Page 87 of Kingdom of Briars and Roses

I found Callan in the council chambers, pouring overmaps with several of his advisors. Their discussion fell silent as I entered.

Callan straightened immediately, his sharp gaze flashing with impatience. He hid it away quickly. “Darling,” he greeted, stepping away from the table. “Is everything all right?”

“Everything’s fine. Can I speak with you privately?”

“Can it wait? I’m afraid we’re in the middle of something here.”

“No.”

Callan blinked. Clearly, his question had been rhetorical.

“I need to make arrangements to travel,” I said with all the authority I could muster.

“Travel?” Callan asked, alarmed. “Where?”

The advisors behind him scowled, one of them glaring at me with outright hostility.

“I have a lead on a place that could provide clues about my kingdom’s curse,” I said, refusing to give up the information to these strangers. “You said you’d help me?—”

“And I will,” Callan said sharply. He relaxed and tried again. “Aurelia, you can’t think we’d be able to put together a trip before we’ve said our vows.”

What he said made logical sense, but I heard the dismissiveness and bit back my own angry reply. Pasting on a smile, I said, “Of course. We’ll wait to travel until after the ceremony. In the meantime, we should visit the city. I’d like to see more of Grey Oak. Get to know the people I am to rule.”

The advisors frowned, and I couldn’t help the satisfaction it gave me. Yes, I would be ruling them someday, and I wanted them to remember it. Even in these moments where Callan opted to treat me like a foreign visitor and a nuisance rather than his future wife and queen.

Callan’s expression didn’t falter, but something flashed behind his golden eyes. “It’s dangerousbeyond the castle walls right now. There’s been unrest in the city. I wouldn’t want to put you in harm’s way.”

“What kind of unrest?”

“Nothing for you to worry about,” Callan said.

I waited for him to explain further, but he seemed content to leave it there. And to leave me to my own devices if the last three days were any indication. Something in me strained at the idea of being kept from the outside world. I thought of the heavily guarded gate that stood between me and freedom, and urgency clawed at me to get through it to the other side.

“I understand,” I replied, keeping my tone naïvely simple. “But I won’t be a proper queen if I don’t know the realm I’m meant to rule. I need to see them—ourpeople.”

He glanced at his advisors, still hesitating, and I realized it was Duron holding the leash now. Callan was only enforcing it. Ugh. More cowardice.

My gaze held his, a challenge woven into my words, one I knew he wouldn’t be able to resist. “I trust, as a general and a prince, you are more than capable of keeping me safe.”

I watched his ego war with whatever orders he’d been given. Finally, he nodded. “We’ll go after lunch tomorrow.”

I exhaled softly in relief, a grateful smile masking my triumph. “Thank you.” I turned to go.

“Oh, Aurelia,” Callan said, and I turned back. “My father has set the date for our vow ceremony. Two weeks from today.”

Alarm speared through me. “That soon?”

“We can’t afford to waste time with the stakes so high, don’t you think?”

I didn’t answer.

Of course the stakes were high. That was the problem. Heliconia wasn’t going to sit idly by and let Callan marry someone else.

“Don’t you think we’ll need more time to prepare for battle?” I asked.

“That’s what the party is for,” Callan said, brows crinkling. “We’ve invited every court in the realm. They’ll see our alliance makes us strong, and they’ll ally with us.”

“You don’t think Heliconia will use the party to attack?”

---