“You already presented an argument for why his son won’t be chosen,” I said, accepting a glass from the general. “Tell me of the other two.”
“One daughter is nearly thirty years older than I am.” Barrett grimaced. At our age, that was significant, but in a century, when Angels-willing they were enjoying a prosperous rule, it would be nothing. “Vixin. She is vile, though.”
“And the other?” I brought the glass to my lips. The liquor warmed my body on the way down, as if forging a plan.
“Celissia is wonderful, Barrett,” Dax said before his prince could speak. “You’ve been close since you were children. You can’t deny that.”
Barrett rolled his eyes, but a small smile fought on his lips as he studied his whiskey. “She was one of my only friends as a child, actually.” He looked at me. “She’s two years older, stunningly beautiful, and has worked in the Banix citadel for the past decade. She’s much smarter than I am and wickedly cunning with that mind, but kinder than most.”
“Sounds like the obvious choice, then,” I said.
Barrett frowned at me. “I don’t want a choice.”
Sighing, I set my glass on the shelf and sat in the chair across from his, a low, round table between us. “I know you don’t want one, and I think it’s awful you have to have one, but make the choice yours. Announce Celissia as your partner before another can be chosen for you, then prolong the vows as long as possible. Buy yourselves as much time as you can by going along with their plan.”
Barrett glowered at me as if hating that my suggestion made sense. Dax nodded slowly, if reluctantly.
“Why are you being so rational?” Barrett asked. “It’s unsettling.”
Dax flicked the back of his head, but he added, “He finally cleared his mind now that he and Mila are f?—”
“Not that it matters,” I cut him off as Barrett burst out laughing, “but we haven’t been.” Really fucking wished we had, though.
Barrett cocked his head in an eerily similar way to Rebel. “Why not?”
I sighed. “Does it matter?”
“Very much so,” Barrett declared, and Dax chuckled.
I pinched the bridge of my nose, squeezing my eyes shut. “If you must know, Mila went through…a lot in the first war.” She’d been a prisoner. Had been tortured—just the thought had me seeing red. I pushed the fury down. “And the recent battles dragged up memories. So, while she works through that, we’re getting to know each other.” Away from a battlefield. Trying to do normal fucking things like normal fucking people.
When I opened my eyes, Barrett and Dax were exchanging a look.
“What?” I asked.
“She’s too good for you,” Barrett blurted.
Dax tugged the prince’s hair. “He means, she’s a good one.”
“No,I meanhe shouldn’t fuck it up!” Barrett corrected. “We worked closely with her during the war. And Mila…well, she’s special.”
“Trust me,” I said, unable to fight my smile, “I know that better than anyone.” Standing, I clapped my brother on the shoulder and turned to refill all of our glasses. “You won’t say those vows with anyone besides Dax, Barrett. We’ll ensure it.”
After I placed full drinks back in their hands, I dug through the drawers for a deck of cards, giving the prince and his true consort a moment to debrief on what I’d suggested.
I understood Barrett’s reluctance to let his role control his life. Spirits, I admired him for it. I wished I had a bit more of that in me when I’d been younger. Perhaps things wouldn’t have ended up as they had with Lucidius.
But sometimes you had to navigate within the world you were placed in rather than bending it to your rules. Make tough decisions—hate making them even—in order to benefit those relying on you and hope your plans worked in the long run. My knuckles whitened around the drawer handle.
Those decisions were worth it. At least, that’s what I told myself while imprisoned.
The Engrossians needed a leader like Barrett. If it meant he had to play the game of politics for a while, he’d be victorious.
As I was slamming drawer after drawer, the prince’s muttered words to his consort drifted over to me, the mournful but determined tones solidifying my own righteous intention.
“My love for you is deeper than the valleys, Dax,” Barrett whispered, voice searing with promise. “No one will raise the valleys.”
Chapter Four
