Noreth lets out a grunt, and Yalina draws back then seems to compose herself. All of them are watching us, waiting with bated breath to hear her response.
“A generous gift that is difficult for me to refuse.” Her words are perfectly polite, as is her tone, but there is something clipped to the way she pronounces them that tells me she is not happy about my method of securing my victory here.
A shame. I do not like to displease her, but the prize is worth the cost. She will forgive me eventually. I will make sure of that too.
“Indeed. Perhaps you should not refuse, Light of the Sun,” Master Vahn adds when the tension in the room thickens.
“Then let us not delay,” I say quickly. “I have a convoy of wagons awaiting my instructions for delivery as we speak. I can deliver you enough to see Vathira through until our wedding. After that we’ll begin construction on my second wedding gift.”
“Almost as if you planned this,” mutters Noreth.
I turn to him with a civil smile. He would do better to concede gracefully, but I know enough of him to know that is not how this will play out. “I do not know how your people manage things.Perhaps you have magic I am not aware of.” I leave just enough of a pause here to remind Yalina of his deception at the duel. “But dragons do not control the weather. We do, however, know how to construct mighty dams and transport vast quantities of water.”
“Construct dams?” Yalina speaks, and my attention snaps back to her.
“Ah, yes, rhkash. My brother King Tharael built a mighty dam on the river Fynister which allows us to control the annual floods and ensure they cause no damage to our fields and infrastructure. It would be a simple thing to build a channel between rivers, diverting some of the Fynister’s water to the Vaal. That should ensure Vathira’s continued survival even if water levels in Vaal never recover.”
“Generous. So generous. We are lucky to have such a wise and noble friend.”
It is a battle to keep my expression smooth at Vahn’s obsequious display. Rather than respond, I incline my head and keep my gaze locked on Yalina.
“I see.”
I am about to ask her to pick a day on which we are to be married when Noreth butts in. “May I speak, Light of the Sun?”
She looks to him, surprised. “Of course.”
Of course? Why has he not seen himself out? And why are we giving him the time of day any longer?
He gives me a suspiciously charming smile, and immediately my hackles raise. “You are very kind to take such good care of your neighboring kingdom, but I have to ask how on earth you had all that water ready at the perfect moment. Of course you are right that no one can plan a drought, but where did all your water come from?”
I stare at him. “I told you, the river Fynister flows as strong as ever. Tarquenor has more than enough.”
He frowns. “How can that be so?”
I let out a little huff of annoyance. Why is he still talking, and how dare he question me like this? “When levels get low, we release more water from the dam. It is not complicated.”
“How do we know the dam is not cutting off Vathira’s water?” He turns to Yalina, arrogant in his stupidity. “They have dammed the Vaal River. That is why Vathira has no water.”
A growl rises in my throat but before I can roar at him to shut his mouth, Vahn jumps to his feet. “Light of the Sun, we must be cautious. We would not want our guest to think we are dismissing such a generous gift or casting suspicion where none deserves to lie.”
I puff out my chest. “Exactly. What right have you to question me?”
Noreth meets my glare. “The solha asked us for our council. I have given mine. I do not trust you.”
“You only say that because you do not like to lose, but you must face the truth. She has chosen me.”
Yalina’s cold statement cuts through the rising heat of my temper. “I have chosen no one yet.”
We both turn to her like scolded boys.
She waits until she is satisfied she has the attention of the whole room before speaking again. “However, I will marry you, Aurelion—”
Noreth opens his mouth to protest, but Yalina lifts a finger to silence him.
“—I will marry Aurelion and gratefully accept his gift of water after I have seen this dam for myself. Noreth is right, there is something strange about the entire thing.”
“You cannot just visit the Fynister Dam,” I splutter. “The site is a highly guarded area. My brother would never allow it.”
