Page 13
THIRTEEN
“Come, this way,” Magoza murmured.
Amuleta’s grip on her hand was tight.
They had arrived at Angarth Keep.
They’d boarded Barto and Lulu in the stables and were now making their way through her home.
Amuleta gazed with wide eyes at the old structure.
Magoza tried to see it through her eyes.
She had been raised here and took everything for granted as the daughter of the chieftain.
“I’ve never been completely inside. I always meet Fodor at the back kitchen doors,” Amuleta said.
She moved closer to Magoza.
They walked through the main courtyard.
Magoza strode with pride; onlookers paused to take in her and her mate.
She wished someone would say something about Amuleta and her heritage.
At the moment, this would not be a good time for that person.
Magoza was ready to defend her mate at any time.
“You will no longer need to go to the back doors for anything,” Magoza grumbled.
She squeezed her hand in response.
No, her mate would never need to go to the back as a servant or vendor again.
She would sit on the throne at Magoza’s side once she took over.
She motioned for them to enter through a side door.
A guard stood watch.
He bowed his head and thumped his closed fist over his heart.
He reached over and opened the door for them.
“ Shamir omie ,” Magoza murmured.
She escorted Amuleta through the doorway and guided her down the maze of hallways that would take them to Magoza’s personal quarters.
She would see to her mate before going in search of her father.
“I’ve always thought this place was beautiful. I’m sure the history is rich,” Amuleta said.
Her head jerked around as if she were trying to take it all in.
Magoza bit back a grin at her mate.
If only Amuleta knew how rich the history of the Nidani Clan was.
She couldn’t wait to introduce her to Nargol.
Her sister was a vessel of knowledge when it came to their family and always loved teaching others about it.
“I know just the person who can help educate you?—”
“There you are. Causing a ruckus. With all of the whispers about you arriving, I thought you had your foe’s head on a stake or something.” Nargol grinned.
She strode down the hallway toward them.
Her smile slipped from her lips when her gaze landed on Amuleta.
She flicked her eyes toward Magoza then returned to Amuleta.
They stopped a few feet from each other.
Magoza shifted Amuleta closer to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
Servants and guests to the stronghold made no attempt to hide the fact that they were watching them as they ambled past them in the halls.
“And this would be her. Nargol, allow me to introduce you to Amuleta Sesh. My mate,” Magoza said with pride.
She stood taller and allowed her voice to be clear and concise.
She wanted to make sure that everyone who was eavesdropping heard her.
“Amuleta, this is my pain-in-the-ass younger sister, Nargol Cydassi.”
“What the feck kind of introduction is that?” The twinkle in Nargol’s eyes returned.
She offered a smile and her hand to Amuleta who stepped forward and took it.
“It is a pleasure to meet the mate of my older deranged sister.”
“Likewise, I think.” Amuleta glanced between Nargol and Magoza with a smile on her lips.
She released Nargol’s hand and took Magoza’s.
A warming sensation appeared in Magoza’s chest at the move.
She wanted her mate to seek her out when she was nervous, unsure, or afraid.
Magoza would always be there for her to comfort her when needed.
“With all of the commotion that you’ve caused, Father has sent me to escort you to him. He wants to see you immediately.”
“I want to get Amuleta settled?—”
“He wants you to bring your guest as well, apparently.” Nargol’s smile disappeared again.
She stood to her full height.
This was no longer Magoza’s teasing little sister but a warrior on a mission for their chieftain.
Magoza gave a slight jerk of her head.
She couldn’t disobey a direct order from her father.
She glanced down at Amuleta and offered her a reassuring smile.
“Let’s go see what my father wants.”
“Of course.” Amuleta squeezed her hand and nodded.
They followed Nargol through the halls, and it didn’t go unseen that a few warriors came up behind them and walked a short distance away.
Magoza flexed her hand that twitched.
The need to rest it on her axe was strong, but she fought it.
Going into a meeting with her hand on her weapon to meet with her father would be seen as disrespectful.
It didn’t take them long to reach the study.
A guard stood outside the door.
Upon their arrival, he opened it for them.
She followed behind her sister and entered the room.
The door shut behind Magoza and Amuleta.
Her mate swayed closer to her where her free hand rested on Magoza’s forearm.
Her parents stood in front of the cold stone hearth across the room.
With the climate in Udenia, it was rare that a roaring fire was needed, but Angarth Keep was built back in a time when the things were different.
“ Banhas. Ranhos, ” Magoza greeted both of her parents.
She strode proudly across the room with her mate in tow.
She was sure she already knew why they had intercepted them.
Her parents turned to them.
Nargol moved to the side to allow her and Amuleta to walk ahead of her.
Dura and Tulak stared openly at Amuleta.
Magoza beat down the strong notion to move in front of Amuleta.
Her parents were not an enemy.
A fierce protective nature settled in the middle of her chest.
“It is her,” her father murmured.
He took a few steps forward and stopped in front of them.
Her mother came to stand beside him as they took in Amuleta.
“You brought her here?” Tulak asked.
“ Kraz ,” Magoza answered immediately.
“You resemble your father so much,” Dura said.
Tears appeared in her eyes.
Magoza could only remember seeing her mother cry a few times in her lifetime.
The mate to the chieftain was a strong female and was even a fierce warrior, but she never hid her emotions when they took over her.
One thing she had taught her daughters was compassion for all.
“You know who I am?” Amuleta asked softly.
She stared back at them with wide eyes.
“How?”
“I’ve waited solars for this moment, Amuleta Sesh, daughter of a great warrior, a well-respected orc, who was also my friend and brother-in-arms, Xagok Sesh,” Tulak announced.
A sadness appeared in his eyes.
He ran a hand over his face and let loose a deep sigh.
He motioned to the chairs and sofa that were nearby.
“Please have a seat and so we can talk.”
Magoza escorted Amuleta to the sofa then stood behind her.
She was too wired to sit.
Her sister stood next to her while their parents both sat in the high-backed chairs across from Amuleta.
“Your father was loyal to our clan for solars. I remembered the day he arrived here to pledge to the Nidani Clan,” Dura began.
A smile appeared on her lips.
She brushed her hair from her face.
Today she was dressed as the lady of Angarth Keep in a beautiful deep-golden dress that highlighted her eyes.
Even though she dressed in the finest that money could buy, it didn’t mean the mate of the chieftain was not armed with weapons.
“We had received word a few days before that a banished warrior from the Dhogurd Clan would be coming to request the ear of the chieftain,” Tulak added.
He sat forward with his hands braced on his knees.
“Your father admitted that he and his cousin had a personal disagreement that led to him being shunned by his people. I had heard of your father through channels and knew that he was a fierce and loyal warrior. Whatever the family squabble was, it was none of my business. He appeared to be a good man, so we allowed him to pledge to our clan, but he would need to prove himself worthy to remain.”
Magoza remembered also when Xagok had first arrived.
He had trained harder than any other warrior.
Fought harder. He was an experienced warrior who many had begun to look up to.
He’d proved himself over and over that he was loyal to the Nidani.
He’d moved up the ranks swiftly, and it wasn’t long before he had taken the place of commander when the former one decided to retire.
Magoza had been in her late teens, a cocky young warrior who was making her way through the ranks of her father’s army.
Her size, fierceness, and talent with her axes had allowed her to join at an earlier age than most.
“But we also didn’t know that he had a mate and a young child. I wish he would have confided in us—” Dura began but was cut off by her mate.
“Xagok did what he thought was best for his family. We will not judge him for keeping his family safe.” Tulak laid a hand on Dura’s knee.
She sighed and nodded in agreement.
He turned back to Amuleta.
“We are sorry for the loss of your father. He was like family to us. My daughter has shared that you are her fated mate, and to be honest, I couldn’t think of a better person to welcome into our family.”
Magoza gasped.
She hadn’t expected those words to flow from her father.
He had voiced concerns about Amuleta being a half-breed and that their people may not accept her.
She hadn’t even thought if he or her mother would accept Amuleta.
“I would love to meet your mother,” Dura said.
“We hear that the two of you still live in the Eltaki Woods where he built you a home. Do you think she would be open to meeting with us?”
“No.” Amuleta’s single word caused the room to go deathly silent.
Magoza’s gaze cut to her mate.
She reached forward and rested a hand on Amuleta’s shoulder.
“I see,” Dura murmured.
She glanced over at Tulak, a bewildered look clouding her face.
“Why?” Tulak asked.
It wasn’t that often that the chieftain was denied any request, and Amuleta had sat there and given them a chilled no.
“Because my mother blames you for my father’s death.”
Nargol’s quick intake of breath was the only sound in the room.
Magoza gave a squeeze to Amuleta’s shoulder before she lifted her hand.
That was why Gelisha had acted the way she had.
Not only did she blame Tulak for Xagok’s death, she probably didn’t trust that she and her daughter would be safe around them.
Magoza would win Amuleta’s mother’s trust. She didn’t know how, but she would prove that they weren’t the monsters she had probably made them out to be.
“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t blame myself,” Tulak admitted.
He pushed up suddenly from his chair and moved over to one of the windows closest to them.
He folded his arms across his chest. “Please. Give your mother a message that I would like to speak with her. If only to explain what happened that day. It can be here, or a neutral meeting place. I’m willing to do whatever she wants.”
Magoza had never seen her father be so vulnerable.
It made her heart hurt to think that he had been tortured all this time by his friend’s death.
“Will you ask her, doakir ?” Magoza rounded the sofa.
She needed to see her mate’s face.
By the looks of her tensed posture, this meeting might be too much for her.
Magoza knelt in front of Amuleta and took her hand in hers.
Amuleta offered a sad smile and gave a slight nod.
“I can’t promise anything but I will share the chieftain’s request with her.”