Page 58

The morning of Hakon’s Betrothal Ball arrived quickly, to the brothers’ great dismay.

Herrick had spent the entire full day before with his mother, assisting her with the last-minute plans.

The Royal Seamstress had been thankfully absent as she already had his and Hakon’s measurements.

Herrick’s thoughts drifted to Maude, predictably and often.

He wondered how well she had weathered the tedious chore of being measured by the Royal Seamstress.

Standing from the cot he had been sleeping on in his office, Herrick stretched his long limbs and shook the remaining drowsiness from his bones.

No longer able to avoid the palace, Herrick made his way to his room to bathe and then find Hakon to get him ready for his ball.

Hakon had been frequently hiding away somewhere with Eydis the last two days, so Herrick was sure they were holed up together in some forgotten room in the palace.

Herrick could not begrudge his brother for seeking the company of the woman he had fallen for, but they each had roles to play tonight.

Herrick made it to the hall that led to his room, quickly walking past the hall that would lead to Maude’s room.

He had avoided his chambers ever since his last encounter with Maude outside her room.

They had been staying so close to each other that Herrick knew if he had stayed in his bed, the last grip on his restraint would have snapped.

He had been holed up in his office ever since .

Finally walking into his room, Herrick barely spared the room a glance before he headed straight into the washroom.

When he was finished scrubbing his skin raw, Herrick dried himself off and walked into the bedroom to see that one of the staff had laid out his formal wear for the ball.

His mother would expect him and Hakon to be dressed and ready before anyone else, so Herrick moved quickly.

The long black pants and boots were standard wear for their family, but instead of the usual deep navy Herrick preferred, his tunic was white with black and silver detailing around the collar, the sleeves, and down the front of it.

Herrick swung his customary cloak with his family rune symbol stitched on the back in silver around himself, the silver fur lining his shoulders brutally and elegantly.

He strapped his new hatchet to his belt around his waist, which had more runes carved into the leather, and placed a small knife into his boot.

Leaving his curling hair still damp and messy, he left his room without checking himself over and headed towards Hakon’s on the other side of the palace. Gunnar, dressed in his formal wear consisting of all-black leather with a similar fur-lined cloak, spotted him in the hall and joined him.

“Do you think he’s ready?” Gunnar asked, eyes searching for eavesdroppers in the alcoves that lined the halls.

“I don’t think he really has a choice but to be ready,” Herrick responded quietly.

The two men said no more until they crossed the threshold into the Heir Apparent’s bed chambers. His room was empty, but Herrick half expected this. Resisting the urge to run his hands through his hair in frustration, Herrick walked to the open balcony that looked out over the ocean.

“He’s going to have to choose someone tonight, and that someone cannot be Eydis. Mother won’t allow it,” Herrick said, defeat dripping into each word .

"She won't be there," Gunnar said from behind him. "Technically speaking, Eydis doesn't know about this ball."

Gunnar sat in one of the empty chairs and propped his feet up on the table, his blonde hair shining in the afternoon light and bringing out the blue and green threads he wove into his braids. Herrick looked at his friend and noticed how tired he was, his normally trimmed and neat beard wild.

“You look like shit,” Herrick said to Gunnar.

“I’ve been up late most nights, waiting to see if Maude tries to leave us or not,” he responded, head hanging over the back of the chair.

Herrick kept his face neutral and waited for Gunnar to continue.

“She only left once,” Gunnar finally said, as if he knew Herrick had been waiting. “But she came back inside quickly. She hasn’t left her chambers since.”

Herrick released the breath he had been holding.

“I think the only reason she stayed was for your mother,” Gunnar said, needing no encouragement to keep speaking.

“Alva invited her to the ball, and I think whatever scrap of manners Maude still has ruled in favor of staying. Besides, I mentioned that we all are still planning to leave tomorrow, and she wouldn’t want to leave her friends behind. ”

Herrick snorted.

“She probably argued that we weren’t her friends,” Herrick said, shaking his head and walking to the counter where he knew Hakon kept his good liquor.

Gunnar laughed. “Yes, she said as much. Pour one for me, too.”

Bringing over two glasses of amber liquor, Herrick handed one to Gunnar, who downed it in one big gulp.

Fuck it , he thought and did the same. He brought the bottle to where Gunnar was sitting and poured them each another dram .

