Roi could see that she wasn’t convinced. He patted her hand again. “Stop worrying over your father,” he said. “He will soon forget any imagined grudge. Right now, there are more games to play and more than I plan to win, so let us get on with it. Mathis?”
“My lord?”
“Let me introduce you to my daughter.”
That seemed to switch Diara’s focus from her father to Adalia, and she smiled weakly. “I thought you needed time to adjust to it?” she said.
Roi winked at her. “I have had plenty of time,” he said. “Mathis, I hear your family comes from the north and lives in a castle that used to be inhabited by the kings of old.”
Mathis nodded. “That is true,” he said. “The ancient kingdom of Elmet. My family is descended from those kings.”
“Is your father still alive?”
Mathis nodded. “He is,” he said. “And before you ask, I am his only son. I will inherit Kongenhus Castle.”
Roi’s brow lifted. “Kongenhus,” he repeated. “I do believe I’ve heard of it. Near Kendal?”
Mathis nodded. “It is.”
“I always thought the name was strange.”
“It means King’s House in the old language.”
“Have you learned enough?” Diara asked, interrupting them as she looked at Roi. “The man is descended from kings. Is he worthy of an introduction now?”
Roi snorted. “Mayhap,” he said. “Mayhap not. Every father has the right to be selective when it comes to his daughter.”
Diara assured him that Mathis was a fine prospect as they walked away, off to find Adalia. Mathis followed behind them, mulling over Diara’s words to Roi. She had asked if the fact Mathis was descended from kings meant he was worthy of a de Lohr bride. Bitterly, he mused that it hadn’t been good enough for Cheltenham. He’d lost the only bride he’d ever wanted, no matter whom he was related to.
But it was a new world now. He needed to embrace it. He wasn’t entirely sure marrying the daughter of the man who married his only love would be a good match, for him emotionally, that was, but socially and politically, it would be an excellent one.
A new world, indeed.
And Mathis had to find his way in it.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Pembridge Castle
One Week Later
Dorian was screaming.
Roi had heard it from the bailey, and it caused him, Kyne, and Adrius to sprint in the direction of the sound, which happened to be somewhere near the kitchen yard. There was an area back there with a fishpond and the remnants of a garden that Diara had decided to bring back to life. Almost a week after their return from Lioncross and their wedding celebration, life at Pembridge was nicely settling in.
And what a life it had been.
Roi had been given a lot of time to think about the way his life had changed. It was difficult to put it into so many words, but the closest he could come was that it was as if the sun had risen over his darkness and all he could see was the light. Since Odette’s death, he felt as if he’d been living in limbo—not sad, not happy, but simply existing. He’d sent his daughters away to foster and he’d buried himself in his duties. Anything to keep him distracted from the pain of losing his wife. But when he finally came to terms with that, he found himself in a colorless worldwhere he had his reputation, his obligations, and a connection to the king that did nothing to fill the hole inside his heart.
A hole crying for joy.
He’d gotten used to living like that, but Beckett’s death threatened to change everything. It threatened to break his carefully held control and plunge him from darkness into complete blackness. But a belligerent father had changed his life, and as much as Robin annoyed him, he had to admit that he was grateful to the man for forcing him into a marriage. Had Robin not been such a bully, Roi wouldn’t have married Diara.
Now, he couldn’t imagine his life without her.
He was still coming to know her, but every day was a new voyage of discovery that saw him fall more deeply in love with her. She was sweet and beautiful and, already, Adalia and Dorian adored her. Watching his daughters open up to a woman when such a role model had been absent from their everyday lives was truly something to see. Dorian wasn’t so wrapped up in her horses, and Adalia had come out of the kitchens, now following Diara around and wanting to learn from her. More than that, she wanted to please her. Diara was very sweet with the girls, and it did Roi’s heart good to see it. It was an absolute joy.
More than that, it was Diara herself who was the joy.
