His offer to let her come with him had not been made with some ulterior motive, at least not one she could identify. Because he had awife.
“Poor woman,” Ayla said. Niel shot her a questioning look, eyebrows raised. “Scorned by one brother, and now, apparently, the other,” Ayla explained.
“That? Oh, she doesn’t care.” He sounded dismissive.
“How could youpossiblybe certain of that?”
“She’s a princess of Aronthia.” That was the country to the north, the one Niel’s father had traitorously allied with to overthrow theirowncountry, Enar.
Mercy. He was married to aprincess. Not seeming to notice the way Ayla’s face fell, Neil continued on. “Probably has a list of hopeful lovers a mile long. It’s just politics. We wanted an army; they wanted a valid claim to the throne of Enar. I may be seventh in line, but I’m still of the Arevon blood.”
Could a traitor rightfully be in the line of succession? Ayla didn’t know. That was the business of the true nobles. Not of women like her.
But marriage and a man’s dominion over a woman’s life:that, she had opinions on.
“I’d still be hurt,” she told Niel. He raised an eyebrow, curiosity written on his face.
“What? If a man you barely knew went a different way? How could you take offense?”
“One man, perhaps not. But two brothers? In a row? I’d feel certain something was wrong with me.”
“A flaw so big a man can see it from a thousand miles away?” He smirked and took a sip.
“An unflattering portrait, perhaps,” Ayla agreed with a shrug. “Or an unfortunate name.”
Niel nearly spat his drink out, and coughed instead. She looked at him in surprise, and waited for him to smooth his expression. The knight shook his head, lips pressed dangerously tight, as if suppressing a chuckle.
“Was I too cruel?” Ayla blushed.
“Hildegund. Her name.”
“Ah,” Ayla said diplomatically. “Nothing a pet name can’t save. But I fear you will do great damage to the poor woman, if you really intend to abandon her.”
“I didn’t expect you to have such a charitable view of marriage.”
“Well. Perhaps if one is married to…” her eyes met his and she trailed off abruptly, unwilling to finish the thought. She felt a blush rising to her cheeks. “And my views were quite different before I met Lord Blackfell.”
“Hm. Well, she can’t complain. She’s the one who chose to have a handmaid speak her vows, rather than travel herself. I’m sure neither of us have the slightest interest in each other.”
“You wouldn’t give her a chance, if she arrived at your doorstep?”
“What, this doorstep?” His eyes flicked to the window, to indicate the army camped outside, though from where they sat in the room all they could see was dark sky, not the fires of the army camp. “I suppose if she brought an army, I would at least allow her inside the walls and offer her a cup of wine.”
“How charitable. What if you liked her? What if she pleased you more than you remembered?”
“What are you expecting me to say?”
Ayla blinked at him.That you’re capable of love and longing? That a woman could hold some measure of power over you? That there is at least one single romantic bone beneath your hardened warrior’s flesh?
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I am merely trying to take your measure. Would you let her in your bed?”
“No.”
“Then youmustfind her looks displeasing.”
“I don’t care about her looks. Aronthia is playing a long game,” Niel told her. “They are thinking about conquest and succession.I would sooner throw myself off a cliff than give them an heir to manipulate. AllIneed is their army, and not for long.”
“But after the war, surely…”
