Page 60 of The Last Heir of Elsewhere

Her scowl turned instantly to a glare of contempt. “I’m not here to make pleasant conversation.”

It was a challenge not to roll my eyes. Of course, I was well aware she was only here to eat—if I hadn’t insisted, she likely never would have ventured outside my cabin. Still, wasn’t it exhausting for her to maintain such animosity?

Then, I supposed not. I’d seen enough of her long, painfully slow courtship with my brother and cousin to know that Lonnie would hold on to her grudges with her last dying breath. I would have to try to make sure she had no good reasons to hate me then…at least, no more than she already did.

I hadn’t meant for our relationship to begin as poorly as it had, but I realized now that I was more dependent on my magic than even I’d realized. I’d never met anyone before without already having some knowledge of how to avoid offending them, of how they would behave, and whether we’d get along or not. I’d already made far too many mistakes with her out of sheer arrogance, assuming she would immediately fall in line with whatever I wanted. I wouldn’t make that mistake again. It would be an exciting challenge, I supposed, to win her affection with my personality alone.

The door swung open and one of the kitchen staff entered, carrying a large tray laden with the first course. The woman walked slowly across the room, swaying slightly with both the weight of the tray and the motion of the ship.

I snuck another glance at Lonnie, who now had her hands clenched on the edge of the table. I nodded for the servant to place a dish in front of her, and without missing a beat, Lonnie fell upon it, shoving several lumps of cheese and half a smoked sausage into her mouth at once.

“Hungry?” I asked.

She didn’t reply, but took another large bite of sausage. I took that to be a “Yes.”

I waited several minutes before speaking again, to allow her time to eat. In the meantime, I watched her carefully.

It had been my own selfish desires that demanded she dress up for dinner, and I’d never been more pleased to give in to something I wanted. This girl, with the wild hair and the crown, was the one I’d watched all these years, and longed to finally see in person. This was how she’d looked when she invaded my dreams, as if we were sharing the same visions, and how I imagined her every time I’d closed my eyes for the last several years.

I’d seen all the other sides of her, and they were also lovely, but this version—the queen—was the one I’d grown enamored with.

For Bael, she was the delicate servant girl, who made him feel useful with how much she needed him.

For Scion, she was the fighter, the equal, who challenged him in a way that no one else could.

And for me, one day she’d be the ruler. The queen, who was both my greatest strength and only weakness.

She just didn’t know it yet.

“Do you recall the terms of our bargain?” I asked.

She looked up, seeming annoyed at being pulled away from her meal. “Yes.”

“Are you sure? Because you’ve not yet asked or answered a single relevant question.”

She gritted her teeth, and I could practically hear the insults she was biting back. “Fine, then.” She attempted a smile that came out more of a grimace. “Would you like to ask the first question?”

I thought I knew what question she would ask first, and I was eager to learn if I was correct. I grinned, unable to help it. How novel to wonder about anything, much less something so mundane. “Ladies first.”

Swallowing thickly, she sucked in a deep breath. “Is my mother truly alive?”

My smile widened. I’d been right, which only confirmed how well I already knew her. She couldn’t know yet how satisfying that was, but she’d soon find out.

I leaned forward across the table, meeting her gaze. “As far as I know, yes.”

Her breath caught, and the most fleeting look of hurt crossed her face before she schooled her expression back to neutral. “Is she in Aftermath?”

“No.”

I heard Lonnie’s heartbeat speed up, and an image of the last time I’d seen Rhiannon flashed through my mind. That had indeed been in Aftermath, and not so very long ago, but she’d left the province soon after.

Lonnie leaned forward eagerly, slamming both hands down on the table. “Tell me?—”

I cut her off. “Stop. It’s my turn to ask a question.”

“No, but?—”

“That was what we agreed, love. A question for a question, and you’ve already had two.”

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