Chapter Four
The throne room was bigger than Finn expected.
Not that he’d ever been in a throne room before, but still.
The ceiling stretched up at least three stories, the walls were lined with expensive tapestries and the actual throne sat on a raised platform making the whole thing feel like a stage production.
Finn tugged at his collar. Jericho had insisted he wear formal attire, which meant Finn currently felt like a trussed chicken in clothing that fit perfectly but still somehow felt wrong. He was used to shirt sleeves and work trousers, not whatever his stiff jacket situation was.
Three advisers sat at a table to the left of the throne. Two men and a woman, all looking at him with varying degrees of skepticism. Fair enough. Finn was skeptical about the whole thing, too.
And on the throne itself...
Oh. Damn. The king is one fine-looking man close up.
King Darragh was bigger in person than Finn had imagined.
Not taller - although Finn couldn’t judge height when the man was sitting - but broader.
His shoulders filled out his formal jacket, suggesting actual physical work rather than just tailoring.
His blond hair fell to his shoulders in waves that looked like they’d be soft to touch, and his face was tanned and weathered in a way that reminded Finn of the sailors who worked the docks at Winrone.
He also looked bored out of his mind. At least until his eyes met Finn’s. Then something shifted in his expression. Interest, maybe. Or possibly just curiosity about who the hell had walked into his throne room.
Finn executed what he hoped was an acceptable bow. Jericho had made him practice for two hours, but Finn had never been particularly graceful.
“Lord Finn.” One of the advisers - the older woman – greeted him. “Thank you for coming. I’m Helena, this is Thomas, and Aldric. We’re three members of His Majesty’s council.”
“Right.” Finn straightened. “Nice to meet you. And you, Your Majesty.”
King Darragh’s mouth twitched. “You can call me Darragh. This is an informal interview.”
“Informal.” Finn glanced at the throne, the advisers, and the guards by the door. “Sure. It’s a very casual atmosphere you have here.”
The king actually smiled at that. “This interview will be more informal than the last dozen, anyway. Please, sit.”
A servant appeared with a chair, positioning it in front of the throne platform.
Finn perched on the edge of it and then sat back, resisting the urge to fidget.
The king was still watching him with an intent expression, as if he couldn’t quite work out what, or who, he was looking at.
Clearly, I’m an anomaly, and I already knew that.
“Your brother submitted your application,” Helena said, consulting her notes. “But you weren’t aware of it initially?”
“I found out when he showed up at the Weatherby cottage while I was fixing a roof.” Finn decided if he was going to crash and burn here, he might as well be honest about it. “I told him he was insane and I’d make a terrible king consort.”
“Yet you’re here,” Thomas said.
“Jericho can be persistent, and he is family, and that counts for something. Also, I figured I’d come, have this conversation, and then go home knowing I gave it a shot.
” Finn met the king’s eyes. “No offense, Your Majesty - Darragh - but I’m really not what you’re looking for, and I’m sure you know that, too. ”
“Why not?” Darragh leaned forward, elbows on his knees. The formal posture that had been in place when Finn first entered had completely disappeared. “Tell me why you think you’re unsuitable.”
“How much time do you have?”
Darragh grinned. “As much as you need.”
“All right.” Finn counted on his fingers.
“I’ve never been to court. I don’t know proper etiquette beyond basic manners.
I can’t dance - well, I can dance, but not the formal kind.
I know nothing about politics or diplomacy or whatever it is kings and consorts are supposed to do. I’m better with a hammer than a pen.
“I’m a fifth son, which means my societal ranking is basically along the lines of ‘exists but nobody really cares.’ And I’ve been told by all who know me, more than once, that I’m too honest for my own good, which means I’d probably insult some visiting dignitary within a week and get banished from the country if I spent much time in the castle. ”
“That’s quite a list,” Aldric said dryly.
“You asked.” Finn shrugged. “I could keep going, but those seem like the main problems from my perspective.”
“What about your strengths?” Helena asked.
“I’m good at fixing things. I’m reliable. I show up when I say I will. I don’t lie, even when it would be easier.” Finn paused. “I’m not sure any of those are useful for being a king consort, though.”
“You’d be surprised.” Darragh’s voice was warm, almost amused. “Tell me, Finn. What do you know about Safe Harbor’s governance?”
