Anwen
'Nessa just confirmed everything,' Candace says over mind-link.
'What?' I reply, trying not to look like I'm talking to anyone.
"If we put the targets in the west field, the sun will be in everyone's eyes by noon." Taner, Kieran's Beta and representative at the meeting, taps the rough map of the castle laid out between dishes on the breakfast table before us. "No, I think the south field's the ticket."
"The south field is where your men usually train, is it not?" King Andri asks, his voice dripping with suspicion.
'Floyd killed King Isai and framed Kieran because he was mad about the fake-mate thing,' Candace says.
My gaze snaps to the shifter across the table from me, Floyd him-fucking-self. He's staring at the Goddess-damned map without a care in the world. My canines lengthen as my blood turns to fire in my veins. Murderer. Shitty, petty murderer.
'Anyone else involved?' I snarl.
"Just because it's the best spot," Taner replies. "We all agree the north field is too narrow."
Maybe I'll kill everyone in the fucking room, just to stop them from talking about fucking archery fields. The tournament was a stupid idea. Doing anything but throwing Floyd in the dungeon until Estrella and I can go down there and slaughter him together was a stupid fucking idea.
'Just Nessa,' Candace replies. 'But she's coming clean, telling us everything, so we don't have to worry about her anymore.'
Why the fuck is Nessa turning on her father?
"Too narrow for you," Prince Hollis scoffs. "We offered our short-range bows."
"Which no other kingdom is trained on." Taner glances at me. "Prince Anwen? This was your idea."
I fist my hands under the table and force myself to answer. "The east field. We'll have to move the short-term stables, but it's the best compromise."
Everyone turns back to the map.
I snap at Candace, 'You can't actually believe her.'
'She's got all the details right.' Candace sighs. 'And she's got information on the next attack.'
Now, I'm going to kill him. I have to. 'On Estrella?'
'No.'
The tiniest shred of my murderous rage eases.
'He's got an assassin set up to take out Queen Suniva and Castor. I can give full details later.'
"We can offer men to move the stables," King Andri grumbles.
"You could put those in the north field," Floyd offers.
My entire body tenses. I remember the pain tearing Estrella apart the night King Isai was killed. He did that to her. Shitty little weasel of a wolf.
'Details now.'
I can almost hear her rolling her eyes. 'The assassin is named Dorian Meadows. He's staying at some inn, but Nessa doesn't know which. Aren't you meeting with King Andri?'
'Fuck,' I reply.
Taner nods. "The north field is a good idea. We should get started today. The tournament is in two days, right?"
"Right." I am barely not snarling. Taner glances at me, but I ignore him. Repeating the news will only make me angrier, and Kieran's Beta is too busy organizing palace events to help with this even if I wanted him to.
King Andri nods and glances at his son. "What will you do?"
"Practice." Prince Hollis smirks. "Lady Eva has been quite clear I have to win this for her."
Eva, his promised. They're not even mated, but the Kar family and hers have been intertwined for so long that they have already agreed to a marriage. The bland political details keep my fury from boiling over. Barely.
"I hear that." Taner grins. "Ayla says I have to give her a favor and everything."
Prince Hollis offers him a flat smile. "Do you usually win these? I am quite famous for it at home."
"This is one of our first." Taner glances at me again. "It was Prince Anwen's idea, spirit of cooperation and all that."
"Then we are done?" King Andri starts to stand.
"In Dun's Crossing, Your Majesty, a breakfast meeting continues until the participants are done eating breakfast," Floyd says.
"I'm still going. Lady Eva and I have plans." Prince Hollis stands, bows, and marches out.
King Andri drops loudly back into his seat. I nearly lose control. Of course, Floyd wants to stretch this out. The son of a bitch knows what he did. I bet he's fucking gloating behind those ferrety little eyes of his.
Fuck it. If I can't kill him right now, I'm going to destroy him.
"We can talk of more pleasant things for the remainder," I say as grandly as I can. "Envoy, I haven't seen your daughter recently. How is she?"
