Page 5 of The King's Bodyguard
Velamere.I recalled that it was ruled by the ancient Sunna family, the Derulans. Caught between difficult Sunna aristocracy and discontented Munni hunters, Corrin had, perhaps, come to understand the intricacies of political intrigue.
“I’m not surprised,” Corrin said. “Mother warned me about the ongoing tensions between Munni and Sunna. It is what it is.”
Or not.Something welled up in my chest. Something unfamiliar—a sense of hilarity. Laughter. A small huff of laughter broke out. Before I knew it, I was bent over my knees, trying hard not to giggle. A king does not giggle. When I glanced up at Corrin, feeling a little flushed, he was staring at me with a wide grin on his face. Corrin leaned back, propped his elbow on the back of the bench, and relaxed a bit more.
“There’s the Landis I used to know,” he said.
A pensive look crossed his face as I also straightened and wiped a tear out of the corner of my eye.
“You will have to curb that tongue of yours,” I said with mock imperiousness. “Honesty isn’t particularly welcome in Rimefrost.”
“I am sorry to hear it,” Corrin said with a put-upon sigh.
“At any rate, I suppose you are to represent the Munni in my personal guard,” I mused aloud. “Lord Elthorne’s doing, I wouldn’t doubt. He has great respect for Munni warriors andWise mollies alike. He overruled Lord Berrymay and my cousin. You brought others with you?”
“Yes.” Corrin nodded. “Nine others.”
“Ten total,” I said.
“Ten of the best,” Corrin said a little stiffly.
You are the best. The most important, I couldn’t help but think. A blush threatened to rise to my cheeks.
“Lord Elthorne will be pleased,” I hurriedly assured him. “As am I, of course. I am glad to see a friendly face.”
“Even if it is Munni?” Corrin asked. There was a tinge of bitterness to his voice.
I stiffened a little and then said, “I never considered it important. Ever.” I blushed and then added. “Once I asked Nanny why I had brown skin and why you had white. She said that was the way of nature, to care for her children. The Children of the Sun, worshipers of the god Solas, glory in its rays. They draw energy from the day and pursue power. The Children of the Moon, worshipers of the goddess Meryn, find shelter in its glow. They draw energy from the night... and they pursue love.”
At those words, I drew up my knee, rested my cheek on top, and turned away from Corrin’s gaze. I didn’t want him to know. It was something I couldn’t share with anyone. Perhaps Corrin would understand, but it was a matter of the heart. I couldn’t speak of my dream. Not yet.
Back then, Corrin had visited the capital with his mother. He had a father also. I had neither known my mother nor had I really enjoyed a relationship with my father. King Lansson had been a busy husband, father, and king. Instead, Nanny, a capable matron, who did her best to oversee my upbringing, figured largely in my childhood. She had not given me the gentle hugs of a mother or a clap on the shoulder as a father. But she had done her best.
No. Corrin wouldn’t understand, I sighed to myself.To find love must come naturally to him. He is a Child of the Moon, a Munni. Sometimes... sometimes I wish I had been born Munni. Munni are free to love as they please. If I said that to anyone though, they’d think I was mad.
“If only it were that simple,” Corrin’s voice broke into my thoughts.
My fingers now laced around my ankle and I waited. The slow rumble of his voice was soothing.
“All beings pursue power and love. For some, one is more important than the other, but it is simply a matter of the soul and the heart,” Corrin said. “When I remember that summer we spent together... I recall a... a Landis who was just as warm-hearted as any of my kin. There is capacity for love in all of us. I would like to think that. Wouldn’t you?”
I raised my head at that question. Our gazes met. I felt myself drowning in the brilliant green of his eyes. Fathomless and clear. I wanted to fling myself upon him as though we were children once again, throw my arms about his neck, and enjoy his warmth pressed against mine. When we had run into the hall, I had been instinctively drawn by his scent. It still hung there in the light breeze. Pine and hay and horse.
“I would wish it too,” I admitted impulsively. It spilled out then: “If I had been born Munni, I would be simply myself. I would have my own life to chase after. Like you!”
Corrin glanced away. The edge of his dark lashes lowered and then rose. I caught the small smile that graced his face even as he presented his sharp profile.
“Even the Munni have their duty,” he said, finally.
“They do?” I asked, suddenly curious. “What does it look like? Are you bound by vows? Are you trapped in long meetings of state? Are you to be wedded to a girl you haven’t met?”
“Long meetings, sometimes, yes. Vows... on occasion. As for marriage...” Corrin turned to glance at me. “That seems oddly specific.”
I blushed and glared down at the toes of my boots.
“I am to be married,” I muttered mutinously.
“Pardon?” asked Corrin, clearly not believing his ears.