“Probably not as much as I should.” Finn decided to just keep being honest. What did he have to lose? “I know you’re hands-on. You greet merchant ships at the harbor, you attend town councils, you’re not one of those kings who sit in a castle and lets advisers make all the decisions.
“I know Safe Harbor’s economy is built on trade, and you’ve got agreements with about a dozen other kingdoms. I know you reformed the tax system three years ago to make it more fair for smaller merchants.
” He hesitated. “I know people respect you, even if some of the other kingdoms think Safe Harbor is too rough around the edges to be a real political power.”
Darragh’s eyebrows rose. “For someone with no political knowledge, you seem fairly well-informed.”
“I pay attention. It’s one of my other strengths. I listen, and Jericho talks a lot.” Finn shifted in his chair. “But knowing facts about Safe Harbor isn’t the same as knowing how to be part of running it.”
“No,” Darragh agreed. “But most people can’t even tell me the facts. Let me ask you this - what do you think Safe Harbor’s biggest challenge is right now?”
Finn blinked. This was definitely not a question he’d expected. “I’m not sure I’m qualified to answer that.”
“Pretend you are.”
“All right.” Finn thought about it. “I’d say...perception. Safe Harbor’s got a lot going for it. The economy is good, the country has major trade agreements that benefit both countries, and above all these things - the agreements and the economy - are stable.
“The issue I see is that other kingdoms don’t take you seriously as a political power.
They see merchants, sailors, and people who work with their hands, and they think that means Safe Harbor can’t play the political games the way the other kingdoms do.
” He met Darragh’s eyes. “They’re wrong, obviously.
Working with your hands doesn’t make you stupid.
But changing their perception? That’s going to take time and strategy. ”
The throne room was quiet for a moment.
“Interesting,” Darragh said finally. “And how would you change that perception?”
“Me personally? I wouldn’t.” Finn spread his hands.
“I’m not the right person for that job. You need someone who knows court politics, and who can play the game.
Someone who can make Safe Harbor appear refined and polished without allowing this country’s true strengths to be lost. Someone who.
..” - he gestured at himself - “isn’t me. ”
“What if I don’t want refined?” Darragh stood, walking down the steps of the platform. Up close, he was even more imposing. “What if I’m tired of people who know how to play the game but don’t know how to be real?”
Finn’s heart did something complicated in his chest. “Then you’re looking in the wrong place. Courts run on games. That’s how politics works.”
“Maybe I want to change that.” Darragh tilted his head. “You said you’d tell visiting dignitaries the truth even if it got you banished. What if I told you I’d back you up?”
“I’d say you were setting yourself up for a lot of diplomatic incidents.”
Darragh laughed. Actually laughed, the sound echoing through the throne room. “Stars above, finally. Someone who doesn’t just agree with everything I say.”
“You want me to disagree with you?”
“I want you to be honest with me.” Darragh’s expression sobered. “I’ve spent the last two weeks interviewing people who tell me what they think I want to hear. Every single one of them. You’re the first person who’s walked in here and told me I’m making a mistake.”
“I didn’t say you were making a mistake exactly...”
“You said I was looking in the wrong place. Same thing.” Darragh moved back to his throne but didn’t sit. “Let me ask you something else. Safe Harbor is hosting the World Council summit in six months. Do you know what that is?”
“It’s a big political gathering. All the major kingdoms send representatives including the World Council. It’s...kind of a big deal?” Finn tried to remember what Jericho had mentioned. “I think it rotates between kingdoms every few years.”
“It does. And apparently, hosting it successfully requires me to appear settled and refined.” Darragh’s tone suggested what he thought of that requirement. “What do you know about hosting formal events?”
“Absolutely nothing,” Finn said honestly. “I mean, I’ve been to harvest festivals and local gatherings, but I’m guessing a World Council summit is a bit different from making sure the beer tent doesn’t fall over.”
Darragh’s mouth twitched again. “Slightly, although that’s important, too.”
“But if you think about it, how hard can it be? You make sure people are fed and comfortable, you give them places to meet, you don’t let anyone poison anyone else.” Finn shrugged. “The rest is just... talking, right? People meeting with other people and working things out?”
