Page 7 of Flameborne: Fury (Emberquell Academy #2)
~ DONAVYN ~
Eight miserable, turmoil-filled days after that wretched, haunting kiss—all of them spent not sleeping and constantly questioning myself—I stood at the edge of the Royal Ballroom in formal uniform.
I’d been asked to stand with the King and Queen, greeting the diplomats and rulers he’d invited for a summit, as they drifted past on their way to find a drink, or a dance. Or something worse.
I had to force myself to stop shifting my weight. My chest was too tight. And it hurt. Like a fishhook had been buried in my heart and was attempting to drag me out of the Palace and towards the stables.
“Dear God, Donavyn, did the men put thistles in your trousers?” the Queen murmured, her eyes still on the nobles and royals circling the ballroom. She’d barely moved her lips so no casual observers would know she’d spoken to me. “You’re as fidgety as a child in church.”
I grimaced behind my hand as I rubbed my freshly shaved chin and wished I was with the dragons.
Not because they were with Bren.
The clench in my gut became an ice cube.
I still hadn’t spoken to her. Was afraid I’d blurt something, or scare her. Still couldn’t quite bring myself to believe—
The music swelled and the couples milling around began to glide onto the tiled dance floor.
“Will you do me the honor, wife?” Alexi asked smoothly, moving to stand in front of the Queen, offering his hand as he bowed before her.
I prayed she’d say yes. I’d use the distraction to take a trip to the sideboard and pour myself a scotch. Or three.
But before the Queen could do more than smile, one of the messenger boys darted through the crowd of nobles gossiping along the wall, to draw up at the King’s side and bow stiffly.
“What is it, son?” Alexi asked him gruffly.
“Sire, you asked to be summoned when—” he swallowed quickly, panting. “—when the Advisors had news. And they do.” He bowed again, clearly nervous. He was young. It must be his first formal event.
Alexi’s face went hard, and he nodded. “Run back and tell them I’ll be one minute behind you.”
The child darted off like a puppy as Alexi raised his wife’s hand to his mouth and brushed her knuckles with a kiss. “Please forgive me. I must go.”
Their eyes met in something unspoken and she nodded to him again.
Then the bastard turned to me and pinned me with a gaze.
“The Queen loves to dance, Donavyn. I’m sure you’ll honor her in my absence so that nonce from Sierral doesn’t pester her.
The man practically humped her leg last time.
” Then he was gone, striding straight across the dance floor, couples hurrying out of his way, bowing and curtseying as he passed, while he ignored them.
I was left standing at the side of the ballroom, cursing to myself, while the Queen stared up at me from the corner of her eye, a sly smile on her face.
My chest ached, but I did as I was told and turned to Diaan, offering my hand. “May I have this dance, Your Majesty?”
One side of her lips pulled up higher. “Of course, Donavyn.”
When she slid her fingers into mine, that tangle in my chest pulled tight and began to ache. But I led her onto the dance floor, praying she didn’t notice that my hands trembled like an old drunk on the wagon.
Two circuits of the ballroom floor later, Diaan’s cheeks were pink and she smiled up at me.
“I’d like to commend you once again on your dancing, Donavyn. You’re surprisingly graceful for such a large man.”
“Thank you, I’m sure,” I murmured, but I watched the doors, praying for Alexi’s quick return. I’d wanted to leave early tonight. That wouldn’t be possible if he disappeared for the evening and left the Queen on my arm.
“And yet,” Diaan added through gritted teeth and a brittle smile, “the sweetness of your steps dissolves under the sour frown. Whatever is wrong, Donavyn? Surely this is better than walking through dragon shit and dirt all day?”
“The aroma of bullshit in this room is far more offensive,” I muttered through my teeth.
Diaan gave a tinkling laugh.
“I wasn’t joking, Your Majesty.”
“That’s what makes it so amusing, Donavyn. Oh, stop growling. I swear, you’ve been grumpy as a bear the past few days.”
I blinked. Apparently, I hadn’t been as inscrutable as I thought. “I apologize if I’ve cooled the air, Your Majesty. But perhaps it is because the King has unexpectedly pulled me away from my very real duties to babysit royals and nobles? It’s hardly my domain.”
