“You stated decent arguments, and I agree we need to have conversations. But those conversations don’t need to involve getting to know each other,” she replied.
He blinked because what in the realms was he supposed to say to that?
Finally finding his voice, he said slowly, “It will be difficult to be convincing if we don’t get to know each other.”
“Difficult but not impossible.”
Cethin straightened, his arm dropping to his side. “Why would we make this more difficult? Why are you so adamant about this?”
She shrugged, reaching to refill her teacup. “I do not wish to get to know you.”
He went rigid, feeling a muscle in his jaw tick. “You understand this union isn’t temporary, do you not?”
She nodded. “I do.”
“And you realize we are both immortal?”
Her brow furrowed. “Of course I know that.”
“So you want to spend decades, if not centuries, together andnotget to know each other?”
“Correct.”
“Kailia, that’s never going to work,” he said slowly, unsure of what else to say.
She stood once more, teacup in hand. “You forced me into this, Cethin. All you had to do was give me back my arrow.”
He stood too, every part of him bristling and surly as he realized she was trying to punish him. Force him to do whatshewanted.Drive him to the point of madness to release her from this bargain.
Reaching out, he gripped her elbow as she turned to walk away from him. The sound of a teacup shattering reached him a moment before she twisted out of his hold, and he felt a dagger pressing to his throat, smoke still swirling from where she’d pulled it from her magic.
And he smiled, a dark and dangerous thing.
“You’re in this predicament because of your penchant for stabbing, tiny fiend,” he crooned as she applied more pressure to his neck. He felt it break skin, felt the blood welling. “You’re starting a dangerous game. Think about where this will lead.”
Her smile was just as dark and wicked. “You started this game,little king. Remember that when you realize you lost before the game even began.”
When she turned to walk away from him again, he let her go this time, the smile still on his face.
Cethin drummed his fingers on the table as he waited for this godsdamn meeting to get under way. He would have rather pushed this off another day, but he also realized he would always feel this way. So instead, he’d resolved to get it over with.
All the lords and ladies were here, and after this advisory meeting, they’d all be leaving for their respective territories for the next twenty days.
Thank the Fates.
They were just waiting for Zayan to arrive. Then they could get on with this, and he could get back to Kailia.
Who was currently with Razik.
The thought alone had his power coiling beneath his skin. Because of course the fucker had stood outside their rooms all godsdamn night and day until Cethin had needed to go to this meeting. Kailia had joined him for breakfast, neither of them saying a word.
He glanced to the chair at his right where she should be sitting. She waited until it was time to head down here, waited until he’d opened the door to find Greybane standing there, until she’d finally deigned to speak. That was when she announced she hadn’t slept well and wasn’t feeling right.
Wasn’t feeling right, his ass.
Razik immediately said he’d stay with her, sauntering into their private rooms, and when Cethin had started to object, Kailia had immediately said she didn’t mind. She might be a bit odd, but she was certainly godsdamn cunning. If he’d stayed to argue any longer, he would have been late. Zayan would come looking for him, and how was he to explain any of this to anyone? No one knew this was a somewhat forced union, and if it was found out, it would fracture trust with everyone. It wasn’t something he could afford after only a year on the throne. He was already struggling to prove himself with handling the mass Fae murders. They might suspect the union with Kailia was simply to appease them, but if she wasn’t the queen they were hoping for, he’d be to blame for not learning more about her before putting her in the role.
He’d been reckless in this. He recognized that. But if he could convince her to get them more of those arrows, it would solve so many of the dangers facing his kingdom. A kingdom he’d do anything to protect, and if that meant playing clever games with his future wife, he was going to make damn sure he won. He’dget what he wanted out of this one way or another. Failure wasn’t an option, which meant Kailia’s only choice was falling in line with his plans as an equal or facing submission.
