Chapter 34 Grave
GRAVE
I’d feigned illness in order to delay the meeting while Amalee attended dinner in my absence.
She’d said that the meal itself was mundane, though Ryder continued to say a swarm of witches commandeered one of Rivale’s ships.
I had no way of confirming the lie, but I’d known it was one the minute it left his lips.
The clock ticked five minutes past our scheduled meeting time as I sat at the far end of the table. If Ryder’s intent was to piss me off before our next round of negotiations, he was doing a damned good job at it.
“Stop tapping your foot,” Amalee hissed. “It’s annoying, and it’s going to give away your impatience.”
I gave her a smile and joined my other foot in the tapping rhythm; it was enough to beckon a grunt from under her breath.
With two forefingers, I drummed a beat along the mahogany table trying to see how far I might push her.
Her onyx eyes darted at my digits, and for a moment I thought she might turn them to dust; annoying her would still be worth it if she had.
The door opened, and I froze.
Ryder strode into the room as if he were the main event.
Perhaps he hoped we’d all fall to our knees and thank him for gracing us with his presence.
Maybe he thought I should run to the other side of the long table to pull out his chair.
We were merely peasants to the prince who believed he held the continent in his hands.
Leanna and three men in military uniforms filed into the room after the prince.
His sister sat in the chair to the right of his still-empty seat, while the others filled in around her.
Ryder remained standing with his eyes set on me, then shifted them to my sister.
It would do him well to be careful of his words; Amalee was in quite the mood.
“I hope you’re feeling better, Grave. I’m sure you’re eager to leave, just as we all are.” Ryder cocked his head.
I remained quiet and smirked.
Ryder waited a full minute before he blew out a breath and sat. “Let’s get this over with.” His crystal eyes met my stare. “We want an increase in crude and, in return, we’ll increase our exports to Kuroden.”
“No.” I let my face fall flat.
Amalee kept her focus on the prince. Prior to the meeting, I’d told her I had a plan and needed her to be patient so I could work through it.
What the plan was, I never said. Truthfully, I only had a loose grip on it myself.
But the trust my sister put in me was something I’d never taken for granted, and sometimes I needed her to blindly follow me into what looked to be impending doom, even if that meant ignoring a bright clear path leading in a different direction.
“I thought you might say that.” He clasped his hands in front of him and leaned forward. “Rivale is prepared to offer you three of our ships and increase our exports.”
“You do realize our coast is protected entirely by cliffs so steep even your gryphons could not climb—let alone any fae.” I continued, “Even if someone were to ascend the cliffs, it would not only take them multiple days, but once they crested, our military would be waiting—so best of luck to them.” I waved a dismissive hand. “We have no need for your ships.”
“What about the witches?” Ryder bit back. “Do you not face the same threats the rest of Crofea does? Or is it only because they are attacking at your command that you do not fear them?”
Amalee went stiff. She hated being associated with the witches just as much as I had. Though my sister had an explosive temper; she didn’t involve herself in a fight because of an insult. In fact, it took more to provoke her than it did me.
“My business with the witches is none of your concern. However, you know just as your father does, Kuroden’s ties with the Oras were severed long ago.” I let the magic seep out to the edge of my fingertips, a warning he couldn’t ignore. “So shut your fucking mouth or act on your false allegations.”
Ryder’s face went red, and the magic I knew he kept cleverly hidden sang through the air, a vibration I was unfamiliar with. It was nothing like any Divine magic I’d encountered.
“King Grave, I think what my brother is saying”—Leanna smiled sweetly, ignoring the man who was on the verge of a tantrum—“is that we can offer ships for your own use. Perhaps to transport Kuroden’s exports. You wouldn’t need to rely as heavily on Shalebridge if you moved your own goods.”
I shrugged, ignoring her fluttering lashes. “We do well working with one another. I have no issues relying on our neighboring kingdom.”
“Silk!” Ryder blurted. “Your people deserve to dress well, even if they’re forced to reside in such a revolting kingdom, do they not?” He was the master of backhanded compliments.
Amalee slammed a hand on the table, causing the wood to tremble.
All the eyes at the other end of the room darted to her.
They knew the magic she possessed, and their prince was throwing fuel on the fire.
It was one thing to insult our father’s lineage, but another thing to slight the people of our land.
She’d had a soft spot for every fae who lived in our kingdom, regardless of their origin.
And there was no limit to what she’d do for them.
“Spices?” Ryder asked, his voice softer than what it had been.
“Getting them from Otea,” I responded curtly.
“Cattle?”
“Rynholm.” I smiled. Amalee relaxed into her seat and took a drawn-out breath.
Ryder pushed. “Lumber?”
“Also from Rynholm … as well as what you export to us already.”
Had he studied the treaty, he would’ve known what the leverage points were. He was ill-equipped to negotiate without his father present.
“Not only will we increase the supply of fish we send, but we’ll sweeten the deal with fresh produce,” Leanna offered. “We’ll send it with gryphons rather than relying on ships.”
My stomach leapt at the thought of having fresh fruits and vegetables for the locals.
We’d had to rely heavily on dried and canned produce.
