features. “Where are you getting your false information?”

  Riaan’s lips thinned. “The ambassador from Ardenya, the Wraith Queen’s homeland, is here at this very moment, awaiting a message from her master.”

  Johan’s head jerked back. “Is this a farce?”

  “Not at all, Your Majesty. That is the very reason for our announcement this evening, to display our willingness to combine powers against her.”

  He appeared impressed. “No doubt that will send a message, but I’m not swayed. My niece was an offering for marriage.”

  “That is not something I can accept.”

  Johan tipped his head to the side. “I’m confused. Why? Surely she would make a most pleasing wife in many ways.”

  An appalling noise projected from my mouth. My face exploded into awful shades of red. “Uncle, please.”

  But Riaan was quick to answer the king of Eira. “I am betrothed to another.” He took Melia by the hand. Despite the situation, I beamed at her. Awkwardly, she smiled back until my uncle drew our attention.

  “You choose marriage to a commoner over someone of royal blood?”

  Riaan smiled but there was nothing friendly in the gesture.

  “She’s far from common, I assure you,” I said, my voice raised above the others. “And she is my friend.”

  Johan tsked. “But—”

  “I have asked for Ilianna’s hand, instead,” Castiel interjected into the already heated conversation, shocking me into silence.

  My uncle’s voice pitched low. “Excuse me?”

  Heat enflamed my entire body. I gawked, but Castiel ignored me. He stepped forward. “With your permission, King Johan, I request the honor of marrying your niece.”

  Johan’s gaze narrowed at Castiel. I could see his devious brain working, planning his next steps.

  Riaan cleared his throat. “Might I speak to you? Alone, Johan?”

  My uncle’s gaze flashed to the king of Anolyn as if he’d forgotten he was even there. “Of course.” He dropped the volume he held into Melia’s hands as he passed, then exited with Riaan through a side door along with a single guard from each kingdom. Silence enveloped the dense space.

  “Your uncle’s a charmer,” Melia said, replacing the discarded book.

  “That’s him on his best behavior,” I snapped, then grabbed Castiel’s hand to drag him away for a more private conversation. I headed toward the first set of double doors.

  “That’s my brother’s bedroom,” the prince said, and my face heated. The generals quickly moved out of the way as I adjusted my direction to another set.

  “Any objection to this one?” I asked, not missing a step.

  “I didn’t have any objection to the first one.”

  I rolled my eyes at his attempt to flirt.

  “And where do you think you’re going?” Pala asked, blocking our way.

  My breathing spiked and I barely held back several feral words. “To speak to my betrothed.”

  “You will not leave the room with that man.” As she spoke, her dark eyes glared over my shoulder at Castiel. “It’s highly inappropriate.”

  “Indeed,” Lucan-Cyris said, speaking for the first time since arriving.

  I speared him a glance but directed my hostility to the lady’s maid. “So is your firing your opinions at the leaders of a hosting kingdom, and yet you still do. Stand down.”

  I pushed past her, but she clamped her fingernails into my arm.

  Pent up anger and frustration pressed against the edges of my tolerance, ready to break free. “You will remember your place, dear lady, or I will remind you of it.”

  “Your uncle will hear of this.”

  “Then it will be no different than it was. You do not change.”

  Cyris laughed, low and menacing. The sound traveled uneasily across my chest. How far would the wraith take this deception?

  I glanced over to Melia, who watched the dramatic scene with barely suppressed curiosity. “Please have Miss Pala escorted from the room. Make sure she is seen to her quarters. And if she objects, ask if she would find the prisons to her liking.” I wiped away Pala’s grip. “We all know I did.”

  I pushed past my stunned lady’s maid into a room of simple decorations. Several chairs circled a desk in the center. A map of the continents spread out on the top thereof.

  I released Castiel to turn a circle, wringing my shaking fingers. “What have you done?”

  He almost smiled. “I solved a problem.”