“That’s an oversimplification,” Helena said. “The summit involves complex protocol, carefully arranged seating charts, diplomatic considerations...”
“Sure, but underneath all that, it’s still just people meeting.” Finn looked at Darragh. “You’re worried about appearing refined for these other kingdoms. But what if you focused on being effective instead? Safe Harbor’s strength is that you’re practical and hands-on. Why hide that?”
“Because the other kingdoms see it as weakness,” Thomas said.
“Do they? Or do they see it as different from what they’re used to?
” Finn was warming to the topic now. “Look, I don’t know court politics.
But I know people. And people respect competence.
If you host a summit that runs smoothly, if you solve problems efficiently, if you show these other kingdoms that Safe Harbor’s way of doing things works, surely you can see that matters more than whether a person uses the right fork at dinner. ”
The advisers exchanged glances. Darragh was watching Finn with that intense focus again.
“You really believe that,” Darragh said.
“I do. Though again, what do I know? I fix roofs for a living. In fact, it’s not even a living. I get paid in honey cakes, or at least I did last week.” Finn offered a self-deprecating smile. “You should probably ignore everything I just said.”
“What if I don’t want to ignore it?” Darragh moved closer again. “What if I think you’re onto something?”
“Then I’d say you’re either very wise or very desperate.” Finn met his eyes. “And based on this conversation, I’m not sure which.”
Darragh laughed again. “You know what? Neither am I.”
The king studied Finn for a long moment, and Finn tried not to squirm under that gaze.
There was something magnetic about Darragh up close.
The way he moved, the way he focused his attention on Finn like he was the only person in the world right now.
It was disconcerting, and, at the same time, oddly flattering.
Stop it, Finn told himself. You’re here to fail this interview and go home. Not to notice how attractive the king is.
“One more question,” Darragh said. “If you were king consort - hypothetically - and I was being an idiot about something, would you tell me?”
“Yes.”
“Just like that? No hesitation?”
“You asked for honesty.” Finn shrugged. “If you’re being an idiot, someone should tell you. Preferably before you make whatever idiotic decision you’re considering.”
“Even if it contradicted me in front of others?”
“That depends on the situation. If it’s something that could wait, I’d tell you privately. If it’s something urgent, then yes, I’d say something right away.” Finn paused. “Is that wrong?”
“It’s different,” Helena said carefully.
“It’s refreshing,” Darragh corrected. He exchanged a glance with his advisers that Finn couldn’t quite read. “Thank you, Finn. For your honesty, if nothing else.”
“Right.” That sounded like a dismissal. Finn stood, adjusting his jacket. “Well, thanks for seeing me. Sorry, I wasn’t more... whatever you were looking for.”
“You might be surprised,” Darragh said. “We’ll be in touch.”
Finn knew a standard polite dismissal, when he heard it. He nodded to the advisers, executed another hopefully acceptable bow, and headed for the door. The guards opened it, and Finn stepped out into the corridor, breathing easier once he was out of that formal space.
I blew it. Obviously. Spending half the interview explaining why he was unsuitable probably wasn’t the best strategy. But at least he’d been honest about it, and Finn could live with that.
For some reason, though, as Finn made his way out of the castle, he felt a small twist of disappointment in his chest, which was stupid. He didn’t want to be king consort. He’d said as much multiple times during the interview.
But Darragh had been...interesting, funny and real in a way Finn hadn’t expected a king to be. And that laugh…I could spend a lifetime listening to that laugh.
Finn shook his head as he stepped out into the afternoon sun.
It didn’t matter. He’d done his duty, had the interview, and now he could go home and tell Jericho he’d tried.
The king would choose someone else. Someone who knew about playing court games and who had a much more suitable pedigree.
A person who knew what they were doing would be a bonus, but whoever it was, it wouldn’t be Finn.
That stubborn twist of disappointment didn’t go away, though.
Even as Finn headed toward the stables to collect his horse, even as he told himself the outcome was exactly what he’d wanted, a small part of him couldn’t help thinking about blue eyes, an unexpected laugh and the way Darragh had looked at him like Finn’s honesty was a gift.
Stop it, he told himself again. You’re going home. This is over.
But somehow, it didn’t quite feel over. Not yet. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking.