Chapter 42 #2
Her smile faded a bit, and unease returned. “You probably can. I was looking for Kieran.”
Surprised, my brows lifted. “He is with his sister. I think they were in…” I frowned, going through the many different doors and rooms in my head. “One of the five hundred thousand rooms here. Sorry.”
The wolven laughed. “It’s okay.” She looked up and around, taking in the vaulted ceilings and skylights. “This place is a lot to get used to.”
“That it is.” My curiosity took over. “I don’t think we’ve met.”
“We haven’t. I was in Aegea with my family when you and Cas—you and the King—were crowned,” she said, and I zeroed in on her words.
She’d either almost called him by his first name or his nickname, which wasn’t all that surprising since she was looking for Kieran.
If she was friends with one, I was sure she was friends with the other.
“And if we’d met, I’m sure you would remember. ”
Her nervousness itched at the back of my throat, stroking my wariness. “What do you mean by that?”
The wolven’s shoulder’s leveled. “My name is Gianna Davenwell.”
I inhaled sharply. Her unease made sense now on several levels. I swallowed as my gaze swept over her features again. Of course, the one Casteel’s father had wanted him to marry would have to be so fascinatingly beautiful and not resemble a Craven.
And, of course, I wouldn’t be dressed in any of the pretty gowns that had arrived from Spessa’s End.
My hair was braided, and I wore leggings and a tunic—a pretty one the shade of amethyst that I had thought flattered my figure before I saw Gianna and realized she was the woman Casteel could’ve married.
Now I wished I’d worn the crown.
“I am so sorry for what my great-uncle took part in and orchestrated,” she added quickly, her anxiety now edged with the bitterness of fear. “We had no idea. My family was shocked and horrified to learn—”
“It’s okay,” I said, and surprise rolled through her—through me as I yanked my head out of a very unmentionable place.
“If you and your family didn’t know what Alastir planned, then you have nothing to apologize for.
” And that was true. One was not guilty because of who they were related to.
“I am sorry for what happened to your cousin. I met Beckett. He was kind and entirely too young to have died.”
Grief darted through Gianna as she drew in a shaky breath. “Yes, he was far too young.” She swallowed. “I planned on coming to you and the King, but I…I thought it was better if I spoke with Kieran first. To see if he thought…”
If it would be wise for her to approach me went unsaid. I could understand that concern. “Neither of us hold Alastir’s family responsible. We hold him and the others who conspired with him responsible.”
Gianna nodded, her gaze skittering to where Arden sat, and the guards waited. What went unspoken between us strained the silence to an almost painful level of awkwardness.
I decided to address that head-on like I imagined Casteel’s mother would have done. Like I knew even Queen Ileana would do. “I know that Alastir and Casteel’s father had hopes that you would marry Casteel.”
Gianna’s already large eyes widened as Arden softly grumbled. I realized then that she reminded me of one of those porcelain dolls Ileana had given me as a child. Pink infused her cheeks. “I… Okay, to be honest, I was hoping you didn’t know that.”
“Me, too,” I admitted wryly, and her lips formed a perfect oval shape.
“Only because you are very beautiful and don’t resemble a barrat,” I continued, and her mouth closed.
“And because I like you after just speaking with you for a few moments. I would prefer not to like the person my father-in-law wished his son had married. But here we are.”
Gianna blinked.
The sugary amusement I felt now definitely came from Hisa, and I thought that maybe I shouldn’t have been so honest. But Arden and the guards were about to be entertained by even more blunt honesty.
“Casteel told me that you two are friends, but that you had never shown any inclination towards being interested in marrying him. Is that true?”
It took Gianna a moment to respond. “I am sure few wouldn’t be honored to be married to him,” she began, and I started to feel my chest hum. “And, yes, we are friends—or we were. I haven’t seen him in ages.” Her brows knitted. “I’m not sure if he will even recognize me.”
That was highly unlikely.
