Page 26 of The Heir's Bargain

FYNN

My arm smacked against the table as gravity was ripped from me, stirring me awake.

The silence was deafening as each advisor around the table turned to face me.

Biting my tongue, I glared at Terin sitting across from me.

It was the only way to wake you up without drawing attention, my twin said through the connection he left open. His mouth was bunched up, twisting together in an apology.

My jaw ticked.

There had to have been a better way for my brother to wake me than forcing me off a cliff in my dream.

I hadn't realized I had fallen asleep. But after only three hours of fitful sleep last night, it was hard enough to stay awake when Rolan, the kingdom’s treasurer, was relaying Pontia’s current financial status.

"Prince Fynneares, is there something you would like to add?" my mother asked, her blonde eyebrows scaling her pale, smooth forehead.

I cleared my throat, quickly rifling through the minds of the advisors who were ignorant of the details of my ability and finding the highlights of the current conversation. Since the advisors were well-trained, most were adept at creating proper shields. However, some shields were weaker than others. I usually tried my best to drown out their thoughts. How often could one hear that widowed Lord Cunningway thought that the healer, Theenah, was attractive or that her dress accentuated her curves? As valuable as my ability was when deciding whether someone was being truthful or hiding something, it was nauseating to hear the frivolous thoughts of people.

Still, it was fruitful when my attention had wandered elsewhere.

"Yes, there is," I said, smoothing down the front of my shirt, which had since wrinkled in my sleep.

My mother raised a brow. "Well?"

"The Summer Solstice Ball," I said, tapping my fingers on the table. "It needs to be grander this year. Many are worried that the rebellions in the south will filter into our kingdom. While most of our people are happy now, the strife across Vaneria suggests that war is closer than we once thought. We need to show the people that we are strong and that we still value fostering our community. Our enemy must believe that despite the growing concern, our barriers and spirit remain steady."

During the summer solstice, people across the island celebrated with grand festivities. While it might have been the shortest night of the year, it was the night almost everyone looked forward to all year round.

Lord Cunningway hummed. "It's not a bad idea, Your Highness." To himself, I overheard him think, If I host the Summer Solstice Ball this year, I can show Theenah the latest addition to the manor. She'll love the view from?—

I cut off the connection to Cunningway's mind, holding back an eye roll.

Of course, the lord would try to use the event for his personal gain. He wasn't as conniving as some of the lords and ladies I had come across over the years, but neither was he the most selfless of advisors. He would do anything to parade around his wealth and status.

My mother tapped her fingers along the table, her nails clicking on the pine. "Very well."

The corners of my mouth flicked up, and I sat back in my chair as the advisors debated the details of the Summer Solstice Ball. While they talked, however, I could sense the undercurrent of the uneasiness that plagued our kingdom despite the lively conversation.

Since the rest of Vaneria was in the dark about the gifts many of us bore in Pontia, our people were primarily stuck on the island. With our kingdom having been built on secrets, it was risky to let too many people leave it. There were some, like the sailors, who could travel back and forth to import goods and other resources. The rest of us were primarily stuck on the island.

There was a time when the barriers weren't so strict. My mother once told us stories about the years she spent exploring the kingdoms of Vaneria in her early twenties. Meanwhile, Terin and I had only left Pontia once to visit Tetria, one of our long-standing allies. Even that trip, however, had been heavily guarded and restricted.

My mother's rules regarding limited travel were well-intended. Before Graeson's mother died, Lysanthia had informed my mother about a vision she had seen: once the sea burns, secrets will unravel, and war will break out.

According to the vision, blood would saturate the seven kingdoms, fires would destroy homes, and death would plague the streets.

At first, we thought our mother was making up the story to threaten us. But over the years, the air shifted, and the tide turned.

A war was coming.

With the rising rebellions in the south, it was only a matter of time.

I snatched the goblet sitting on the table in front of me. Some nights, Lysanthia's prophecy still haunted my dreams as if it held some piece of vital information that I didn't have the knowledge to comprehend.

Yet my mother's greatest concern was my need to find a wife.

"Fine, I'll do it."

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