He gave a bark of laughter. ‘Why would they be there?’
‘Because you would be unlikely to look there until after you finished the King’s business? Because the King refuses to go there?’
‘Have you met my cousin?’
‘Not knowingly,’ she admitted with a shrug. ‘But it makes logical sense. And it will be the first place you’d return to after you finish your mission. Your cousin knows you will forgive him, even if you yell at him.’
He put a warm hand on her upper arm. ‘You are wiser than I thought. What a combination—brains as well as beauty. It makes me wonder why you remained unmarried until now. It seems incredible that Queen Astrid or Maer did not employ one of their best counters. The need for strong allies never ceases.’
‘I was dangled countless times. In truth, the late King had hopes of me marrying his son, which would never have worked.’ She kept her face turned from his. ‘Drengr wanted me. Initially for one of his sons. After his wife died, there was even talk of him being my groom. I don’t know how true that is or if it was to spook me into seeking the illusion of safety with one of his sons. All that man cared about was power.’
He captured her chin. ‘Look at me, Svanna. The past. I won’t allow them to hurt you.’
‘One of the reasons I know about the arts of war is to never feel defenceless again.’ Svanna shrugged and pushed the memory back into the recesses of her mind where it belonged. ‘Maer decreed that any marriage must be my own decision. There was never a strong enough reason to marry until I was faced with this. Agthir’s safety means everything to me.’
She hoped the answer would suffice and he would stop his probing.
‘Surely she married for the sake of her country. She married the usurper’s son, didn’t she? The one you said had the personality of a wet fish.’
‘She married because she wanted to. They were, and remain, deeply in love. I’ll admit that Karn has improved considerably since he and Maer became acquainted.’
‘I am pleased she found the other half of her soul, but you decided that wasn’t worth waiting for.’
Svanna looked at the horizon. She knew she wasn’t the other half of Rand’s soul. That honour belonged to his late wife. It bothered her that in her daydreaming about acting as Birdie’s mother, she’d also dreamt about seeing regard in his eyes. Her heart had to stop hoping for miracles. She was being useful to Agthir and that should be enough.
‘Something like that. Maer did emphasise that it must always be my choice,’ she said, keeping her gaze on the horizon. ‘This marriage was my choice. My duty to Agthir. My way of contributing to its defence.’
He nodded. ‘Your directness is something I admire about you.’
‘Directness?’
‘You are my wife and not pretending to be anything else. You’re unafraid to explain your reasoning. It makes a change.’
‘A refreshing one, I hope.’ She forced a laugh but his eyes turned serious. Her heart knocked against her chest. She’d made a muddle of things this morning, completely misreading his mood. If she did so again, it didn’t bode well for the future.
‘You want to ensure that the high king is in a good mood though,’ she said, trying for the brightest voice possible and hoping he would not comment on the slight alteration of the subject when he failed to reply to her comment.
Rand bestowed a smile, but this one failed to reach his eyes. ‘It will help keep Thorarinn’s head attached to his torso.’
‘I understand why that would be advantageous to all, particularly to your cousin, who I would think has grown quite attached to his head.’
The ghost smile faded from his face. ‘I owe him my life, Svanna. If he’d not rescued me from Drengr, I’d have breathed my last.’
She wrapped her arms about her middle and wished she had worn thicker clothes as the ice-cold wind whistled through her. She, too, did not know why Rand had been singled out. She sincerely doubted now that they had been seen together. Some other game was afoot, but she couldn’t think what it was and what part Thorarinn had played.
‘Our past is behind us, but it casts a long shadow. Hopefully, its shadow will ebb.’ She knew then she couldn’t do what Astrid wanted her to do and manipulate him through seduction, not if he admired her directness. ‘My foster-mother—’
‘What did your foster-mother suggest?’
xo
‘That I seduce you for the good of Agthir.’ The words tripped off her tongue in a great rush and, despite the coldness of the spray, her cheeks burned.
He raised her hand to his lips. ‘When we next join, it’ll be your choice. Yours and not Agthir’s. You are the only one I want in my bed.’
She peeped up at him, saw the dancing light in his eyes and knew her ice shield was no more. It would be easy to care for this man, even though he’d warned her that he was unlikely to ever return any finer feelings. She must keep to their agreement, or she’d be doomed to a disappointment her heart would never recover from. ‘I never cared for crowds.’
He raised her hand to his mouth. ‘You are good, my lady.’
