“That’s offensive to women everywhere.” Basilus laughs, and it ends with another short snort. “Do not think of this as gossip but more as two gentlemen reporting the statistics of war. Is that not what this is?”
If it was Casimir pestering me, I’d tell him to fuck off and be on my way. I could speak casually to Casimir, and we would never harbor ill will. Basilus is always sharp words and carefully thought-out speech, one misstep and you’d have a true enemy at your back for weeks until he got over it.
“And what are your statistics?”
His attention burns against my cheek; still, I do not turn to look at him. “I know Father found something.”
Everything inside of me turns to ice, making my heartbeats feel sluggish and cold. It is an effort to moisten my lips before asking, “And what exactly is this mystery item?”
“Don’t know.” He stops to straighten a picture on the wall. “He sent troops out. They practically destroyed a whole city though."
I narrow my gaze on him. “How do you know this?”
“I rode out and followed them, of course.”
With a sigh, I fold my arms across my chest and stare at my brother. Information is never given freely. I know nothing of value to trade; he’ll want something else. “Where was I when all this was happening?” How could I have not noticed father commanding an entire troop to wipe out a city?
“Probably brushing your mother’s hair and singing lullabies softly in her ear.” He smiles when my lip curls into a sneer. “Now, what do you think you know?”
“I don’t have evidence of anything. It’s more of a gut feeling.” I turn on my heels and start walking again. Basilus hurries to catch up.
“You are basing vague warnings to our sister on ‘a gut feeling’?”
“Oh, she’s our sister now? Usually, you don’t want to claim her.”
“She practically lost her title being thrown into that disgraceful group of hunters. We shouldn’t even be calling her a princess anymore.”
I give myself whiplash with how quickly my head snaps to the side. “Sheneverlost her title.”
“Whatever you say.”
The image of my hands on his throat flashes through my mind’s eye for more than a second. Maybe I could rattle his brains so hard, it would knock some sense into him.
“Yes, well that is all that I know, so you can be on your way back to dinner now.” I can almost see my bedroom down the hall.
“You’re not coming back?”
“I’ve lost my appetite.”
He nods as if he could agree. “I have another thought.”
My teeth sink into my lip as if this pain might make me forget about the thorn at my side. The best I can offer in response is a lifted brow.
“You want to make sure that our alliance is locked in with the Court of Winds, right? Well, so do I, and I have the perfect idea of what to do to secure it.”
Together we finally reach my bedroom door. I stop, not allowing him into my private space. Knowing him, he’d probably steal something and then make me pay to get it back.
“And that would be?”
“Marry Violence to Prince Dalziel.”
My mouth falls open, but I snap it back closed. “Absolutely not.”
“Oh, come on. You saw the way his eyes lit up at the idea of a pretty girl. He is not yet engaged—”
“That is because of the rumors of him beating the women he takes to bed. You cannot expect me to send Violence off to that.”
Basilus steps an inch closer. “Every royal family has their own rumors. People think we are inbreds. Is it true?”
