7
I was escorted in without fanfare or announcement, my hand on Prince Donovan’s arm.
I’d heard different countries had different court arrangements, and indeed that seemed to be quite true, as this wasn’t the setup I’d expected.
Instead of rows of tables, the room was a very large square, and there were groups of divans, comfortable pillows, and low tables.
Each chair had its own server to bring food and wine to, and the tables sat side by side, leaving a large open space in the middle.
The easier to speak with neighbors, or wander about the area, speaking to whichever group you pleased?
I suddenly understood why court dinners could take three hours. Most of it was likely spent gossiping.
There didn’t seem to be any sort of ranking to the seating, but the center dais in the middle held the royal family, specifically the queen and her young son, who was four years old and adorable. Ah, wait, the king was coming in now to join them.
Prince Donovan led me directly to the king. He’d coached me on how to greet them while we got ready, and it wasn’t anything complex or elaborate, but nerves fluttered in my stomach.
All three of them stopped and looked at me curiously.
“Prince Donovan, is this him?”
“It is, My King. This is Jonathan Bane.”
I touched fingertips lightly to my forehead, to my lips, then to my heart before bowing my head. “My King, it is a great honor.”
“How graciously you greet me, when you are the one divinely touched.”
The king rose from his chair, crossing the three-foot span between us.
He looked much like Prince Donovan, really, with the same massive build and close-cropped hair.
His eyes were the darkest I’d ever seen on a human being, but his lines utterly distracted and fascinated me.
This wasn’t a soft, pampered human being, but a man who had seen much fighting and hardship.
He bore the experience and the scars, and it had tempered him into a very empathetic, sensible man.
His aura shone bright, and I suddenly understood why Prince Donovan respected this man so very much.
“I understand you are a Reader, and that you have chosen to become a citizen of our country?”
“Both correct, My King.”
“We are very honored that you chose Tennoa as your new home. And I personally can’t wait to see what you do with your life here. You are one to make waves, Jonathan Bane, your very entrance into my country proved so.” He paused and looked me over curiously. “What do you see when you look at me?”
I think he wanted a better understanding of how my eyes worked.
“You’re forty-two, you were born near the sea, you’ve fought in many battles to earn your place as king, and you’re an incredibly devoted husband and father.
You love your family to bits and it influences every decision you make.
You know how to listen and truly communicate with people, which makes you a wise and beloved ruler.
Your aura and soul are bright, bright enough I’m glad for these glasses, as you’d have blinded me by now. ”
“The gods have indeed blessed us,” he said delightedly. “Your eyes are truly incredible. I’m told you can see psychic talents?”
“Yes, easily.”
“We suspect my son has something?”
I turned my head to look, and while it did take a second, the power was very clearly there. I blinked, blinked again, and then let out a low whistle. “Wow. He’s a Clairvoyant.”
Both parents looked at their child, their delight immediate and obvious.
“A very rare talent!” The queen beamed at her son and kissed the top of his head. “I suspected something, but not that!”
“I bet he unconsciously boosts any psychic who gets near him,” I muttered, a little ruefully because his power was visibly reacting to me standing there. “It likes to be used. Perhaps find a way to give him some experience on a more child-friendly level?”
“We will certainly do that.” The queen dipped her head toward me. “Thank you, Jonathan Bane, for so directly answering that question. It’s a relief to have a firm answer.”
“My pleasure.”
The king put a hand on my shoulder, leaning down a little to meet my eyes, as he was a good half head taller than me. Then again, in this country, who wasn’t taller?
“Jonathan, I do not like how you came to us. All of you, I should say. We do not believe one man has the right to enslave another. We are all made equal under the gods. I do not know how to get that through the Orleansan king’s head.
We’ve exchanged many letters discussing this very thing, but he clearly doesn’t understand still if he sent a dozen people to me. ”
“No, nor will he likely understand a moral high ground.” I sighed. “Granted, I’ve never met the man, but he’s famous for his lavish spending and his excessive habits. Appealing to him from a moral standpoint won’t do much good. Speak to him where he really cares—his pocketbook.”
