CHAPTER 7 BIT BY BIT
Fin stared at Brendan darkly, his elbows braced against his knees and his hands clasped together in his seat.
The Troivackian king sat across from the house witch, and while he may have appeared at ease with his hands loosely clasped in front of himself, his right bicep would occasionally twitch …
“What do we know about the devil?”
Brendan held the duke’s ferocious stare when he answered. “From what we’ve been able to gather, he has ties with the most notable mercenary group here in Troivack. If we didn’t know better, we would’ve assumed he leads it, but the group is actually headed by a man called Leochra Zephin.” The king paused, his eyes lowering as his mind sifted through the information. “His Highness remembers the devil saying that he was hired to stop Her Majesty from taking the crown, but he was hesitant to become involved with Lady Katarina, as she was ‘a mess of destinies.’ Since the abduction, we hadn’t heard or seen anything threatening or strange until the attack on Faucher’s keep. If I’m honest, my theory is that the devil either retreated to disengage entirely from Lady Katarina, or he decided to carry on attacks at a distance. But there’s more …”
Fin gradually pushed himself up to sit a little straighter.
“We think there is another witch here in Troivack that can open portals to the Forest of the Afterlife, but whether this person is on the same side of the devil is unclear. We are also suspecting this witch has something to do with the creation of Witch’s Brew, as the devil made a few comments to His Highness about such a thing.”
Frowning, Fin lowered his gaze thoughtfully. “First the ability to bind magic, and now Witch’s Brew … The appearance of magical beasts … The involvement of mercenaries with ties to the rebellion … Do you think they are trying to take over Troivack as a joint effort, or are the devil and this other mysterious witch warring over it?”
Brendan shook his head slowly. “It’s unclear. Furthermore, it could be that the rebels have their own agenda. While the devil’s mercenaries did temporarily join them, they may have separated from their efforts, as we’ve noticed their activities have fallen quiet since the devil supposedly retreated. Which is another sign that Leochra Zephin and the devil are tied together somehow. Perhaps Leochra Zephin answers to the devil. That would make the most sense.”
“Three warring parties in Troivack?” Fin let out a small breath. “And Kat’s caught up in all this.”
Brendan held Fin’s gaze levelly. “Your Grace, please note that every decision I made pertaining to Lady Katarina was done after consulting her. Save for the exile—but given that it was primarily to keep her safe while learning the sword, she did not mind.”
While Fin had been distracted by the mystery surrounding the shadow war that was brewing closer and closer to a boiling point, his expression hardened once more at the mention of his daughter.
“Speaking of my Kat’s sword lessons; I thought I made myself clear that she was only to learn enough for an emergency situation, but she spoke with me today while wearing an official uniform.”
The impenetrable mask the Troivackian king managed to pull on only made Fin become more suspicious.
“Lord Ashowan, I have come to learn a great deal about both my wife and your daughter since first meeting them, and one thing I have come to observe is that Lady Katarina’s limitations cannot be defined by anyone other than herself. As unthinkable as they may be to most of us, I know when Leader Faucher allowed her to start weighing in on what was to be expected of her during her training that she not only made wise and safe choices, but she learned to hone her skills as we’ve mentioned before and seemed a lot more settled overall.”
“Her ending up in a rushed marriage was a wise and safe decision?” Fin asked coldly.
The king took in and released a very long, drawn out breath.
“For now, I’m only discussing her swordsmanship. The matter with the prince is …”
“Imagine a daughter of yours marrying someone like Eric.”
Brendan felt his voice die in his throat.
A face flashed in his mind …
A daughter … with Alina’s brilliant hazel eyes and his own black hair …
Just the notion of what the duke was mentioning made his stomach burn.
“While I agree with you, Your Grace, at the time, we were trying to ensure Lady Katarina had as many options as possible available to her in light of her lapse in judgment.”
Fin leaned back in his seat, his unblinking stare more than a little off-putting, but Brendan did his best to hold on to whatever measure of calm he could manage.
“His Highness Eric Reyes agreed that whatever she chooses to do moving forward, he will support fully.”
Fin closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck. “Your Majesty, you are more worldly than my daughter, so you know that this union of hers … She most likely has an unrealistic expectation of it. She won’t know the full burden of being with someone like His Highness …” The house witch trailed off, pain filling his features. “Regardless of everything, I do care about Eric. I just don’t think this is a commitment that they are ready for.”
Brendan bobbed his head in agreement. “I don’t dispute that. However … we’ve become worldly, Lord Ashowan, because we, too, have made our own choices and errors. Children have to learn on their own eventually.”
Fin raised an eyebrow. “I’m excited for the day I get to throw this conversation back in your face.”
