Page 31 of Salt in the Seas
Enla raised her eyebrows. “Fine. We have time for tea between council meetings in the morning.” She linked her hand through Gaeren’s, but before she could lead the way, Riveran reached out and snatched her hand. The guards drew weapons, and Gaeren even tensed at the forward action, but Enla showed no surprise.
“With my parents’ health declining”—her words came out soft and halted—“we decided the wedding couldn’t wait.” A gold ring with a ridiculous number of gems sparkled on her hand, and Riveran dropped it like a hot coal, his face pained.
Gaeren’s jaw dropped. For some reason, he hadn’t thought she’dactually go through with it. Not when she knew Riveran still loved her. Not when he suspected she still loved him.
The silence that followed made Gaeren uncomfortable. He cleared his throat. “It’s a nice ring.”
It was an old tradition, not often used, especially by those who had bonds to mark their loyalties, but the royal family took any opportunity to show off their wealth. When Riveran and Enla continued avoiding each other’s gazes, Gaeren tugged Enla down the hall and tried to shift the topic from the more obvious and awkward one lingering in the air.
“Mother and Father have gotten worse, then?”
Enla shrugged. “Better in some ways, worse in others.”
Riveran caught up to them, a strange expression crossing his face. “You didn’t mention the wedding in your letter.”
So much for avoiding the awkwardness.
Enla glanced nervously at Gaeren. “It only took place last week. I didn’t have a chance to write you again.”
Gaeren frowned. She shouldn’t be writing her old bond at any time. In fact, what would Croft think of her offering to reinstate Riveran as an advisor? He hadn’t thought much of the letter Riveran had received, but now he wished he’d asked about it.
“Well,” Gaeren said, “I appreciate you getting the pompous celebration over with before I reached town. It’s bad enough that Thallahan wants me to come back for his wedding on Winter Solstice.”
Enla stopped short, and the guards’ armor clanked behind them as they stopped too. “Come back? Why in Rhystahn would you leave again?”
Riveran and Gaeren exchanged glances before Gaeren replied, “That’s actually what we came to talk about.”
Enla scoffed and resumed walking, her pace suddenly more like a sprint. “I should have known you weren’t really back. I had hoped… I saw dozens of paths with you staying. Even some where you married Lenda.”
“Lenda?” Gaeren practically choked on his bondmate’s name.
“There were only a few with you leaving, so I thought…” She trailed off, her face taking on a dark hue. “I should have known. Now I’ll have to search those all over again.”
“Or you could just let the future unfold. It’s not good for you to search so much.”
“It’s a constantly moving target. Even worse when you’re involved. It’s like you’re so unpredictable even the future can’t settle on your options.”
He grinned. He actually liked the sound of that, but it probably wasn’t something he should say out loud.
“If you’re trying to reform Gaeren,” Riveran said, “I don’t think it’s working.”
She glanced up, and Gaeren attempted to drop his smile, unsure what expression he finally landed on.
Enla let out an unladylike snort. “It was easier when the two of you weren’t getting along.” She linked her other arm through Riveran’s. “Come on. I’ve only told you a fraction of what’s gone on since you left, and I’m guessing you could say the same to me.”
“Mother and Father were branded by Mayvus?” Gaeren sat back in his chair, stunned. Out of all the things he’d expected Enla to say, that hadn’t been one of them. Even Riveran’s mouth swung open in surprise, which meant that news hadn’t been in his letter either.
Enla sat prim and proper at the tea table where they’d been served an array of sandwiches, fruit, and cheese. The servants had even left pudding pies, suggesting the conversation they were about to have would be a long one. Once she’d made sure they would have enough to eat, she’d dismissed all the servants and guards.
“One morning, they woke up with renewed minds and clear focus. I thought something the healers had done made them feel better, but Mother took off her gloves and screamed. Father found his brand mark as well. We cut them out before we even knew where they’d come from, but as news from the east trickled our way, we quickly put it together.” She frowned at her tea cup as if it were to blame. “Some of the notes Mother had lying around made it clear she’d been wooing influential leaders across the country to stand behind Mayvus as well, though she doesn’t remember it.”
Gaeren rubbed his palms over his face, trying to imagine when that had happened—howit had happened. Mayvus would have needed some of their blood to brand them. Had the dignitaries procured a sample? Had Mayvus done it herself the last time they’d seen her? She’d probably had dozens of opportunities over the years. If she’d stored it like she’d stored Durriken’s, she probably had more of it in the fortress. The thought left him anxious to return to Myndren and scour the fortress for himself.
“That explains their behavior before I left,” Gaeren said. “I mean, they’ve always been…”
“They put the needs of the nation before their family.” Enla’s words were careful and tinted with warning.
It wasn’t how he would describe how their father had used his destructive somatic skills for discipline. “I thought Mother was losing her mind, but really, it was being controlled by someone else.”
