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Chapter forty

Adelyna

A delyna wanted nothing more than to yank out the stuffed songbird tucked into her hair and fling it at Vinay.

Here she had granted the ambassador another private audience after that ridiculous marriage proposal, and barely three minutes into it, Adelyna was a heaving bucket of regret.

If only she was still in the woods with Callidora and not here. Anywhere but here.

“Speak plainly, Ambassador,” Adelyna said to the older woman, resting against her high-backed chair.

Normally she would’ve granted her guest permission to sit during an audience long before this—but this wasn’t a normal meeting.

“You’re dancing in riddles and not stating what this is—a blatant attempt at bribery. A piss-poor excuse of one at that.”

Vinay appeared to be unbothered by the goading, except for a white fog that took over the woman’s wrinkled eyes.

No, the fog was her eyes, any normal eye structure or substance gone, matching her gray hair.

The dreamers of Jelia had eyes of air, and the effect was…

disconcerting, even to someone who lived in the court of stone eyes. 196

“Not bribery, Lady. A bargain.”

“A bargain where you have much more to gain than me.”

“That’s not so. Marriage to our prince would suit you well. You have a similar temperament and intellect, and—most of all—you both desire the best for your kingdoms.”

Doubtful, on all accounts. Especially on whether marriage would be the best for her kingdom.

Ca’mail wouldn’t be able to be neutral in the conflict between Jelia and Pelia for long, especially since a royal marriage alliance with Pelia was forthcoming.

But the tenuous peace between Ca’mail and Jelia needed to last as long as possible—Ca’mail didn’t need to fight two kingdoms .

“I’m afraid marriage to anyone is out of the question.”

“Lady?” Horror crossed Vinay’s face. “We haven’t heard—”

Adelyna held up her hand. “No. I am not betrothed. I’m simply not going to marry. Ever.”

Some courtiers laughed when Adelyna said such things.

Others smiled and gave each other knowing glances.

A few with a smaller intellect drunkenly argued with her about her “duty” and “womanly place”—before getting removed from her salon.

And court. Vinay did none of these and kept her face even as she inspected Adelyna’s expression.

“You’re serious, Lady. You mean to proceed unmarried. Even after you are R?ll.”

“Deathly serious.”

Vinay paused. “May I ask why? It would be easier with a partner—even in name only. I know that you don’t…fraternize with them.” Oh, that wasn’t necessarily true. It just was more of an exception to the rule. Men were messy and came with more consequences. And entitlements.

“I aim to give everything I have to Ca’mail,” Adelyna said, “which means I cannot allow myself to be distracted with a spouse. And I cannot take the chance that said spouse would be ‘in name only.’ From what you’ve described of your prince—even if he is half as intelligent as you indicate—he won’t be content to sit back and be paraded about like a show stallion. ” 197

“I see.” Vinay’s face froze in a forced smile. “And the R?ll…?”

“We are in agreement.” Not true, but true enough for an ambassador.

“Now,” Adelyna said, “I’ve been far more honest with you than most would be with an ambassador. Tell me—why aren’t you willing to help me for the sole fact that the future R?ll would remember any aid and would look favorably at Jelia when the time comes?”

Vinay paused for a moment, deep in thought. Few ended up being life-long ambassadors and idiots both. “Jelia cannot take the risk of assisting you—that is, of providing this information—for less than a full alliance,” Vinay said bitterly.

“What risk? Telling me that my father is already talking about disinheriting me? That rumor has been flying around the court since I’ve been born.

Now what is it? That my lover tried to kill me and another might do so?

That I learned already—and painfully. What could be left as a risk to you that is worth me tying myself to a foreign throne, on a promise that may or may not be worth it? This is a high price for information. ”

The woman’s eyes of air flashed. “You’re not a fool, Lady—pray, don’t act as one now.

If I won’t talk without a guarantee, ask yourself instead—what’s the point of binding you to a promise you could break as soon as you decide otherwise?

Ask yourself—what could be so horrendous that I dare not speak it unless it came with a guarantee?

What could compromise my position at court, permanently?

And remember, Lady, with our alliance comes our aid—we can help you.

We know exactly what you will face, what we all will. ” 198

Worth it? Benefit Jelia , she meant.

Adelyna stared at the ambassador, as if the staid robes would suddenly talk and give up their owner’s secrets.

What had this woman learned? The dreamers were tricky folk, notorious for planting suggestions in the minds they visited—and reaping secrets and collecting memories.

But this…this was more. Was Aherin planning something?

Was someone else? There were hundreds at court capable of murder and twice that amount who would be happy to seize the opportunity. Vinay’s information could be anything.

It could be nothing.

Yet…

Nerine’s vague last words. The entanglement between Vine and Beleth.

The massacre of citizens. Vinay’s borderline threats.

This was too much, too soon. And all of this happening at the same time that her father was thinking of disinheriting her?

What was going on? And by the time she found out, would it be too late?

Adelyna cleared her throat. “That will be all for today, Ambassador. I will keep what you have said in mind.”

Vinay bowed. “I trust that you will, Lady. Please know that there will come a time—soon—when it will be too late.”

Dramatic bitch.