Renaud leads me down another flowered forest path, the courtiers falling behind us in procession. An early evening breeze lifts notes of lavender and smoke into the air. The musicians, settled somewhere discreet, begin a song, strings mixed with a resonant drum.
He stops in the center of a stone clearing big enough for dancing, releasing my arm only to slide his hand around my back and settle on the curve of my hip. Light, intimate.
I try to pull back.
And then not light at all.
His eyes flare. “You fail to understand you are mine. After tonight, you will.”
Possessiveness, in the bite of his long sharp nails. If hunger shows nowhere else, his tell is in the strength of his fingers on my hip.
I tense and those nails dig in.
“Do not,” he says, “deny me.”
“You have no right. None, other than the rights of a bully.”
This is beyond infuriating, beyond disrespect, and what’s worse—that involuntary physiological response that shouldn’t exist. I hate myself sometimes. I’m confused by myself even more.
“You made your choice. I accepted your offer.”
“I’ve offerednothingother than to abide by the terms of a ceasefire.” Though technically I never said those exact words either.
“You have a mortal memory, Aerinne, and I’m disinclined to. . .jog it.”
I stiffen, battling the instinct to tear myself out of his arms—and the instinct to go for my blade.
“I’m not yours, Prince.”
A flash of blue in the moonstone eyes. He lowers his mouth to my ear. “Allow me to repeat my warning. Do not deny me.”
Nasha baad ni.?3
“If I do, Prince?”
“Run, and I will give chase, my halfling.”
Keth'malar ni rasha anfa, anfa tala'kem, Malisse ni.?4
His fingers tighten.
My aunt is right.
1 “You called, Princess, and I woke. I came to you, and you push me away.” We don’t think Aerinne knows “Malisse” means Princess. She’s probably interpreting it as “Lady” which would make sense. We don't think she's quite used to how the Ninephene language in particular uses inflection to change the meaning of a word. Everennesse is based on an Avallonnian dialect of Ninephene, so it does the same thing, but not to the same extent, and Everennesse has also been mixed with French and English over the years. It’s why Aerinne knows just enough Ninephene to get in trouble.
2 Ah. . .the pandering begins. The Prince is not above flattery, if it serves his purpose, or ingratiating himself.
3 “Do not run from me.” It’s a warning, not a command.
4 “When I catch you, you will kneel, my Princess.” The word “kneel” here has an erotic connotation, ICYMI. He's not talking about bowing before his authority as the Prince.
Chapter
Twenty-Five
TO THE VICTOR GOES THE SPOILS
Iam not prey. Inever run.
