Chapter 17 #2
Nik’s mother squeezed his arm one more time and then dropped her hand.
It felt like more than permission—it felt like a command.
So he answered. “The penalty of war states that if a nation reneges on an agreement that was made under the law of the Accord, every other nation will ally with the offended party and launch a joint offensive against the kingdom that broke the Accord.”
It had been meant to keep Ellas in check—they were the only ones constantly changing rulers, hence constantly changing rules and trying to ignore treaties.
But it had also been a safeguard welcomed by all countries after the mer civil war a hundred fifty years ago, when the Black Tails had threatened Daryatla as well as their own monarchy.
Perhaps if one kingdom pitted itself against another, the outcome was questionable.
But if all nations stood together against an aggressor?
No one was strong enough to resist the rest of the world combined. Princess Perla’s suggested amendment had indeed been heralded as a perpetual guarantor of peace.
Nik lifted his chin. “But the phrase is meant to be applied to treaties, alliances, and deals deemed crucial to a kingdom’s security, not trade or personal contracts.”
“Very good.” Stefanos leaned closer and went so far as to trace one of the designs Ember had burned into Nik’s shoulder section with his gloved finger.
Nik shrugged away from him, figuring no one would blame him for glaring. Or for letting a flame sweep from his shoulder and down his arm in warning.
“Fascinating.” Stefanos stared at Nik a moment more, then moved his gaze to Elianne.
“I would of course consider reopening negotiations, Your Majesty. The point of the agreement—which, let it be noted, was given status as a Level Beta Accord, which does fall under the war clause given that it was not about people so much as state secrets and security—was to provide Ellas with magical blood. But I’m willing to discuss which magic you give me, and through whom. ”
That too-bold hand of his reached for Nik’s mother next. “Red hair is very rare in Ellas.”
Before Nik could debate his own reaction, Daemon was there, yanking the king backward with one hand, drawing his other into a flaming fist.
The hoplites reacted as one, pulling some sort of mechanized bows forward and aiming them at the lot of them.
Stefanos held up a hand, still looking unruffled. “Hold, men. The primal is not going to hurt me.”
“Don’t be so sure,” Daemon growled. “I think I could melt those crossbows before they could launch and teach you some respect at the same time. You do not threaten my people.”
“Who was threatening?” The king looked down, though, when smoke began to curl up from where Daemon gripped his coat.
He tugged at one of his gloves. No doubt Dae was ever so kindly warming his immediate space for him.
“But I do thank you for clarifying your loyalties for me. I’d wondered if you served only your fellow…
Aflame, is it? Or your Blessed queen. I have my answer. ”
Daemon jerked the king closer, and by the way Stefanos’s nose twitched, the scent of sulfur always clinging to them threatened to betray his calm.
“My queen is more than capable of freezing your entire contingent solid without breaking a sweat. She doesn’t need my help.
Elianne, on the other hand, would likely pretend you don’t disgust her for the sake of peace. I will spare her that humiliation.”
“Well.” The moment Daemon’s fist loosened, Stefanos brushed at the smoldering threads on his coat and tugged his glove back on.
“You certainly give new meaning to the word ‘firebrand,’ I’ll grant you that.
But tempers aside, we do have a dilemma, don’t we, Your Majesty?
” Giving Dae a wide berth, he circled back to the front.
“You are my legal betrothed. And if you are going to insist on an addendum to the contract and provide another bride in your stead, I am within my rights to require one of equal magical strength. The minutia of the agreement, which I will happily provide, makes clear that it was your status and abilities that were being offered in return for our most advanced warship.”
He reached the place he’d started and faced Kyrja again. “So tell me. What other Awakened in your realm matches your strength and has royal blood in her veins?” He flicked a glance at Perla, but the curl of his lips said he did it just to rile her.
She folded her toned arms over her chest. “I believe my father already gave you our answer to that suggestion.”
“And how happy I was to discover that King Isidor was so much more logical when it came to both his daughters and his navy.” He glanced at a timepiece on his wrist. “I imagine that within the next five minutes, you will both be able to sense my other triremes, which are encircling Fjordlandi as we speak. I also have crystals ready to be sent out via mech-owl to Daryatla and Soltierra, and a submarine variety to Queen Electra in the Sunken Kingdom. Deny me my prize, Kyrja, and they will be obliged to join my defense within a fortnight.”
“She is a person.” The words were out before Nik could stop them. “Not a laurel wreath.”
“Half right, firebrand. She is a queen. Which is something else entirely.” Stefanos gave another small bow. “Confer with your Two Councils. Review the full Accord.” He held out another crystal, this one the same pale pink as Kyrja’s gown. “I will stay my hand for forty-eight hours.”
Kyrja reached for the crystal, but instead of dropping it into her palm, Stefanos caught her hand in both of his.
Met her gaze. “Do not dismiss out of hand the option of upholding the contract yourself, Your Majesty. If we were to join Fjordlandi and Ellas into a single kingdom, it would make us the most formidable on the globe. In sheer land mass, we would be larger than Daryatla. Between our mechanics and your bio-engineering, more advanced than the mer. And with these new Aflame of yours, we could withstand even the deserts of Soltierra.”
“Careful, Stefanos.” Perla turned to narrow her eyes on him. “That sounds suspiciously like the sort of imperialism that would defy the Accord you’re relying on right now.”
He lifted Kyrja’s hand to his lips and kissed it. “I am stating facts, not implying they necessitate action.” He released her and spun on his heel. “Two days, Valkyrja. I’ll be waiting on my trireme.”