30. The Threat of War
R ose sipped from her glass to soothe her dry throat. Since the males were drinking from the same bottle, it couldn’t be poisoned. The flavor was surprisingly sweet.
“Apple cider?” She took another sip. “Do you have an orchard here?”
“Aye.” Lord Aldric looked proud.
“It is very good.” She drank more, and the flavor had memories of the castle she’d grown up in flooding her head—the orchards she’d loved, dancing in the falling petals and climbing the trees with Leonidas. “But we should not talk of that. What must I do to free my Prince and his guards?”
“Your Prince?” Lord Aldric shared a glance with the male on his other side.
“I was not aware Prince Adrian the Ass was claimed,” the other male, who she assumed was Lord Aldric’s second, said.
Rose frowned at the nickname and noticed the not-so-subtle glance at her left hand. Refusing to be embarrassed, Rose sat straighter. The brown-haired male smirked, but she refused to let it bother her .
“I say mine because he is the kingdom’s Prince, the heir to the throne. He belongs to all of us, in a way. He is not mine personally .”
“Yet he claimed you as well,” Lord Aldric reminded her. “And he brings you with nary an escort.”
“Curious behavior,” brown-hair agreed.
Rose said nothing, drinking more cider while trying to think of a response, and they both studied her. Their eyes took in the wealthy dress she wore and the scars marring her skin—mostly her forearms, wrists, and neck. Their eyes grazed over her blonde curls but lingered on her visible pointed ears.
“You’re the mistress they hinted at in the papers,” Lord Aldric eventually said.
Though her cheeks heated, she met Lord Aldric’s gaze. “I am no mistress.”
“Feck me to Friday,” the brown-haired male said as if she hadn’t spoken. “The bastard has no shame.”
“Tiernan,” Lord Aldric said in warning. “I apologize, Lady Rose, for my beta’s lack of manners, and my rude assumption.”
Rose pushed her discomfort away. “Beta means second-in-command?”
Lord Aldric nodded. “He is my right hand, though, like me, he lacks tact.”
Rose gave a small smile of forgiveness. “Nice to meet you, Tiernan. I am Rose. And in all honesty, I would rather openness than fake politeness any day.”
Tiernan’s responding smile was wide and showed off white teeth. He raised his cider in toast. “Hear! Hear!” He reached for the tray of snacks a female set before them, popping a cheese cube in his mouth.
Lord Aldric reached for some of the dried meat. “Thank you, Sinead,” he told the female, who blushed as she dipped her head before hurrying out. “Please help yourself, milady, and tell us about you until dinner is served.”
Rose shifted in her seat, drinking more cider instead of speaking, her mind a nervous blank.
“Where do you come from?” Lord Aldric asked.
“I don’t know, exactly,” Rose answered, realizing this was an interrogation.
“You’re not elf?” Tiernan asked.
Rose tucked hair behind one of her long ears. “I . . . do not know for certain.”
“How’s that?” Tiernan popped another cheese cube in his mouth, sharing a look with Lord Aldric before observing the lines of scars on her arms. “What about your family?”
Rose lifted her shoulders.
“How long have you been with the Prince?” Lord Aldric asked.
“I have worked for the palace for several months.” When he stared at her, she gave a tiny sigh of defeat, not wanting to fail this test and end up thrown in the dungeons with everyone else. “Prince Adrian saved me from slavery. It was all I knew before he changed my life.”
“A slave?” Tiernan blurted, looking to Lord Aldric who didn’t look surprised in the slightest.
“Yes. I was never very good at obeying masters. I wasn’t very good at obeying Prince Adrian either, but Larkin adores me, so our Prince tolerated me. I was shocked when he freed me.”
“We’re speaking of the same Prince?” Tiernan asked. “The little leechling? The manky gombeen in our cells?”
Rose said nothing, not wanting to justify the insults with a response.
“Where is the Prince’s beast?” Lord Aldric asked. “I’m curious about the little blighter. ”
Rose wondered if showing Larkin was in any way a betrayal to Prince Adrian. She figured not, as the whole of the kingdom knew of him. The little mouse poked about in the pocket of her dress’s skirt. She worried it wasn’t safe for him to show himself, especially since he’d been hiding there since pulling up to the Keep.
She wondered why he hadn’t protected Prince Adrian from the wolves or helped him in any way but decided her friend had his reasons. Gently stroking his tiny head with her finger, she was reluctant to reveal him.
Larkin, however, skittered up Rose’s arm to the crook of her neck, where he snuggled up. Lord Aldric stared. Larkin stared back, scenting the air with his little whiskers twitching, and shifted to his tanager form. Ruffling his feathers, he cocked his head and chirped.
“I am not sure yet, Ciel,” Rose answered his wondering if the alpha was a friend. Larkin fluttered to the table, hopping closer to Lord Aldric as he cocked his head the other way and studied the werewolf.
“Cute little shite for such a bugger,” Lord Aldric said softly. When he lifted his eyes to Rose, she was taken aback by the intensity of his gaze. “He is surely fond of you.”
“He and I are friends. He accompanies me often.”
