Chapter 9 #2
There was no doubt the young woman standing before her was related to Carver.
She was tall, with a graceful, willowy build.
Her dark brown hair was rich and thick, with sections at her temples pinned back to reveal the entirety of her stunningly beautiful face.
Her features were perfect; her nose small and pert, her cheekbones high, and her cheeks touched with a hint of color. She looked to be around Amryn’s age.
Hesitancy drifted inside her, at odds with the confidence she displayed as she smiled. “Amryn?” she asked, her voice every bit as beautiful as the rest of her.
“Yes,” Amryn confirmed, still gripping the door’s handle.
The young woman’s smile widened. “You’re absolutely beautiful.”
Amryn felt the sincerity of the compliment, though it was wholly unexpected. Her face heated. “Oh, ah . . .”
“Saints, I’m sorry,” the girl said at once, her eyes widening. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I was just surprised. I mean, not surprised that you’re beautiful, just . . . Oh bother, I’m rambling. I do that sometimes, I’m afraid. I’m—”
“Elowen,” Amryn guessed. Carver had talked often of his family, so she knew he had three sisters. Loreena, who was older than Carver, and Wren, who was only twelve. That left Elowen, who was nineteen.
Surprise lit through the young woman, but her smile widened. “My brother’s mentioned me, then?”
Amryn’s lips twitched. She couldn’t help it—brightness lived in Elowen, and that light was layered in all her emotions. “He’s told me a few stories,” she admitted.
“I imagine he has,” Elowen snorted, though joy spread inside her. “It will be up to me to set the stories straight, I suppose.” She bit her lip, a flicker of that earlier hesitancy rising once more. “I hope I’m not intruding. I just learned of your arrival, and I couldn’t wait to come see you.”
“Carver isn’t here,” Amryn said. “He’s in a meeting with the emperor.” And she had to imagine he would be just as surprised as she was to find his sister here at the palace.
“Oh, I imagine he’ll be in meetings for the rest of the day,” Elowen said. “But I came to see you.”
“You did?”
Elowen only smiled at Amryn’s obvious surprise. “Don’t misunderstand, I love my brother, and I’m excited to see him, but I’ve been dying to meet you. I hope you don’t mind my coming unannounced?”
“No, not at all.” The words emerged reflexively, though she was achingly aware of all the dust from the road that covered her. Internally, she groaned. Not exactly ideal for a first impression. Still, she stepped back, pulling the door open wider in an unspoken invitation.
Elowen stepped inside, every movement graceful. “The Vincettis have rooms all along this corridor,” she said, almost by way of explanation. “I’m staying with my father in the largest apartment, just down the hall.”
Amryn’s heart beat a little faster, knowing Cregon Vincetti—the Bloody General—was here, too.
“I assumed you’d be in Carver’s room,” Elowen continued. “Your guard wasn’t too keen about confirming it, though.”
Amryn closed the door. “I think the emperor would prefer to keep our presence here as quiet as possible. At least for now.”
Elowen waved a dismissive hand. “The entire castle is buzzing with news of your arrival. It won’t be long until the whole city knows you’re here.” She walked right up to the armchairs, entirely comfortable in the space. Which made sense, since it belonged to her brother.
Once they were both seated, Elowen clasped her hands in her lap, positively beaming as she surveyed Amryn.
“I can’t tell you how excited I am to meet you.
And to be the first to meet you! Well, I know Father was there for the wedding, but that hardly counts, since no one else was allowed to go. Mother’s still upset about that.”
Amryn’s stomach clutched with sudden nerves. “She is?”
“Of course! She was absolutely furious.”
Amryn felt the blood drain from her face.
She hadn’t really thought about the fact that she’d be meeting Carver’s family once they reached Westmont; she’d had far too many other concerns about getting there.
Now it was all she could think about. She’d briefly met his father at the wedding feast, but soon she would come face to face with his many siblings—and his mother.
It didn’t matter that Carver had always spoken fondly of the woman, Amryn was suddenly terrified at the prospect of meeting Alora Vincetti.
Elowen’s words certainly didn’t help. Saints, did Carver’s mother dislike her already?
