Page 22 of The Chains You Defy

I guessed one of the card game players was the steward since he wore a ledger on his belt, and I suddenly realized that it wasn’t carelessness everyone displayed. No, every person present was simply…relaxed.

Well, so far.

There wasn’t a sliver of psychic talent in my bones, but I didn’t need a way to foretell the future to predict that their calm would end soon.

We stopped, walking respectfully to the raised dais, which held two thrones. As I had deemed it wiser, the boy was in front of us all.

Following Ivreian tradition, he bowed deeply before Their Royal Majesties; the friend of Naya dropped into a curtsy, and I and my comrades assumed respectful poses as well. It was showtime.

“You may ease.”

The king’s voice was surprisingly pleasant, and his face mirrored his tone. He must be older than fifty winters—no matter how hard I tried to remember, his exact age eluded me. His gray hair was cut short in Ivreian fashion, and his impressive beard bore the same color. King Pritatus wore a rather plain crown made of gold resting low on his brow. Even his clothes were simple but tailored from fine fabrics.

Did he know that his forefathers had never displayed such modesty?

Continuing my observations, surprise caught me unaware, and I fought to school my features as I detected fondness in the king’s eyes as his gaze rested—on theboy? What in the gods’ good names?

His wife, Queen Anneria, was quite a few winters younger than Pritatus. News of her marrying the widowed king had even found its way to Galanta not so long ago. Fae courtiers ate up all kinds of gossip, didn’t matter if the stories only involved the creatures most of them considered inferior and unimportant.

Anneria’s long, rust-colored hair flowed over her back in heavy curls. She wore a dress made from deep green velvet, and despite the loose cut, her gown couldn’t hide her swollen belly. She was obviously very pregnant, and her due date must be soon.

Suddenly, the boon the boy had been rewarded with made more sense. If the timeline added up—which I didn’t know since I’d never bothered asking him when he’d been injured—he might have saved not only the queen but also the heir to the Ivreian throne.

If Pritatus’ fond gaze had thrown me off, Anneria’s reaction had me reeling. While I’d been lost in my mind, she’d stood up, had rushed to the boy, and had pulledhim into a crushing hug. This was getting more curious by the second.

“Gods, Bryon, it’s good to see you.”

“I have to agree. My wife and I were both disappointed when you left.” King Pritatus also abandoned his throne and approached the boy. If I’d been aware of this almost familiar connection between them, my plan might have been a different one.

Glancing to the side, I noticed my soldiers were as stunned as I was, and even Rewani blinked in confusion. Later, I’d have to make up my mind whether I found it more annoying or more commendable how the boy had kept his secret.

“Your Royal Majesties, you flatter me.”

“No need to be modest, son.”

Son? What the fuck?

“I told you before you departed, the moment you saved my wife and my future heir, you became part of my family, no matter how much you’re protesting. You were ready to sacrifice your own life. As the only one.”

I couldn’t help but compare this human king to my grandfather again, and it was like watching night and day.

Not only that, but the longer I spent in Ivreia, the less I understood the deep-seated disdain fae had for humans. Assholes existed everywhere, but a lot of humans—although irrelevant—were just…friendly.

Not the boy, though. I despised him.

“Will you stay longer this time, Bryon?” There was a melodic quality in the queen’s voice that reminded me of a spring overture popular in Galanta.

“Actually, I’d prefer to remain in Ivreiana for a while, Your Royal Majesties. There’s the boon you granted mebefore I returned home, and I’d like to exchange your favor for work, both for me and Rewani Laria Satios, a friend of mine from Credenta.”

“Why do you assume you have to use your favor for that? It’s not that you haven’t been offered a position before.”

“Well yes, but Miss Satios’ fatherly permission only entails undertaking a journey to Ivreiana to lay down a wish at the Triad’s gardens before traveling back to Credenta while I accompany her.”

The two humans had quite a story going on. How could the boy be worried about lying to his king for me when he was doing the same out of his own accord?

The queen smiled, and her rich golden wedding choker glistened in the light—the only piece of jewelry she was wearing, by the way. “So, you are unmarried and…unowned, Miss Satios?”

As Rewani stepped forward, bowing her head, I analyzed the little break in Anneria’s voice. Did she consider the Ivreian law distasteful as well?