“We’ve tried that tactic before to little success, but maybe you hold the key to getting it through to them.” The king nodded once and then pointed to the empty seats next to him. “Sit there. I want your advice as I speak with the ambassador this evening.”
Um. All right…? I was not trained in diplomacy, though?
For heaven’s sakes, I was a mortician’s son and a social outcast, what was I even doing here?
To say I felt as out of place as a fish in a tree was an understatement.
Still, the king looked at me with complete faith and I hated to disappoint him.
I also, selfishly, wanted to confront Solomon at least once.
I was owed that after what the man had put me through.
I found my spine and gave him a nod. “Just don’t blame me if I say the wrong thing at a tempting moment. ”
He threw his head back on a laugh. “I think we should not be pussyfooting around tonight. I’m quite angry with their latest tactic and I will make it known.
Also, I think you’re due the chance to display your anger against Ambassador Solomon, so do not hold yourself back.
The least you can do is speak your mind. ”
I appreciated the king’s offer a lot. I would love to speak my mind against the asshole who had dragged me here against my will. An evil smile took over my face. “I humbly accept your offer.”
“For that matter, I’m going to have choice words with the man,” Prince Donovan rumbled. A wave of anger, bright and red, swept over his lines. “For now, shall we sit?”
I shifted over to the seat nearby. Really, the more I looked at it, it seemed like a giant armchair.
Built very wide, it could accommodate two people easily, three in a pinch.
Kanye and Alani were on our other side, sharing a chair already, propped up on various pillows.
Wine was already being brought out, along with the first round of food—various cheeses, thinly sliced meats, and some sort of cracker? Olives, too. It looked delicious.
Prince Donovan assembled a cracker for me, with cheese and meat on it, before offering it. I took it, gingerly took a bite, and instantly fell in love. “Oh, that’s quite fun.”
“Don’t fill up on them,” he cautioned me, eyes twinkling. “Voice of experience. They’ll bring in truly amazing seafood for the next course, and you don’t want to miss that.”
“Warning taken. Still, I want another one.”
“Oh, sure, have several. Just pace yourself.”
It wasn’t so much a drastic sound, but more a noise of disbelief that caused me to pause. I looked to see where the strangled, choking sound came from, and realized the ambassador had arrived at some point, just in time to see a Prince of Havili hand-feed me.
Well, if that didn’t illustrate how badly this man had bungled negotiations, nothing would.
Solomon wore the best finery from our country, and it looked ridiculously out of place here.
Black satin tunic and leggings, with stockings that went into polished black shoes.
Expensive lace at his collar and the cuffs of his sleeves, and a garnet pin to hold his tie in place.
The dark circles under his brown eyes were more pronounced than usual.
He’d clearly been too upset to sleep, as I saw the sleep deprivation in his lines, and him powdering his black hair and trying to cover face blemishes with makeup only turned him more into the court jester.
I stood and I saw his eyes rove over me, his surprise shifting into incredulity as he realized I was dressed as finely as any prince in this room.
I shifted the shawl so that it displayed more over my right arm, showcasing the elaborate embroidery and truly emphasizing how expensive it was.
Then I stepped toward him, facing him directly.
“Ambassador Solomon,” I greeted coldly.
He spluttered, staring at me like I was the worst fear he had made flesh. “Why are you dressed like that?”
“Because a Prince of Havili dressed me like this.” I cocked a brow at him, amused.
He was really not getting the full picture, was he?
“You made two very strategic errors. First, you insulted Tennoa by ignoring their moral code. They made it clear where they stood. Ignoring that was an incredibly stupid move.”
He flushed right to the tips of his ears and didn’t seem to know where to look.
“Second mistake you made was showing up here without an abject apology. It shows you still don’t get it.
You really think that a country that chooses their leadership based on merit will give two flying fucks about birthrights?
They do not regard your king as a superior being.
They don’t think you’re superior, for that matter. ”
Oh, he was angry now; right pissed off, in fact. Did I care? Not at all.
“If you want to trade with Tennoa, you have one last chance. Stop ignoring their moral code, stop trying to bribe them the way you would another country, and you might get somewhere.”
