Page 41 of Pawns of Fate
“Well, I hide the knives even if they are strapped to my hips.”
“Lyla, I understand that… people in your line of work must hide their weapons. I don’t understand why you’re coming to the Ojoh with me. I assumed you’d stay here to guard Ava.”
“You’re the future marchioness of House Sharp. Getting the Ojoh to agree that you should bring a handmaid wasn’t so hard. They’re the ones who didn’t investigate further into what skills the handmaid possesses.” Lyla shrugged as if she were stating the most obvious fact in the world.
Rose felt a strange relief flood her body. She’d never had a companion, let alone a bodyguard, for these journeys. Herheart whispered that it was Nicholas’s way of caring for her. His hand had to be in this. He ensured she was safe even if he hadn’t stopped the trip entirely.
And yet, a nasty thought wriggled in the back of her mind: too little, too late.
Lyla finished styling her hair, and Betty finished lacing her corset. Another knock on the door signaled that it was time.
“We’ll be alright.” Lyla gave Rose’s shoulder a small squeeze. “You’ll be back in your husband’s arms before you know it,” she added with a wink.
A butler opened the door and asked if Rose was ready.
A calm courage flooded Rose’s chest. The knots in her stomach slowly undid themselves; the wriggling thoughts went still. She could face this situation; she’d done it a dozen times before.
Rose, Lyla, and Betty followed the butler through the castle and to the meeting hall. Besides the banquet hall, which was still being cleaned after the wedding ceremony, Castle Sharp had no grander room. The ample space must have been designed to impress or intimidate guests. Rose wasn’t sure if it was working on the Ojoh delegation, though.
Twenty Ojoh warriors marched into the room, black crow feather capes streaming behind them. The Sharp knights that flanked them did look impressive, but not like the Ojoh warriors with their war bands and troll hide armor.
“They look so scary!” Ava tried, unsuccessfully, to whisper to Rose without anyone else overhearing. York elbowed her.
A tall woman with pale, golden hair, eyes thecolor of the sun, and the loose kaftan of an Ojoh civilian closely followed the band of warriors. Rose’s eyes widened with surprise as she realized that the Ojoh were offering a captive as collateral in exchange for her. This was the first time Rose would be part of an equivalent exchange of captives. Her uncle had always just offered her up without bothering to ask for reciprocal collateral.
The Ojoh leader, denoted by his long cape and the five war bands painted onto his arms, stepped forward. Rose had only spent a few months among the Ojoh, but she knew that five war bands meant the man was highly ranked. Clan leaders had six; five were only one step away. It was all the more impressive given his young face.
The warriors and knights all moved to stand at their places on the edge of the room. The Ojoh leader and the blonde-haired woman walked toward where the Sharps were seated with stiff backs. Two warriors flanked them. Only their footsteps could be heard in the tense, silent room.
Rose’s eyes drifted to the two flanking warriors. The one on the right had hair as black as his crow feather cape and a permanent scowl, but there was nothing else about him of great note.
Her heart stopped when she saw the warrior on the left. She blinked twice. Surely, her eyes were making some kind of mistake. There was a tall frame filled with the same sinewy muscle. He wore three war bands on his arm now. He still had his short, blonde hair and haughty brown eyes. When she saw the smirk that tied all these details together, she knew her eyes hadn’t betrayed her. Camillus, her first lover, was here.
Nicholas squeezed her hand and shot her a concerned look. Her surprise had to be visible despite her efforts to contain it. Nausea overpowered her for a few breaths, then Rose pulled herself together.
Camillus stared at her as the party sat down and the negotiations began. He was trying to fluster her; he’d done things like this when they were romantically involved. She wanted to calm down and ignore it, but her head felt lighter and lighter as the Ojoh warrior’s stare grew more intense.
Camillus always played these games for a reason. What was it this time?
“Welcome,” Marquess Sharp began. “We are honored that your party has come to Castle Sharp. I am sorry that you won’t be able to stay the night and enjoy our hospitality.”
“We have to make haste back to our city,” the Ojoh leader declared flatly.
“In that case, let me introduce my family so we may begin our negotiations,” Marquess Sharp replied. He introduced himself, Nicholas, York, and Ava. Finally, he got to Rose. “This is my daughter-in-law, Rose Sharp. She will be the one going with you today.”
Rose bowed her head toward the delegation. The Ojoh warriors shared a strange look among themselves. Rose wondered if Nicholas and Marquess Sharp noticed. Things were about to go terribly wrong, but she was helpless. Rose couldn’t even tell Nicholas about her old connection to Camillus. Not that she particularly wanted to.
The Ojoh leader introduced his delegation.
“My name is Depaerth.” He pointed to the scowling warrior. “This is Kaeso.” He paused. The blond woman stepped forward. “This is Pescinnia, daughter of our head elder. She will be staying here with you. And this is Camillus.” He pointed to the blonde warrior on his left. “I believe Camillus knows Lady Rose.”
Ava gasped loudly. This time, it was the Sharps’ turn to exchange strange glances. Rose glued her eyes to the floor.
“Lady Rose stayed at my village five years ago. She was part of the Robson family at that time. Why should we believe that she has value to the Sharps when the Robsons have already used her?” Camillus stated the cruel words with the same impassivity Rose remembered from years ago.
The answer to his question was obvious. Rosedidn’thave value to the Sharps. This twist put the negotiations in a bad place; it could even derail them entirely. Rose had never dreamed that her stay in an Ojoh village near Robson territory would have anything to do with this situation. Now, it seemed like the Sharps were trying to send collateral they didn’t truly value. From the Ojoh’s point of view, it looked manipulative.
“Rose is my wife!” Nicholas’s response snapped Rose out of her thoughts. “It is painful for me to send her away, and you are questioning how valuable she is?”
