Chapter 41
R owan was every bit the spoiled aalio this morning she had been last night, trying to lean into Korhonan like he was the last bastion of defense between her and all the ways she managed to sabotage her own life.
And the rest of ours, for that matter.
At least breakfast was quick enough. Then we were back in the negotiations tent with Arès summarizing the day before in a dry monotone.
“From yesterday, we can surmise that Elk is willing to purchase the blood debt, which Bear finds inadequate. Bear is willing to release Princess Rowan only if there is no chance at a marriage, which Elk has informed me they will not agree to. Do we have counter-terms today?”
Korhonan scoffed. “I could propose a thousand counteroffers and Evander would still say no because he doesn’t want to give her back as long as keeping her is punishing my clan.”
Well, that was laughable at this point. Punishing Elk was always fun, but not at the expense of my sanity. And it was just like him to broadly proclaim that he could make a thousand counteroffers when he hadn’t actually made one.
“I can assure you, I’m quite keen to be rid of her,” I told the occupants of the tent. “Keeping her is more of a punishment to me at this point than it is you. But I won’t risk Bear.”
Something in Rowan’s expression faltered, perhaps because I had rid her of some lingering hope that I would just hand her back. She averted her gaze, swallowing back some emotion before she took a deep breath.
“I’d like to make a counteroffer.” she said, holding her chin high.
She had to know that women weren’t allowed to speak up in clan negotiations, but for once, I didn’t blame her for pushing back at the custom. Arès was likely to allow it, and she was, by her culture, the highest ranking representative of Lochlann.
She could have asked Davin to speak on her behalf, but I wondered now if his silence today was pointed, an unspoken support of her right to speak on behalf of herself.
Arès nodded for her to go on, and she actually acknowledged his allowance with a grateful dip of her chin.
“I have offered to Lord Evander that though I will not allow him to dictate whom I marry, I am willing to delay a marriage to Lord Theodore until such time as an arrangement can be made with Lochlann to agree to non-retaliation and to maintain their current armistice.”
She seemed to be avoiding looking in my direction, shifting her gaze from Arès to Korhonan. There was something pointed in her expression, enough to tell me she had more suspicions about his clan than she let on.
“Four months isn’t so long,” she assured him. “Besides, this way, we can do things right and have my family there.”
Lovely. If I was really fortunate, perhaps I could be privy to the entire planning of their upcoming nuptials.
She finally turned to face me, and I studied her, trying to gauge her sincerity, then Theodore’s. Once again, I considered bartering for her cousin, but that would be a complication I didn’t need. Better to have all of the Lochlannians far away where they couldn’t make my life any more difficult than it already was.
And I thought I understood her well enough to know she would never agree to it, not to marry the man she thought she loved, not for political savvy, not even to save her own life.
This was the simplest solution. Then we could all be done with this mess, and I could secure my clan for the future with a few well-placed stipulations.
“I will agree as long as Bear has a guarantee that Elk will neither involve Lochlann in their bid for the throne, nor make any move against Bear in same said bids for the throne.”
“You’re being paranoid, Evander,” Korhonan groused. “For the last time, Iiro is not making a serious bid for the throne. You act as though he’s ready to rally the clans and storm your castle this very month.”
At least he didn’t bother to pretend Iiro had no plans on taking the throne, just not right this second. How very comforting.
“I would never put anything past your brother.”
Arès looked between us, his own expression thoughtful. He might technically be here as a neutral mediator, but he always prioritized his clan’s autonomy. He wouldn’t want Iiro on the throne any more than the rest of us.
“If Iiro truly has no immediate designs on the throne, then where is the harm in promising?” he suggested mildly.
“That seems reasonable,” Rowan spoke up again.
Once more, I had the distinct impression that she wanted those guarantees as well, that she was beginning to understand how Iiro had used her as a pawn in his games.
Korhonan looked thoughtful.
Could it really be this simple, after everything? Could I trust what we decided on here, even if we waited for Iiro’s approval?
It didn’t feel as victorious as it should have. Even the princess wasn’t bouncing up and down with tenuous hope, as I had seen her do. She was subdued…resigned, even.
Before I could delve too deeply into that, voices sounded outside the tent, demanding and almost…urgent.
I leapt to my feet, ordering Rowan to stay behind.
Whether it was the Unclanned or Iiro or someone else, she was undoubtedly a target of whoever had the nerve to show up here today. And I’d be damned if I let her die while she was still under my protection.
For one last day, at least.
I let out a string of curses under my breath as I took in the Bear soldiers surrounding our camp. Arès nodded, as if agreeing with each word I bit out.
“So, you didn’t know they were coming.” He didn’t phrase it like a question, but more like a realization.
“I did not,” I said flatly, my fingers itching to draw the swords at my back.