“But it wasn’t like that between us,” she continued. “At least, it didn’t feel that way, and he…he was engaged to Shea, and that just kind of weirded me out.”
The vibration settled. “Then we are in agreement about the latter.”
Relief started to seep through her. “I have no feelings for your husband,” she said. “Not before, and definitely not now.”
“Good.” I met her gaze, smiling. “Because if you did, I would probably tear you apart, limb by limb, and then feed what remained to a pack of hungry barrats,” I said. “Now, would you like to find Kieran? I think I remember which room he’s in.”
“I met Gianna today,” I announced later that evening as we took our seats in the State Room.
Casteel choked on his drink as Kieran took his seat beside us, the latter attempting and failing to hide a smile.
“She is quite beautiful,” I said, watching the door. Very few would be joining us tonight, but at the moment, only Hisa and Delano stood at the entrance. “Something you failed to mention.”
Setting his drink down, he looked over at me. “It’s something I’ve forgotten if it is true.”
I hid my smile as I took a sip of my wine. “She is very nice, though.”
Casteel eyed me. “What did you talk about?”
“She apologized for Alastir, and I told her she and her family had nothing to apologize for,” I told him. “And then I told her that I knew about Alastir’s and your father’s plans.”
“That is not all you said.”
I shot Kieran a look. “How do you know?” I demanded. When we ended up finding Kieran and his sister, nothing of my conversation with Gianna had been mentioned. I also hadn’t lingered long afterwards, and I seriously doubted that Gianna would’ve repeated what I said.
“How do you think?” Kieran remarked. “Arden couldn’t wait to tell everyone and anyone who would listen, what you said.”
I frowned.
“What else did you say?” Casteel asked.
I lifted my shoulders. “Nothing, really. Just that if she had any interest in you, I would…”
Casteel dipped his head closer to mine. “What?”
My lips pursed. “I might’ve said something like I’d tear her apart limb by limb and feed her to barrats.”
He stared at me.
I sighed. “It wasn’t one of my finer moments, I admit.”
“Damn.” Casteel broke the silence, his gaze the shade of heated honey. “I wish we weren’t about to have this meeting because I really want to fuck you on this table right now.”
My eyes widened.
“ Gods ,” Kieran muttered, sitting back as he dragged a hand over his face.
“Is everything fine?” Casteel’s mother asked as she strode into the room, his father beside her.
My face heated as Casteel dragged his gaze from mine. “Everything is delightfully perfect,” he told them, sitting back in his chair.
I turned to Kieran and whispered, “Thanks for that.”
A closed-lip smile appeared. “You’re welcome.”
Resisting the urge to punch him, I looked over as Hisa closed the doors.
Lord Sven and Lady Cambria had joined us, along with Emil, Delano, and Vonetta.
Lyra, in her mortal form, had also come in, along with Naill.
In the last several days, I’d learned that both Sven and Cambria assisted with the security of the kingdom and held positions within the Atlantian armies. No other Elder was present.
It was Kieran who spoke once Hisa had taken her seat on his other side. “We’re all set to leave for Oak Ambler tomorrow,” he announced. “A small group will travel with the King and Queen. It will just be Delano and me.”
Valyn inhaled deeply as he sat back in his chair. “That is not nearly enough.”
“I have to agree,” Hisa spoke up. “You will be entering Solis, meeting with the Blood Crown. It is unlikely that their armies will not have a substantial presence. Four of you is not nearly enough if something were to go wrong.”
“It’s not,” Casteel agreed. “But that is just one group.”
Hisa raised a brow. “I’m listening.”
“They will be expecting us to arrive via horse,” Kieran said. “Entering through the eastern gates of the Rise, but we don’t want to do what they expect.”
“That’s where you will come in,” I said. “You, along with Emil, Vonetta, and Lyra will leave in the morning, taking a small contingent of guards with you to arrive at the eastern gates. They have to expect that we would not come without some sort of convoy, even if they remain outside the Rise.”
