“Nothing that would interest you. Just some books.”
“Why is Uncle Clarence sending you books?”
Spring shrugged. “Because I asked him to, of course.” She smiled at Summer and looped an arm through hers. “Shall we go?”
“Wait. Why are you being so evasive?” Autumn was now standing with her hands on her hips, scones forgotten, eyes narrowed. “Exactly what sort of books is Uncle Clarence sending you, Viviana?”
Spring lifted her eyes towards the sky in a silent appeal to the gods of Halla, then heaved a sigh and released Summer’s arm to turn around. “Fine, if you must know, he’s sending me copies of everything the Seahaven royal archives have on Calberna and its people. Havenfolk have been mariners for thousands of years. I thought if anyone was likely to have useful information about the Calbernans, it would be them.” Small Seahaven’s economy was almost entirely tied to the ocean, unlike Summerlea and Wintercraig, whose primary industries were land based. “And before you chastise me about obsessing again, I sent the request weeks ago. Though, to be honest, I’d do it again.” She looked towards Summer as if seeking support. “I know I don’t have any proof, and I know you two both think I’m being ridiculous and obsessive, but I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something the Calbernans aren’t telling us. And I’m determined to find out what that is.Beforeone of us decides to marry their prince.”
Gabriella bit her lip. “Well, that’s a little embarrassing. I sent an eagle to Uncle Clarence yesterday before the Calbernans arrived, asking for essentially the same information.” She shrugged and smiled sheepishly at Spring’s astonishment. “Just because I wasn’t all worried like you doesn’t mean I didn’t trust your instincts. You were so convinced something about the Calbernans was... erm...fishy,I figured it would only be prudent to help you investigate.”
Autumn began to laugh. Her initial low, quiet chuckles rapidly rose in both volume and exuberance, until she was soon clinging to one of the chairs, and laughing so hard tears were running down her face.
“Honestly, Aleta,” Spring scolded, “it isn’t that funny.”
“Oh, it is,” she sputtered between laughs, “but not for the reason you think.” She caught her breath long enough to say, “I sent an eagle to Uncle Clarence this morning! For exactly the same reason as Gabi!” Then she exploded with fresh mirth, laughing until her knees gave out and she collapsed on the terrace with a plop. Her eyes widened briefly in surprise, but the fall only set her off into fresh gales of laughter.
Gabriella and Spring stared at her, then stared at each other, then they were laughing as helplessly as Autumn.
They laughed and laughed and laughed. And that laughter did for Gabriella what no amount of meditation could have: it stole every scintilla of heat from the jealous anger that had been building inside her and washed her temper away on a flood of happiness and sisterly love.
The sound of the three princesses laughing with such abandon brought smiles to the faces of the passing nearby servants and brought more than one Calbernan—Dilys among them—out of the banquet room and into the hall, seeking the source of the delightful sound.
There was nothing quite like the sound of a woman’s joyful laughter. A child’s laughter had its own, special magic—filled with innocence and youth. But a woman’s laugh... the sound of a woman’s happiness warmed a Sealord’s heart and gifted him with a special spark of rejuvenating energy. It was one of the sweet rewards Calbernans enjoyed for ensuring a woman’s—any woman’s—happiness.
For some reason, the sound of the Seasons’ laughter resonated especially deeply with Dilys, gifting him almost as strongly as a physical touch. He closed his eyes, smiling, and let the radiant warmth of their joy wash over him.
“D’you think maybe they’re laughing over the fire-brandy joke?” Ari murmured beside him.
Still drinking in the magical sound of the Seasons’ happiness, Dilys shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. I hope so, if it brought them this much enjoyment.” Other men might have found themselves nursing wounded pride at the idea of a woman laughing at their expense, but not a Calbernan. At least not so long as the amusement was not mean-spirited, which this was not. He swayed a little as a fresh burst of laughter sent even more power coursing through his veins.
“I think perhaps I didn’t give the Bridehunters enough credit for choosing myliana,” he said, feeling almost drunk on the laughter-borne rush of energy. “If a simple laugh from the Seasons is this powerful, Numahao only knows what great gifts a bond with one of them will bring.”
“What do you mean?”
Dilys opened his eyes and turned to Ari with a smile, thinking his cousin was teasing, but there was no spark of amusement in Ari’s eyes, only honest curiosity. “You don’t feel that?”
“Of course, I do. I’m not deaf. They have a rich laugh, but we’ve enjoyed laughter almost as rich before.”
Dilys grabbed Ari’s hand, but instead of the surge of fresh, electric power like that which sparked through his own cells, he found only tingling warmth. Slightly more powerful than the mild boost one usually received from a woman’s laugh, but nothing like the raw energy he was receiving.
A quick glance around told Dilys that the rest of his officers were similarly unaffected. After basking in the warmth of feminine joy for a few moments, the other officers were already heading back into the banquet hall to return to their morning meal.
“Interesting,” Dilys murmured.
Ari’s eyes narrowed, then he gave a bark of laughter. “Ha! I don’t believe it. Here less than a day, and already you’ve formed a of connection with one of them!”
“I hadn’t thought so.” Dilys turned back toward the sound of the laughing Seasons. “Perhaps one of them formed a connection with me?” He’d had numerousoulaniwomen form emotional connections with him before. Quite a few before he had earned hisulumi-lia.Quite a few more afterwards, while he’d waited for the Bridehunters to finish their work. But none of them had ever either formed a strong enough connection or possessed enough power to give him this much energy from just a rich laugh. Only his mother had ever been able to do that.
“My money’s on Autumn,” Ryll said. “I could swear I saw a little of that haughtiness she wears start to melt last night.”
“Maybe.” He knew Autumn found him attractive. All Calbernans were attractive to the opposite sex. It was part of their biology, a lure designed to attract the emotional connections they needed for strength and survival. But as much as Autumn admired his looks, he hadn’t sensed anything that went deeper than the expected physical interest. Not with Spring, either. And the little honeyrose had avoided him so completely, there was no possible wayshecould have formed any sort of connection to him.
Unless... it was possible the connection had come from him. He thought about his inexplicable anger earlier this morning when Ari had teased him over Summer’s marked preference for the company of Ryll. Blessed Numahao, had her blatant preference for the company of other men caused him to unwittingly forge a territorial connection to her just to prevent anyone else from doing so? Was that what had haunted his dreams, destroyed his peace, and left him so ferociously possessive of her this morning? He had never been so petty.
Then again, he’d never been on a mission to win alianabefore, either.
For all their affability and good humor, Calbernans were ferociously primitive when it came to claiming a mate. Once a Calbernan enteredliakapua,woe betide anyone—especially any male—who tried to interfere. Every fighting skill a Sealord learned during his years of seeking gold and glory would be brought to bear to defeat any interlopers, thus proving himself worthy of hisliana’s claiming bond.
