38. Chapter 38
Aliya
Aliya braced both hands against the parapet. Judging from the presence of the entire sun elf army and their lack of packing, Roland had no intention of clearing his forces out of her country as she’d demanded.
She brushed her fingers through her hair, pulling it away from her face. “Valek.”
Why couldn’t people just do what she asked them?
“Yeh gunna hunt him down ‘n ask ‘im why he’s still here?” Zadé asked.
“I suppose I don’t have much of a choice, do I?
” Roland was likely still grieving the loss of his daughter, which was understandable considering he’d only learned of her passing this morning.
But Aliya had asked him to leave—it wouldn’t take more than a few breaths to issue the orders and have his underlings make it happen.
Elessan, who’d been her shadow since Jalius had interrupted their fight earlier today, leaned forward. “You may have to strong-arm him into going.”
“And how do you suggest I do that?” She glared at him until he had the decency to look away.
Glancing up and down the wall to make sure there was still no one within hearing range, she lowered her voice to be certain it wouldn’t carry.
“All I have to hold this castle is a handful of guards.” And no nobles.
She waved her hand in a gesture encompassing the elven camp.
“What will only a few men do against their numbers?” The reality was, if Roland decided he wanted the realm, he’d only have to demand it.
She couldn’t stand against him, not until she figured out a way out of her marriage contract.
Her people may not know it, but they were closer to losing their kingdom now than they’d been at any point during the Elf-Human war.
“Tsara blackmailed him into letting her marry me,” Elessan said.
Aliya’s lips pressed into a thin line as her jaw clenched. And they were back to Princess Tsara. Again.
Trying not to grimace, Aliya asked, “So? Do you have anything to hold over him that would carry enough weight to get him to give up on his designs on me and my throne?” She snorted in a very unladylike fashion.
Turning to face him, she crossed her arms and gave him the side-eye. “I didn’t think so.”
He stepped into her, pressing his body against hers. “I do, actually.”
She froze, uncertain if it was in reaction to his words or his proximity. Their bodies fit together perfectly, it wasn’t fair.
“Tsara was digging through some old genealogies and discovered Roland had a human ancestor somewhere in his ancient past.”
Several steps away, Zadé barked a laugh, spewing the mouthful of water she’d been drinking from her canteen over the wall. “I still can’t believe it. The irony is delicious.”
Keeping his focus intent on Aliya, Elessan nodded. “Roland is so obsessed with maintaining the so-called purity of the sun elf royal line, I can’t imagine how his eyes bulged when Tsara, or I suppose it was the shapeshifter, confronted him with the proof.”
Aliya blinked, hardly daring to breathe. She’d have killed to be a fly in that room for the sheer entertainment value alone. “The shifter was a master blackmailer.” Her tone was more acerbic than she’d intended.
Not rising to the bait, Elessan dipped his chin. “She was.” He rubbed his hand up and down her arm. “And for letting myself get caught up in her trap, I will happily spend the rest of my life apologizing to you.”
Aliya’s imagination flooded her mind with images of exactly how she could make him pass entire nights making it up to her with his fingers and tongue…
She shook her head, turning away. Now was not the time to let her thoughts wander that direction.
“And why are you sharing this with me?” Roland had already been blackmailed with it once. It was unlikely she’d be as successful.
“Because other than Tsara, no one else knew.”
“Except you.” And now her and Zadé.
Shaking his head, he turned her to face him again. “The only reason we know is because the shifter impersonating her told us before she died. Other than Tsara and Roland, no one knows.”
“Hmm.” Aliya frowned as she studied his face for any sign he was lying.
“Of course, Tsara had the bonus of the army being loyal to her. You won’t have that, but it is possible the threat of his mixed ancestry becoming public knowledge might be enough for you to force him into renewing the trade agreement you and Tsara negotiated and then leaving.”
“Perhaps.” She hated to admit it, but El may have a point. Shifting her focus to Zadé, she asked, “What do you think?”
Zadé shrugged. “It’s better’n anything I could come up with. And Roland really wouldn’t want anyone ta find out. Yeh’d have ta convince him it’ll be easier ta keep yeh silent than ta kill yeh. But with us at yer side…”
Aliya nodded. “Well, the worst that could happen is he tries to murder me on the spot.”
Elessan flicked his attention to Zadé, who flashed her fangs in a wide grin. “We won’t give him the chance,” he promised.
Aliya studied his face. He meant it. She could, would, forgive him. After making him grovel, of course.
Stepping back, she exhaled. Maybe they could work this out, after all. “Okay. Thank you.”
He gave her a watery smile that almost reached his eyes.
She glanced between him and Zadé. “Let’s do this.”
Aliya walked into the Council Hall to find Roland leaning over several papers on the table in deep discussion with his advisors. “Your Majesty.” For some reason, Roland had claimed this room as his base of operations while he stayed at the castle.
That should have annoyed her, but at least it made him easy to locate.
The sun elf king paused mid-sentence as he glared at her. “Miss Larimar.”
She bristled at his blatant refusal to address her by her title, but managed to keep the reaction from her face. Burying her fisted hands in her skirts, she approached. Scanning the table, she met each elf’s eyes before finally focusing back on Roland.
