“I’ll collect it myself,” he said quickly. “I’d rather Lord Kazimir be none the wiser.”
Interesting that he was more concerned with Sinclair’s opinion than my cousin’s fearsome mother, Lady Catrin, the blood-chilling harpy. “Very well. On behalf of my father and myself, I thank you for your devoted service to the Vasil Clan.”
“Aye, m’lord.”
The summons ended and I sat back in my chair, contemplating this new turn of events. I’d need to have my scribe draw up both the release papers for Sir Grantham as well as an invite to my cousin for dinner. No, lunch. I didn’t want him spending the night. I’d make it nice for him, formal, since Sinclair appreciated the pomp. His favorite foods with a bottle of fresh blood to impress him. As I was deciding my next steps, my summoner lit up with an incoming request. I focused intently on the smoky glass until Queen Gwyneth’s heavily powdered visage appeared.
“Vasil,” she said in a voice that conveyed she’d rather be doing anything else.
“Your Majesty.”
“How is my son?”
“Doing well, Your Majesty. Dare I say, thriving.” Perhaps it was bold of me to claim it as such, but Cedrych seemed happy and healthy under my care.
“Despite the attempt on his life?” the queen said, lips puckered with scorn.
“That was distressing,” I admitted.
“And is it true you handcuffed him, a member of the royal fae family, in front of your subjects?”
“A necessary precaution,” I assured her, inwardly cringing at what the daily scrolls might have had to say about that.
“Seems you lack control of your subjects, Lord Vasil. Makes me wonder if you’ve shown the same lassitude with my son.”
I bit back a retort and reminded myself that the fae queen demanded the utmost respect and tact in all things. “We are investigating the culprit or culprits behind that incident, Your Majesty. It’s my first priority, in fact. I’ve increased security around the fortress. I can assure you, your son is safe.”
“Not safe from himself, though,” she remarked, clearly understanding my predicament with the headstrong prince.
“We’re working on that too.”
She sniffed and plucked up some fae confection, taking the time to chew and swallow before addressing me again. The queen liked to keep her subjects waiting, and it seemed I was no exception.
“Well, I suppose I should inform you, Lord Vasil, that Cedrych’s time in the elvish realm has come to an end. I’ve found him a suitor here in my lands.”
I nearly choked, the news so wildly unappealing that it took me a moment to gather my wits and respond. “Are you sure that’s wise, Your Majesty?”
“It’s certainly more prudent. The man is a duke, owns property in the highlands where Cedrych can be kept away from palace scandal, head of the Honey Guild. It’s a good match.”
“Duke Holcomb?” I asked.
“That’s the one.”
The duke in question had to be pushing 100 years old. Though we fae and elvish didn’t show our years quite the same as our human counterparts, the gap was still a bit astounding. “What would the two of them possibly have in common?” I questioned.
Both the queen’s heavily lined eyebrows raised and she paused mid-chew to look me over. “What does it matter?” she asked.
“Cedrych should be happy,” I insisted.
“Who’s to say he won’t be? Tell me, what do the two ofyouhave in common?”
“Quite a bit,” I informed her. Aside from our extremely compatible sexual practices. “He has a mind for battle strategies and soldiering. He’s expressed interest in our industry, weapon-making, in particular. He has ideas on how to improve our trade agreements.”
“Sounds like you’re preparing to mount an attack, Lord Vasil.”
Part of the fae and elvish being such close allies also included an immense amount of distrust on both sides. It had been this way for as long as I remembered and according to historical text, was something of a tradition between our realms.
“Hardly, Your Majesty, but I’ve only had a few months with the prince. My work is unfinished. Surely you could extend this betrothal.”