“Why do you think she stayed?” Herrick asked, trying to appear nonchalant.

“Maybe she just wants to go to the party,” Gunnar chuckled.

“It would’ve been easier if she had gone,” Herrick said quietly.

“You don’t mean that.”

Herrick didn’t respond. Gunnar was right; he didn't mean it. Knowing that he would see Maude tonight and be forced to mingle would be impossible for him. Herrick downed his second glass and was pouring his third when Hakon finally arrived.

“Well, this is familiar,” Hakon joked as he saw Herrick and Gunnar waiting for him again.

“You need to get ready; Mother will have your head if you keep her waiting again,” Herrick grumbled, standing to push Hakon toward his washroom.

“Pour one of those for me,” Hakon said, ignoring Herrick and taking a seat next to Gunnar.

Herrick noticed Hakon had a bruise just below the collar of his shirt, the purple and black shades stark against his skin.

“Eydis seems to have quite the appetite,” Herrick said, pointing out the mark.

“Don’t joke; today is awful enough already,” Hakon said, voice getting serious quickly.

“It must not be that serious if you’ve been diving into her sheets every given moment, fully aware that nothing can come of it,” Herrick bit back.

“Shut up, Herrick,” Hakon growled.

“Maybe if you ignore the situation long enough, Mother will forget that it goes against the treaty for you to be with Eydis,” Herrick continued.

“ Stop ,” Hakon said as he stood and faced his brother .

“Is Eydis going to be okay with becoming your mistress once you’ve been forced to marry someone else?”

“She’s so much more than that, and you insult her by speaking like this,” Hakon shouted.

“Since you keep sneaking in and out of the room you’ve both been cooped up in for days, I don’t believe that.”

“Enough,” Hakon growled.

“You cannot continue to ignore the genuine problem you will be faced with tonight, Hakon. You’re only going to end up hurting Eydis when you are unable to choose her,” Herrick said.

“Herrick,” Gunnar warned from where he sat. The brothers both ignored him.

“It’s astounding that you have so much to say on the subject, Herrick, considering your problems concerning the Heir of Flame.

I would have thought you, of all people, would understand,” Hakon snarled, getting into Herrick’s face.

“I thought you might finally understand why Maude fights against her fate so much, why I have taken to doing the same.”

“And why is that?” Herrick asked, already knowing what his brother was going to say.

“Because I don’t get to choose, not really.

It’s killing me, brother,” Hakon said, deflated.

“I spend every moment I can with Eydis because this is all the time I’ll have with her.

I can’t step away from becoming King, I can’t step away from our kingdom, and I can’t step away from her.

It would be as if I was ripping apart my soul. ”

Herrick stood before his brother in stunned silence, listening to the words that so deeply echoed his feelings for Maude.

“Tonight, I have to be paraded around the eligible matches by our mother to choose a partner in the name of ruling under that gods awful treaty when my soul already belongs to Eydis. ”

Hakon’s blue eyes shuttered. Herrick really looked at his brother and saw that he was paler than usual, his caramel-colored hair dull. This truly was killing him. Was this how Maude had felt?

Herrick reached out to his brother, placing one hand on Hakon’s shoulder and the other clasped behind his neck before placing his brow against Hakon’s.

“We will find a way out of this, brother. I will help you find a way,” Herrick promised.

Hakon nodded and held onto his brother for another moment before pushing away and walking into the washroom.

“You could’ve handled that better,” Gunnar offered, sipping from his glass.

“He burned off some of the anger that’s been riding him this week; now he can focus on getting through the night without picking a partner,” Herrick sighed as he walked back to his chair and downed his third glass of amber liquor.

Gunnar let out a small laugh, shaking his head.

“There are easier ways to rile him up than to pick on the sorest subject for him,” Gunnar said.

“Perhaps, but no other way would've worked as fast.”

The two friends sat in silence for a few moments before Herrick spoke again.

“We leave tomorrow for the Kingdom of Light. It’s time to find the dalkr Hela and use it on the King of Flame.”

“If we succeed, we are breaking the treaty,” Gunnar pointed out.

“It’s what is necessary to end his rule. Besides, even if we can’t get close enough, I believe Maude can. It would not be breaking the treaty if she kills him,” Herrick said, exhaustion starting to weigh in his every word.

“Don’t you want to break the treaty?” Gunnar asked carefully .