  “Solved a problem?” I threw my hands in the air, then checked my voice, lowering it to a whisper. “I’m a problem now?”

  “You know that’s not what I meant.”

  My shoulders lifted. “Then what did you mean? You don’t even love me.”

  Light flashed in his eyes. His head tipped to the side, searching my face. “Is that what you want? Love?”

  I looked away. “Love is for fairy tales and children.” It didn’t matter that I loved him more than I had ever loved before. It wasn’t possible for it to be reciprocated. I didn’t deserve it.

  “Surely you don’t believe that,” he said, his voice a caress. My skin zinged at the touch of his finger beneath my chin as he pulled my attention back to him. He leaned in, bringing his face eye-level. “Is it my love you require for us to be betrothed?”

  My heart sank. Once upon a time I would have said yes, that it was both a necessity and an honor to claim. But that was a long time ago, before life taught me a lesson so very different than the fairy tales I snuck into bed. Before Weylan and his fabrications.

  “No,” I lied. “All that I require is—”

  “What, Ilianna?” His hand gently traced the line of my jaw and I closed my eyes as a heaviness tugged at my heart. If I were brave, I’d tell him. He would be enough to make me happy. His love was unnecessary. Warmth played within the small space between our bodies, and I closed my eyes, relishing in the sensation. A chill coursed through me when his words blew against my skin. “What if I told you that I did love you?’

  Pain seized all breath.

  “What if I told you I have from the day I carried you home from the forest. That—”

  I drew up on my tiptoes and kissed him to silence the words I couldn’t believe to be true. It wasn’t real. His warm hands held my face as he returned the kiss, dragging me closer, closing any space between us. And my mind reeled in the sensation that was all Castiel.

  How could I not want this? I trusted and needed him. He was everything. Did I care that he probably only wanted to marry me for the safety of his kingdom? No. It was what I would have done if I were as brave and good as he was.

  Someone cleared their throat and I jumped from Castiel’s arms. Riaan watched us with mild interest. “It may be too soon to celebrate. King Johan wishes to speak to his niece. Alone.”

  My stomach twisted. “No.” I stepped back, into the safety of Castiel’s arms.

  His warmth gave temporary relief. “Surely, he would not mind if I were there.”

  Riaan shook his head. “He specifically asked for privacy.”

  The prince stiffened. “All those wounds on her back.” He gestured to the scar on my neck, a mark I had all but forgotten. “That burn mark. That’s all because of him. You know that, right?”

  “If he tries anything, of course we’ll intervene. I will not allow him to harm Ilianna in my home, but we cannot stop him from having a private conversation with his niece.”

  Like the Eirian lakes in winter, ice immobilized the chambers of my heart, painf
ully chilling me to the core. I breathed through the frost-bitten panic. How did I intend to kill Johan if I was too afraid to face him alone now?

  I took the prince’s hand to gain courage from the warmth of his touch and gazed into his beautiful eyes. “It’s alright,” I said, hating the lie. “He just wants to talk.” But Johan could never allow me to be happy—which was another reason he had to die.

  The muscles of Castiel’s jaw worked as he searched my expression. “I—I’ll be right outside the door.” I knew he wanted to say more—to do something—but there was nothing.

  “Alright.” My fingers slid from his tensed grip. Steeling my resolve, I headed for the door and entered another of the king’s suites. This one was also simple in design: a receiving room with fireplace, couches, and a table with chairs off to the side for private meals. Paintings and tapestries decorated the walls, the largest of them catching my gaze. It was a marvelous depiction of a woman with midnight hair in a burgundy gown. I could only assume this was the wife of Cassius Anouk. She gazed down at me with the same blue eyes as her sons.

  Johan waited with his back to me. A warm fire burned in the grate. He leaned upon the mantle, a fresh drink in his hand. I stopped across from him.

  “The king is very affable,” he said gazing into the amber liquid, swirling the contents in his glass. “I could almost like him.” Which meant he hated him.

