Frost Bound (Entangled with Trickery #1)

Neve

Chapter Nineteen

Neve

He led both the princess and his rukhals to the tiny inn.

No, not the princess. Dahlia.

The beasts snorted and shook their heads, their long ears flopping before perking up once again. Olwen stood in the melting snow with a cheeky grin on his face.

“What?” Neve groused, tying up the two rukhals , who immediately began to munch on the greens he’d left on the ground for them.

“How does it feel to be wearing black again?” his friend asked.

Neve rolled his shoulders, the ceremonial garb pulling tightly across the back of his broad shoulders. “Uncomfortable.” It was bizarre to be wearing royal regalia at all. It wasn’t something he wore except for formal occasions, and those were few and far between.

One of the rukhals nosed his shoulder, its rounded downy muzzle looking for treats in his pockets. He smiled and turned to wrap his arms around the beast. “Looking for food already, old friend?” Neve patted Cessa’s tawny coat.

Cessa lipped his braids and stomped one hoof, shaking his impressive set of antlers.

Neve pulled the apple from his pocket and held it out to the ruhkal . “Spoiled beastie.”

A gasp came from behind him when Cessa took the apple from his hand. Neve spun around, snow crunching beneath his boots.

His breath caught and his stomach dropped.

Dahlia stood just outside the inn, in the white loviaye garb. The dress molded to her body. His mind flashed back to the tub the night before, at all the exposed flesh he’d glimpsed before she dropped down into the foamy water. He shook his head to dispel the image. He had never been curious about human bodies. He’d expected to be disgusted, and a part of him was, but the other half had been intrigued .

There’s something wrong with you.

Dahlia shivered and pulled the white cloak closed, ending his perusal. The valles glanced at him, her strange eyes rounded in her fair face. He frowned. There were dark spots beneath her eyes and her nose was bright red. He’d noticed that her skin changed colors in the cold, but the princess had been indoors all night.

Dahlia approached him, her attention turning to Cessa, who crunched on his apple happily. She paused before him, her ginger scent mixing with the crisp air. He pursed his lips as he scented something florally and sweet. Her soap?

Soapy bubbles slipping down slick skin.

That way danger lies.

“You ride stags?” she whispered as if it would scare away the rukhals .

Neve glanced at Cessa, who eyed the princess with interest, probably wondering if she had another treat for him. “They are called rukhals ,” he found himself explaining. “They travel far better in the deeper snow than our horses. Much nimbler, albeit slower at times.”

“Can I pet him?” she rasped, her voice throatier.

A smile tried to sneak onto his face, but he squashed it immediately. “Cessa is gentle to all.” He stepped away so his rukhal could meet the valles . “Let him scent you first,” he said gruffly.

“Hello, Cessa,” she crooned, holding her hand out flat. His beastie crept closer and gave the princess two heavy sniffs. She held absolutely still as Cessa pressed a little closer. A soft tinkling laugh escaped her as she ran her hand along the rukhal ’s downy nose. “Aren’t you just a beautiful boy? Absolutely stunning.”

Cessa leaned into her as she continued to pet his nose, then neck, and finally wide chest.

A bright smile bloomed across her face that made her eyes crinkle at the corners. For some reason, it didn’t bother him as much. In fact, it was almost enchanting until it widened to show her flat teeth. He smothered his shudder. She hugged Cessa, pressing her temple to his neck, and crooned softly to the beastie while he snuffled her hair.

It amazed him how saloes could be so gentle to animals, and then completely ruthless to other beings in the next moment.

They cannot be trusted.

“ Rukhals are noble beasts. They are not meant to be hugged.” He flinched at the sneer in his own voice, but hardened his heart. Showing some affection to his rukhal didn’t make her any less human.

She recoiled, smile completely gone, her cracked lips tugging into a severe thin line. Dahlia ignored him, and reached into her pocket to pull out an apple that had been split in half.

“He has already had an…” he trailed off as she fed Cessa the half of the apple, pressing a kiss to the top of his snout. She then moved to the rukhal he had chosen for her and fed that beastie a treat as well.

Without another word, she turned away from him and marched back into the inn. She nodded to Olwen before slamming the door behind her.

“That wasn’t very ladylike,” Neve muttered in Loriian. “A spoiled valles .”

Olwen’s brows rose, his smile crooked. “And the way you stole her wonder and joy away didn’t have anything to do with her reaction?”

Neve shifted uncomfortably. “I cannot trust her.”

His friend walked through the slush and clasped a hand on Neve’s shoulder. “I don’t disagree with you. Until she proves herself, we shouldn’t trust her, but we don’t have to be cruel.”

“She is a saloes . You have lost as much as I because of their race.”

