Servants line the entry hall. One by one, they bow. Their gazes lift to Auren first, and then to me, their expressions curious.
Tarin’s voice carries in a low murmur. “The people rejoiced when they heard you had taken a mate and queen.”
The words should feel like welcome and acceptance, but there’s something in the way he says them that tells me the sentiment does not belong entirely to him.
We continue forward, deeper into the palace. The walls are decorated with carvings, intricate patterns that spiral and weave through the stone in flowing lines that resemble something in nature—vines or water or wind.
Beautiful tapestries are displayed along the walls. Low tables and elegant seating arrangements fill the alcoves, each space arranged with a balance that feels both deliberate and natural.
At the far end of the hall, a set of tall double doors rises before us, carved from the same pale stone, their surfaces etched with scrolling designs that seem almost alive beneath the glow of the crystals.
Vaelen comes to a stop, and Auren dismounts first, and then helps me down.
The guards open the doors, and we step inside with Tarin.
I glance around the room. A large, pale wooden desk rests near the far wall, covered with scrolls and books. Across from it is a fireplace with a small grouping of chairs and a low sofa with thick, plush gray cushions.
Beyond the far wall, another set of doors stands partially closed, leading to what I assume is Auren’s private bedchamber.
The guards close the doors behind us, and the silence that follows is heavy and deliberate as Tarin turns to us. The careful composure he wore outside disappears. “Did you know,” he says, gaze fixed on Auren, “that her father made a bargain with the Goblin King?”
“Yes,” Auren replies without hesitation. “I did.”
“What in the seven realms were you thinking?” Tarin gives him an incredulous look. “Do you realize what this means? Goblins are dangerous. Why would you deliberately cross their King?”
“She was married before her twenty-third year,” Auren replies evenly. “The terms of the bargain have been met.”
“You think that matters to a Goblin?” Tarin shakes his head. “They do not forgive being outwitted. If the bargain gave him claim, he will take it.”
A chill spreads through me. “But the terms were fulfilled,” I say, stepping forward. “How could he insist otherwise?”
Tarin runs a hand roughly through his hair as he paces back and forth before the fireplace. “Goblins are clever. There’s usually a clause… some sort of loophole in their agreements. Something that guarantees they get what they’ve bargained for.” He looks at Auren accusingly. “We’ve dealt with them before.You know this.”
He does? I blink up at him. “What does he mean?”
Auren takes my hand, squeezing it gently. “Their kingdom—Thornreach—borders ours. We’ve had many dealings with them regarding trade. Their contracts do tend to be cleverly worded in their favor, and there could be something your father missed when he signed the agreement. I’ll likely have to make a deal with him to free you.”
“Gods know what he’ll ask for,” Tarin says, exasperatedly, lifting his gaze to the ceiling. “I can only imagine.”
Worry snakes down my spine. As if sensing my growing anxiety, Auren loops an arm around my waist, tucking me closer to his side.
Tarin gestures to a scroll on the desk. “This arrived a few days ago from Thornreach.” He looks at me. “Your father—King Edric—informed him of your marriage, but the Goblin King doesn’t care.”
Auren picks up the parchments, and Tarin points to a paragraph near the top. “He says it doesn’t matter if she’s married with a dozen children. He demands she appear in his court before the eve of her twenty-third birthday to fulfill the terms of the bargain.”
“So there must be some sort of clause,” Auren murmurs, scanning the rest of the message. “Something your father wasn’t aware of when he made the deal.”
Panic grips me in an iron vise. It doesn’t matter that I’m married, and it wouldn’t make a difference if Auren and I consummated our vows. The Goblin King will not release me.
“He wants her,” Tarin says. “And I don’t believe he’ll stop until he has her.” There is no embellishment in the words, and no attempt to soften them. Only brutal truth.
“He cannot have her,” Auren replies, his voice resolute. He turns to me and cups my chin. “Don’t worry, Vivienne. I won’t let him have you.”
My breath hitches as I realize what he’s saying. Auren is a good man, and he’s telling me that even if I decide to annul our marriage, he’ll protect me, regardless of the cost to himself.
“Goblins are powerful. Their magic rivals ours,” Tarin says. “If this leads to war, we will not win it easily.” He looks at Auren. “And you have given them reason to move against us.”
Tense silence fills the air as my thoughts begin to spiral. War, magic, bargains… All of it leads back to me.