It didn’t matter that I was heir to the clan and in charge of these men when storms only knew who had sent them and what their goal was. If they had a direct order from my father, my own rank wouldn’t supercede that.
Between my father’s bloodlust and failing mental faculties, and Mairi’s constant scheming, I only knew it wasn’t a good sign that they were here.
Arès’s soldiers held their ground at the edge of camp, stopping my men from taking a single step forward. And that’s when the bastard revealed himself.
Samu stepped to the side so I could see his ugly face. He held up an envelope in a pointed manner, one that would reveal his orders, most likely.
I sighed and told Arès to let him through. My anger rose with each step he took, his smug expression becoming clearer and clearer.
“I don’t remember inviting you to this party, Samu,” I said by way of greeting. “What are you doing here?”
My father’s favorite henchman grinned before dipping his head in a mock sign of respect. Then he handed me the sealed letter.
Sure enough, it was written in my father’s exacting penmanship with orders to return home with the Princess of Lochlann, immediately.
I didn’t bother to read the rest, not when it was filled with nothing but his disappointment and fury, along with a reminder that she was his prisoner. That it was his blood debt that I had claimed, and he would deal with her as he saw fit.
I had no doubt that Mairi had influenced this change of heart. Or had at least capitalized on his lapse in memory, but there was nothing I could do about that now. Not from here.
Crumpling the letter in my hand, I forced my tone to be calm as I explained that the negotiations were over.
“We will return to Bear immediately.”
A familiar, sharp intake of breath came from my left where the princess stood. She was trying to meet my gaze, but I refused. I didn’t want to deal with whatever betrayed expression she bore. Nor did I want to argue with her now, in front of my father’s men.
Korhonan, on the other hand, wasn’t about to let this turn of events slide. “Is this some sort of game you’re playing? Was this your plan all along, to taunt us?”
Accusation and outrage coated each word as he marched closer until he was standing right in front of me.
If there was time… If I didn’t have to worry about my father’s rage and bloodlust being taken out on the villages near the estate, I would stay long enough to meet the challenge in his gaze with my fists.
“Oh, Korhonan, I do wish I had planned to inconvenience you. It would have made this unexpected bit of news far more pleasant,” I said evenly, before signaling to my men to begin breaking down our side of camp. “But, as you have always been so fond of reminding me, the Clan Duke’s word is law, and my father has ordered us home.”
I assumed this would be something he understood, as it had always been the excuse he used for his cowardice in the past, but instead, he bit out a sardonic laugh.
“I’m not sure how you did it, Evander, but?—”
“Enough,” Arès cut him off impatiently. “It doesn’t matter who did this. The reality is that we were only here at Bear’s discretion. If they have decided to sever the negotiations, that is in their purview.”
Korhonan wasn’t mollified by this, but he at least backed off, focusing his attention on his princess instead.
The news seemed to impact her most, and for once she looked afraid of what that might mean for her future. Good. I needed her to be afraid, to have some semblance of self-preservation when we were marching right back into the lion’s den.
Maybe that would keep her alive, keep us from war.
“Samu, please tell my father that we will ride home immediately,” I said, turning my attention back to him. “Once we collect our things and the rest of the Bear soldiers standing by, we’ll be on our way.”
The corner of the aalio’s mouth twitched slightly, like he was fighting back a grin. Then he cleared his throat, and I knew he was about to openly defy me. He lived for these rare moments when my father’s orders gave him power over me.
“We were ordered to escort you back, my lord,” he said, infusing his tone with all the false sincerity he did not possess.
It was an effort not to slit his throat, right then and there.
“Well, then, I suppose that ends our time together,” I said to Arès before directing my attention to Korhonan. “Do give my regards to Iiro.”
The only consolation I could offer myself for all of this was imagining the look on Iiro’s face when Theodore went back to break the news. Then again, the Duke of Elk might not respond well to this power move by my father, and who knew how he might retaliate.
I considered all of the ways this could go to hell while Rowan said her goodbyes, first with her cousin, then with Theodore.
When their kiss dragged on for too long and I was just about to tell them to desist, Samu spoke up instead, undermining me, yet again.
“If the prisoner is quite finished,” though his words were directed at Rowan, he was looking at me.
I blinked once, tucking my hands into my pockets to keep from strangling him. Then I motioned for Rowan to follow me to the horses, ignoring her wounded expression as she tore herself away from Korhonan.
Once we were at the horses, I wasted no time picking her up and seating her in the saddle before climbing up behind her.
My mind reeled as we raced through the snowy roads back to the cabin. I had been so close to getting rid of her. So close to putting an end to all of this, and now.
Now I didn’t know what to expect.
Of all the variables I had considered, both at the negotiations and before deciding to head there in the first place, I hadn’t expected my father to order us back. Hadn’t expected him to remember he had a Lochlannian captive at all.
And now, I had no idea what to expect when we returned home.