Frost Bound (Entangled with Trickery #1)

Neve

Chapter Eleven

Neve

He made the Asteran monarchy wait two hours for them.

While the alliance would be good for the kingdom, he didn’t appreciate having an assassin sicced on him the moment he entered the country. The bloody human monarchy could wait.

It was with immense satisfaction that he arrived with his Haunt dragging his would-be murderer. Flyka, Olwen, and himself all surrounded Eyri, who took the lead. Neve hid his smile at how his cousin chafed under the royal black regalia. As a whole, Loriians ran hot. They wore little clothing, but saloes had delicate sensibilities.

They crossed the immense elaborate throne room and paused far enough back that the human monarchs weren’t leering over them. He scanned the room. The princess was nowhere to be seen.

Curious.

“Welcome, King Neve,” Queen Allium said, her gaze sweeping over them. “We didn’t know you would be attending.”

Olwen, Flyka, and Neve all dipped their chins in respect while Eyri stood tall, pretending to be reillov . It gave Neve an extra layer of protection, but also time to study the humans. It was a blessing he and his cousin looked so much alike—apart from the spectacles.

His cousin arched a brow and gestured a hand toward their prisoner. “Is it?”

“Yes. Somehow, you’re both early and late,” the queen stated sharply. “Impressive to say the least.”

“I aim to please,” Eyri replied. “But it seems I do have some unpleasant business we need to attend to.”

Neve tossed the gagged, tied-up man to the floor and crossed his arms. The assassin groaned but otherwise stayed silent.

King Randa cocked his head. “What is this?”

“A gift,” Eyri replied, his tone hard and haughty—everything they expected of a king. “It seems you might have lost one of your men.”

Neve studied the king, who showed no indication of knowing the man. Interesting . His attention moved to the queen, who had a faint smile upon her lips. Amusement at their theatrics? Or something else?

“I’ve never seen that man before. Just what are you implying?” the king asked, his tone dangerous.

“Nothing,” Eyri replied with a smile. “Just that one of your humans attacked my men and I don’t appreciate it. Especially when we’ve come here in good faith, as you requested.”

“How dreadful and shocking,” the queen said, her tone dripping with false concern. “I’m surprised your men didn’t slay the brigand.”

“It was not our place to take that which is not ours,” Eyri replied. “I would not anger my new … ally.”

Allium’s smile thinned. She didn’t like being reminded that they were all bound now. “How thoughtful. I am horrified by this turn of events. We give you his life as recompense, as is your custom, I believe.”

So the queen had done her research on their laws.

“Let it be done.” Eyri waved Neve forward.

It was quick. Neve never liked to linger and extend death. The assassin never even cried out.

He wiped his bloody knife on his trousers, like the barbarians the humans expected them to be, and stepped back into the protective circle. He stowed his knife and noted how closely the queen was watching him. Her perusal made his skin itch. Like she was seeking a weakness.

She wouldn’t find one. Even if he internally cringed at the red blood now staining his breeches.

Their man bled out onto the floor, and yet the king and queen didn’t flinch. They were used to violence, then. Maybe even delighted in it.

That was an unsettling thought. But not surprising for the saloes .

“Shall we move on to our next line of business?” the queen asked.

“My thoughts exactly,” King Randa cut in, sitting back in his puny throne like a spoiled princeling. “All our treaty requirements have been met but one.”

Eyri nodded to Flyka, who strode forward with a frosted glass box in her hands. She handed it to the dandy-looking human at the base of the dais who stank of nervousness. He opened the box, checked the goods, and nodded once to the king.

They’d requested three vials of the black weeping lysterm dye, Loriia’s most expensive export. The flowering trees from which the dye was derived only grew in Loriia’s harsh northern lands.

“Now where is the woman?” Eyri asked, adjusting his spectacles. “I want to see the princess.”

The king and queen exchanged a glance.

“Come meet our friends, daughter,” the king called.

A petite figure stepped from behind the queen’s throne and took King Randa’s outstretched hand. Neve froze as he got a good look at the valles ’ face.

It was the female from the day before. What trickery was this?

He shot a glance to Flyka, who was already watching him. His lips thinned, but he turned back as Eyri approached the dais and held his hand out for the tiny creature. She trembled slightly as she released her father’s hand and slowly descended the stairs, flowy green skirts pouring down the step. She stopped when she was eye level with Eyri, still two stairs from the bottom of the dais. His cousin took the human’s pallid hand in his own, engulfing it, and placed a kiss on the back.

“A pleasure to meet you, my lady,” he heard Eyri murmur.

Neve glared at the valles , studying her face in the light of day. Was she a decoy? He stared hard at the king. Their coloring was similar—hair, skin, eyes—even the nose shape. He squinted at the queen. He saw nothing of the queen in the princess. Maybe that was why the queen hated her so much?

While he didn’t find humans appealing in the least, he could see that the queen was classically what the humans called beautiful. She was almost pixie-like. And while the princess was tiny—she was clearly a larger valles compared to the queen. Broader hips, lusher curves, taller.

Taller. He scoffed. She barely reached his nipples, if that.

“It’ll be a pleasure to have you in my home,” he heard Eyri say.

The little human stared at him with wide, off-putting eyes, and gave his cousin a small smile. “The pleasure will be all mine, my lord.”

Neve doubted that.

Time to get out of the serpent’s lair and back to their kingdom. They’d already received the Asteran bride gifts in the last week. All that was left was to secure the princess and her things.

He couldn’t quite call her his niliave —his wife—even though they’d been married by proxy over a fortnight prior. She was a stranger, one that was necessary but unwelcome all the same. Valles she would remain.

Eyri coaxed the princess down the rest of the dais, her gaze sliding to the dead man. She blanched but covered it quickly. It seemed the princess didn’t share her parents’ love for violence.

His cousin towered over the princess as he bowed over her hand. “It will bring me great joy to show you our kingdom. I must return immediately. Your effects will follow behind us once we depart.”

The princess pulled from Eyri’s grasp and turned to the dais. She curtsied low. “I will take my leave. With your permission, your majesties.”

The queen stood from her throne and floated down the stairs to embrace her daughter. She clasped the princess by the cheeks and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Do us proud and go with our blessing.”

Allium tipped her head back to peer up at Eyri. “Take care of our daughter, Frost King, or the last war will look like child’s play.”

A nice little threat. How cute.

Eyri took the princess’ hand and pulled her gently away from her mother. “I don’t take kindly to threats, but as she’s your only child, I will excuse your actions. She will be safe.”

Neve kept his expression serene. A lie. She was a means to an end. Nothing more.

Allium smiled, but it was sharp and deadly. “I expect so. Write often, daughter.”

“I will … mother.”

She would not. Neve wouldn’t have any Loriian secrets being spilled.

Human blood would be spilled first.