Raising her voice so it was clear she was addressing everyone except him, she said, “Give us the room.”
Roland waved a dismissive gesture. “In a moment. We were in the middle of an important conversation.”
Aliya scanned the parchments as she considered her response. They were maps of the area surrounding Lions Grove, likely taken from Malkov’s own library. If she didn’t meet Roland with equal force, they’d forever be on uneven ground. Mages forbid what would happen to her if she married the man.
Pulling a tiny filament of power from her core, she flicked her fingers.
The council members jumped back, many calling out in alarm as the papers scattered across the table burst into flames.
Curling her lips into a tight grin, Aliya curled one hand into a fist, extinguishing the fire before it could damage her marble tabletop. “I’m sorry. This is my castle. Did I give you the impression I was asking?”
The advisors glanced at their king, barely daring to breathe.
A flood of warmth spread through Aliya’s chest at the satisfaction that came with reminding Roland she wasn’t some meek woman he could bully and ignore.
He nodded, and his nobles marched out of the room as quickly as they could without running.
Zadé threw her a crooked grin as she followed, shutting the door behind them.
Elessan was already lounging against the back wall, his arms crossed—the perfect picture of nonchalance.
One day, maybe she’d be as talented an actress as he was.
“Now that we’re alone,” Aliya said, moving to stand across the table from Roland. “We have a few things we need to discuss.”
He raised his eyebrow. “Oh? If you think some flames are going to intimidate me, girl, you’ve got another think coming.”
Ignoring the comment, Aliya slapped down her copy of the original trade agreement.
It was hard to believe it had been less than a week ago.
“Indeed.” Pinning Roland with a glare that would’ve sent lesser men fleeing, she took a deep breath.
“We are going to dissolve our marriage contract. You are going to publicly acknowledge and agree to the treaty your daughter and I negotiated.” She held up a hand when he moved to protest. “And you are going to take your forces and march back to your lands. In return, I won’t tell anyone you have a human ancestor. ”
Roland blinked at her, the sun-kissed skin going pale. He opened his mouth, then closed it. Flaring his nostrils as he inhaled, he said, “How did you know?”
Raising and dropping one shoulder in a casual shrug, Aliya crossed her arms. “That’s not important.”
Roland narrowed his eyes, shifting his gaze from her to Elessan and Zadé, then back again. “Isn’t it?”
Aliya pulled a dagger from the folds of her skirt, the same one Elessan had given her. “I will swear to you, in blood, your secret will not leave this room, if you agree to my terms and put your signature beneath your daughter’s on this treaty.”
With a grunt, Roland collapsed into the chair and reached for the paper. “You can’t expect me to sign without reading the full contract.”
“Of course not.” Aliya sat with far more grace than he had, crossing her ankles and interlacing her fingers in her lap as she waited.
There was no way he wasn’t already fully aware of each clause and subsection of the agreement.
He was too much of a control freak for it to be otherwise.
More likely, he didn’t trust her not to sneak in a new condition or two and then try to trick him into signing it.
But she didn’t care. Allies didn’t need trust as long as they both kept their word.
Silence stretched across the room as Roland took his time, the crinkle of parchment as he flipped to the second page was stark in the silent room.
Aliya glanced toward Zadé and Elessan. The general winked at her. Elessan only nodded, a slight movement she would’ve missed if she wasn’t staring right at him.
Roland’s eyes met hers. “This is the exact agreement.”
She dipped her head. “It is.”
“You didn’t make any changes.” He furrowed his brows. “What’s the catch?”
“There is none. It’s as I said. You honor the treaty Tsara and I negotiated, renounce our marriage contract, and remove your armies from my kingdom. In exchange, I…” she flicked her head toward Elessan, “we will take your secret to our graves.” Be that sooner or later.
Roland tilted his head to the side and stared at her as if she were some sort of puzzle or riddle he couldn’t figure out. “It’s that simple for you?”
“It is. And it could be for you, too.” If only he’d quit making everything harder than it needed to be.
“I don’t know how you’ll make it as a royal without the ability to prevaricate. But…” He grabbed a quill and dipped it in the ink well in the center of the table. “I wish you the best of luck.”
With that dry tone, Aliya had no doubt he wished her the exact opposite, but as long as it got his signature on paper, her out of marrying him and his forces out of her city, she didn’t care what he thought about her or her methods.
The tip of the pen pressed against the parchment with a soft scrape. “There,” he said, dropping the feather. “Happy?”
“Halfway there.”
With a dramatic sigh, Roland rolled his eyes and turned to stare at Elessan. “You can let my advisors back in now.”
Elessan glanced at Aliya. She nodded.
Flashing both of them a too-wide grin that put his fangs on full display, Elessan released the latch on the door and ducked his head outside. “Ladies and gentlemen, you’re welcome to rejoin our king.”
One by one, the nobles reentered the room, keeping wary eyes on Aliya as they approached.
The royal studied her then moved to address the newcomers. “Send word to the army—we’re packing up and going home.”
One elf, an older one with thinning hair and crows’ feet around his eyes, furrowed his brow. “Now, Your Majesty?”
Roland nodded, his jaw tensing as he pressed his lips together. “Immediately.”