Page 36 of A Queen’s Game (Aithyr Uprising #1)

He kissed her gently, first on her lips, then following the length of her jaw.

She gasped as he kissed her neck, her back arching underneath him.

“Goddess,” he murmured into her skin. “I think that’ll stick.

” His mouth moved along her neck, his teeth scraping against as a shudder ran through his body, Elyse responding with a moan.

“What’s this—Elyse?”

She looked over Brynden’s shoulder to see Keyain standing between the lilac bushes, confusion lacing his features. Dread pooled in her stomach. The gods must truly hate her.

“Nothing to see here,” Brynden said with a laugh, rolling off of Elyse, leaning back on one arm.

“Who are you, and why are you on top of her?” Keyain asked, stepping closer.

“Keyain, I’m fine,” Elyse said.

“If you step any closer like that, Minister Keyain, we’re going to have a problem.” Brynden’s tone shifted. Any amusement he had left as he slowly stood up, standing in front of Elyse.

She stood, sighing. “Keyain, please—”

“So you’re aware of who I am, yet you offer no name,” he said, anger sharpening his words. “I will ask you one more time. Who are you, and why were you on top of Elyse?” Keyain took another step towards them.

“Why are you so worried about Elyse when you tossed her aside for a clip?” Brynden leered, trying to place her behind him with one arm.

“Brynden,” she hissed, “stop this, both of you. This is ridiculous.” She stepped out from behind him, trying to dissolve the situation.

Keyain took his chance as soon as Elyse wasn’t in the way, charging at Brynden.

Brynden waited on his toes, his movements quick as he easily sidestepped Keyain’s charge.

He brought up his foot, kicking Keyain in the back, sending him flying.

Keyain was all brute strength and mass, a disadvantage against the quick, lithe form of Brynden.

“Stop,” Elyse tried to call, her voice lost on the males.

Keyain circled Brynden as the two males moved closer to the edge of the clearing. “I thought Satiros’s greatest warrior would be better at this,” Brynden teased, a wicked smile on his lips that didn’t reach his eyes.

With a growl, Keyain charged once more, grappling Brynden and bringing him to the ground. Keyain swung at his head, missing and hitting the dirt as Brynden tossed Keyain to the side.

Keyain held onto the front of Brynden’s shirt as the two males went rolling down the hill towards the creek, ending with them crashing into it. Elyse chased after them, fear choking her voice.

Water splashed as they continued to fight. Brynden pinned Keyain’s arm behind his back, his mouth finding his ear. “And to think you almost married a goddess, and now you have a clipped bitch warming your bed. Oh, how far you’ve fallen.”

Keyain’s snarls grew more animalistic, throwing Brynden off him. Brynden lost his footing as he tried to stand, slipping backward. Keyain jumped on top of him, pinning him under the water. He raised his fist, bringing it down onto Brynden’s head as it crested above the water with a gurgling gasp.

“Keyain, stop!” Elyse screamed, the sounds of Brynden gasping constricting her heart.

For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of Bryden’s choking, the smack of Keyain’s fist, and the splashing of the creek. Elyse felt frozen, watching her only true friend beat the male she wanted to marry.

“What is going on here?” On the bridge above Brynden and Keyain stood Queen Valeriya with Lady Tryda.

“They’re fighting, and they won’t stop,” Elyse cried, unsure what to do.

“No shit, Elyse,” the Queen said with uncharacteristic crass. “I was asking them.” Queen Valeriya’s tone caused her to shrink back. “Keyain, get your hands off of Lord Brynden! Is this how our Minister of Protection treats foreign dignitaries?”

Keyain’s hand froze in the air, his face turning to the Queen with surprise. Brynden took the chance and popped his fist into Keyain’s face, the sickening crunch churning Elyse’s stomach.

He swore, glaring at Brynden. “Queen Valeriya, I didn’t know. I found him pinning Elyse down in the flowers, and she has that bruise on her head. I just thought…” his voice trailed off as he looked at Elyse.

Elyse’s lips wobbled as she tried to steel herself. That stupid bruise. Why did he still care? He had a wife to worry about.

“You’re an absolute fool, Keyain,” she drawled. “Brynden is courting her, so I can only imagine what he was doing on top of her.”

Keyain blinked and looked at the Queen, then down at Brynden, whose bloodied face held a snarl. He stood, offering a hand to Brynden, who hit it away.

“No wonder you attacked Olkia without consorting with the Syllogian Council,” Brynden growled. “You’re nearly as feral as your clipped wife.”

“Enough! Brynden, that is enough,” Queen Valeriya snapped. “I suggest you both go clean up before you return to your meetings this afternoon. Perhaps when you change clothes, you can change your attitudes and remember you are dignified nobles. Now, Elyse, come. I’ll take you back to your room.”

Elyse walked to the Queen, trembling. Brynden looked like he wanted to stop them, his gaze following Elyse. She couldn’t meet his stare, not after this. It all happened so fast. It was her fault Keyain attacked him.

“Tryda, though I always respect your company and your opinion, I think this is a conversation Elyse and I need to have alone,” the Queen said.

Tryda narrowed her eyes. “If you insist, Your Grace,” she turned to Elyse. “If you need anything, you know where my suite is.”

Elyse nodded, the heavyset woman taking off in the opposite direction. The Queen looped her arm around Elyse and guided her towards the Noble’s Section, her floral scent blending with the flowers. The two males climbed out of the creek, the tension still taut between them.

“What do I even say, Elyse,” Queen Valeriya said, sighing. “You need to grow a backbone and control of your nerves. Brynden is a wonderful male, and I think you could be a great wife for him.”

Elyse cocked her head. “You know him, my Queen?” Perhaps the alcohol hadn’t made her imagine their nodding across the ballroom floor.

“He’s related to King Auryon, husband to my sister, Queen Nystanya, in Reyila.

I’ve met Brynden a handful of times. He’s a touch rambunctious.

” The Queen stared at Elyse. “If you wish to be married to someone like him, then you need to learn to speak up. You cannot sit idly by while something like what just happened unfolds.”

“I’m sorry, I tried to,” she whispered, shrinking into herself.

“No, stop. That is what I’m talking about.” The Queen stopped walking, turning to Elyse. “Find your voice. Otherwise, you will always be a slave to your emotions. What Keyain did, assaulting a foreign noble, is grounds for them to attack Satiros. And you just stood there.”

Elyse flinched at the Queen’s truth. She was less than effective in their fight.

Queen Valeriya sighed. “You have a voice. Learn to wield it.”

“But what if I say the wrong thing? Do the wrong thing?” Elyse whispered. “My father won’t accept it.”

“Your father is many things, Elyse.” She paused, considering her words.

“Don’t take his words to heart. He designed them to hurt you and belittle you into submission.

You are more capable than you know.” The Queen placed both her hands on Elyse’s shoulder, her gaze boring into her. “You understand, don’t you?”

“Yes, I understand,” she whispered.

But understanding didn’t make the experience with her father more tolerable. It didn’t mean using her voice would change anything. No, understanding it all created more guilt. Guilt because she was soft. She was weak.

What she needed was strength.