Page 39 of Bleeding for the Prince
“Correct, and I might have been bestowing a limited amount of physical affection on Gwil, and Metra thought my actions were not fitting in front of my husband.”
She smiled. “A matter of protocol and touching a nerve. Metra does not have an equivalent of Gwil. He’s not bothered that you are affectionate with your chosen partner, but that he has no one he can do the same with.”
“He has a favourite, it’s just that his tribe wouldn’t allow the individual to be considered his chosen one because they are betrothed elsewhere. I can hardly be blamed for the idiosyncrasies of his tribe’s law.”
She shrugged. “No, but you are his husband and as such a target for his ire. I take it you wish to talk about some kind of information exchange. It shouldn’t be too arduous, your social calendar is already with my secretary and his staff.”
“As grateful as I am for you agreeing to those arrangements, they weren’t the reason why I wished to speak to you, but it is related to something that happened after the gallery.”
“Go on.”
“It appears Gwil has been given information that I had not thought it pertinent for him to know, namely, my once path to the Hellanix throne through Getil. That, in addition to the incident with Metra, left him introspective, and he asked if I was overcompensating, making him Prince’s Beloved, because I was no longer the husband of a future queen.”
She cocked her head to one side. “Are you?”
“Of course not. But I left to cool down before I let my temper get the better of me. But Gwil’s question isn’t my worry, we are old enough to talk through a minor squabble, I want to know why he was told in the first place.”
“I see.” Talia took a drink of her tea, an obvious move to buy her time to think. “I take it you being here means youhave already spoken to Opali, and you know I was the one who suggested certain topics for discussion.”
“Yes. I just want to understand why. I thought you liked Gwil. Approved of him.”
“I do. In fact, your recent demonstration of loyalty to the crown by marrying Metra, and to Gwil by assigning him his title, had me thinking about your suitability for other roles, and not just Gwil’s position in your heart.”
A number of possibilities had run through his mind when learning about his mother’s involvement in the etiquette lessons, but he hadn’t thought to turn her meddling towards himself. “What do you mean by that?”
“There has been a situation involving an ad-hoc cross-tribe court proceeding, which by rights, I should have sent Pawl, him being the firstborn and, by our current succession rules, the next king. But I couldn’t bring myself to do so, and instead I sent Qual as the second oldest.”
“Why couldn’t you send Pawl?” he asked, not understanding her reticence.
“I think he would have been overwhelmed, and that was before I heard of Prince Simon being present. If I’m being truly honest, when I look at the magical capabilities across the tribes and political acumen of the leaders, Pawl does not stand as their equal.”
His oldest brother was a good man, a bit pompous at times, but Hyax had never questioned his ability to lead the tribe after their mother passed. “You would be more comfortable with Qual being Queen?”
She took a moment before speaking. “No, I would think you the best candidate of all my children. While I was not initially happy with your choice of partner, Gwil has proven himself worthy and, with the changing tide of future readmission of theCalanti tribe into our ranks, maybe a more pro-vampire stance would not be harmful.”
He knew he must be gawping, because although she had said in passing over the years he would have made a good king, he’d never taken it as more than a mother being nice to her son. “You are contemplating changing the succession laws?” he asked carefully.
“Yes. I’m giving it serious consideration. I’d like for you to do the same. But so you are aware, I’ve no intention of going anywhere anytime soon.” She smiled. “You’re a gifted diplomat, Hyax. Your magical skills are impressive, even more so with your additional talents with Gwil, and I know you are cultivating a friendship with Prince Simon.”
His friendship with Simon was nothing compared to his mother’s bigger revelation, and he found it hard to give the idea the credence his mother thought it deserved. “I wasn’t expecting this.”
“I don’t suppose you would have been. You’re the youngest born, in theory, the prince with the most freedom, yet time after time, you have demonstrated your commitment to your people. You are well-loved, and I don’t think there’d be many upset if I were to make the change.”
“I imagine Pawl wouldn’t be happy.”
She sighed. “I think you’d be surprised. He’s more self-aware than he’s given credit for. He knows his limitations, and the future crown weighs heavily upon his head before it’s even been put in place.”
“If I were to agree, and I am far from that at this moment, I will not give up Gwil.”
“No one will ask you to. On the contrary, you are on the path to bonding, and I think it is safe to say your current marriage will be short-lived.”
Despite everything she’d said since her change of mind over Gwil, he thought her opinion might change now she was touting him as her successor. “A vampire as King’s Consort. That will be a new one.”
“Gwil wouldn’t be the first. Robin Flint will have that honour.”
A different situation. Simon was a vampire-fae, but he would not argue against something for his own benefit. “I guess so. I need time to think. I must talk to Gwil.”
“He must be your only confidante. Your father is aware of my thoughts. I think it would be wise, once you’ve had time to digest the news, to talk to him. I’ve always found him a very good sounding board.”