Brendan grumbled quietly.
He knew those days were not all that far away.
His only mercy was that the duke wasn’t a citizen of his kingdom, and so hopefully he wouldn’t see him all that often.
“I’ll be blunt with you, Your Majesty. I think part of my shock about everything comes from the fact that you put so much stock in both my daughter and Her Majesty. For a Troivackian, you are being rather … open-minded. Or is it just that my daughter’s choices benefit you?”
Brendan rose to his feet and made his way over to his decanter of moonshine.
“I won’t lie to you. A lot of her choices and ambitions have gone along with what I wished, but … in my opinion, all parties are benefitting from this.”
“I’m inclined to disagree.” Fin joined the king in standing. “My daughter is in the middle of a war.”
Brendan poured the clear liquid into two cups and handed one to the house witch. “From everything we’ve learned, Your Grace, the minute she was born she was entangled in this mess. Between her being a witch and your own connection to the Gods and Aidan Helmer, it’s a miracle your son hasn’t become more ensnared.”
Fin blinked, his cup halting its journey to his mouth as he slowly lowered it back to stare at the king, a faint humorless smile lifting the right corner of his mouth.
“Given that you owe me a debt beyond what you could ever repay in this lifetime, I would like to know, what is it about my son that you distrust so much?”
The king had been in the middle of swallowing his first gulp of moonshine and instantly wished he had heard the duke’s question before, as he desperately fought the urge to clear his throat.
“Your son,” Brendan started to say, though his eyes were watering as he tried to remain in control. “Your son has been touched by darkness. I don’t know if it’s that he himself has dark things he wishes to do, or if he has simply experienced it, but in a way, it reminds me of His Highness Eric Reyes and myself. He has seen or lived something beyond the norm. What fuels my distrust of him? His secrecy surrounding his magic and the fact that he regularly hides his capabilities.”
Something Brendan couldn’t quite understand passed through Fin’s eyes in reaction to his answer, and surprisingly … the duke didn’t ask any further questions on the matter.
Brendan wagered it was safe to try taking another drink, though he decided while eyeing the house witch, who was at last taking a mouthful from his own cup, to ask his own question.
“Are you still going to threaten war?”
Fin brought his cup down after taking a generous gulp, though he stared at the contents remaining in quiet contemplation.
“I’m undecided. On one hand, I should have been informed of everything going on. However, Kat shares the brunt of responsibility for not telling me things she should’ve, and when I start to hear more about what Your Majesty is attempting to navigate, I admit … I’m more inclined to look at things … with a bit more understanding.”
Setting his cup down, Fin fixed his ethereal blue eyes on the king once again.
“Besides, I really should talk with my wife before starting a war.”
The king couldn’t help but give a rueful smile at that statement, and afterward, he, too, set his cup down.
“Shall we rejoin the festivities?”
Fin nodded. “You’ve been away from Alina on this solstice long enough. With all that is going on, I can understand your hesitancy leaving her side.”
“If Lady Katarina weren’t there, I never would’ve agreed to a private audience right now,” Brendan informed the duke seriously.
Hearing this, Fin looked to the king growing still once more.
“You’ve really changed your opinion of Kat that much?”
Brendan grimaced while reaching for the door handle of the study.
“I trust her to protect Alina. That isn’t the same as trusting her to not start a fight with my courtiers or irritate me into lunacy.”
Fin raised an eyebrow, and for the first time since the morning, a grin worked up his face. “I take it Kat has already realized she can refer to you as her brother-in-law?”
Brendan stared at the duke wide-eyed, let out a grumbling breath, then wordlessly turned and exited the room.
Giving a small chuckle, Fin slipped his hands into his pockets and followed the king out of the room.
At least my daughter hasn’t completely changed.
Kat sat tensed at Alina’s side as they eyed the nobles dancing, feasting, and mingling about the decorated throne room.
The king had gone off to have a private discussion with the house witch, leaving the two women to sit demurely by themselves, though there were guards lining either side of the stairs.
“They’ve been gone for a while … You don’t think your da started a fight with Brendan, do you?” Alina murmured quietly so that no one else could hear.
The redhead at her side gnawed on her tongue for a moment before answering.
“No?”
Alina sighed. “Why is it that my husband has to endure so many protective fathers, I wonder?”
Kat winced at the reference to the time Alina’s own father had launched a candlestick at Brendan back when Alina and him had been courting, knowing that she was the major cause for the drama of the day.
“You were late coming to my chambers. Care to explain why, now that we have a moment?” Alina looked at her friend out of the corner of her eye.
“Had a bit of an unfortunate situation arise,” the redhead answered vaguely as she pointedly avoided a certain person who lingered at the right side of the room.