  Anger grew within my chest. “Perhaps you should get to know him better.”

  “Perhaps I should congratulate you, Niece. Even if you didn’t snag the largest fish of the lake, the one you caught is too big to go unappreciated.”

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  A deep chuckle rumbled. “Don’t you?” He threw back the remainder of his drink and dropped the empty glass on the mantle with a thump. “If it makes you feel any better, I believe the prince loves you. The king told me himself that his brother has been enamored of you since your first arrival.” His eyes dropped to the peek of cleavage my gown afforded, and I wanted to do nothing more than run from the room. “And look at you. How could he not? You’ve grown into quite the woman, with curves and all.”

  I tried to hide the hurt in my words. “That’s what regular meals will do to a person, I guess.”

  “You’ve quite the cushy life here, haven’t you? Grown soft. Perhaps if you would’ve put more effort into seducing the king—”

  “I didn’t seduce anyone. I didn’t even want to be noticed.” I clamped my mouth shut. It was too close to the truth and my uncle sensed it.

  He smiled. “So this is a farce.”

  My eyes dropped to the mess of chest hair that twisted and tangled around his golden medallion like weeds. “This is no farce, Uncle. I will marry Castiel.”

  “Come, come, Lilipad.”

  Blood froze within my heart. “Don’t call me that. I never liked that name.”

  He pretended not to hear me. “Regardless of your failure, this sacrifice is no longer necessary. Your kingdom desires your presence. I desire your presence.”

  Emotion nearly overpowered me, and I turned away from him. A tear streaked down my cheek, unchecked but thankfully unseen. “Even if it’s not what I want?”

  He spun, pitching his voice low. “How dare you. Return to your festivities with your pathetic prince. Twirl and dance like the fool you are with those simpletons the king surrounds himself with. Drink yourself into a stupor for all I care, but you are leaving with me. Tonight.” He pushed from the fireplace and strode toward me. Before I could bring myself to move, his hand caught hold upon my hair at the nape of my neck, his nails scratching into my skin as he did. He yanked me to him, my vision coating with sparks of light. “Be outside the gates at the third watch. Do you understand?”

  I clung to his wrist to keep from falling, speaking through clenched teeth as pain racked my scalp and neck. “And how do you expect me to leave without alarming Riaan’s security?”

  He shook me, rattling the insides of my brain. “Be creative, Lilipad. But refuse my wishes, little girl, and I’ll slaughter every man, woman, and child in the surrounding town. All in the name of the Demon Daughter.” A smile darkened his features. The stench of alcohol on his breath burned my nostril and tainted my breath. “It shouldn’t be too hard to convince the kingdom of Anolyn to hang you after that.”

  My heart stopped. He meant every word.

  He released me with a push that sailed me into the back of a thick, wooden chair. I toppled to the ground with it, a sharp pang traveling up my arm upon impact.

  I heard the door open, and Castiel exclaimed a string of curses before he was at my side, pulling me up from the wreckage.

  “What is the meaning of this?” Riaan demanded.

  “The clumsy chit fell. If you’ll excuse me,” Johan said, mumbling as he left the room.

  I didn’t hear the rest of his murmurings. It didn’t matter. Whatever he did say was nothing I needed to know. My mind whirled in a mass of pain, confusion, and hurt.

  What I did need to know was where my uncle would sleep tonight. Johan would stay to validate what the king told him. His men would search for the ambassador—maybe even try to kill her—but my uncle wouldn’t do it himself. No, he would lounge in his room and direct his guards to carry out his orders. And drink made him tired. He would rest before traveling.

  A thought entered my brain. Perhaps it was cowardly, but if I could kill him as he slept…

  Castiel said something to me, cupping my cheek as he spoke. How disappointed would the prince be when he found I had murdered my uncle? Would Riaan cast me out? Of course, there would be no punishment if I were dead, which would be the more likely outcome.

