“For her age, Elecia is one of the best healers in the world,” Aldrik boasted.
Vhalla thought Elecia’s face was going to explode from all the pride that lit it up. As annoying as the other woman could be, it was nice to see someone so fond of Aldrik. Considering this, Vhalla began to begrudgingly reevaluate all of Elecia’s actions, viewing them from the place of a protective family member—someone who seemed more like a little sister than a cousin.
“Good morning, all.” Baldair yawned from the entry into the back hall, a disheveled Raylynn at his side.
“You two at it again?” Jax japed. “You must show me sometime how you keep getting the Heartbreaker Prince to invite you to his bed.” Jax leaned away from the table to speak to Raylynn behind Baldair’s back.
To her credit, Raylynn held her composure well. Vhalla was almost envious of how the woman seemed to be able to not care what others thought about her pursuits of pleasure and companionship. “Skills you will never learn.”
“But then how can I get Baldair to invitemeto his bed?” Jax whined playfully.
“Mother, Jax, it is too early.” Baldair buried his face in his palms.
Infectious laughter suddenly overwhelmed Vhalla.
“What’s wrong with you?” Raylynn turned up her nose at
Vhalla as she reached for one of the steaming root vegetables. “Oh, my dear prince.” Jax sighed dramatically at Aldrik. “I fear the girl has lost her mind.”
“This is crazy,” Vhalla snorted with laughter.
“The only thing crazy is you.” Elecia rolled her eyes.
“I’m eating breakfast with half the royal family, Golden Guard, and a Western noble, at the siege of Soricium,” Vhalla wheezed. “And it feels perfectly normal.”
Aldrik’s deep chuckle harmonized with hers. “Well, I am glad you could find some ease.”
“The most backwards family you could ever meet.” Baldair grinned.
“But a family nonetheless.” Jax nudged Baldair, and the prince chuckled, giving him a nod. Vhalla remembered Daniel and Craig both praising the Golden Guard as being more like kin than soldiers.
Baldair turned to Aldrik, pausing. He took a deep breath, and Vhalla held hers for the younger prince’s words. “Then again, I suppose we always were. We’re hardly what could be called conventional. Do you remember those awful dinners your uncle would take us to when we visited the West, Aldrik?”
Elecia scoffed at the notion.
“Speak for yourself,” Aldrik said haughtily, bumping his side against Elecia’s in silent agreement.
“No, no, there was the one ...” Baldair hummed. “The one when we got into that alley fight.”
“An alley fight?” Vhalla couldn’t imagine the princes brawling like thugs in the back streets.
“Oh, that.” Aldrik’s voice was flat, but not with displeasure. His younger brother grinned wildly. “Ophain thought it’d be good for us because there were boys somewhat near our age.” “When was this?” Elecia interjected.
“You were still a child,” Aldrik elaborated. Vhalla used the information to envision a thirteen year old Aldrik in the story.
“Those two boys were so full of themselves,” Baldair explained to Raylynn. “They were completely asking for it.”
“Why do I have a feeling this ends up being your fault?” Vhalla covered her mouth to hide her half-chewed food when she spoke.
Baldair gripped his shirt over his chest. “You wound me, Vhalla! Why would you assume it wasmyfault?”
“I can see why you like her,” Jax snickered to Aldrik, tossing his head in Vhalla’s direction.
Aldrik smiled smugly at Baldair, doing nothing to object. Vhalla ran her greasy palms over her loose-fitting pants. She saw Baldair roll his eyes at his elder brother before continuing the story, but Vhalla was momentarily lost.
Was she accepted among this group?Was she accepted at Aldrik’s side?
“... but if they hadn’t said Solaris was a dumb name, I wouldn’t have needed to take them out back,” Baldair was speaking.
