Page 4 of The Flame and the Forsaken

If only you knew you’d found me the most disagreeable bride in all the Southerlands, Father.

“Sessaly is a pain. I’ll give you that,” Erran said after a wary pause. Sunrise cast a pale orange hue over the lake. Others would be looking for them soon. “But do you not... Do you not realize we can’t avoid this forever?”

“Managing your family is your job, not mine.”

“They’re your family now too.”

Mariel tossed back a cackle. “Oh, aye, is that why my brother is always invited for supper?”

“Perhaps if he could hold hisdrink?—”

Mariel lifted a silencing hand, but her ear was turned toward the lodge. “Someone’s out there.”

Erran turned at the sound of shuffling and muted voices. It was Calvan and Eleanor, the married caretakers. All staff in the house reported to them, and they reported everything of note straight back to Steward Rutland.

There was no good reason for Erran and Mariel to be whispering angrily in the reeds at dawn, and he could already imagine how it would be relayed to his father, right after they’d explained the “blissful couple’s” failure to share a bed.

Mariel glanced at him. Her eyes moved in time with her thoughts, no doubt calculating the perfect rationalization, just as he was. But there was only one that would appease his father.

As soon as he spotted Calvan’s bright-red hair rounding the bend, Erran snaked a hand around Mariel’s back and yanked her against him. Her eyes glared first, the rest of her catching up in a body-wide clench. He locked his mouth to hers, hushing her indignant groans with louder moans of his own, counting the seconds until he could release her and put the unfortunate moment behind them.

“Ah, pardon us, sir. Ma’am. We didnae intend to intrude on such aprivateinterlude, but we’ve had a surprise visit from the stewardess, and she’s waiting for you both in the dining room.”

Erran nearly swallowed his tongue.Mother. Great.

“Thank you, Calvan,” Mariel said sweetly, murder flashing in her irises when she turned them on Erran.

“Very well. You’ll come straight to the dining room?”

“Aye, right behind you,” Erran called, still rooted by Mariel’s death stare and the inevitability of a lecture from his mother. “I’msorry,all right? It was the only thing I could think of to cut off suspicion?—”

Mariel cut him off with a stinging slap. “Don’t you ever,everdo anything like that again, for any reason.” Her nose flared with a slow breath. She seemed to be forcing calm upon herself. “Nay... unless...until... I say you can.”

“Forgive me.” Erran laid one hand on his cheek, raising the other in penitent surrender. “Won’t happen again.”

“And why would they have been suspicious to begin with? Did you even think...” She trailed off, casting her gaze toward the lake. “I ken it’ll keep your mother and father pleased for a spell though.”

“For a spell,” Erran agreed, still recovering from her reprisal. “But we need to talk about this. About having bairns. We can’t avoid it forever, no matter how much we might want to.”

“You wanna talk about it? Here you are then.” Mariel’s tongue lashed over her lips. “I don’t give a Guardian’s fig what your mother and father want. I need time.” Her shoulders lifted in a defeated sigh. “Now, what are we gonna do about your mother? She’s here to spy, aye? You didn’t ken she was coming?”

“Nay, I didn’t.” Erran glanced up at the mist-covered lodge, shaking his head. “Maybe the staff told them about the separate beds.”

“Don’t recall us piling on top of each other being part of the marriage contract.”

“Well, officially...” Erran might have smiled, if his belly hadn’t already soured from the strained exchange.

“Your parents don’t even sleep in the same bed. Not even the same apartments.”

He shook his head. Even discussing simple things with her took great patience. “They did when they were making bairns, and as far as they know, that’s what we’re doing.” He flexed his hands at his sides. “I didn’t ask for this marriage either, but there’s no getting out of it. We have to find a way?—”

“Did you not hear me when I said I wasn’t ready?” she replied, thunderous. “Or are you in the business of takingeverythingyou decide is yours?”

“Can I finish my sentence?”

She turned her nose up and waved, scoffing to the side.

“We have to find a way...” He continued slowly, as though dealing with an errant child. “To show them we’re making an effort. If we walk in there with you looking like... like...”

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