And with Rivale being the largest of all seven kingdoms, they had an ample amount to send north.
The offer was tempting, especially with my sister’s eyes on me.
“No,” I replied coolly, trying to subdue my desires.
“Grave.” Leanna batted her eyelashes.
I rolled my eyes. The gesture might have been something I fell for once, but never again.
“We all know the crude has bled from your mountains to your sea.” Leanna continued, “We are your biggest supplier of fish, not only for your people, but for your mounts. Would it not be prudent to consider the benefits of our offerings?”
Long ago, I’d made the mistake of oversharing. I’d told her that our wyvern had to travel beyond our shores to catch fish untainted by the crude seeping into the sea.
Ryder stared at his sister while his chest heaved so quickly he might faint. And with the way his eyes bulged from his head, it looked that they might topple onto the table and tumble against the wood.
“King Grave—” Leanna started, but was quickly interrupted.
“Enough!” Ryder stood abruptly, sending his chair flying to the ground with a smack. He directed his anger at his sister. “You do not speak for Rivale. I am the king!” His voice held a roar so deep it nearly shook the windows.
Amalee scoffed quietly at my side.
Ryder’s eyes snapped to me. “What is it you want, Grave?”
“Audryn.” My response was smooth, not a single delay in the request.
His tawny hue was so crimson it was nearly purple. “NO!” Ryder roared.
I sat back in my chair and waited for the tantrum I was sure would follow. What he did next would tell me how badly Rivale needed the resource.
“Prince Sutton,” Leanna said calmly, “maybe the others should leave, and this conversation be held in private?”
Ryder’s narrowed eyes stayed infuriatingly still on mine as he excused the men with a quick flick of his wrist. Truthfully, I’d expected a bit more of a reaction from him; he hadn’t even gone for the hilt of his sword like I thought he would’ve. Like I would have.
“If I were to entertain your delusions,” he said, pausing. “I would need to know the parameters. Specifically, the time parameters. How much time are you asking for?”
His inquiry took me by surprise. I’d prepared for him to concede only upon losing a fight and nothing less. I wouldn’t have let her go for any offer, even with a dagger at my throat.
“Two months,” I requested, knowing I’d have to settle for less. I hoped she wouldn’t need more time. And if she did, I’d keep her there anyhow—the immediate challenge was just getting him to agree to let her go.
“Why?” Ryder growled.
“Not important.” I smirked. “As you’ve said before, either you agree or you don’t.”
“I think we should—” Leanna started.
“Shut up or leave!” Ryder snapped. “You are nothing other than ornamental here.” Ryder pulled his chair up and sank into it.
With a shaking hand, he poured himself a glass of wine and drank its entire contents in one gulp.
“A one hundred barrel increase until the new treaty is settled.” Ryder refilled the glass and gestured it out to me.
I shook my head. Even if I wanted it, I wouldn’t walk across the room to retrieve the bottle.
“Fifty,” I replied coolly. We could barely fill the current requirements, and our kingdom was forced to go without in order to meet the demands of the treaty.
Ryder sat back and drew his eyes up to the ceiling. The deal was a long shot when I’d first considered it days ago, and maybe I should’ve been concerned that he’d agreed, but I didn’t care. I wanted to get the fuck out of Rivale and I wanted Audryn with me.
“You don’t touch her!” Ryder demanded.
“Unlike you, I know how to keep my hands to myself.” My eyes narrowed at him. “Whether she wants me to touch her is another thing altogether.” I mused under my breath and gave a crooked smile. Amalee met my shin with a quick kick of her boot.
“You know exactly what I mean,” he growled.
“Indeed,” I replied, refusing to agree to his demand.
“One month and you’ll return her to me,” Ryder rumbled, “unharmed.”
I stood, and Amalee did the same. “We leave in the morning.” I moved to the door and paused before turning back to the still red-faced prince. “And don’t worry,” I said, smirking, “I’ll be sure to take very good care of her.”
Amalee and I moved down the corridor and up the stairs to our rooms. Questions were likely on the tip of her tongue, but I wasn’t about to fend them off for all to hear. The door shut behind us, and before I could make it to the sofa, she started lobbing inquiries at me.
“What was all that about?” Amalee shoved me from behind. “We can barely supply the fifty barrels we are required to provide every month!” She pushed me again. “Yet you doubled it!”
“I told you to trust me.” I sat on the sofa and rubbed a hand across my forehead. “Have I ever let you down?”
“There’s a first for everything.” She huffed. “We needed a decrease, and yet you committed to the complete opposite.”
“Have I ever let the kingdom down?” I asked. My sister remained quiet. “Answer me.” I stared hard at her . “Have I ever overextended ourselves?”
“You just did!” Amalee took up the other end of the sofa. “And for what? Because you have this incessant need to rescue everyone? All for what? She clearly enjoys living in misery—so let her! Otherwise, she wouldn’t have tied herself to that asshole.”
“Not everyone has a choice, Amalee, and if anyone should understand, you should.” I stood and strode to the window, hoping to see brown hair among the flowers, but she wasn’t there.
“And what happens at the end of the month? Do we go to war because Audryn has a poor choice in men? Or will you bring her back?”