Floyd flicks his gaze up to me. "You haven't?"
"Why not?" King Andri asks.
"She's been keeping to herself lately." I shrug like I have no idea what could be causing that. "I worry."
King Andri looks severely at Floyd, who swallows visibly.
"She's been under the weather," he says. "I will have her pay you a visit soon."
I incline my head. "Much appreciated."
'What are you doing?' Taner asks.
'Making conversation,' I reply.
He shakes his head and takes a bite of his food. The conversation turns to another topic. I bide my time, just like Father would have.
Floyd leans forward. "I was speaking to King Kieran the other day, and-"
"You were?" I ask coolly. "When?"
He looks at me. "When the king asked me to deliver the invitation to your wedding."
"Three weeks ago, then." I nod. "Sorry, I was just wondering because I meet with him almost every day, and I haven't seen you around in a bit either."
King Andri looks at me sharply. "Is your king disinterested in alliances?"
"Certainly not." I gesture at the map. "We invited people from every kingdom for a reason. The doors of Dun's Crossing are more open than ever. Perhaps Kieran has simply been meeting with so many people that time must be fought over in a way it wasn't before."
He narrows his eyes at Floyd. I don't need to say a single word directly to imply Floyd could only handle this job when it was easy. Let King Andri fill in the blanks himself.
"But tell me more about what he was saying." I fold my hands and smile at Floyd.
As we eat, I nod to the servants to fill Floyd's glass most often. Like nearly everyone from Snowcrest, he drinks a fairly weak wine with breakfast, but even weak wine affects the tongue after a while. His movements grow looser, more fluid. His sentences drag on. For the first time, doing something Father would've done doesn't tie my gut in knots.
"It truly is an honor for the Goddess' will to be so clear that we can predict it," Floyd says at one point. "And Lady Eva will make a beautiful bride."
"I'm sure she will." I smile. "Will you return to Snowcrest for the wedding? I know how you love them, and it doesn't seem that another will be happening here soon."
His jaw tightens. "I honor the will of King Andri, whatever it is."
"Why no further weddings?" King Andri asks.
I shrug. "We've had two Hazes in Dun's Crossing in the last few months. It merely seems unlikely another will come soon. A more formal bond between Snowcrest and Dun's Crossing would be great, but Nessa-" I bury my face in my own cup, which I started filling with juice a long while ago.
"Nessa what?" This, King Andri addresses to Floyd.
"She is not interested in marrying outside the mating bond," he says stiffly.
"Anymore," Taner mutters.
I could kiss him. Maybe I should be filling his cup too.
"Then the rumors are true." King Andri scowls. "I had hoped it was southern trash."
I shrug again, letting him think whatever's pissing him off like that. "Floyd does his best, Your Majesty. There's no new suitor that comes to court who doesn't receive a visit from him." I pause deliberately. "For Nessa's sake, of course."
The gears spin visibly behind King Andri's eyes, wondering what the hell else Floyd could be meeting with people about. Now, if I could just punch that smug bastard in the face, this breakfast won't have been a complete waste of time.
"And for Snowcrest's!" Floyd blusters. "There are so many kingdoms here, making connections only makes sense. I've got a foot in the door with Sundrop Gem already."
I grit my teeth and let his sentence hang, unanswered, silently questioning exactly what kind of foot he has if I, the mate of their queen, has no opinion on the matter.
King Andri harrumphs. "This breakfast is another southern indulgence. I have better ways to spend my time. Taner, I will send you the men for the stables." He looks at Floyd. "You, come with me."
Floyd stumbles slightly out of his chair and trails after the visibly furious Alpha out of the room.
"What the fuck has gotten into you?" Taner asks.
"I'll tell you later." I jump to my feet and race out a different door. Somewhere else in this castle, Estrella just received the news that her father's killer is here, and someone she considered a friend helped. I need to reach her. The only way we can solve this is together.
No matter how fucking good raking Floyd over the coals like that felt.