Aidon stiffened in his seat. ‘I wouldn’t call preparing my soldiers drastic, Uncle,’ he interjected.
‘Here we go,’ Josie muttered, stabbing a piece of asparagus onto her fork. Their mother shot her a look, but she looked equally wary as Dominic and Enzo stared Aidon down.
The disapproval in their gazes was identical.
Aidon knew they were his uncle’s troops. His uncle’s people. But Aidon would be damned if he’d let Dominic speak for him in front of their allies this way.
‘With all due respect to our esteemed visitors, it sounds as though this conflict is for Queen Gianna’s forces to sort out,’ the king remarked, dismissing Aidon as he turned to face Will.
Aidon’s hands curled into fists beneath the table.
Will sat back in his chair, an easy smile on his face. ‘We understand your hesitation, Majesty. Perhaps over the coming weeks we can discuss the matter more.’ He flicked his gaze to Enzo, who merely stared impassively back. ‘For now, we are simply grateful to have access to your kingdom and continue to strengthen our partnership.’
Calm. Will was utterly calm, and Aidon thought he might hate him for it. Already his uncle was grinning, his shoulders loosening as they moved away from talks of conflict. Aidon didn’t know how to stay so unaffected, so visibly unruffled, when his uncle cut him off at the knees. But Will … he didn’t seem to give a damn.
‘I look forward to Enzo’s updates on your conversations with the Council, William,’ Dominic purred. ‘It’s always such a pleasure to meet with Tala’s most trusted advisor and the queen’s …closestconfidant.’
The words were light and friendly, but it didn’t stop them from settling in the space like a stone. Aidon had heard those rumors too. He watched Aya glance at Will, the first crack in her carefully curated mask.
But Will just grinned, his voice slipping into an easy drawl as he said, ‘Thank you, Majesty.’
29
‘Not a complete disaster,’ was all Will muttered about dinner before stalking to his room and closing the door with a sharp snap, leaving Aya alone to ruminate on all that had occurred.
She peeled off the emerald dress and slid into the short gray nightgown the attendant had left. She’d heard Aidon’s comment about the color choice and hadn’t missed the way his eyes roved over her when she leaned toward him at the table.
A flirt, she reminded herself. He was a flirt, and a very good one at that.
As was she. It did surprise her, though, how little she had to try with Aidon. As if her flirting weren’t forced at all.
Don’t act like you’d kick him out of your bed.
Aya pushed the thought away, rolling her neck once. She didn’t have time for such distractions. Especially now they knew how slow a process it would be getting Trahir to commit their forces should Kakos attack.
There hadn’t been any more talk of Kakos. Will had warned that Dominic wouldn’t warm easily, and that per Gianna’s instructions, they should take it slow. But Aya was still surprised at how dismissive Dominic seemed.
She knew Trahir to be more focused on riches and modernizing their empire than serving the gods, but even Aidon had remarked on Trahir’s maintained reverence for the Divine.
It seemed Will was right: the prince would be a helpful ally indeed.
Aya glanced in the mirror as she made her way to the bed, her steps slowing as she marked the sharp angles in her face.
She hadn’t been lying when she told Will she couldn’t eat. It was as if the power that exploded out of her in the market hadn’t just burned through the square … it had burned through her, too. She wasn’t quite sure what had been left in its wake.
She could almost hear Tova’s exasperated tone. ‘Always so dramatic.’
The thought of her friend turned the dull ache in her chest into a piercing pain. Word of Tova’s alleged treason had reached even here. Which meant in Tala the soldiers she led would be trading whispers about their beloved general, wondering how they could have missed the signs. Her family would be the object of scorn.
And Aya and Will would be the heroes who apprehended her. Who saved their kingdom from the evil of Kakos, saved Tala’s armies from falling before war had even begun.
A lie.
It was disgusting.
It was despicable.
It’s your fault.
