‘It wasn’t luck, Your Highness, I assure you. Queen Fayre made sure I was up to the task before agreeing. I still have the bruises to prove it.’
With a resigned breath, he gestured for her to sit on the lounge, pulling up the chair for himself.
‘There are more of us,’ she said as she took a seat. ‘Defenders waiting in the forest to escort you home.’
‘I am quite capable of making my own way to Chadora if that is my desire.’
Eda leaned forwards, resting her elbows on her knees. ‘Do you even realise who you’re in bed with?’
‘I beg your pardon?’
‘I’m sure Lord Roger and Queen Isabella make for pleasant company, but they can’t be trusted. And until King Edward is ready to step up and rule, he can’t be trusted either.’
Becket stared back at her, emotionless. ‘What exactly is your objective here? Was your plan really to show up and repeat the things my mother has already said numerous times in her endless flood of letters?’
‘She speaks as queen regent and as your mother. I speak as a merchant who has suffered through your father and brother’s mediocre attempts at ruling. I’m here asking you to come home and do a better job than they did.’
He blinked, taken aback.
‘You asked for honesty. So here it is.’
He brought one foot up to rest on his knee. ‘And what makes you think I can do a better job than them?’
‘You’ve likely figured out by now that the tolerance for poor leadership is at an all-time low. You have no choice but to do better.’
He nodded slowly. ‘Perhaps that is one of the reasons I am considering handing the reins to England.’
‘If you do that, you’ll jeopardise the little progress we’ve made.’
‘My mother would be made regent. Everyone would be happy.’
Eda angled her head. ‘I refuse to believe you’re that naive.’
‘Remember who you are speaking to.’
She drew a calming breath. ‘How long do you think it’ll be until the livestock disappears? What powers will your mother have as regent then?’ She searched his eyes, desperate to see that he understood. ‘A few years back, they tried to take everything from us. They would’ve happily let us starve.’
He was not looking at her anymore but at the ground between them. She wished she could crawl inside his mind and better understand his logic.
‘They will likely take it from an inexperienced king anyway,’ he said flatly.
‘So you’re just going to hand it to them instead? Save them the trouble?’
He lifted his gaze. ‘Is war a better option?’
‘It’s certainly a faster death than starvation, but I don’t expect you to understand that.’
His jaw tensed. ‘I know nothing about fighting wars.’
‘Your mother knows plenty. She’ll help you every step of the way.’ He all but flinched at her words, then averted his eyes. Eda sat back on the lounge as a realisation dawned on her. ‘Something happened between you and your mother. This isn’t so much about your ability to rule as it is your willingness to do it withher.’
Becket rose from his chair. ‘I will not discuss my personal relationships with someone I have known five minutes—especially when that someone has already deceived me once in that short time.’
Eda stood also, undeterred. ‘Your mother has her faults. Trust me, I know—’
‘You know nothing.’
The venom in his voice took Eda by surprise.
