“Fucking Venari,” Aydra mumbled as they descended down the hall.
“Letting him get your panties in a twist without even being in the room,” Lex mused. “Interesting.”
Aydra glared at her. “Not like that. He gave me his pipe and a small amount of the herb we smoked the other night.”
“And he’s an asshole for doing that because…”
“Because he also left a note with it. Said ‘in case your favorite needs help bringing you to your end again.’”
Lex snorted. “He has a point.”
Aydra shoved her sideways. “He has no business in my sex life. Period.”
Lex continued to laugh as she pushed her hands behind her back. “Have you seen your brother yet?” she asked, changing the subject.
“I haven’t. I’m sure he’s not happy about my not going directly to him.”
“Suppose we’ll find out.”
They reached the Throne Room a few minutes later, and Aydra had Lex wait at the bottom of the stair for her.
Rhaif was pacing in front of their chairs when she reached the threshold. He paused in his step and did a double-take at her, eyes narrowing beneath the hood of his thick brows. She saw his jaw tighten, and his fist clench at his side.
“Do you enjoy disobeying me?” he managed in a low tone.
She strode deliberately across the room towards him. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“I asked that you come here after your arrival,” he smarted. “It has been over an hour.”
“We traveled for near five days without having the opportunity to bathe. I thought you’d not want to smell my stench or have it cling to your best capes,” she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. “What did you want? Why here?”
“I wanted a report for how the mission went,” Rhaif replied. “Did you rid this land of the creature?”
“We did,” she answered. “The Venari was helpful for once. His instruction on how to kill the creature was thorough.”
“And our brother? Where is he?”
“On his way with the Venari to the villages. I told him I would send an escort to come back with him in a few days so that he was not riding across the Hills alone.”
Rhaif gave her a nod, and then he started crossing the room slowly towards her. “You know, my men were hurt by your words before you left.”
“Which words?”
“When you called them useless.” He paused just in front of her, his fiery eyes searing through her. “I think you should apologize.”
She balked at the word. “Apologize? For what? For doing their job for them?”
“Why should they have thought the Venari was telling the truth after years of their not being helpful and betraying this crown?”
“If they cannot heed the orders of our three crowns, then what good are they? There are plenty of Belwarks out in our streets that would love to be part of the royal guard.” She took a step back and shook her head at him. “I will not apologize to them because they are ignorant.”
His nostrils flared, but he did not say anything in response. Instead, he took in a long look of what she was wearing, and his brows knitted together once more. “Is that what you’re wearing to banquet?”
“It is.”
His jaw tightened. “I’ll have Willow’s head. This is the second time this week she has failed.”
“Willow has only ever done as you’ve ordered. Just because I refuse to wear the dresses you have her put out for me does not mean she has not done her job.”
