Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CEDRIC
Orthorr was eventually called back to the king’s study once the other clan leader arrived.
This time, he brought me with him. I tried to refuse, I still didn’t feel like I belonged there, but Orthorr insisted that I belonged at his side.
Anywhere he went, I would go as well. I was so overjoyed by his answer that I could only nod my head in agreement and go where he wanted me to go.
The steward made an appearance to guide us to the king’s office, then disappeared again after knocking and ushering us inside.
I’d honestly not known what to expect. The closest I’d gotten to royalty before joining the clan was being part of a meeting with one of the king’s knights who was gathering taxes from each town.
I’d hoped to speak with him about the petitions, since the mayor had no interest in most of what I’d had to say, but the knight barely glanced in my direction before dismissing me entirely.
He was only there for one thing and didn’t feel the need to stop and speak to me about what he likely considered trivial matters.
Al Nuzem’s king was more down to earth than I expected.
Instead of gold furniture and water features, which I likely only considered because I’d read it in a fantasy novel once, his office was similar to many others I’d been in.
He had bookshelves lining the wall, a desk on one side, and a small table near an open terrace.
There was also a seating area near the hearth with comfortable looking couches, but they looked more simple than even the mayor’s couches had been, created for comfort rather than to show off.
The most exotic thing in the office was the amount of plant life scattered throughout.
The mayor never wasted his time with plants.
The king himself was tall, with light brown skin, silky black hair, and a goatee that made him look dignified.
He wore the type of robes I’d seen many men in Al Nuzem wearing during our quick trip through the city, though his were a deep blue with gold accents.
His expression was serious and very kingly when we arrived, but he softened when he noticed me, tipping his head curiously.
“Hello. Who’s this?”
His common tongue was only slightly accented, and had I not been completely smitten with Orthorr and knew the king was married, I would have been blushing when he took my hand and kissed the back of it. He was handsome, I’d give him that.
“King Zohaib, this is Cedric. My intended.”
It felt like my stomach flipped and exploded with butterflies simultaneously at his casual introduction, like he hadn’t just announced to all and sundry his intentions without asking me first. Though…
technically, he did? When we’d been in the bath, I’d told him I wanted to be with him forever.
He said he wanted that, too. Was that enough for the barbarians to be considered a proposal?
The king smiled brightly at the news, but it was the other barbarian’s reaction that caught my attention. He wore robes like Orthorr did, which made me think he was a clan leader, and the way his jaw dropped almost to the floor made me think he was expecting this news about as much as I was.
“That’s wonderful,” King Zohaib said. “Please, join us, Cedric. I look forward to hearing more about your engagement once this meeting is through.”
“As do I,” the other barbarian murmured, shooting a questioning look at Orthorr. Orthorr just ignored him, leading me to the table and pulling out my chair for me. He sat next to me, holding my hand as he introduced me to the other clan leader.
“Cedric, this is Idrull, leader of the Velgraz Clan and an old friend of mine.”
“Old? Who are you calling old?” Idrull grumped, finally diverted off the topic of our supposed engagement as he crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re older than I am.”
“Only by two years,” Orthorr said blandly. “You’re not young anymore. Your bondmate told me you go to bed early now, and she finds you asleep between meetings.”
Idrull gaped at him. “She did not! Did she?”
“How old are the two of you?” King Zohaib asked curiously. “I’ll admit, I can’t put a number on you. You don’t look that old.”
I sat up a little straighter, nodding. “That’s what I said. I was shocked when Orthorr told me he was fifty seven.”
The king pursed his lips, studying Orthorr thoughtfully. “We’re the same age, then. And I agree, that’s not old.”
The room fell silent as we all stared at him incredulously. Orthorr looked younger than his years, but I couldn’t imagine the king being the same age. He looked younger than me!
The king looked between us with a frown. “What?”
Shaking my head slowly, I replied, “Nothing, your majesty. I guess I just thought you were much younger than that.”
He huffed, amused all over again. “Good genetics, I suppose. We can discuss that later. I’d like assistance for my son as soon as possible. He’s a troublemaker, and I don’t want him causing a war if he gets bored waiting for us to reply to their message.”
They turned to the business at hand, discussing what was happening with Uttin’s company and the interference they were facing.
I’ll admit, I was worried about them. Uttin’s company was the reason I could be here, safe to fall in love with who I wished and free from the constant fear of being discovered. I wanted them to succeed.