  “Ilianna.” Castiel’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. Shocked, I realized my face was wet. Had I been crying? “Are you hurt?” he asked. “What happened?”

  Could I tell him what I planned? No, he would try to stop me, or find another way around it. But there was no other alternative. No one knew the king of Eira better than myself. He would never allow me to marry the prince or to stay in Anolyn.

  My heart broke when I realized I wanted to stay. These were more my people than Eira’s citizens had ever been. Even when they had been told who I was, they hadn’t tried to kill me as I thought they would.

  “I’m going to kill that bastard!” Again, Castiel’s voice shocked me into reality. “Ilianna! Are you hurt?”

  Riaan stood next to his brother, eyeing me in a mixture of concern and curiosity. I straightened the circlet that had fallen haphazardly to the side of my head. I was probably a mess. “I’m fine.”

  Castiel growled, but he gently took my hand and returned me to the king’s library, where the others, minus my uncle’s men, waited with stunned expressions. Reese’s jaw worked as he examined me from head to toe. Melia’s expression was careful, as was Mikael’s. The room’s silence was almost more painful than my uncle’s touch.

  I released the prince’s hand. Raising my chin, I glanced to each one of Riaan’s men. “King Johan of Eira says he’ll consider the prince’s offer. He keeps early hours and will retire now but should have his answer by tomorrow.”

  It felt awful lying to them. With the way they all watched me, I wondered if they sensed the falseness of my words, but I couldn’t focus on that now. I looked to Castiel and my energy left me in a single exhale. “It might be best to know where he’ll be staying tonight so I can avoid being in the vicinity.”

  The prince searched my eyes for one long moment, then nodded and signaled for Reese to take his place. “I must talk to my men,” he said.

  I was too overwhelmed. I stayed behind as he and Riaan joined their generals and Melia to converse in hushed tones over the king’s desk, but I had no desire to hear their conversation.

  I sighed and placed a hand on Reese’s massive forearm.

  “Are you alright?” he asked, his voice low.

  Grateful for the concern etched into his words, I nodded. “I need you to find and warn S
ameen about my old lady’s maid. Pala won’t like that she’s been replaced. She might not respond well to the imagined spurn. Please tell Sameen to go to my new quarters and not to leave. I’ll come to her as soon as we’re done here.”

  Reese bowed then went to Castiel to whisper my instructions in his ear. Castiel looked to me with raised brows, then nodded to my guard. Reese raced to fulfil my command, sliding past Mikael at the door.

  My eyes met Mikael’s. With a covert nod, I signaled for him to come.

  He obeyed, taking a stance at my side. He watched the conversation of his leaders. “You trust me to guard you?”

  I cast my voice low. “I’ll do a lot more than that.”

  Practice

  A smile tipped the corner of Mikael’s mouth. “Oh?”

  “I need you to send a private message to Siana for me,” I said.

  “The assassin?”

  “Tell her to meet me in my room before the end of the festivities. No one else can know.”

  “And just where is your room now? Even I don’t know where the prince has put you.”

  I tsked. “If she’s as good as I hope she is, she’ll find me.”

  Mikael huffed a laugh, but the all emotion slid from his face quicker than it had come. He studied me, his brows pinched low over his eyes. “For what it’s worth, I hope you succeed,” he said, then left the room without another word.

  Melia strode over to me. “And why did you just send away two of your guards? What are you up to?”

  I shrugged. “I’m worried over Sameen.”

  “And you want to know where your uncle has gone to?”

  Perhaps Melia wouldn’t mind so much when I killed him. “Of course.”

  “The king has offered Johan the very chambers you recently vacated. Pala is in the room of your first arrival.” Her head ticked to the side, watching me with probing eyes. “I’m sure wherever the prince has tucked you, you will be safe.”

  “I’m not worried.”

  “But are you happy?”

  “What?”

  She smiled. “His announcement tonight. I’m assuming it came as a shock to you?”