“I’m not asking you to make him a part of your court,” Petur insisted. “I’m saying he deserves a chance. His knowledge of combat is unparalleled. He could be of great use to us.”
Tania raised one elegant eyebrow. “And of great use in your bed, I suppose. Don’t think your second didn’t fill me in on theintimaterelationship the pair of you have been having on the road,” she scoffed. “He’s using you. Anyone could see it. I’m astonished thatyoudon’t. I thought you were smarter than that, Petur.”
“And I thought you were smarter than this,” he retorted. “He’s a better tracker than us, despite not having a shifter’s senses. He is a better fighter than us, despite not having a shifter’s strength. He’s better at assimilating information. A better hunter, a better rider. The things we could learn from him … sister, I don’t say it lightly when I tell you that he could literally be the difference for the Shifter Corps between life and death.
“And I’m willing to vouch for him,” Petur added. “Let me be his parole. I promise you, he’s going to surpass every expectation you might have.”
“That will hardly be difficult, seeing as I have expectations of only the lowest behavior,” Tania replied.
“Give him a chance,” Petur pleaded as he felt the reins of his future slip out of his grasp. “That’s all I’m asking. Give him a chance to prove himself. It will take no more than six months for you to see marked improvement in the guard’s capabilities.”
“It’s a waste of time,” Tania said.
“But my time to waste,” Petur pointed out.
“Well, then, perhaps I should just reassign your time.”
His heart chilled. Was she actually going to remove him from his post? “That,” he said, fumbling his way through what he meant, “would show inexcusable weakness to our enemies. Not just abroad but here at home. You know the Gunia and Belesar families would be delighted to see us fracture. Do you really want to give them that kind of fuel?”
“You’re the one who’s insisting on providing it by bringing that Harrier here. But,” his sister said with a haughty sniff, “I suppose you have a point. Very well, then. Six months and I expect an apology from you at the end of it for wasting everyone’s time.”
“Six months,” Petur agreed, relief coursing through him. “Thank you, Tania.”
She didn’t reply, just brushed him away, and Petur left with the feeling as though he had a rock in his stomach.
I’ll prove to her she’s wrong about him. She’ll come around.
She had to.
Chapter six
Deyvid
Things both did and didn’t go the way that Deyvid expected them to when he was introduced to Queen Tania Alloui face-to-face.
He was used to domineering personalities. He’d been raised with a mother who had ruled her clan with a firm and often fierce hand and a father who ruled it after her with nothing but ferocity. Moreover, Deyvid had always known he was a decidedly practical person. He didn’t have any of the romanticism that characterized Petur so strongly. Deyvid was a stranger in this country, an enemy to the state, and as far as the queen was concerned, a usurper of her family. He’d known from the moment he came to Delomar that his stay there was going to be brief.
So he wasn’t surprised when Queen Tania, after laying out the timeline and her broad expectations, said, “You will be residing in the barracks with the rest of our soldiers.” But hewassurprised when Petur followed that up with, “And having dinner with me every night at the palace.”
The queen, tall and beautiful, had turned an icy eye toward her brother. “That was not part of our agreement,” she had gritted out.
“Who I choose to dine with on my own time is my business,” Petur replied just as quietly. They glared daggers at each other, and Deyvid, ever attuned to the emotional states of the people around him, took the opportunity to bow very low.
“Your conditions are most generous, Your Majesty,” he said. “I thank you for your generosity.”
“Hmm.” His speech didn’t seem to pacify her, but at least it wasn’t making things worse either. “Against my better judgement, you’ll be reporting directly to my brother, but don’t expect his fondness of you to lead to any slacking in your schedule.” Her grip on the royal scepter she held in her right hand tightened. “You have come to my court as an unknown. I will give you the chance to prove your loyalty beyond my brother’s infatuation with you, and I suggest you don’t squander it. One misstep and you’re gone.”
Judging from the way Petur’s head jerked around to stare at his sister once more, this hadn’t been part of the deal either.
Deyvid just bowed his head. “As you command, Your Majesty.”
“Indeed,” she said. “Now go.” Deyvid bowed once more, then left the grand hall where he’d been put on display in front of all of nearly a score of courtiers. He might not be a shifter, but he had ears, and he could hear what they were saying about him. It wasn’t like they were doing a very good job of trying to hide it.
“Another one of Petur’s strays.”
“Rarer than most.”
“Quite daring, really …”