“Indeed,” the king drawled, his voice dripping sarcasm, “your job as an ambassador is to listen, is it not? It would be wonderful if you could actually do your job.”
From what I read of Solomon’s lines, he wouldn’t. His pride smarted already and he was the type to react emotionally and not logically.
I turned from him, and when I did, I caught the king’s eye and gave a small shake of the head. It was useless talking to this one. He was already doing the mental equivalent of sticking his fingers in his ears and drumming his heels on the floor.
The king’s anger kindled, and the glare he shot Solomon should have had the man crumpling to the floor and begging forgiveness, but instead, Solomon glared back.
Truly, I could not understand how he failed to see that he stood on shifting sand.
He was one bad remark away from being thrown out of here.
Solomon chose to ignore me and greeted the king. “Your Majesty, I realize we may have mis-stepped—”
“You insulted us,” Prince Donovan interrupted harshly. “After we told you this was insulting, no less. An apology is owed.”
Solomon visibly gritted his teeth before managing, “—for which I do apologize. I misunderstood you, it seems. I thought you prized psychics, which is why I arranged for some to be brought to you.”
“We do value psychics, very much, but they should not have been forced to come to us. They should not have been brought in chains.” The king’s glare was letting up, and I could see his temptation to cut this conversation short as the very sight of Solomon irritated him.
“You may inform your king that until he banishes slavery, in all forms, in Orleansa, we will not trade with him.”
Solomon jerked, his lines going haywire with panic and surprise, fear riding him hard.
Oh, interesting—fear connected to his own king.
I wondered what he’d been threatened with if he didn’t bring back a trade agreement?
Could I hope it was serious enough to land the man in the gallows or a grave? The fear seemed strong enough.
“Your Majesty, surely we can come to some sort of understanding—”
“I will not do business with men who have no principals. You are not a trustworthy business partner. I will not speak again on this matter until you have met my demands.” The king turned his head, signaling to one of the guards stationed around the room.
“Escort him out. He is to leave on the first boat in the morning.”
Solomon really panicked now, falling to his knees, begging. “Please, Your Majesty, I can’t go back like this! Truly, I apologize for the slaves. My king was sure you would like them! Look, you even kept one of them!”
“We offered them all refuge,” Prince Donovan corrected sharply. “They accepted it because they feared what would happen if they went back home with you. We’re not keeping your gift and making more demands, we are correcting your mistakes.”
Solomon’s face went white, his fear overtaking everything, including his common sense. Oh, looked like my guess was right, he was going to be in serious trouble if he returned empty-handed.
That warmed my soul.
Solomon was unceremoniously dragged kicking and begging out of the room, the guards having no mercy as they hauled him out. I smiled at the sight, knowing I’d look back on this evening with great satisfaction. Seeing someone get the justice they deserved was always a delightful thing.
“Jonathan?”
I turned to respond. “Yes, My Queen.”
“Why do you smile so?”
“This is a guess, but from his lines, I think he’s going to be in serious trouble when he returns empty-handed. From the depth of his fear, either prison or execution awaits him.”
“Oh.” She pondered for a moment. “I think that’s deserved. But truly, you can read that much?”
“As I said, an educated guess. I can’t always read everything, and sometimes I misinterpret what I do read. That’s even more so the case if I’m reading an animal.”
“But you can read animals?” Her shock was evident, and then she smiled with delight. “Come, sit with me, explain more about your ability. I have more questions.”
“As you please.” I took the cushion near her feet, as directed, and Prince Donovan shifted so he could stand nearby, which eased my apprehension a little. I didn’t know her as well as he did, and while she was a good person, it was still unnerving to speak to royalty.
I sat for a good hour, chatting with both her and the king, answering questions, and even doing some readings for them on various people. Eventually, they let me rest my eyes and eat a proper dinner, and I could tell Prince Donovan was very pleased with how this evening had progressed.
I looked about the room, at the people gathered here, and thought to myself, this is what my life would be like from now on. At least, if Prince Donovan chose to anchor with me, and I had a feeling he would.
Playing politics didn’t really appeal to me, but belonging to this man?
I’d trade the world to have Donovan of Havili.