“Normally, I would be reluctant to send so many of my clan away, but being so close to our allies means I feel safe to rely on Orthorr and his clan for protection while my own warriors are away,” Idrull said, and Orthorr nodded in agreement.
That honestly didn’t surprise me. Orthorr seemed like the type to offer aid even if it made things more difficult for him.
He was the one housing the influx of new arrivals and feeding them while we got our feet under us.
“We can send a few extra guards as well, for added protection,” King Zohaib offered.
I didn’t miss the way Orthorr’s face twitched, and I fought back a smile knowing why he was so unhappy with the offer.
He was jealous of the attention the knight had given me and surprisingly possessive.
I didn’t think that was a good enough reason to turn down extra protection from his people, especially if my original kingdom was causing trouble for this one, but it didn’t feel like my place to interject.
I was only here because Orthorr wanted me close by. I was okay just observing for now.
“Cedric, you are from the towns, yes?” King Zohaib asked, startling me. I hadn’t expected to be brought into the conversation.
“Um, yes, your grace. I was clerk of petitions in my town up until recently.”
His eyes lit up. “You were in government? Perhaps you can give us insight into the mindset of your people then. It seems strange to me that we are receiving so much pushback over assisting those who the town sees as outcasts to leave. So much so that the king is getting involved, when from what I’ve been told by those in Zakai’s clan the king has never cared before. Why is he getting involved now?”
I hadn’t thought he’d get involved either.
Other than collecting taxes from us, the king honestly didn’t pay much mind to the towns.
Before the treaty went into effect, the king had never once sent any knights to protect the towns.
Since the barbarians didn’t get close to the capital, he didn’t care.
From what I heard, he was a lush who spent most of his time drinking and throwing lavish parties.
He didn’t waste time or money on the towns that needed him when that same money could be spent on drink.
My brow furrowed thoughtfully. “I think the only reason the king would get involved is if money was concerned. Either someone is paying him, which is unlikely since most of the towns under the treaty couldn’t afford much more than to put up a wall to protect them from the barbarians, or he’s worried the number of people leaving will affect the tax purse he receives from each town.
If I were a betting man, I’d bet on the latter. ”
The three of them considered my comment with thoughtful frowns on their faces. I fidgeted a little in my seat, still feeling like I didn't quite belong here. If it wasn’t for Orthorr, I would have preferred to wait with Tavik and Saneth. They were friendly and made me feel like an equal.
“If money is the object, how likely is it that we could pay him to let the people leave?” Idrull asked.
King Zohaib shook his head. “He would likely demand a stipend to cover the lost taxes, and I’m not willing to go down that road with him.” He looked at me again. “Do you think the price of a war might scare him into behaving?”
Chewing on my lip, I thought about it, then shook my head. “If he truly felt like he was being threatened, he’d likely double the taxes rather than admit defeat. I think if you want to get him on your side, you’d be better off charming him.”
That made King Zohaib blink, startled. “I’m sorry?”
I lifted a shoulder uneasily. “I’ve heard rumors of the king’s interests.
The mayor is much the same in my town. He cares more about alcohol than anything else.
A lot of the richer members of our town would ply him with drinks to get what they wanted from him.
It got to the point that anyone making an appointment with him would show up with alcohol.
It became expected after a while, and the nicer the alcohol, the more likely he was to listen. ”
“You do have a very nice wine here in Al Nuzem,” Orthorr pointed out. “How often do you export it to King Gordon?”
From his expression, the king didn’t know the answer to that, but he summoned one of his daughters, who was also the overseer of the trade houses. She showed up in what looked like a military uniform, wearing trousers and a short jacket in the same deep blue and gold of the king’s colors.
“You summoned me, father?” she asked as she bowed to him, one arm crossed at her waist.
“Samira. How much wine do we export to Eldara?”
She frowned at her father but answered without question.
“Almost none. Their taxes are too high. It is considered a luxury import, and they want more than half of the profit for allowing it through their borders. Only a handful of sellers bother, and they charge extra under the table once they cross over for the trouble.”
I blinked in surprise. She knew about under the table dealings? Wasn't that supposed to be a secret from those in charge? I only ever heard about such things second hand in my town, when the guards were bragging within earshot that they’d caught someone who thought they could get one over on them.
“Excellent,” King Zohaib said, crossing to his desk to pull out a quill and paper. “Let’s see if we can bribe a king.”