Page 33 of Pawns of Fate
Rose popped a strawberry into her mouth, then reached for a small cake with raspberry cream. “I was surprised. She seemed to like us, though.”
Ava sipped her wine. “No, she seemed to likeyou, Rose.”
“I’ve had practice with keeping older noblewomen happy.” Rose decided she needed a few more sips of wine if she had to talk about her aunt.
“They’re so overbearing,” Ava replied.
“They can be.” The servants set down a tray of cheeses. Rose’s eyes lit up, but instead of gobbling down the entire tray, she decided to sip a little more wine and snack on one slice at a time. A loaded silence stretched between her and Ava, who fidgeted with a pillow tassel.
“Was the man leaving Nicholas’s office of the Ojoh warriors?” Ava asked as she tucked her legs up under herself, snuggling into a comfortable position on the lush sofa.
Rose blinked. She’d been so focused on the strange shadow from the garden that she’d forgotten about the Ojoh entirely. “Yes, it was,” she answered flatly.
“I’ve never seen one before—just heard about them from York’s descriptions of battling with them—so I was curious.”
“They are fierce warriors.”
The servants had left the two girls to their own devices after setting down a cheese tray, so Rose poured herself another glass of wine.
“The Ojoh clan doesn’t have many mages. They make up for it with strong spearmen and sworders. Most of the children in the smaller villages grow up fighting desert monsters like tripoderos and grootslangs. I’m not surprised that the Sharps had to offer to trade captives to stop the skirmishes.”
“You’re quite knowledgeable,” Ava exclaimed, topping off her own glass.
Rose selected another slice of cheese, this time a sweet, creamy white one. “Well, I’ve stayed with them before.”
“You’ve been held captive by the Ojoh before? Rose, that’sterrible.”
Rose shook her head. “It isn’t such a big deal. Whenever I served as my uncle’s political collateral, I remembered that I was helping prevent wars.” She finished the slice of cheese, then added, “Last time I stayed with the Ojoh, it was in a small village close to the Robson estate. It isn’t the same group that has been warring with the Sharps.”
“I admire your courage. I don’t know if I’d bear things as gracefully,” Ava said admiringly.
Rose took an improperly large gulp of her wine, feeling a smidge embarrassed at Ava’s attentions. She’d just done what her uncle would have forced her to do anyway. No courage involved. No praise deserved.
“You’d do fine!” Rose batted aside Ava’s compliment. The words came out of her mouth a bit louder than she’d intended. Perhaps the warmth in her cheeks wasn’t solely from embarrassment. She’d drunk a fair amount.
Ava laughed, and the conversation took a less serious turn as the girls continued drinking and chatting their way through two bottles of wine. When Rose went to open a third bottle, she realized that she was drunk. As she poured another glass for Ava and herself, she realized she didn’t care.
A servant came in to remove the empty trays of food and leave the girls with more bottles of wine.
“I’d heard” —Ava placed her glass on the low table with a little more force than necessary— “I’d heard that the head of the Greatstrider clan is impotent.” She looked expectantly at Rose.
She held up her hands in surrender. “I wouldn’t know! It hasbeen years since I stayed at the Greatstrider castle.”
“Well, having an impotent husband isn’t something you or I would know about anyway,” Ava snickered, and her whole body shook from the laughter. “I wouldn’t complain if York were slightly less enthusiastic in the bedroom. He cornered me twice yesterday.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “It’s hard to blame him, though. He’s got so much to work withdown there. You know what I mean?”
Rose’s cheeks flushed. She tried to look anywhere but at her sister-in-law because she understood what Ava was implying, but hadn’t slept with Nicholas. So she did not, in the fullest sense, know what Ava meant.
“Wait. You don’t know what I mean.”
“I understood you!” Rose answered quickly, not wanting to venture further into the conversation.
“You haven’t slept with Nicholas yet!” The words sounded like an accusation.
Clutching one of the square, velvet pillows, Rose decided to tell the truth. Ava had already figured it out, anyway. “We’ve only known each other for two weeks. What’s wrong with wanting to know him better before we cross that bridge together?”
“Suit yourself.” Ava shrugged and took a lengthy swig of wine. “York and I made love after knowing each other for two days. Are you a virgin?”
Rose wished that Ava would change her condescending tone.