They all looked back to Larkin as he twittered indignantly and ruffled his feathers, hopping closer to her again.
“We have talked about this. We both know—”
In an instant Larkin was a hawk, screeching at her. With ruffled feathers, he gave a loud kree , making Tiernan wince and a wolf near one of the doors growl.
“This is not the time or the place,” Rose said in a stern whisper.
“They’re having a right talk,” Tiernan commented disbelievingly to Lord Aldric .
“He’s ornery,” Rose said before Lord Aldric had a chance to reply. After another indignant screech, the hawk flew up to perch on the large beam supporting the chandelier.
Lord Aldric drained his glass, watching Larkin strut several paces with fascination. “What did you call him?”
“Larkin.”
“No. No, no.” Lord Aldric sat straighter, waving a hand as if to sweep away her response. “The first thing you called him. His true name.”
“I am sure I don’t know what you mean, Lord Aldric. His name has been Larkin since Prince Adrian found him as a boy.” She shot the hawk an exasperated look when he made more annoyed sounds as he strutted the other way.
Lord Aldric leaned forward with his elbows on the table. “I am sure you do know what I mean, exactly.”
Rose folded her hands in her lap and took a deep breath. “I did not come here for this. We did not come here for this. This is supposed to be a diplomatic trip to restore peace. What must I do to accomplish this?”
“Are you really in a position to negotiate?” Tiernan asked, earning a warning glance from his alpha. “What? She is the Prince’s toy and has no authority.”
“Tiernan.” Lord Aldric sighed as Rose looked away. “Lady Rose, as I said, the Prince and his guards will remain in the cells at least overnight.” When Rose started to protest, he spoke more loudly. “I will not discuss anything tonight. I like your spirit, but you’re a beautiful mystery loyal to those keeping us subjugated.”
“We are here simply seeking peace. The King is worried about the whispers of rebellion and wishes to quiet them.”
Tiernan snorted, earning another glare from his alpha .
“They don’t want fighting,” Rose continued, ignoring Tiernan. “Prince Adrian doesn’t want to fight. This trip was not made to stir up additional trouble. He is doing his best.”
Both Lord Aldric and Tiernan snorted in derision, and then they laughed. They were soon laughing so hard they wiped tears from their eyes. Rose, scowling as she rarely did, watched the display with something akin to anger, and noticed some of the others stationed at the doors chuckling or shaking their heads.
“That was a jolly good one, Lady Rose.” Tiernan chuckled again as he ate a chunk of meat.
“If you were a slave,” Lord Aldric said, “then you know the corruption. Living in the capital, you’ve seen how the royals cater to the nobles with nary a thought to those below. You’re a lady and yet that Prince brings you here against all code of gentlemanly conduct. You sit here defending him while he rips your honor to shreds.”
Rose swallowed, her anger faded, part of her shaking at what he said because it was true, though she was loath to admit it, even to herself. She’d never even had honor before Prince Adrian.
But that wasn’t the point right now.
“Prince Adrian freed me from my bonds, Lord Aldric. I lived the worst kind of life until he gave me something better.”
“Brainwashed,” Tiernan muttered, shaking his head.
“Until when?” Lord Aldric asked.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Until when will you be allowed to have better? He freed you, Lady Rose, but he can just as easily take that freedom away again. You are in his good graces now, but you must know how fickle the royals are. You’re a smart female; I see it in those pink eyes. You know. Eventually, you’ll be tossed out like yesterday’s rubbish. The only reason that tight-arsed Prince is here is to pacify me so I don’t stir up more trouble.”
“We are a threat,” Tiernan said with a nod. “The King keeps taking our land, imposing greater taxes and more restrictions on our hunting, on our shifting, on who we can mate—”
Lord Aldric set a hand on Tiernan’s arm, silencing him, and looked to Rose. “Being a slave, you had even less freedom than we. You had no rights at all. I’d think you’d be right there with us, fighting against the tyranny. I’m gobsmacked you care for your oppressors.”
Rose, though moved by their words, said, “Prince Adrian is the only one who has ever stood up for me in any way. But that’s not the point.” She took a deep breath. “I apologize for my ignorance. I come here knowing only what Prince Adrian has told me and while he is . . . prejudiced, I admit, he does have a good heart. He is not like his father. I have seen that for myself. King Florian is . . .” She shuddered, remembering the way he’d looked at her the night of the ball.
Like she was prey, prey he’d stalk and drain at that slightest provocation.
“Aye, there ’tis,” Tiernan said. “The King’s one scary mother—cunning, ruthless, and cruel, with nary a care for anything that doesn’t grant him more power.”
“From my dealings with the Prince, the apple’s not fallen far from the tree,” Lord Aldric added. “I understand your perspective is different, Lady Rose, but I will not give in to the vampires this time. I’d have thought they’d gotten the message by now.”
“Let the leeches rot in the cells, I say,” Tiernan said again, “like those dumbarse emissaries buried in the Dragon River. Send back the message we’re not fecking around anymore.”
“You will start a war,” Rose whispered, imagining the King’s reaction to his son being detained.
“Maybe ’tis time,” Lord Aldric said levelly.