4. Four
This is not whatI signed up for.
I wouldneverhave agreed to come herehadIknownthat the man I was corresponding with was not even the man in charge of the outcome of this visit.
After our brief discussion, Shan assigned a handful of maids to show me to my room, excusing himself to attend to something that could be delayed no longer. I”m supposed to be ready for dinner in a few hours, with nothing to do between now and then.
One of my attendants, Raya, busies herself with preparing a bath for me, unceremoniously dumping herbs and some kind of salt in it, all thewhile her deep brown eyes stare vacantly into the tub.She wears gloves the color of the foam I saw crashing on the shore and a maid uniform of the same color. Her pants and long-sleeved shirt keep her wholly covered from the neck to where her slightly heeled boots meet her hemline.
No wonder the king thought my clothes were ridiculous. I”m dressed nearly the same as the maids in his castle.
She commands a maid with water powers to fill the tub, warming the water until it”s just barely steaming, and theherbs and salts Rayatossedin there fill the room with a relaxing atmosphere that I desperately need.
”Do you require further assistance, Ambassador Aistin?” she askswhen she”s pleased with the temperature.
With a shake of my head, I tell herthat I”mjust fine bathing on my own, uncertain if that”s against propriety here.
Fortunately, shesimplysmiles and points to a set of doors behind me. ”There are cleaning oils in there, as well as a robe.”
I thank her emphatically, and she bows before leaving my room and closing the door behind her.
While I am immensely pleased I”ll be able to properly bathe after my days of traveling, there”s one thing I must do first. I walk over to the soft blue drapes hiding my desire from me and gently cast them aside.
Somehow, the ocean is even more unbelievable from up this high. The movement of it, like the water is dancing with the sky, is unlike anything I could have imagined. Far off in the distance, I see what must be whales, or possibly dolphins, jumping into the air before crashing back down. They”re beautifully in sync with each other, all of them moving across the horizon in perfect harmony.
After standing and staring for long enough that I”m certain the bath water has cooled, Imake my wayto the bathing room and strip my clothing off. My best clothing. And yet that man looked at them as if they were offensive. I roll my eyes, though no one is here to see it. If nothing else, it”ll help me feel better to allowmyselfthese childish reactions in private. I certainly couldn”t let anyone else witness them.
I slipped up earlier with the king, so overwhelmed bythe wayhe accosted me with his eyes andhiswords that I couldn”t help myself.But that won”t be happening again. From now on, I will be the picture of poise. The person that my nation chose to represent them. Not the girl inside who wanted to smack that stupid smirk right off his face.
As I sink into thewater,still surprisingly warm, I let out a sigh. The herbs and salt containersittingnext to the tub is labeled lavender and vanilla.While I”ve no clue what vanilla is, it smells incredible. My muscles ache frombeingcramped inside that cart for two days, and the warm water forces them to relax.
There”s a small towel on one edge, perfectly sized for me to use as a pillow whileI considerwhat I”ve learned in my short time here.
The king cares so little for this alliance that he didn”t evenbother to find outwhen I”d be arriving. He believes that we disrespected him, but how? That needs to be my first item of business, righting this supposed wrong.Perhaps ifthat”s remedied, we can move forward without any hostility.
Secondly, I need to understand what he needs for this treaty to benefit all of us. The unfortunate truth is that he has an advantage over most of us. What we have to offer palesin comparisonto the need for access and trade of the ocean”s harvests. We have game that can only be found in mountains, sure, and magically enhanced wood to build stronger, more stable homes.
But something tells me that he won”t care one way or another. His home is strong and not going anywhere. Why would he care for the homes of others? He does not even care for the lives of others, much less the quality of them.
A knock on the door brings me from my silent stewing, and I wait, seeing if it”s one of the maids and if they”ll simply allow themselves in.
Raya”s voice travels through the crack she”s created without disrupting my privacy. ”Thirty minutes to dinner, Miss Aistin. And trust me, being late is not an option.”
