20. The Nightmare Prince
Chapter 20
My mother could see the final memories of the dead when a bit of bone was crushed onto her tongue.
There wasn’t a true reason to read the dead elven’s memory—most of us had been there for it—but perhaps there would be enough for my mother’s mesmer to see his actions just before his demise.
I paced behind the garden bench where the queen sat, eyes closed, still as the stone beneath her.
After a moment, my mother shook her head. “He does not agree with the alliance. His thoughts kept repeating that the princess belonged to his clan.”
“How long has he been following her?”
“Since the vows. He caused the chaos of the night to give him a chance to slip into the palace. All of us had toxins in our tea, and it was his warped plan to take back the princess.”
Niklas tucked his herbal reference tome under his arm, cracking each knuckle just below the rune tattoos across his fingers.
He lifted a glass vial filled with the black leaves of the elven plant. “I’d like to study this. It’s a poison I do not know, but seems we have need of its antidote for Teo and Nettie. Your wife had beautifully quick thinking today.”
Skadi. I stopped pacing. When my gaze lifted to the window of her chamber, the bright shade of her hair stepped back from the glass pane.
Wicked, beautiful, befuddling woman.
Last night she’d shouted at me that she had no desire to know me, to care for me, to want me. Next, she was drying tears of littles, reading them fae tales, then saving my ass with the magic she feared.
Now, again it seemed, she had little desire to speak to me. I’d gone to her after the elven died, but Dorsan emerged, stating he would confirm if the man was Ljosalfar, a familiar face, or if he had any insight on behalf of the princess.
Someone tried to send me to the Otherworld to get to Skadi.
The truth of it brought a fierce panic and commanded my every step afterward and brought the realization that I would stand against a blade to keep her with me.
The frightening part was my fear ran deeper than merely caring for the wellbeing of an innocent woman. It transformed into something darker, something brutal, where the compulsion to pluck the bones from the sod’s body took hold, until I feared I might lash against someone I loved should they stand in my way.
It made little sense, it was reckless, and the sentiment was not returned.
“Jonas.” My mother rested her palm on my arm. “His mind felt a great deal like a man lost to a twisted belief. He believed to his soul that this alliance was temporary; he merely wanted to hurry it along.”
“A zealot.” Sander leaned against the wall of the palace, face hard. “You heard what he shouted. He thought this was saving the elven people.”
My mother played with the end of her messy braid. “I will see to it the Dokkalfar king hears of this, and understands that if he knows of how this happened, any alliance he thought he had is over.”
“I am not sending her back.” My fists curled at my sides.
“Did I say that?” My mother narrowed her eyes. “What I am wondering is why you are here, and not speaking to your wife about all this?”
“She does not wish to speak to me.”
“How do you know?”
“She sent Dorsan to speak on her behalf.”
My mother clicked her tongue and shook her head. “Such a pity.”
“What? If you have something to say, Maj, say it.”
“It’s nothing.” My mother strode past me, aiming for the open entrance. “I just never took you for a coward.”
The queen was gone before I could return any sort of protest.
I frowned. It wasn’t cowardice, I was granting her desires; surely that was the honorable thing to do. Still, I turned on my heel and made my way toward the entrance to our wing. Perhaps it would be wise to see that she was not entirely unsettled by this ordeal.
Not to mention, I’d yet to thank her for saving my neck.
Much the same as before, Dorsan stepped into the hall when I went to Skadi’s door. “I need to speak to her.”
“I do not think the?—”
“Pardon me.” I shoved around the guard. “I need to speak to my wife.”
Truth be told, the man didn’t put up much protest when I slipped into the room. Either the guard did not feel he could overrule the word of a prince, or he agreed with me.
Skadi was seated in one of the chairs near her half-built inglenook, knees touched against her chest, her eyes vacant and aimed at the threads of the rug beneath her. When I approached, she jostled from her seat and stepped around the chair, like a damn shield between us.
“Is everything dealt with?” She curled her fingers over the back of the chair.
I paused in front of the seat. “We believe he was convinced this alliance would be the downfall of your people. I don’t know why, nor where he planned to take you.”
“He was of the light elven,” she whispered. “I don’t know if it is hard to guess.”
“Do you believe Prince Arion was behind it?” There was the condition of the alliance where Skadi could choose the wretched prince within the first turn. This could’ve been an attempt to frighten her into his arms.
“Doubtful,” she said. “The prince is a fool, but this would be an act of war and he lost many men in the battle. He’s not strong enough to bring another one. Yet.”
I did not revel in her last word. My fingers dug into my palms when I curled my fists. “Then this sod acted on his own.”
“It is possible. Many Ljosalfar adore Arion. They might think he was slighted.” Skadi took a step for the bedchamber. “Thank you for telling me.”
She was trying to distance us.
“You saved me,” I said. “I have not thanked you.”
“Well, we’re square, I suppose.” Skadi tucked a lock of her hair behind one ear. “You didn’t slit my throat for nearly killing your brother.”
I folded my arms over my chest, biting back the words I truly wanted to speak. “I know this was likely upsetting for you. Are you all right?”
A crack of vulnerability sliced through the mask she tried to hold in place. “I am sorry for you and your people. Destruction follows me like a curse. Because of me being here, three littles could lose their mother and father?—”
“Skadi, that is not your doing at all.”
“I did not poison them, but my presence brought their pain. You and people you love nearly died.”
“And you saved all of us.” I drew closer. “Skadi, we aren’t afraid of you.”
“You have not seen the true dangers of my affinity.”
“And you have not seen all of mine, something else we have in common, Wife.”
Skadi returned a hesitant sort of smile, one that barely curled the corners of her lips.
Hells, I wanted to go to her, offer a bit of comfort, but I held back.
Since that bastard was spotted in the gardens, since a gleam of terror had flashed through Skadi’s eyes, I wanted nothing more than to ensure it never returned.
The strange possessiveness burned in my chest, I merely refused to reveal it. What would be the point? Not even a day before, her sentiments were clear—she did not want to know me above our duty.
With a reluctant step, I returned to the corridor. “Well, I am glad this day did not end with royal funeral pyres. I will leave you to do as you wish, merely wanted to make sure you were well and tell you what we learned. Do not blame yourself for Annetta and Teodor. As always, should you need anything, I am not far.”
Distance was likely for the best. Already I was growing too vulnerable with her, and that was the trouble. For the first time, I wanted to.