Page 111 of The Shrouded Queen
Come on, Velka. Hurry up.
Sillia suddenly said, “My niece told me you were worried for the Nettheridgers.” Her niece, Siv. “Why?”
“Because they were cold and scared,” I answered honestly. “It’s not so cold in here anymore, though.”
Bain replied, “Shifters run hot.” He waggled his eyebrows, making nearly all the Shifters chuckle. My gaze inadvertently slid to Keir. He raised a single brow at me, and my face burned. I swiftly looked away.
“Where are our manners?” Keir said. He grabbed a tankard that was already full and held it out to me. “For you, Majesty.” He passed it down the line until it reached me. I accepted it and took a sip.
It was rancid. Like curdled milk. Sour and bitter, stinging the back of my throat. It took every shred of strength not to choke. My eyes watered slightly and I gulped it down hard. “Delicious,” I croaked.
“No, it’s disgusting,” Cano corrected.
“Pure filth,” Dalla agreed.
“Hey!” Bain gave everyone a mock glare. “I spent five weeks on that batch.”
“Should’ve made it six,” replied Senko, cringing as he took another sip. Keir laughed.
Bain turned to Sillia. “Your taste is much better than these rats’. What do you think?”
“Last time I drank one of your concoctions, I had diarrhea for a week,” the warrior deadpanned. “I’m not touching it.”
I couldn’t help but grin, relaxing a bit—though I didn’t take another sip of Bain’s kefir.
Velka mercifully returned with a large plate of meat. A loud cry of celebration rose from the group, and Keir snatched the dish and yanked a dagger out of his waistband to carve it. He passed out massive hunks, which everyone accepted with their bare hands.
Moose tasted remarkably similar to cow, if a little gamier, and whatever spices had been added made it rather pleasant.
Velka pulled her piece apart. “What’d I miss? Did you already tell them about your khopesh, Your Majesty?”
“What khopesh?” Keir asked.
Velka hooked her thumb at me. “The queen’s weapon of choice.”
“Youare trained with a battle-axe?” demanded Dalla, impressed despite herself.
“Bullshit,” Keir laughed before I could respond. I struggled to meet his eyes.
“It’s true,” Velka answered for me. “Rade told me himself.”
“Well, Rade is mistaken,” Keir fired back. “I know a warrior when I see one. Sorry, Majesty, but you’re not one.”
My heart rate started to pick up even as Velka persisted, “Rade said she’s got the calluses to prove it.”
Sillia strode toward me suddenly, and I tensed when she dropped into a crouch and seized my wrists. She turned my palms over and frowned. “A queen’s hands should be smooth. No matter the training. A mark of your luxury.” Her grip on my wrists tightened, and I winced. “So why do you have calluses?”
“Because I—I trained hard—”
“They wouldn’t have let you. Not this hard.”
Velka was suddenly at my side. “Sillia, let her go.”
But she didn’t. The blaze of her eyes bore into my face.
This was how I’d be found out. By one stupid, insignificant lie. I thought about the promise I’d made to myself to fight back against Keir, but I couldn’t muster up any indignation or anger. Not when I was surrounded by Kaldfold’s deadliest Shifters. My eyes flicked to Bain. He’d planned Hedin’s death for whatever betrayal he’d committed. If they discovered mine, they’d think up something much worse.Oh, gods.
“Rade said she’s not to be harmed,” Velka reminded, her voice a warning growl.