”Thank you, Raya.”I pinch my brows together. Why can I not be late? Not that I would be anyway; that would be far too rude. But I was told I”d be dining alone.Perhaps they arevery particular about when the kitchen closes.
I drag myself out of the tub, wrapping a towel around me as I pad over to the closet they so kindly hung all my clothingin.While there”s no need for anything too dressy, I still need to look presentable should I run into anyone between here and the dining room.
A simple linen dress of deep gray, matching many of the castle”s walls. No need to draw any more attention to myself. I”m just here to do a job and go home. I pulled my hair back into a braided twist, the strands cooperating into the style I”m so used to.
When Raya taps on the door to my room again, I open it, ready to face what lies ahead. She silently appraises my dress and hair, nodding to herself before turning, assuming I”ll follow. I use quick strides, trying to remain by her sideso I canask her questions.
”How long have you worked in the castle, Raya?”
After a moment, she tells me, ”10 years.”
”Oh.”Itry toremember what all we were told about the violent takeover six years prior.”I thought King Laichnek ummm... got rid of all the people who worked for the old king.”
She nods, looking at me from the corner of her eye. ”I never worked for the old king. Not really. I”ve worked for His Royal Majesty since before he took the throne.”
Other than a slight pause in my steps, I give no reaction. ”I see.”
She breathes out through her nose. ”The old king was... terrible.”
”As opposed to what you have now?”I try and fail not to scoff.
She shakes her head and laughs as we round another corner. ”He”s also terrible. But it”s... it”s different. Being a terrible person is not the same as being a terrible leader. And while King Laichneck might be one of those things, Rivchi was both.”Two men stand in front of the doors before us, nodding at Raya before opening them. She holds a hand out and turns me to face her. ”You must leave behind any notions you have of morality, right and wrong. There”s no such thing. There is life, and there is death. A horrible man might be the key to survival, and a seemingly great man could lead you right to your grave.”
With that, sheleavesme to enter the small dining room by myself, thesetting sunsendingrays of gold, pink and purple across the beautiful tapestries hanging in the large chamber.I”m stunned, motionless for a moment, staring at the artworkallaround me. Aside from the sunlight, candles are ensconced on the walls every few feet, casting shadows that move in the slight breeze.
When I finally shake myself from my stupor, I spot the dining table, its stunning decor, and the man sitting at the head of the table. The man I was told I would not be seeing much of. The very man who thought me a whore just this afternoon.
The Horned King.
”Good evening, Ambassador. Please sit.”
Fuck.
”Hello, Your Majesty.”I keep my voice from quivering, but only barely. ”My apologies, I was under the impression I would be dining alone tonight.”
One corner of his mouth picks up in that half-smile I already hate. ”Well, it seemed rather rude to invite you to my home and let you dine by yourself.”
”As I remember,”I finally begin moving again, taking a few more steps toward the table, ”it wasn”t you who invited me, but one of your advisors. Perhaps Shan would like to join me instead.”
The smile drops from his face so deathly quickthat I almost freeze in place.”He”s otherwise occupied.”
When I reach the only other chair, set directly across from the king, someone appears from the shadows and pulls the seat out for me. Only then do I realize there is an entire team of people waiting in the wings for orders from their king.
I thank the servants for their help and lift my eyes to see that the king is watching me. His gray gaze is so impassive that I fear if I touched him, I would feel nothing at all. Clearing my throat, I attempt to make conversation, something I usually do as easily as breathing, though even taking a single breath feels monumental in the stiff silence of this room.
”I deeply appreciate your hospitality, Your Majesty. My room is lovely.”Someone places a drink in front of me, and I don”tevenhesitate to reach for it. I just want something to do with my hands.
He simply hums his assent, taking a sip from his own glass of sweet, mystery liquid.
He”swaiting for me to say something else, but I can be stubborn and silent, too.
We stare at each other,bothpretending to be polite but infinitely irritated at the situation before us.
