“Trust me, I will never be one to shy away from calling in a favor from Bloodsinger.”
Mira shrieked, drawing our attention across the hall. “But wemustcelebrate.”
“No.” The king looked pale.
The princess blew out her lips and shooed him away. “We’re all here and we must celebrate the day you were born, Uncle Kase.”
Malin snickered behind a palm when the king’s eyes darkened to inky black.
He pointed at the princess. “Sometimes you’re too much like your father.”
“You know he’ll preen for that, and since you adore me, he will finally know he has nestled deep in your heart.”
Kase closed his eyes. “No balls, no masques.”
“A revel? A festival? Musicians?”
“No.”
Mira huffed. “A feast. Allow me a feast.”
The king paused for a moment. “Fine, one feast. Nothing more, girl.None of your gold ribbons. Nothing”—he waved his hands, trying to find the word—“shimmery.”
Mira tilted her head to one side. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Chapter 43
The Nightmare Prince
While Mira recruitedthe whole of the palace—Skadi included—in plotting against my father and his reluctance for revels, I spent much of the morning in town. Alone, but not truly. The prickle of eyes followed me through the market square, down alleys and through arcades.
More proof the guards of the Black Palace were as sly as the thieves who ruled there. Since our return from Natthaven, they were on edge and watching with more ferocity. Always waiting for a new elven attack.
When I made my way back to where I’d kept my horse before the noon toll, I tipped my chin to one man standing in an arched alley, a hood pulled low, a hand on a black steel seax.
“They’re waiting for you, Prince.”
“They? This afternoon was only supposed to be the princess and me.”
From this angle, I could only make out the smirk on the guard’s face under his cowl. “What else do you expect? We’re all watching your back, Jonas.”
With a groan, I settled over my gelding and made quick work returning to the palace.
On the front drive was a line of more horses packed with satchels of jerky and Ylva’s brown rolls.
Skadi was surrounded by my fellow heirs and a few other faces. Hair pulled high and tight, blue satin ribbons tied around her tresses. More glimmer powders on her cheeks, no mistake thanks to Mira.
“What are you lot doing?”
Skadi peeked around the neck of Mira’s pale horse. It wasn’t only Mira with the aggravating idea of interrupting an afternoon alone with me and my wife. Von, Frigg, Sander, Aleksi, and even Tait were preparing their own charges.
“You really think your parents want you wandering the wood alone?” Aleksi kicked a leg over a black mare. He looked too Rave, too warrior—sword on his hip, and a dagger sheathed on the small of his back.
“I thought I would get an afternoon introducing my wife to Felstad before we’re bombarded by the hordes Mira will bring.”
“Dramatic, Jonas.” Mira tossed her long hair over her shoulder. “I invited a reasonable amount of folk. And don’t be sour. You can bed Skadi in the trees later. We don’t want anything to happen to you. How awful it is that you have folk who care.”
I narrowed my eyes, but led the gelding to where Skadi waited. She leaned into me when I slid off the furs on the horse.
