Chapter 16 #2
I offered Nisien a polite smile while my magic subtly probed Emrys.
It was unable to read anything from him, even though we’d stepped closer.
He must’ve erected his walls the moment he saw us.
Now he stood breathing heavily with his back turned, his sword slowly drooping to the ground, seemingly oblivious to the match’s end.
When he finally turned, Emrys’s face was an impassive mask, betraying no hint of anger or disappointment. He was just… Empty.
For some reason, I hated seeing him that way. What if I wasn’t big enough for the job? What if the enormity of what he was suffering was too great for someone like me to handle? Would he be stuck living in this torment forever?
Without reaching my eyes again, Emrys turned our way and half-bowed. Then, as he’d done the first moment I entered the castle, he turned and fled.
Not wanting to distract the men from their work, Catrin and I left quickly to clean up before lunch with the household guard.
Lunch was a quiet, buffet-style affair in the Great Hall. It was much more informal than the intimate dinner with Nisien, with platters of roast meats, cheeses, spring greens, and bread laid out on the long table for the entire household and guard to share. To my eyes, it was a feast.
Grateful for the anonymity eating in with so many might bring, I followed Catrin, hoping to disappear amongst the crowd. But that all changed when I saw both princes already seated at the high table.
Nisien stood as we entered, smiling. “Ah, perfect timing. Come. Sit with us.”
He gestured to the spot directly between them. Of course.
“Balance, at last,” Nisien said brightly. “We are happy to have you, Lady Isca.”
I hesitated a moment too long, and Emrys’s gaze fell on me.
For the first time, I sensed a barely perceptible flinch behind the mask of his cool demeanor.
There was a subtle tightening around his eyes that suggested a new wariness.
He shifted stiffly, making room for me to move easily between the chairs.
Between shadow and sun. What could possibly go wrong?
Yet I couldn’t think like that if I wanted to return home to my family safe. Diplomacy had to start now—whatever that meant.
To save me from going up and down the steps in my still-unfamiliar dress, Catrin served me at the table. Emrys was completely walled off from me on one side. On the other, Nisien radiated simple enjoyment.
“Nisien,” I said, breaking the silence that had settled between us.
Hearing his brother’s name without a title, Emrys gave me a questioning look.
If I’d offended his sense of propriety, that was his problem.
“…And Lord Prince Emrys, I’ve never experienced hospitality as wonderful as yours.
Thank you for the welcome. However, I would like to know when we, when I, can get to more formal work. ”
“You’ve already begun,” Nisien asserted. “Look, my brother dines with us even after his defeat. That is an achievement.”
Emrys scowled at this but said nothing.
“About that… Prince Emrys, does your schedule allow for a conversation this afternoon? I’ve already spoken with your brother. I was hoping we might do the same.”
“Oh no,” Nisien interjected, that same teasing note back in his voice. “Now he’s going to find something on the castle grounds that must be exterminated immediately.” Nisien raised his voice. “Did anyone see a dragon this morning?”
The warriors nearest the raised platform erupted in laughter at the shouted question.
The legends of Avanfell’s empire spoke of dragons, and some men even claimed to have found their bones, but they were mostly regarded as tales to excite children.
With so few mages in the world now, even magic was beginning to be thought of as fantasy in some areas.
Fearing for Nisien’s safety under Emrys’s deadly glare, I quickly added, “The conversation needn’t be prolonged, but I must perform my duties. I hope you understand.”
The look Emrys turned on me burned into my skin. I felt exposed, as if the lies I’d told myself as defenses were being ripped away with every fraction of a second that passed under his scrutiny. The scorching intensity he quickly masked seemed almost inappropriate for the bright light of day.
“The library?” I pressed, trying to break the spell he’d cast on me.
The Assembly had given me a bit of power in sending me here in an official capacity.
It was the only leverage I had, so I intended to utilize it as frequently as possible.
“I would like to be able to write to Chancellor Maeron with good news.”
Emrys took so long to answer that Nisien telekinetically picked up a piece of bread from the table and whacked Emrys in the back of the head with it. My impulse was to burst out laughing, but helping to raise six younger siblings allowed me to keep a mostly straight face.
Emrys’s voice came out on a growl directed at Nisien. “The day after tomorrow.”
Victory.
“Right,” Nisien said, beaming. “We have a little outing in store for our diplomat tomorrow.”
Coming from him, I hoped the surprise was a good thing.