Page 102 of A Kingdom of Fire and Fury
He laughed. “Of course it is, but it keeps the kingdom running. Besides, I’m rather fond of looking pretty. Or do you not think so? Careful—there’s a wrong answer.”
I rolled my eyes but found myself smiling. “How’s the event been?”
“House Benson has made demands all day. Luther’s been as polite as he can, but even he’s getting annoyed,” Ben murmured in my ear. “Taro’s demanded more dragon transport to expedite the mining supplies he needs. My family’s specialty is in the natural goods along the various caves as well as fishing exports. They have a lot of requests, so my brothers have come as well.” His expression darkened. “They’re disgracing the name as always.”
“I’m sorry.”
Ben smiled tightly. “Don’t be. You didn’t force them to be jerks. They chose that for themselves. That’s why they’ll only ever be confined to Markos Province. They know they call the shots there and can get away with a lot more.”
“How have the families been?” Ben knew more than I gave him credit.
“House Caddel is worried. It’s not unusual for gryphon attacks to occur in their province more than the other regions, but the frequency that it’s occurring is alarming. And these attacks are migrating toward the capital of House Caddel—where they live. I’m sure we’ll be called to go on a scouting mission not long after this.” He twirled me. “House Kalimera has beenthe best behaved. They haven’t asked for anything.”
I raised my brow. “Really?”
“Nimue’s father will soon though. Usually, it’s for her to go on more missions. The more fame she gains, the more tourists he receives. People can’t get enough of Verity—her title convinces the common folk her upbringing and home must’ve been righteous, so that’s where a lot of people flock to.” Ben shook his head. “Their family is all business.”
It left an uncomfortable feeling in my gut. I glanced over Ben’s shoulder once again and spotted Kieran with Queen Nasreen. I was scowling before I even realized it. Nasreen’s attendant had made herself scarce leaving the two of them alone. Both of them smiled at each other with a closeness I didnotlike, and Kieran’s hand lingered on Nasreen’s arm. After all that bullshit he spouted at me, he was pulling this. “Does he sleep with every woman he talks with?” I couldn’t hide the annoyance bleeding through my tone.
Ben followed my gaze and smirked when he caught the two of them, letting out a slow whistle. “Nah. He’s surprisingly picky. You don’t have to worry about this one, Selena. He’s not sleeping with her.”
I flushed. “I—I’m not… How are you so sure?”
Ben hummed. “Because the two of them only get together to keep diplomacy going. Queen Nasreen doesn’t have a husband. The two like to pretend he has a shot. He doesn’t.”
“What kind of backwards logic is that? And why the hell does Luther encourage it?” I’d seen his smug smiles whenever he spotted them.
“Because she’s talking tousrather than Andova. A marriage would never happen. Lusadia will never hand over one of its dragons and weaken our power. But this charade benefits both kingdoms. We know we have Raghnall’s continued support, and they have ours.”
“That’s so stupid.” I shook my head, trying to ignore the relief that flooded my body. Except even knowing that, that didn’t mean their chemistry was fake. “But that doesn’t mean they’re not fucking.”
“Your jealousy is showing.” He laughed when I pulled my hand back to smack him. “Kieran doesn’t do complicated. He only hooks up with women he knows he’ll never see again.”
If that’s what he normally does then why… why did he make that proposal?My stomach flipped.Maybe he’s not trying to manipulate me. Maybe he genuinely likes me, and it’s not just lust.But I immediately dismissed the thought. Kieran was too calculating. It had to be a plan of his, a way to guarantee I’d work with him and remove any doubts he had.
“You promised Nimue you would distract her parents, right?” Ben asked, cutting through my thoughts. “Now’s the time to act. Her dad’s headed her way.”
“Shit. Thanks for the heads up.” I weaved my way through the crowd, searching until I found her father.Fuck.I shouldn’t have abandoned her.I’m such a shit friend. I promised I’d stay by her side.Mael Kalimera was already too close to Nimue for comfort. Beyond their blond hair, they couldn’t be more different.Mael’s expression was harsh and closed off, leaving no warmth. He held himself stiffly and throughout the festival, he’d continuously scanned the crowd. He was just as calculating as Kieran but not nearly as skilled at hiding it.
I slid between them. “May I have this dance,” I asked Mael.
Mael narrowed his eyes. “I’d be remiss not to talk to the newest rider.” He glanced at Nimue. “You should go speak to your mother, Nimue. She misses you.”
Nimue cleared her expression and jerked a nod, not saying a word as she slipped back into the crowd. I knew she wouldn’t listen to her father. Not that I blamed her. He screwed with her inheritance. If I were her, I’d cut his ass off. The last thing I wanted to do was make small talk with this sexist bastard, but I’d do it for Nimue’s sake.
“Thank you for agreeing to dance with me.”Really killing it with the small talk.
He snorted. “I know what you two are doing. It’s childish of her to evade me. Just because I had to choose the best heir for my House doesn’t mean I don’t love her.”
I clenched my jaw. “Sheisthe best heir. Nimue’s amazing.Don’tundervalue her.”
Mael hummed. “She’s doing her duty perfectly at the dragonsguard. I’m aware of her service and her sacrifice. If the world were different, she would be my heir. But it isn’t, so Aelius is.”
Anger popped under my skin. “There have beenplentyof female lords.”
He arched a brow. “But are there right now? Since the civil war and Lady Markos’ unfortunate betrayal, there haven’t been.”
Just another thing I needed to ask Gareth. Surely that couldn’t be right. “Whatever you need to say to Nimue, you can tell me. I’ll pass on your complaints to the king, if you have any.”
