His … bride?
I don’t know why this revelation disappoints me, but it does.
“Oh, stuff it, Corvin. I was trying to be a gracious host. The poor girl was starved, and she had no clothes that fit. Forgive me for my hospitality.”
Cara’s last sentence drips with sarcasm, and her body tenses against me. I suddenly want very much to be elsewhere, because even though her touch is pleasant, I’d rather not be caught between her and Corvin with the mood he seems to be in.
“It takes two days to feed and clothe her?” He sneers and points a sword behind us, towards the town. “You could have left her care to the priests at the temple. This didn’t require your immediate attention, but the Elders do. Have you no sense of duty? They needed to be apprised of the events that happened in the woods, and your account is just as important as mine. It’s your responsibility to report to them as soon as possible, not dally behind flirting with a strange wolf.”
Flirting? She was flirting?
“What are you going to do about it, Corvin? Have me arrested? I’ve done nothing wrong.”
My discomfort skyrockets as she goads him. Does she have to poke the bear?
Rather than take the bait, Corvin jerks his reins and turns his horse around. “Surround the heir! Ensure she comes to no harm on her journey home.” He spurs his horse and rides off towards the palace, which I now can see rising over the tree line. The other seven riders fall into formation around us, and whatever had started between Cara and me comes to a screeching halt as we’re escorted the rest of the way.
Chapter 10
Cara
Fuck Corvin and his male ego.
I was just getting close to Sable, just getting her to open up a bit and be comfortable with me, and he charged in with his superiority complex and ruined everything.
It’s not like I was terribly late getting back. A couple of days is nothing. Besides, we ran off the panthers. They’ll be licking their wounds for weeks. His insistence on getting me back to the Elders has nothing to do with them and everything to do with his insecurity about Sable.
That has to be it. He’s afraid that I have options now. Oh, sure, he and I are still betrothed in the eyes of the Elders, but with a new heir to Solari now discovered, it’s only a matter of time before I can convince everyone to let me rule alongsideher, not Corvin. Competent general or no, it simply makes more sense to have two heirs share the throne. Why in Hells would I rule with him when she’s available?
Of course, there’s the small matter of convincing Sable as well. She’s terribly skittish, and I don’t want to startle her by dumping the rule of the tribes in her lap. No, I have to ease her into it, which means biding my time.
I hope she gets used to the idea before the solar eclipse next month. This will all go much more smoothly if I’m not wed beforehand.
We arrive to much fanfare and pomp and circumstance. Citizens line the streets, cheering us on as we ride towards the palace. Sable tenses in my grip, and I worry for her. She doesn’t appear to be accustomed to the sort of attention that I am. It saddens me, because sheisspecial. She deserves to be pampered and doted on. Again I wish that I could find whoever hurt her and exact revenge on her behalf.
Once we’re safely inside the palace walls and away from the crowds, Sable relaxes a little. She leans back into me, and I swear I hear her let out a sigh.
She almost sounds content. It's cute.
Servants swarm around us when we get to the stables, but this time I anticipate her discomfort and insist on helping her dismount by myself. I get the feeling she wouldn’t like their hands on her no matter how innocent the intent, though she seems to tolerate my touch just fine.
I pass our horse’s tack to the nearest servant with strict instructions on where to return the mare after she's fed and groomed. Taking Sable’s hand in mine, I lead her through the servants’ entrance into the palace proper. Her eyes widen as we pass hall after decorated hall, and I start to narrate the murals for her, explaining which time periods they're from and what scenes from our sacred texts they depict. She seems oddly unfamiliar with many of the common themes painted on the walls, and I wonder how that could be when she studied religion for so long.
Perhaps it's just the culture shock that's got her confused. I imagine seeing the texts come to life like this must be disorienting.
Before I subject her to the Elders’ scrutiny, we head for the bathhouse. I, for one, am filthy, and though her scent is not unpleasant, she probably wants a nice, hot bath after what she's been through. The bathhouse is bustling, and it seems like we’ve arrived during the busiest time of the day. Lords and ladies of the palace have occupied nearly every room, leaving one room—and one tub—available.
Everything seems to be going well until the servants, who are too busy to assist us, leave us to our bath and I start to undress. I manage to get my weapons and most of my armor off, down to my plainclothes, before I notice something amiss.
Sable wraps her arms around herself and averts her eyes.
“What's the matter?”
She blushes. “Are you certain you don’t want me to wait until you’re done? I can wait outside.”
Odd that a shifter would be so bashful about nudity. “Have you never shared a bath before?”
Sable shakes her head. “The nuns—the priestesses who raised me would just close the door while I bathed. No one ever watched or helped. I just don’t want to intrude on a private moment.”
