Amalee scoffed quietly at my side.
Ryder’s eyes snapped to me. “What is it you want, Grave?”
“Audryn.” My response was smooth, not a single delay in the request.
His tawny hue was so crimson it was nearly purple. “NO!” Ryder roared.
I sat back in my chair and waited for the tantrum I was sure would follow. What he did next would tell me how badly Rivale needed the resource.
“Prince Sutton,” Leanna said calmly, “maybe the others should leave, and this conversation be held in private?”
Ryder’s narrowed eyes stayed infuriatingly still on mine as he excused the men with a quick flick of his wrist. Truthfully, I’d expected a bit more of a reaction from him; he hadn’t even gone for the hilt of his sword like I thought he would’ve. Like I would have.
“If I were to entertain your delusions,” he said, pausing. “I would need to know the parameters. Specifically, the time parameters. How much time are you asking for?”
His inquiry took me by surprise. I’d prepared for him to concede only upon losing a fight and nothing less. I wouldn’t have let her go for any offer, even with a dagger at my throat.
“Two months,” I requested, knowing I’d have to settle for less. I hoped she wouldn’t need more time. And if she did, I’d keep her there anyhow—the immediate challenge was just getting him to agree to let her go.
“Why?” Ryder growled.
“Not important.” I smirked. “As you’ve said before, either you agree or you don’t.”
“I think we should—” Leanna started.
“Shut up or leave!” Ryder snapped. “You are nothing other than ornamental here.” Ryder pulled his chair up and sank into it. With a shaking hand, he poured himself a glass of wine and drank its entire contents in one gulp. “A one hundred barrel increase until the new treaty is settled.” Ryder refilled the glass and gestured it out to me. I shook my head. Even if I wanted it, I wouldn’t walk across the room to retrieve the bottle.
“Fifty,” I replied coolly. We could barely fill the current requirements, and our kingdom was forced to go without in order to meet the demands of the treaty.
Ryder sat back and drew his eyes up to the ceiling. The deal was a long shot when I’d first considered it days ago, and maybe I should’ve been concerned that he’d agreed, but I didn’t care. I wanted to get the fuck out of Rivale and I wanted Audryn with me.
“You don’t touch her!” Ryder demanded.
“Unlike you,Iknow how to keep my hands to myself.” My eyes narrowed at him. “Whether she wants me to touch her is another thing altogether.” I mused under my breath and gave a crooked smile. Amalee met my shin with a quick kick of her boot.
“You know exactly what I mean,” he growled.
“Indeed,” I replied, refusing to agree to his demand.
“One month and you’ll return her to me,” Ryder rumbled, “unharmed.”
I stood, and Amalee did the same. “We leave in the morning.” I moved to the door and paused before turning back to the still red-faced prince. “And don’t worry,” I said, smirking, “I’ll be sure to takeverygood care of her.”
Amalee and I moved down the corridor and up the stairs toour rooms. Questions were likely on the tip of her tongue, but I wasn’t about to fend them off for all to hear. The door shut behind us, and before I could make it to the sofa, she started lobbing inquiries at me.
“What was all that about?” Amalee shoved me from behind. “We can barely supply the fifty barrels we are required to provide every month!” She pushed me again. “Yet you doubled it!”
“I told you to trust me.” I sat on the sofa and rubbed a hand across my forehead. “Have I ever let you down?”
“There’s a first for everything.” She huffed. “We needed a decrease, and yet you committed to the complete opposite.”
“Have I ever let the kingdom down?” I asked. My sister remained quiet. “Answer me.” I stared hard at her . “Have I ever overextended ourselves?”
“You just did!” Amalee took up the other end of the sofa. “And for what? Because you have this incessant need to rescue everyone? All for what? She clearly enjoys living in misery—so let her! Otherwise, she wouldn’t have tied herself to that asshole.”
“Not everyone has a choice, Amalee, and if anyone should understand, you should.” I stood and strode to the window, hoping to see brown hair among the flowers, but she wasn’t there.
“And what happens at the end of the month? Do we go to war because Audryn has a poor choice in men? Or will you bring her back?”
