Page 13 of The Broken Elf King
He leaned in closely, lowering his voice. “They have been threatening for two years to overthrow me if I do not marry and start a family.”
Shock surged up inside of me. “That’s treason,” I growled.
He appraised my sharp response with interest and I found myself studying his face at this close of a distance. I’d known this man all of twenty-four hours and yet I felt like I’d known him longer. It was hard to explain. There was an ease in his presence, something comfortable and familiar.
His face looked much like one printed in our Nightfall history books, but more manly. Those were a few years old when he still had some boyishness to his features. The strong jaw I now peered at, the shadow of a beard and full soft lips, the arresting blue eyes, were all man.
“Normally, it would be treason yes, but there is a clause in our founding laws.” He pulled me from my thoughts. “If the entire royal family is killed, or cannot, or does not, have children by a certain age, then the council can unanimously vote them out and then vote in a new four-person quorum.”
A quorum? End the monarchy? It was a wild idea. Every territory in Avalier had a king or queen. I couldn’t imagine anything else. Either you were born with royal blood or you weren’t.
I nodded. “So you really do need my help finding a wife.” I pulled out a fresh piece of parchment.
He looked wistfully out the window as if the idea of having a wife saddened him.
“But you don’t want that, do you?” Maybe it was an overstep but I couldn’t help it. If I was going to find him a wife, I should know why he didn’t want one. He was over twenty winters old! That was ancient in royal terms. He should be married with two or three heirs by now.
He swallowed hard, and then looked at me with an expression that made chills rise up on my arms. “Why would I want to fall in love and bring children into this world just so that the Nightfall queen can kill them too?”
His words sliced through my heart so fiercely that I felt a physical ache. I must have winced in pain, because he leaned backwards and away from me.
“But I must marry if I am to keep my position as king, so you will have to help me find someone tolerable,” he added.
“But not too lovable?” I asked. His look was a warning and I immediately lowered my head. “I’m sorry, my lord.”
“Once the council is off my ass, I can plan the war to take down the queen.”
I froze. “Overthrow the Nightfall queen?”
He nodded, looking pleased with himself, as if the act would bring him great joy. I was sure it would, but it was also the most dangerous thing I’d ever heard.
“No one gets near her unless they’ve served in her army for at least five years. She’s got contraptions and gadgets that make her have powers akin to the magic users in the realm. My lord, she’s untouchable.”
He appraised me with pride. “And it seems I have chosen the best assistant to help advise me in matters of the queen.”
It hit me then. One of the first things he’d told me: “You grew up in Nightfall under the queens rule.”
“That’s why you hired me?” I tried to hide the hurt in my voice. I’d thought it was maybe the organic chemistry or the fact that I’d kicked that trader’s ass and impressed him.
He inclined his head. “Mostly, yes. You’re the best candidate for the job.”
I simply nodded, feeling stupid for having thought that he might have been impressed with my other qualities. It didn’t really matter anyway. I was paying off my debt and he was a decent man. He didn’t seem like he would beat me or anything, and I wasn’t washing dishes, so all in all I was still counting this a win.
The meeting hall doors opened then and I turned in that direction. Four tall male elves entered the room and bowed deeply to the king.
“You may be seated,” the king told them.
Their eyes flicked to me and I gave them a small smile, which was not returned. They all sat with stiff posture and clasped hands. Their ages varied from thirty to sixty years old, and as I looked closer I could tell one pair were father and son. The two men had black hair, though one was feathered with gray, and both had the same hooked nose. The other two elves were both brunettes. All of them had the typical long hairstyle with braided sides.
“Council, this is Kailani Dulane, my new personal assistant,” the king said and gestured to me. “Kailani, this is Haig, Aron, Greylin, and Foxworth.” He pointed to each one.
The eldest, Haig, the black-haired one with gray running through, raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t aware Joana was leaving. We would have helped you in your search for a new staff member,” he said.
The king leaned back casually in his chair. “I wasn’t aware I needed to tell you the ins and outs of my private staff, Haig. Nor that I needed help hiring staff.”
The man’s jaw grit at the reprimand. “You do not, Your Highness. It was simply an offer to help make sure you had the highest caliber candidate possible.”
His gaze flicked over to me and his nostrils flared. He was smelling me and I suddenly felt uncomfortable.
