“Then why did you interfere? You put your hand on my back,” I asked, surprised at the breathlessness in my voice.
“I interfered because we’re here only to see Josenne, not to end up with meetings discussing political and social reform. I didn’t want to give Ellan a reason to invite us to stay for anything other than this party—a party which we should be going to now.” Harthon pushedaway from the wall and swept his forearm toward me. It hung in the air as if waiting for me to take it.
“Am I supposed to hold onto that?”
His lips twitched. “You say it like it’s a form of torture.”
I had my moments of depending on the man, but that didn’t mean I wanted him to cart me around on his arm like some dainty lady. “I can walk myself into the party,” I said.
His forearm hung steady. “You certainly can. But it’s best if we look united.”
“And me holding onto your arm will be what tells everyone in Fifth that we’re united?” I questioned doubtfully.
“These people put an insensible amount of weight into decorum. So, yes.”
“But Ellan already saw us.Withoutme on your arm.”
“He did, but he isn’t the only one with power in Fifth. His cabinet, who have yet to see us and are waiting for us now, hold significant sway over him,” Harthon explained.
There was no way around this. “Fine,” I sighed, slipping my hand into the crook of his elbow. His arm was hard beneath my fingers.
“It’s a good thing my ego isn’t easily crushed,” he noted, walking us toward the hall and the whir of voices. “You would think I smelled like the stables.”
No. The complete opposite, actually. Harthon smelled far too good. Really, he smelled the same as always—leather, musk, and something male that was all him. Only now, my body wished to lean toward it, rather than away.
“You don’t smell bad,” I said quietly, wondering what was seriously wrong with me.
I didn’t have any more time to think on it because we were entering the hall to a trumpet call. My fingers clenched Harthon’s sleeve as I took in the sea of frumpy dresses, silky tunics, expensive jackets, anddone-up faces that occupied every seat.
Harthon slowly led me up the steps to the raised platform as the room went silent. Just like at the Citadel gathering, the stares were a physical weight on my chest, threatening to crumple my shoulders.
Don’t look down. Themagviswouldn’t hide her eyes.
I was themagvis, the all-powerful being, and I couldn’t cower under their attention. I could crush them with a blink of an eye. I could erect impenetrable walls. I was the king’s weapon.
Right.
I held my chin high as we stepped onto the platform, and the sound of wood scraping on stone echoed throughout the space as Ellan stood from his cushioned seat in front of us. No one else sat at the table.
He spread his arms out wide as we stopped at the two empty seats beside him. “Let’s give the formidable, powerful, and absolutelyruthlessPrinceps Harthon and hismagvis,Etarla—” He stopped, looked over at me, and whispered, “What’s your last name?”
Skies.Could he not just use my first name? “Torlanne,” I hissed.
“—hismagvis,Etarla Torlanne, a Fifth Territory welcome.” His announcement echoed over the room which erupted into cheers.
I waited for Harthon to sit, but he didn’t, because as the applause quieted, Ellan opened his big mouth again. “As you know, this warrior,” he bellowed, slinging his arm around Harthon’s shoulders, “is my dear, dear friend. And it’s a good thing, too, because he is the fiercest warrior in thisworld…”
I fought to keep my expression neutral as Ellan commenced the cringe-worthy speech Ana had warned me about days ago. As it stretched on, it was damn near impossible. Somehow, Harthon maintained an expressionless face throughout the embarrassing amount of praise and exclamations of friendship.
Ellan was a disillusioned fool.
How could he be the leader of a Territory? Really, there had to besomestandards, no?
Ellan grabbed a goblet from the table and raised it high. “But enough of that. Let’s feast, and drink, and party! To Harthon and hismagvis!” he yelled. The room mirrored his toast.
Thank the Domus, it was done.
The evening could only go up from here, no?