She only smiled at that, which was suspicious. I frowned down at her and waited for her to meet my eyes—then skitter away again.
“What is it?” I growled.
“What?”
“What aren’t you telling me? Why did he insist I be here for this?”
The dance demanded that I pull her into a turn then, so she waited until we’d slowed before answering. “Donavyn, you’re here to be impressive, of course,” she said with a playful wink.
“Don’t do that,” I muttered.
“Do what?”
“Simper at me like I’m one of your geldings. Tell me the truth.”
Diaan turned her head slowly to one side, then the other, as if it were part of the dance, but I knew she scanned to see how close the other couples were.
“You’re our Battle Commander, Donavyn,” she said quietly. “Alexi wanted you here to remind these fuckers who they’re dealing with.” All playful, jolly brightness had faded from her tone. She returned to the cunning, predatory smile. But there was a low tone of warning underneath it as well.
“Is there something I should know?” I asked carefully. “Is that why Alexi practically thrust you into my arms?”
I regretted the phrasing immediately when her eyebrows shot up and her lips curled suggestively. I grunted, but thankfully she didn’t voice the thought she had. Instead, she cleared her throat and casually looked off to the side to scan the dance floor as we turned.
“Diann, speak. Are you playing messenger tonight?” The King and Queen, despite their disregard for the sanctity of marriage, were a tightly-knit team. No one penetrated their loyalty to each other’s power—and any enemy who thought to would learn they’d been foolish.
“When there’s something to know, Alexi will make certain you’re aware.”
I knew it. All those mismatched and conflicting intelligence reports swam to my mind. “If there’s a threat I haven’t been warned about, we should be preparing on the chance—”
“You’re fully informed, Donavyn. This isn’t about known threats. This is about the dance.”
I frowned. “What dance?”
“Oh, don’t tell me you don’t understand the dance, Donavyn. You’re incredibly light on your feet. It’s just one more of your impressive traits.”
I had to twirl her again, teeth clenched to hide my scowl until she’d returned to the circle of my arms—and leaned in far to close.
I increased my steps and stiffened my arms to widen the space between us.
Diaan sighed. “Don’t get stern, Donavyn.
You’re doing exactly as you should. Alexi is a strategist. There’s no known threat, but you and I both know that fog shrouds the landscape.
So, he’s gathered all these established trees in the same spot to try and shake something out of their branches.
You’re here to remind them what will befall them if they cling too tightly to the secrets hidden in their leaves. ”
I grunted, but danced on. I’d known Alexi was up to something the moment he announced he’d planned this summit. Usually these events were planned a year in advance. Not mere days.
“How is the female Furyknight progressing?” Diaan asked casually.
An image of Bren, grabbing for me, pulling me into that kiss, bloomed in my head and I was struck with the dual bolts of desire and self-loathing. I cleared my throat and my mind.
“She’ll face the third Trial very soon,” I murmured. “She’s almost there. Much closer than she thinks.”
Diaan brightened. “Oh good! You’ve done well with her.”
“She’s done well. I’ve merely made sure she had what she needed to fulfill her purpose,” I muttered.
Diaan looked at me intently, long enough that I couldn’t ignore it and was forced to drop my chin and meet her eyes. “What?”
“You have no idea how unique it is that you even think of such things, do you?”
I was confused. “What things?”
She gave a pretty little snort. “Others.”
A moment later the music swelled, then slowed and thank God, the dance came to an end. I bowed to her and she curtseyed to me. But when we straightened, as I offered my hand, she stepped into my arm and laid her hand on my chest, murmuring, “Donavyn—”
I stiffened. “Don’t,” I said gruffly, taking her hand and stepping back to bow over it again. As I pretended to brush a noble kiss to her knuckles, I stared a warning up at her and she met my gaze with frustration in her eyes.
“Your Majesty,” I said tightly as I straightened again. “Thank you for your grace and generosity in dancing with me. It has been a delight.”
Her lips thinned. “I think we both know the delight is all mine,” she drawled.