“Marriage. Marriage, they cry, every one of them. All twelve, and Archduke Reynard was there—offering his ‘help and support,’ of course. Help and support, my fat white bottom!”
Cole came and knelt at the water’s edge. “It is either that or have a bastard.”
Girion let out a bellow, jaws wide.
Cole continued, unrattled. “The laws of the land and our magic state that once your bride bears the royal name, all of Caledon may be nourished by her. You could wait nine months or more to produce an heir illegitimately and pray he or she carries enough of the mother’s magic, or you could wed. That would solve the problem at once.”
“Oh, I’ve considered both options in the last hellish hours,” Girion snarled, disappeared under the water, and came up with a wriggling salmon in his grasp. He bit it in half and swallowed it, bones and all.
“You must be upset. Your stomach’s not going to thank you for that, Majesty.”
“I don’t care.” Girion smoothed a paw over his forehead, blue eyes fierce as he looked at his friend. One eye bore an elongated diamond scar over its center—a reminder that he would never be unmarked or unsullied again, a reminder that he was in his thirty-fifth year and past his prime for finding a maiden of any sort—in most cases. “Cole. Reynard has a daughter. He’s a powerful royal, he’s a powerful ally, and he has a daughter. Renata is rich in magic, and he’s already sent for her. She will be here in two days’ time, and his suggestions are plain. She would make an admirable queen. Worse, my advisors’ words were less than veiled. They agree! I should marry the girl and build a stronger bond between Caledon and Wyndwood.”
“It wouldn’t be so bad, would it? I mean, she’s a... What is the daughter of an archduke, Majesty?”
“She is Lady Renata, daughter of an Archduke and Archduchess, cousin of the Prince of Wyndwood. Were she not his cousin, I believe Reynard would be pushing her into matrimony with the prince, making him father-in-law and uncle to the King of Wyndwood. But such things are no longer done. Now, he pushes her into my arms, and yet again... the father-in-law of a king.”
Cole was silent as Girion dove and splashed, then continued to speak when he came up for air as if nothing had interrupted.
“I don’t trust this. Even if the marriage were to be a most beneficial alliance, and even if she is rich in magic, a queen, they say, wields incredible power over her king.” Girion paused.Someone who you would bed, who would see you naked and vulnerable, able to smother you in your sleep, poison you with a kiss, slip a knife in your heart in a private moment. A danger. And if she were not a murderer, but warm and loving, sweet and yielding as could be—you would have to protect them, keep them safe at all costs, all while losing your heart and soul to their love a little more each day. And if she were to carry your child.Mychildren...
“Majesty! Are you all right?”
He was transforming, shedding fur and fat, leaving him standing naked and shivering in human form in the middle of the freezing water. He rushed out, grabbing his furs and leathers. “How do men sleep at night if they do not trust their wives? What if I should marry Renata but not give in to her father’s wishes? Would she curse our child out of spite? Would she ingest some potion to kill it before it drew breath?”
“Steady on, sire! These are most outlandish thoughts.”
Girion was silent, but his damaged eye suddenly throbbed. “They are not so outlandish as you think.”
“Well. To reject her out of hand would surely create bad blood between Caledon and Wyndwood. You will at least meet her?”
“I will meet her. Perhaps I am wrong about Reynard’s motives. Perhaps she is exactly what we need.”
“Whatyouneed, sire?” Cole dared to correct.
Girion grabbed his arm, voice low and dangerous. “I need nothing and no one. My kingdom might be a different matter. Just in case—I want you, Cole, to travel to the little villages, to the small towns, all around the coast. Find out if there are any maidens with magic in their veins who might be what I need.”
“Beauteous and skilled?”
“Skilled and in need of an alliance. Something we can exchange and barter for, so she will be in my debt and I in hers, but not so much in her power. I will not admit that I need a bride lest rivals hear of it. It is bad enough that Reynard knows. And if he should spread word out of spite if I do not choose his daughter...”
Cole nodded, eyes serious. “I will leave tonight, Majesty.”
Chapter Two
“You know, my daughter is lovely of face and rich in the arcane arts, Girion.”
Girion swallowed the reminder that he was to be addressed as king with an effort. They were alone, walking the grounds as they waited for Lady Renata to arrive. Were others listening, he would have had to issue a rebuke—and perhaps that would also have been unwise. What if they ended up needing her to save Caledon?
“You would not know this, naturally, but it is not uncommon for the High Shifter King to lose his magic, especially in times of prosperity. One gives so much of oneself, the lifeblood of one’s kingdom. Even I, as Archduke, contribute something to Wyndwood. But of course, my wife... she is from a long, long line of mages, and so is our daughter, naturally. But if I had not married her... Hm. In one or two more generations, the entire royal line could have toppled. Wyndwood would have become barren. You’ve seen how it flourishes. Far more trade flows from Wyndwood into Caledon than the other way around, would you not say?”
“I wouldnotsay. Wyndwood relies on us for gold and silver ore. We trade fewer items, but those we trade are precious. But let us not quarrel. I take your meaning.”It is a threat. It is hinting at a coup or worse. Perhaps even an eradication of the sovereign kingdom of Caledon. Some suggest merging the kingdoms into one. Wyndon. Calwood. Both are horrible. Unthinkable. Unfathomable. It must not be.
“Your wife. Is she well?”
“Hm? Oh, the Archduchess agitates. She would see our daughter married sooner rather than later. It is a custom in Wyndwood, you see, that the eldest marry first, and there are two daughters and two sons after her.”
“Then I wish her a speedy union with the most suitable man.”