“Aye,” Olwen said, his brows furrowing. “But in the time we have spent with the princess, she’s not been rude or cruel to us. She’s taken our teasing with more grace than I would in her situation. Plus, we’ve ridden hard even though she’s soft and our mounts much too wide for her to be comfortable. Not once has she complained. I can respect that. If we show some kindness, perhaps we will gain an ally, no? Isn’t that the reason for your marriage?”

She was a task he needed to complete. That’s all Neve had planned on. He hadn’t planned on her fire, or resilience, or how much he liked to needle the valles . He’d expected many more fits along the way, and she’d been quiet, apart from her humming softly.

Except for when you provoke her.

“How do you think she will react when she finds out you’re really the king and her new husband?” Olwen asked in Loriian, his face turning to the inn. “She’s warmed up to Eyri quite well.”

Everyone liked his cousin, including the princess. And it bothered him, just a touch.

“About as good as she reacted when I tried to help her mount the horse.” He ran a hand over his thick braid, remembering how she kicked at him. “At least the pretending will be over after today. Then we can go our separate ways.”

Olwen looked at him in surprise. “Do you really think it will be that easy? Surely, you’ve spent enough time with that valles to know she has fire that she keeps dampened. One wrong move and you could burn the palace down to ash.”

The door to the inn opened and Eyri spilled out, followed by the princess. She shut the door behind them, and Neve blinked slowly as he observed Dahlia shiver and reach for her hood, only to cough harshly. His cousin helped lift the hood over the valles ’ head, and she smiled up at him gratefully.

A string pulled taut in his chest. He rubbed the ache and then dropped his hand when Flyka appeared to his left.

“Are you ready, lae reillov ?” she asked in Loriian. “For the ceremony?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

He followed as Eyri led the princess to her mount and then moved away. She stared at the rukhal , her mouth slightly opening.

“There’s no saddle,” she muttered to herself. He curbed a smile when she planted her hands on her hips and squinted up at the beastie. “You can do this.”

He moved a little closer, running his hand along Cessa’s back.

Nova twisted his neck to look at the valles . She huffed and petted his nose. “Just what am I supposed to do, my lord rukhal ?”

“Nova,” Neve offered.

She blinked. “Excuse me?”

“His name is Nova.”

“Oh.” She gave the beastie a soft smile, one that was thankfully close-lipped this time.

Neve gave Cessa one last pat and then crossed his arms, ready to square off with the princess. He needed to lift her onto the rukhal , as it was part of the wedding ceremony.

“We ride without saddles.”

Her jaw dropped. “No saddle?”

“None.”

“Do you have ones for children?” she asked, a touch of hope in her voice. “When we traveled through Kallere, I noticed the older children were almost my own height.”

“No.”

Her shoulders drooped.

Neve clasped his hands together. “It’s not so bad, princess. Nova is trained well. All you need is the slightest pressure and he will follow where you lead. You can hold on to his horns, and he won’t mind. Plus, he’s not as wide as the horses, so it will be easier on your short legs.”

“Short legs?” she chuckled, which turned into a wheezy cough. “I’m tall for a valles , as you say.”

He frowned. Neve didn’t like the sound of that cough. Was there something wrong with her lungs? “What is wrong with you?” he demanded. “Are you sick?”

She flinched. “It’s nothing. Just the cold air.”

Her words seemed like a lie, but why would she hide an illness?

Perhaps it is what kept her hidden away in Astera?

Neve took a step closer, eating up the space between them. He stared down into her alien eyes, trying not to shudder at how the green and brown circle in the middle seemed to rove about without thought. “If you will permit me, I will help you mount.”

She held her breath as she looked around him for someone else, but his Haunt had already mounted and moved away.

She exhaled heavily, and nodded.

Neve wrapped his hands around her dainty waist, his claws touching in the back. She weighed nothing as he perched her sideways on Nova, who pranced a little bit. He peered up at his loviaye , and frowned as he watched her wince and try to shift carefully.

“Are you in pain?” he growled.

“No,” she replied, her face a mask of serenity.

A lie.

He inhaled deeply and paused as the scent of sweets and florals were stronger. What the devil was that?

“Am I expected to ride sidesaddle?”

“No.” He inhaled again. Was it the soap?

“Okay. Then be off with you. I am alright.”

She’d dismissed him. Again .

Neve bowed to her, his jaw clenched, and spun around to Cessa. He leapt onto the rukhal ’s back and nudged him to turn around. He watched with keen eyes as the princess slowly moved her right leg over Nova’s back. Her face never creased once, but perspiration shone on her forehead.

Were humans tired out so easily?

He grimly turned his attention away.

Just get through the day. Marry your valles and be done with it.

If only it were that easy.