Page 99 of A War of Crowns

After a brief pause, the Lord Chancellor of Elmoria rumbled quietly to himself and hobbled off as well, his cane stamping out a discordant rhythm on the marble floor as he went.

The very moment he was alone with his second-in-command, Calix observed with an entirely too jovial tone, “Well, that went well, I think.”

Aldric snarled in reply and set off, making his way back through the busy swirl of Elmorian courtiers to where he had left the rest of his Sons.

He hated the way they all looked at him, those Elmorians, their curiosity palpable and pressing. It had been entirely too long since last he had to endure court life—on display at all hours of the day, a spectacle for any and all.

At least in his exile at Blackrun, he had been free of such nonsense.

“She’s a bit feistier than I was expecting,” Calix continued, gossiping away like a merchant’s wife. As if Aldric cared even in the smallest amount about his bride’s feistiness. “I think I rather like her.”

“Thenyoumarry her,” Aldric snapped.

His words earned a curious glance from his Sons as they finally drew within earshot, though it was Kyn who asked, “Is Mother engaged to a lady of the court already?”

“If only,” Calix sighed while joining the throng of leather-clad men who looked decidedly out of place amongst all the silk and lace of Elmorian high society.

“What’s the news, boss?” Rakon asked, looking particularly forlorn as he did.

Though to the young ones among them, this was no doubt all just another grand adventure, the oldest of his Sons all had that same air about them—the air of men being marched to the gallows.

He could not blame them. Here they were, surrounded by the reminder of all their lives could have been, had they simply been born under slightly different circumstances.

But at least they were here with him. They had followed him into the viper’s nest.

And that meant everything.

“We will be provided with rooms,” Aldric informed his men as he led the way toward the exit to the gallery. The stench of so much perfume was already smothering him, and he needed some fresh air.

His Sons hurried to follow.

Leif was the only one to fish for further details with a question of, “Will we be staying for long?”

Aldric uttered a simple, “No.”

Thankfully, no one pressed for more information after that.

Still, he had yet to fully inform his men beyond Calix of just what the plan was. He was certain at least a good handful of them had already riddled it out, though. It was an easy enough plan to guess: wed the queen, and then find some way to kill her without it being too painfully obvious it had been him.

And then leave.

Edmund intended for him to sit there and ruleElmoria in his stead, like a puppet plopped upon the throne? Aldric had no such intentions.

But he would kill thekireiqueen for his brother so he could return home to Blackrun, to holding the Drakmori border, and to discovering the secrets behind the newest threat in the east—the strange warlord who styled himself the Bonesinger.

Which all sounded a good deal more interesting than playing usurper to a people who were not even his own.

Edmund could simply make a play for the Elmorian throne along with the rest of the world in the chaos which would follow the fall of House de la Croix.

“When do you think they serve dinner here, Father?” Sven abruptly asked him. That question earned a laugh from the other Sons.

It was Tayn, though, who drawled, “How’s he supposed to know, you dolt? He’s been here just as long as you have.”

“I’m more wondering what we’re supposed to be doing until they get rooms ready for us,” Eisway admitted aloud, sounding uncertain. The man had made a full recovery from his unseatingat the joust, and he had only a fresh scar cutting across his eyebrow to show for it.

And though Aldric had no intention of voicing such a thing aloud himself, he wondered, too. “Well, whatever we decide to do,” he dryly rumbled as they finally made it out into the open air of the palace courtyard, “Her Majesty has instructed that we are tobehave.”

Summer was just around the corner, and the warmth of the day was still a welcome reprieve after the hot press of so many bodies back in the gallery. At least in the courtyard, there was a breeze.

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