Page 27 of Peril

Not that Edmund would characterize those opposing King Solan as good either. Lord Crest seemed all right—mostly—though he was still out for what power he could grab for himself. And he was on the list of those who were involved in smuggling with Escarland. The trade with Escarland could be why he was in favor of cooling tensions with Escarland. It would hurt his profits if Escarland kept cracking down on smuggling and strengthening the border.

“Eddie dearest, I doubt the king is interested in frequenting an Escarlish barber.” Jalissa touched Edmund’s arm, gently nudging him back.

That meant the food and drink in front of them were safe.

He resisted the urge to grimace at her use of a nickname for him. She was gently teasing him with it. But it fit the role they were playing.

King Solan looked down his nose at Edmund, a hint of disgust playing around his mouth. With a slight shake of his head, he turned back to his food.

Crown Prince Jimson narrowed his eyes at Edmund before he too took another bite of his salmon.

Edmund pretended to be oblivious to how stilted the conversation was around them. Lord Crest and Crown Prince Jimson were basically stabbing each other with their gazes while King Solan glared at both of them.

Edmund just tried to remain pleasant to everyone. He didn’t want to get caught in the crossfire.

As the supper finished, King Solan gestured to him. “Prince Edmund, would you please join me for a drink?”

Edmund’s instincts crawled, but he nodded and pushed to his feet. He picked up Jalissa’s hand and kissed her knuckles. “I’ll be along shortly, my dearest sugarcake.”

“Do not take too long.” Jalissa’s smile was warm, but her eyes had a sharp look. Her words might sound flirty, but Edmund could hear what she was really saying.Stay safe.

The other nobles started dispersing. Lord Crest gave first Edmund, then King Solan a studied look before he climbed to his feet and disappeared into a group of his cronies.

Edmund waited long enough to watch Jalissa stroll away, Sarya at her heels.

Crown Prince Jimson, too, was waiting, and he didn’t start walking until after Edmund did. Edmund tried to pretend the back of his neck wasn’t prickling as he followed King Solan toward his study.

Inside the study, Edmund glanced around, taking in the room in the daylight for the first time. The hidden door was truly clever. Even in the daylight, he couldn’t spot the line of the secret door or the latch that he had yet to find in the dark.

King Solan strolled to the sideboard and took out three glasses and a bottle of brandy. “As my son reminded me, I haven’t properly welcomed you to Mongavaria, Prince Edmund. I will admit, I was not in favor of this emissary exchange when my son initially suggested it. But I can see its advantages. I am looking forward to discussing the issues our kingdoms are facing.”

Crown Prince Jimson was the one to suggest this emissary exchange? Now Edmund’s instincts wound even tighter in his chest. The crown prince was the one who had been behind the poisoning in Kostaria. So what was he planning with this emissary exchange? An exchange that he had arranged evenbeforehe’d poisoned the trolls.

Had King Solan truly been behind the attempted assassination of Farrendel, Essie, and the whole elven royal family? Or had Edmund threatened the wrong royal six months ago?

Even if Crown Prince Jimson had truly been behind it, King Solan must have tacitly approved of his actions. After all, the order to execute the captured Escarlish spies could only have come from him. The crown prince didn’t have the authority to execute anyone.

And the whole plan to take over Nevaria had begun over twenty years ago with Crown Prince Jimson’s arranged marriage to Nevaria’s princess. Even if Crown Prince Jimson had come up with the idea, King Solan had certainly gone along with it readily enough.

As Crown Prince Jimson shut the door behind him, King Solan poured the brandy into the three glasses. He turned and handed one glass to his son and the other to Edmund before taking the third glass for himself.

King Solan sipped, then turned to Edmund. “Your elven wife is…lovely. But does your brother truly believe that such close ties with the elves and trolls is in the best interest of your kingdom? Yes, the elves ruled an empire that nearly spanned the continent but that was millennia ago. The time of the elves is long over. The time of the humans is now. Can you imagine the world power we could be if Escarland and Mongavaria formed an alliance?”

What he really meant was what power he could wield if he subsumed Escarland into his growing empire. And King Solan wondered why Averett would choose to ally with the elves and trolls instead.

“I must beg to differ.” Edmund forced his smile to remain friendly and empty. “Our alliance with the elves has many benefits.”

Crown Prince Jimson snorted, swirling his brandy in his glass. “You would say that. I’m sure your wife provides plenty of benefits.”

King Solan sent a glare at his son. “Don’t be crude, Jimson.”

Edmund scrunched his eyebrows, as if the innuendo had gone over his head, and tried not to let his fingers clench on his glass. Sure, he’d left himself open to something like that, knowing one of them would likely say it. It fit with his oblivious persona.

That didn’t make it any easier to hear and take. If he’d been back in Escarland, he would have rebuked someone for saying something crass about any woman, much less Edmund’s wife. But here, all he could do was smile like a ninny and take it.

“What I meant is that her magic must be useful.” Crown Prince Jimson studied the glass of brandy in his hand, not quite a good enough actor to hide that this hadn’t been what he meant at all. His gaze flicked up to Edmund. “She has plant growing magic, I believe?”

Edmund hesitated, not wanting to confirm anything about Jalissa’s magic. But if Crown Prince Jimson had been paying attention, he would have seen how the plants in the market had reacted to her. And the spies who had been captured in Tarenhiel had seen her magic in action. Surely they would have reported that to their king before they were executed for their failures.

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