”Shan mentioned that you are new to your position. How new?”he finally asks.
I refuse to tell him that this is my first official job. ”Fairly new. However, I”ve been training and preparing for this for many years now.”
He hmmm”s again. ”And what does that look like? Your training? Forgive me for saying, but you certainly don”t seem old enough to be leading a country.”
A small laugh escapes me as someone places a bowl of soup before me. ”We are nearly the same age, Your Majesty. If your file is right, you”re only a few years older than me, so we stepped into leadership at almost the same time. How long did you train to take the throne?”
He takes a small sip of his broth before answering, ”Since childhood.”
My brows reach for my hairline. ”That”s impossible.”
With that infuriating half-smile, he argues, ”I assure you it is not. I killed a bird and brought it back to life when I was only three. My family knew then I would become a great and powerful king. And here I am.”At that statement, his first full smile appears, the perfect white teeth hiding behind those lips showing themselves. I had half-expected fangs, yet his smile is just plain gorgeous. Unnervingly so.
Gods damn him.
”A great and powerful king,”I muse. ”And yet you felt so threatened by simple messengers that you had them killed and sent back?”Before answering, he blinks a few times, taken aback by my brazenness. Though to be fair, so am I.
He points his soup spoon at me. ”Let”s be clear. I did not have them killed. I happily did it myself. Unlike Rhyma, I prefer to do my own dirty work. You and your people sent page boys to speak with a king. You respect me and my nation so little that you sent nobodies to meet me.”
”I-”I hadn”t thought of it that way. ”That was not our intention.”
”And yet it”s what you did.”
”Well, you have my deepest apologies,”I tell him sincerely. ”Truly, Your Majesty, we were only trying to... open up lines of communication for the future. It was never a slight against you or your people.”
He nods, condescension drippingin his tonewhen he says, ”And you know this because you”ve been a part of your government for what, three days now?”
My cheeks warm for the second time today because of this man, and I nearly slam my spoon on the table before me. Instead, I take a deep breath and let the admittedly completely accurate insult come and go, not allowing it to change my behavior. ”So you have done your research. Funny, today you thought I was a whore, and yet now suddenly you know everything about me.”
Alright, perhaps it did changemy behavior. A little.
Unaffected by the jab, he continues, ”You”ve only just entered the world of politics, and unfortunately for you, you”ve brought along this idea that everyone has as good of intentions as you do. But they don”t.”Before I can argue, he adds, ”We don”t.”
I scoff, ”I don”t think I was ever under the impression that you had good intentions for me here.”
He smiles again. ”And that”s why you”ve added a provision that any harm that befalls you whilst in Oksangui is grounds for immediate war from all of your allies?”
”Yes.”
Another infuriating mhmm. ”And whose idea was that? Yours?”
Well, no.But that”s none ofhisfucking business. ”Your Majesty, with all due respect, I think perhaps we”re making this a little too personal. I”m only here to find a peace and trade alliance that benefits us all.”
”Kai,”he says between bites of food.
”What?”
”My name. There”s no need to keep calling me Your Majesty. Takes too long. Just Kai is fine.”He shrugs.
Absolutely not. ”I don”t think it”s appropriate to be addressing you so informally, Your Majesty.”
”Elva,”he says my name, and I think for a moment my heart stops beating in my chest. ”You”re a guest in my home. If I have to hear you call me Your Majesty 1,000 times over the duration of your stay, I”m going to kill someone. Not sure who, but someone.”
”You cannot be serious,”I utter, jaw dropped.
”I am, in fact, dead serious.”He smirks. ”It will annoy me to the point I will have to kill someone just to take the edge off. And surely, you don”t want an innocent servant”s death on your hands.”
I stutter, looking around the room at the possible victims around me. ”That”s not- No, I- You-”
”Splendid. So Kai it is. Or I”ll allow Kairon.”
Through gritted teeth, I concede, ”Fine. Kairon.”
