Bride of War: Battles of Eyenwar, Book 2

Chapter 4- United

I found three other stallions that suited my purposes over the rest of the day, each from a different trader's stable. The next day I ask Lady Rosa's father, who happens to be a dedicated horse enthusiast, to take a closer look at my choices. He returns to the palace absolutely ecstatic about the horses I chose, claiming that I have a real eye for beasts.

"Thank you, Lord T'rotto, I appreciate your help in this matter." I say graciously.

Lord T'rotto smiles at me with the joy of a child. He is an easily excitable man, clearly passionate about everything he puts his substantial energy into.

"It is the least I can do your majesty. My daughter has been enjoying your company very much, she will miss you when you are gone." He remarks.

I go still, "What on earth do you mean?" I ask cautiously.

He takes a sip of the wine I had brought to us in one of the many small dining rooms.

"Lady Rosa told me you were planning a trip to the Summer Palace. I can only assume she learned it from one of her many social connections of which I have no part. "

"Ah, yes. I have a cousin visiting from Kelpis. The horses you looked at for me today were a gift, of sorts." I relax back into my cushioned chair.

Lord T'rotto nods his head enthusiastically, "It sounds very exciting. I must thank you for not including my daughter in such an adventure."

The sudden change in attitude takes me very much by surprise, "You are thanking me for excluding your daughter from my travel party?"

"Of course. Lady Rosa is much too young to make that distance in these dangerous times. And to be honest, the pit of resentful vipers that have taken up permanent residence in the Summer Palace give me cause for concern." The man's blatant honesty is very refreshing.

I deliberately place my glass on the table, "Is there something you are trying to tell me, Lord T'rotto?"

He leans in closer to me, like a gossipy woman with a particularly tantalizing piece of information, "There have been whispers that the King's cousin, Sir Jesper G'weal, has returned from schooling on Pyronoi. And immediately got himself engaged to Jacqueline S'var. If I were you, I would keep my eye out for a Coup."

"Thank you, My husband and I will take your words into consideration."

I stand, expecting my guest to comprehend that I am indicating that he leave. Instead, he refills his wine glass.

"If I might ask one more thing of you, My Queen?"

I should have known that his warnings would not come free, "You may ask." I do not say that he shall receive.

"I am hoping that you will marry my daughter to a noble outside the country. Pyronoi perhaps. I don't want her when retaliation comes." He asks earnestly.

I shake my head, "The other nobles will accept it in time. They do not have the resources to take back Skevet, and they will realize it, or they will lose everything."

"It's not the disgruntled nobles I'm worried about," Lord T'rotto reasons, "It's the two countries we abused and then released. One day, when they have regained their former glory, Idrigal and Gricada will get retribution for what King Alaric did to them."

His conviction shakes my own. Tendrils of fear snake through my heart, and suddenly I am desperate to find Garen and be reassured.

"I will find your daughter a suitable husband of foreign nobility. I give you my word. Now, if you will excuse me, I have an unexpected matter to attend to." I wave for one of the servants to lead Lord T'rotto out of the palace.

I need to visit my husband.

Garen is usually in one of two places; the throne room or the council room. As there is not a line of people waiting for an audience with the King outside the throne room, I can only conclude that he is holed up in the council room with the most annoying, frustrating and utterly useless group of people.

The council.

Apparently, it is customary for a Skevet ruler to have a group of people from the nobility serve on a council, which acts as his advisors and spokesman. It is a practice that Alaric abandoned, so Garen brought it back to appease the nobles. It has worked, for the most part.

Unfortunately, Garen also added a few more spots on the council. One to represent the merchant class and one to represent the churches. The merchants he welcomed as a reward for financing his rebellion. The church he welcomed as a bribe, an attempt to convince the church to preach tolerance. It is all for my sake, because many of the people in Skevet believe me a witch come to entrance their king and steal the throne.

Despite the fact that I am technically more powerful than any of those other buffoons, Garen practically banned me from interfering with their meetings. Supposedly it is a temporary necessity, only in place until I am more accepted by the gentry. I would have fought the verdict more, but the truth is that all of those men scare me a little, with their disapproving stares and obvious disgust.

I momentarily consider marching into the room and demand to see my own husband. But that would only reduce the general opinion of me further. Instead, I send in a reluctant guard with a note written with my personal paper and seal.

The letter is brief and vague, emphasizing only that I have something dire to discuss and instructing Garen to meet me in our personal chambers immediately. This is the second time I've deployed such tactics in a couple of days, and I'm sure his patience for it is wearing thin.

The doors swing open quietly, only a minor squeak announcing my husbands arrival. He shuts the door just as quietly, controlled until the little click of the door latch shuts us in.

"What," he asks angrily, "could you possibly need now?"

I frown, "this isn't a matter of me selfishly wanting to fix the economy. I just had a very unsettling conversation with lord T'rotto, about a cousin of yours."

I can almost hear his teeth grind together, "directness would be vastly appreciated."

"He informed me that your cousin Jesper G'weal has returned to the summer palace from academy and has become promptly engaged to lady Jacqueline S'var."

My husbands face goes still.

"Does lord T'rotto think that this is a threat?" He asks.

I shrug, "he seems concerned, at the very least. I was not sure how seriously to take him. Does you cousins have any legitimate claim to the throne?"

"While I am alive, not at all. But his engagement to a former Queen descended from old nobility will certainly appeal to many of the nobles who are displeased with my coup and subsequent marriage partner." I try not to take offense to that last part, "given this information it is far too dangerous for you to go to the Summer palace."

"I can handle danger. What I- what we- can't handle is an uprising. The drain on our resources would be disastrous. I must go and assert myself as Queen and attempt to win them over." I grow more sure of myself with each word.

"Then I'm coming with you."

I shake my head, "You cannot do that. The council is here. All of your support is here. Your life is in much more jeopardy than mine at the summer palace."

"I can handle danger. What I can't handle is allowing my valiant queen to walk into danger alone. We must show a united front." He takes my hands in his, "As for the council, they will just have to accompany us if they wish to continue business."

Despite the fact that I know it would be far wiser for Garen to remain here, u cannot ignore the little thrill that runs up my spine. He hasn't spent this much attention on me since the peace talks with Gricada.

"Very well my king," I agree, "you best return to your council and inform them that we are leaving in a week."

He nods, a half smile on his face. My husband looks more alive than he has since our wedding. As the door swings carelessly shut behind him, a glow of warmth grows in my chest. Despite the danger, I have a very good feeling about this trip.