Hisa nodded. “And you all?”
“We will travel by sea.” Kieran glanced at Sven. “Thanks to you, we have a ship.”
Sven smiled. “More like thanks to my son, who is currently loading several crates of wine—well, mostly wine bottles full of water and horse piss,” he said, and my lip curled. “We aren’t going to just give the Blood Crown several hundred bottles of our wine.”
Eloana placed a hand over her mouth, but not quickly enough to hide her smile.
“As most know, we monitor many of the shipments in and out of nearby ports,” Lord Sven continued. “And since Oak Ambler is the closest, we know that wine and other goods are infrequently shipped into the city. The shipment will not be questioned.”
“They won’t be expecting us from the sea.” Casteel picked up his chalice. “Not with the mist that comes off the Skotos Mountains. As far as people know, both mortal and vampry alike, the mountains continue into the sea. That is what the mist leads them to believe.”
“I can confirm that,” I noted. “We believed that the Stroud Sea ended at the Skotos.”
“That doesn’t mean the Blood Crown believes that,” Valyn pointed out. “They could’ve gotten that information from any number of Atlantians they captured over the years.”
“True.” Casteel nodded. “But I’m also sure they will have scouts on the road leading to Oak Ambler. The group traveling by land will be spotted. Lyra and Emil will travel with their identities hidden. Vonetta will be in her wolven form, and Naill will be at Emil’s side.”
“It takes, what? Four days by land to arrive at Oak Ambler?” Lady Cambria inclined her head. “How many by sea?”
“With our ships?” Sven grinned. “Faster than anything Solis will have, but you will have to go slow through the mist. So, you’re looking at roughly the same time.”
Understanding flickered on Hisa’s face as she smiled tightly. “It will take us about two days to clear the Skotos and enter the Wastelands. We would be spotted before you arrive.”
“Meaning they will turn their attentions to you,” Kieran stated. “Emil and Lyra, along with Vonetta and Naill, will enter and travel to Castle Redrock.”
“Hopefully, that is what occurs,” Eloana said, shifting in her seat, uneasy. “There is still a chance that you could be discovered.”
“There will always be a risk,” Casteel confirmed. “But we have a better chance this way.”
“And then?” Valyn queried. “Once you’re in front of the Blood Crown, how do you plan to get out if things do not go as planned? If it is a trap? I will go to the north to await word with the armies, but what will you do if it is a trap?”
My mind went to what I’d believed Nyktos had been referring to regarding the power already residing in me. I lifted my gaze to Casteel’s.
“What are you thinking, my Queen?” he asked.
The way those two words rolled off his tongue caused a wicked curl to start up low in my stomach. The way his eyes heated as they held mine told me he knew exactly what they did.
He was…incorrigible.
I took a drink. “I was unable to gain the aid of Nyktos’s guards,” I stated, and I could feel Casteel gearing up to deny that, so I rushed on.
“And with what he and my brother said about the Revenants, we do not want to go to war with Solis. So, I was thinking that if this is a trap, or if the Blood Crown doesn’t take our ultimatum, we are left with only one recourse. ”
The room fell silent with understanding. “And what if that provokes what you’re attempting to avoid?” Lord Sven asked.
“The King and Queen wouldn’t have survived even if they agreed,” Casteel said after a moment.
“If we have an agreement, we would be careful about ensuring that neither Ileana nor Jalara are a threat any longer—once we were sure that the remaining Blood Crown is in agreement with what we have set forth.” One of his fingers drew idle circles on the bottom of his chalice as his attention flicked back to me.
“But I don’t think that’s what you’re talking about. ”
I shook my head. “If they don’t agree, the only option we will be left with is one that ensures the Revenants can’t be used or can be dealt with.
And there is only one way we can do that.
” I sought out Eloana’s gaze in the room.
“We cut the head off the snake. We destroy the Blood Crown in its entirety, and I…I can do that.”