“Hm,” Alina responded while sounding more than a little irritated. “So you knew my brother was … troubled … and you hid even that from me?”
“It wasn’t my place to tell.”
“Even though you knew everything I went through?” Alina asked, incensed, her head at last turning toward Kat, who flinched but met her stare head-on. “Are you the type of woman who abandons her friend all for a man?”
Her face draining of color, Kat frowned. “No. Your brother … He went through a lot, and I didn’t want to scare him away again.”
Alina gave a hard look at the redhead, then looked away. “It isn’t just that though, is it? It’s everything … I’m tired of feeling like I’m the only one who is open in our friendship.”
Kat reared back in alarm, at first defensive, but then … she slumped forward.
“You have been patient with me, and I’m sorry I’m an immature mess, but … I know I was right not to tell you about Eric. I should’ve told you about the poisonings, and the stabbing though, I agree.”
Alina barely glanced at the redhead again, her displeasure still intact.
Kat sighed. She had a hunch about what could be her olive branch … and so she braced herself for the uncomfortable conversation she was about to have.
“Likon has been in love with me for the past five or six years, and he found me and Eric in our chamber right before the ball.”
Alina’s head snapped back toward her friend, her eyes rounded.
Kat stared flatly back, her mouth already in a grimace. “It. Did. Not. Go. Well.”
Alina’s lips pressed together in a thin line. “Oh.”
“Yeah.” Kat stared out over the ballroom grimly.
“Did … Did the two of you ever court each other?” Alina questioned delicately, lowering her voice carefully and glancing around them to ensure no one was nearby.
“No. I never was able to return the feelings. I honestly didn’t have strong feelings for anyone until …”
Kat trailed off. Her cheeks suddenly warmed, and annoyingly enough, she couldn’t keep holding Alina’s gaze.
“Until the tragic prince swept you away?” Alina’s smile was slow and mischievous.
“Don’t make me vomit.”
“Oh, was he the dangerous type that you knew your father wouldn’t approve of? And you, with all your rebellious tendencies, couldn’t resist?”
“Oyy. Bit rich coming from the woman who chose the muscle-head who grunts more than he speaks.”
Alina cackled. It was rare that she got the upper hand in teasing Kat.
“You know—”
“They’re back.”
Katarina had been just about to start issuing even more humorous observations about Alina’s choice of husband, when the queen drew her attention to the ballroom doors where Brendan and Fin had just slipped back in.
Seeing that the two men actually appeared more relaxed than they had been going into the meeting, the two women let out sighs of relief. However, they were distracted a second time, when none other than Eric Reyes casually made his way over to them after having discreetly climbed the stairs from the side of the ball near the servant’s entrance. Luckily, the guards that did notice could tell it would not be an issue for him to approach.
Kat’s index finger began tapping as she gave a slight bow of her head while avoiding looking directly at him, and he in turn bowed to his sister, then her.
“Lady Katarina, would you care to dance?”
Kat’s fidgeting stopped and she looked up at Eric, her hesitancy undisguised.
At first the prince didn’t understand, but a small flick of Kat’s eyes in the direction of Likon exposed her reasoning.
Eric briefly faltered, then understanding filled his face, followed by firmness.
“Lady Katarina, mind if we have a chat?”
Given that the two had yet again held an entire conversation without speaking, and with Kat’s back to her no less, Alina watched them, feeling somewhat perplexed.
The redhead nodded nervously and accepted Eric’s arm and stood.
As the couple stepped toward the side of the stairs that led down from the thrones, several courtiers noticed the exchange and instantly began whispering to one another.
Slowing their pace while descending the steps, Eric eyed the nobility and decided to use their temporary distance from eager ears to address Kat.
“You never danced at balls because of Likon.” His voice was quiet but assured.
Kat blushed and, despite holding on to Eric’s arm, felt her fingers briefly curl.
“If you don’t want to dance with me, that’s fine, but there isn’t a chance in hell I’m having you turn me down because of Likon.”
The future queen flushed. She felt angry.
“If I don’t want to dance with you because it’ll hurt someone, that’s the same thing.”
“Kat, he is a grown man and you have rejected him. It is his responsibility to deal with it. It isn’t your duty to cater to his hurt, and furthermore, you are married. It’s time for him to let go, and I’m not going to feel guilty for wanting to dance with my wildly attractive wife.”
“I—” Kat began to speak out of a mixture of frustration and bashfulness. When they touched the bottom of the stairs, Eric immediately bowed to her, making all the nobles near them watch in interest.
His hazel eyes pierced her golden ones, a coy smile on his face, crinkling his eyes in the way she liked, his former sternness nowhere to be found …
“So, Lady Katarina, would you like to dance with me?”