He smiles at me again, the expression not quite meeting his eyes butbeing entirely dazzling all the same.His mercurial nature is unsettling, to say the least. One moment, he”s insulting me. The next, he”s practically inviting me into inappropriate closeness.
”How long will you be here with us, Elva?”he asks as the servers remove the soup and place some fragrant fish I”ve never seen before in front of us. ”I know my itinerary has us scheduled for meetings between now and next week sometime, but what will you do after that?”
”Go home,” I say as if it”s the most obvious thing in the world, because it is.
He shakes his head. ”Oh, that won”t do at all.”
”Excuse me?”
With a singular brow raised in challenge, he proceeds, ”Well, with such a grand occasion, we must throw a party.”
”Oh.” I try to argue, ”No, that won”t be necessary. Really.”
”It”s no trouble at all,”he speaks aloud to the room, but his eyes never leave mine. ”How long will it take to plan a ball to celebrate having peace at last between all of our neighboring countries? Two weeks? Three?”
A man steps out of the shadows, ”I”m certain we could have something appropriate within the timeframe of Ambassador Aistin”s visit. Surely, we can plan something in just a few days.”
”Nonsense.”The king finishes the drink before him, handing the glass to the man for a refill. I can”t tell if he”s being sarcastic or genuine, and the mystery drives me insane. ”For something as momentous as this, we need a party that will surely take weeks to plan. Let”s say three. And a half. For a ball the likes of which Oksangui has never seen before.”
”The other representatives will be long gone by that point,”I tell him emphatically, to which he chuckles.
”You think negotiations will be done within two weeks” time? You clearly have not met the leaders with whom you”ll be sharing the stage within the coming days.”
”I didn”t bring anything suitable to wear to a party,”I say as my last, admittedly feeble attempt to sway him from this decision.
”Elva, based on what I”ve seen thus far, you did not bring anything suitable to wear in Oksangui.”My mouth hangs open at the umpteenth insult he”s thrown at me in the short span of this dinner. ”But it”s no matter. I”ve already remedied that particular issue.”
”I”m sorry, what?”
He coughs out a laugh. ”Let me speak plainly. Your clothes are fucking hideous. Even if you had brought a ballgown, I would have had it thrown out. Burned, most likely.”
I can feel my left eye twitching, the tension in my body coiling and begging me to say something atrocious. The king across from me must see it, the first sign of life finally filling his eyes.There”smild excitement in them, as ifhe wants me to lose my temper, craves it.
With a calming breath and a bite of the delicious spread before me, Ichoose to say nothing at all.Every comment floating through my brain would surely have me killed right on the spot. I don”t think the king would take very kindly to me telling him what a fucking asshole he is.
”And you”re providing me with more suitable clothing, then?”I finally ask before taking a drink of the sweet drink that”s begun to loosen the tension in my limbs and calm my racing thoughts.
”Yes.”He watches me closely. ”Raya”s team has been procuring them since you arrived this afternoon.”
”That”s,”I clear my throat, ”very thoughtful, Your Maj- Kairon.”
For a moment, he seems almost disappointed.I wonder ifevery personin Oksangui is constantly searching for a reason to fight or ifit”sjust this one infuriating man whowants to push me until I snap at him.Between the alcohol and the back and forth between insulting and overly friendly, it”s the only explanation.
And I only have precious seconds before I do lose my mind and scream at him, so with all the grace I can muster, I stand. ”If you”ll excuse me, I”ve spent a lot of time traveling and need some rest before I take my tour in the morning.”
”Of course. Have a lovely night, Elva.”With a slight bow, I spin and walk toward the exit as quickly asI canwithout looking like I”m running from him. Before I reach the door, however, his words stop me. ”As a word of warning, might I suggest you not leave your room until Raya delivers your new clothing? It”d be a shame for me to dismember every member of my staff for seeing what doesn”t belong to them.”
He didn”t.
Of course, he did.