Amalee took the chair on my right and lifted a brow in my direction. She stayed quiet, but remained a steady stream of support when dealing with matters of the kingdom. Only in private or at home did she dare reveal herself to others. Both her reputation and the threat of her magic spoke for themselves and kept those around her on edge.
I pulled my hair back into a high, loose bun, exposing the closely shaved sides of my head. “Is there something you’d like to say?”
Shaking her head, she pursed her lips, her elbow leaning on the table, thumb and forefinger resting on her chin and cheek.She set her gaze on the chair at the other end of the table. We both knew my seating choice would set off the petulant prince the moment he entered the room.
She’d lectured me the entire trip, reminding me just how important it was to stick with the strategy we’d agreed on. I might’ve been the king, but I was nothing like the dictators who ran the other areas of Crofea. Instead, I kept trusted people around me who spoke freely of their opinions and provided valuable insight for the greater good of Kuroden. Though I made the final decisions, I never acted independently.
Sutton’s missive wasn’t elaborate and didn’t give a reason for the meeting. He only said that there was an urgent matter and requested that I respond quickly. Little did he know, I had my own issues to broach. Not only with him, but with the other kingdoms on the continent too. Had I not, I would’ve enjoyed making him wait.
The doors opened, and Ryder led in half a dozen underlings and his sister. The room was much too grand for my taste, with aqua tapestries on every wall and flowing fabrics covering the large window behind his father’s chair. If the castle in Kuroden rested so close to the cliffs, I’d leave all windows unobstructed to allow the breeze to flow freely.
Ryder took his seat at the end of the table with his sister flanking his right. Her hair was so absurdly high, I nearly couldn’t hold myself together. Maybe her husband hadn’t actually been balding and simply gave his own locks to pile atop her rat’s nest.
“Grave, wouldn’t you find it easier if you sat at this end of the table?” Ryder nonchalantly filled a glass with wine.
The man always had wine in front of him, regardless of the hour. It was something I'd noticed since I had taken the throne nearly sixteen years prior. Even as a fifteen-year-old boy, I found the amount he consumed to be odious.
“No,” I responded flatly. Amalee kicked me under the table, but I refused to react, despite the pain in my shin.
“I would prefer not to shout down the table,” Ryder protested.
“Then don’t,” I countered and tilted my head.
My sister huffed a breath low enough for only me to hear.
Our kingdom had more concerning matters than anything Ryder needed to speak about. With his father dying, what did he need to worry about anyhow? He could rule as he wanted soon enough. And with a kingdom in such remarkable standing, he was set up for success at an early age, unlike myself.
“Very well.” Ryder gathered his cup in one hand and the bottle in the other. The other guests watched in surprise as he casually strolled to my side of the table, seating himself a few chairs down to my left. The rest of his party exchanged looks as they filled in the vacancies across from Amalee, leaving me at the head. Whatever he needed to discuss was important.
“First, I appreciate your willingness to attend this meeting.” Ryder took a sip from his cup. “As you are well aware, I am acting in my father’s absence. For all intents and purposes, you are speaking to the king.”
A messenger hawk had delivered the memorandum nearly a year prior, but he had to establish his authority for Rivale once more, as if I suffered from memory loss. Or perhaps it was a reminder for everyone at the table.
We sat in silence for a full minute until he realized I wouldn’t be acknowledging his statement.
“Anyhow, I requested an audience to open discussions regarding the crude you supply,” Ryder said.
Every piece of me wanted to react to his statement, but I waited. Questions flew through my mind, wondering who might have leaked information about our slowing oil seeps. Everyone in Kuroden knew an information leak so massive would put our kingdom in great jeopardy. I’d put a lot ofthought into how best to tackle the issue, but was waiting for the right time.
“I would like to renegotiate our terms.” Ryder set his eyes on me.
“I realize your father is indisposed, but our negotiations are scheduled to begin in a couple of months.” I paused. “Is there a reason this must be done now?”
“We need more crude,” Ryder replied too quickly.
King Sutton would have been so disappointed with the tactics his son had chosen. Despite my father’s abrupt death, even I’d known better than to reveal my cards so early on.
During the first meeting after I gained my title, I negotiated entirely on my own and not a single person knew to what end. I would never have dared let another kingdom catch even a whiff of what I wanted most, nor what I was willing to give. But King Sutton rarely loosened the reins, so Ryder’s lack of skill shouldn’t have come as a surprise.
“Rivale doesn’t necessarilyneedmore crude.” Leanna coughed and took a sip from her brother’s glass of wine. “However, if there were an excess supply available, we’d gladly take it off your hands. We’d pay a fee, of course.”
I let a smile slip; women were always superior negotiators. That King Sutton sent his son to negotiate on Rivale’s behalf rather than his wife was a decision I couldn’t understand.
Though I knew I shouldn’t, I asked anyway, taking advantage of Ryder’s negligence. “What type of endeavors are you using the crude for?”
Leanna placed a hand on Ryder’s. The prince looked at me and then down at his hand, his face splotched red. I half expected him to grab his sister's wrist the way he did the woman's the night before. He ground his teeth as he lifted his hand and fisted the glass of wine, letting his fingers dance against the sides.
“I don’t see why you’d need to know that.” He smiled smugly. “You either agree to provide an increase or you don’t.”