Carver’s sister must have read something in Amryn’s expression, because she chuckled. “Don’t worry, you have nothing to fear from Mother. She can hold a grudge, of course—and she does about this whole Esperance business—but it has nothing to do with you.”
Amryn wasn’t sure about that. What mother wanted her son to marry to a stranger? A woman she hadn’t been given a chance to even meet, let alone approve of?
Oh Saints, would Lady Vincetti approve of her? What if she found Amryn lacking? What if she resented Amryn purely because Carver hadn’t been given a choice in marrying her?
“How was your journey?” Elowen asked. Kindness—even eagerness—poured from her, which helped stall some of Amryn’s bursting panic.
She shoved all thoughts of meeting Carver’s mother aside so she could answer Elowen’s question.
“It was mostly uneventful.” She wasn’t sure how much she was supposed to share with Elowen about what had happened in Esperance—or on their journey here—so before that spark of curiosity could fully ignite, Amryn hurried to ask a question of her own.
“How long have you been at the capital?” Carver had sent a message to Westmont, but there was no way his father would have had time to receive it, then arrive before them.
A cloud of unease drifted over Elowen, dimming some of her brightness.
But her smile resolutely remained. “We’ve been here about three weeks.
My father, myself, and my brother Berron.
” Her mouth tightened ever so slightly, though it was the rush of concern—mingled with pity and a low twist of grief—that told Amryn far more about Elowen’s thoughts.
Still, Carver’s sister forced a smile. “Berron was summoned to the palace to assist one of the emperor’s chancellors in some .
. . legal matters.” The hedging was obvious, and Elowen must have realized it.
She bit her lower lip. “I’m not sure what Carver has shared about our brother . . .”
“He told me about the sonne,” she said, as gently as possible.
“And what happened to him afterwards.” Berron had become addicted to sonne years ago, and he’d lost a great deal of coin to the dangerous men who sold him the illegal drug.
When he could no longer steal more gold from his family to cover his debts, the criminals had taken one of Berron’s hands and one of his eyes as punishment—and as a warning to others that not even a Vincetti was safe from them.
Sorrow rolled through Elowen. Her expression was somber as she said, “Yes, well, one of the emperor’s chancellors—Chancellor Janson—was put in charge of dismantling the sonne trade.
Father doesn’t think it’s possible to stop it completely, but .
. .” She shrugged. “Any efforts that can be made will be worth the struggle. Chancellor Janson asked Berron to give his testimony of all that happened to him, and inform on anything he learned while spending time with those criminals. My father wanted to accompany him, since . . .” We don’t really trust Berron to be alone away from home.
That was what she didn’t say, but it was clear in the uneasy guilt that bled into her eyes, and in the slight blush that crawled over her cheeks.
She forced a thin smile. “Berron isn’t always the best company, so I insisted on coming along.
Not to mention, I love any opportunity to socialize and shop at the capital,” she added with a wink.
Despite her play at levity, Amryn felt the strength of Elowen’s desire to be there for her father.
And her brother, though she probably wouldn’t admit that to anyone—especially Berron.
“Luckily, it all worked out,” Elowen continued, grinning as she added, “And of course, now I get to brag to everyone else in the family that I met you first.”
There was another knock on the door, though this time Amryn wasn’t startled. She easily recognized Ahmi’s familiar, soothing presence in the hall.
Amryn stood. “That’s probably my maid.” She gestured to her dress, her cheeks warming once more. “I’m a bit of a mess.”
Elowen rose in one quick motion. “Oh, not at all. But I won’t keep you.
I know how wonderful it feels to get clean after a long journey.
” Before Amryn could move toward the door, Elowen reached out, taking Amryn’s hand.
With a light squeeze, she said, “I know we don’t know each other, but I look forward to changing that.
” Her eyes sparkled as she added, “And I can’t wait to see how besotted my brother is. ”
Amryn had no idea what to say to that, but thankfully Elowen didn’t seem to need a response. They walked together to the suite’s door, and Amryn opened it before Ahmi could knock again.
Ahmi’s flare of surprise at finding Amryn with a visitor showed in her eyes before she quickly bowed her head. “Apologies for interrupting, my lady. I can return later.”