Page 22

I smile coldly.

“I was just coming to ask you to set a date for the Osacanian wedding. So, I’m delighted, Your Majesty.”

Elendur held my gaze without blinking. He knew I’d guessed he was hiding things from me.

“My hand of justice is fulfilled. I am pleased.”

What a farce! I bowed once again.

“Do you need my assistance?”

“Not at all, brother. You’re dismissed.”

“Thank you very much ...”

I turned to the other men present to greet them briefly:

“Gentlemen,” I simply said.

They nodded succinctly, then I walked out of the room, driven by cold anger. What the hell were they all up to?! I hadn’t taken a few steps when I bumped into two of my men, Franque and Raulyn. Twins who, unlike those who ruled Osacan, were so identical that recognizing them was an arduous task.

After they had greeted me respectfully, I beckoned them to come closer.

“I’d like you to do me a favour.”

“Anything you say, Lord Dovah,” they replied in unison.

“Keep an eye on who’s visiting the king today. I want a report on my desk tomorrow morning at the latest.”

They exchanged a brief glance, then both nodded in agreement. Suddenly, I thought about taking Ashana into town to discover something more of Osacan than Tarnton Castle. I also needed a bath, but for that, there was no need to bother the servants—the oasis would do.

I’d barely swam a few strokes when I noticed a change in the cool water. It had started to ripple, forming a kind of vibratory ring transmitted from the atmosphere to my body.

“What the ...” I began, scanning my surroundings.

It was an ancient and familiar magic.

“Tylbis?” I murmured in disbelief.

It had to be him! He eventually appeared, but an aqueous form, a kind of double made of water that resembled him sufficiently enough for me to recognize him.

“Paivrin told me you’d found your flame and married her according to our rites.”

I smile coldly.

“Hello to you too, brother.”

To which he didn’t reply. Tylbis never apologized, believing that his silence probably did it for him.

“You should have brought us together before making such a decision,” his liquid double reproached me, crossing his arms.

It was only formed up to the waist.

“Paivrin was in a much greater hurry than me, it’s him you should talk to,” I retorted dryly.

“He’s not the one who agreed to tie his blood to this human woman! Imagine if you were wrong!”

With an irritated gesture, I ran a hand over my face to help chase away the growing irritation I felt rising inside me.

“That’s my business. Is that all you have to say to me? If so, you can go back to your cave.”

My brother’s watery double stirred, sending splashes of water my way.

“You are impossible! Once again, your way of being and doing is selfish! This was a decision we should have made together!”

I glared back at him.

“I see that some things don’t change despite the passage of time. It’s easy as ever to lay all the blame on me.”

Suddenly, his magic vanished, and the water was calm again. I pinched the bridge of my nose. If even Tylbis, who lived deep in the forest of a wild country, knew of my marriage to Ashana, I could safely assume that another of my brothers would soon arrive with a bang: Kynnen.

I was in a foul mood as I entered our room, a fact that worsened when my gaze fell on two intruders who shouldn’t have been there.

It took me some time to identify them; they were the laundresses I had rescued from Elendur’s clutches and hired into the service of my wife.

I greeted them with a brief nod, to which they responded with an awkward curtsy.

Then I stood there, silent, wishing they would go away. The expression that I felt tugging at my features certainly spoke for me, for they eventually left, not without giving me a brief anxious look.

“Dovah?”

“I am here.”

Ashana smiles at me.

“For a moment, I had a doubt. Are you upset about something?”

I started undressing without thinking about anything else. I was supposed to take her to visit Tarnton, but I had neglected to take clean clothes with me when I went swimming.

“Dovah!”

“It’s nothing,” I muttered, taking off my shoes.

“Dovah!”

I then noticed the slightly high-pitched timbre of her voice and turned in her direction, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

“I assure you that everything is fine.”

When she began to stare at a point far above my head and behind me, I finally understood what was bothering her: my outfit. Or lack thereof, to be precise. I smiled.

“You should think about getting used to it,” I teased.

“Getting used to what?”

Her inflection remained as piercing as ever. I felt my smile widen.

“Me. Naked. Often,” I said.

This summed up the effect she had on me: I’d storm into a room, consumed by the vital need to light a cigar or risk gutting every human who had the misfortune to cross my path, and a few moments later, thanks solely to her, I’d be in a good mood.

To gain composure, Ashana preferred to head for the big window, wisely turning her back on me as I continued to undress.

Which I did, as I detailed her. My wife was wearing a deep green Osacanian gown that brought out the flamboyant hue of her hair and accentuated the softness of her alluring curves.

“I would very much like to see you wear the dagger I gave you.”

My sentence had the merit of attracting her attention enough for her to send me a brief questioning glance.

“Now?”

I gave her a charming smile.

“All the time. You have to tame it, get used to moving with it. It may seem strange at first, but I can assure you that you get used to it very quickly.”

From my tone, you’d have thought I was talking about something other than a weapon with a terribly sharp edge. Only, I knew that Ashana’s mind was too innocent to join my impure thoughts.

“It’s too big,” she explained.

Or not. My head jerked back. I was uncertain. Just a little. I stroked my chin thoughtfully, scratching my short beard as I wondered if I should outbid, just to test this possibility.

“Of course, but don’t be afraid of it,” I replied.

As serious as death, Ashana crossed her arms, then scrutinized me carefully. I held back laughter.

“How can you not fear being hurt? Have you seen its size?”

At this rate, my internal organs would be twisting in on themselves to contain the laughter that threatened to explode.

“I know her measurements, since she belonged to me before becoming entirely yours. And while we’re on the subject, it’s now your duty to use it as often as possible.

The more you use it, the more familiar it will feel in your hands.

Thanks to your enormous learning potential, I can assure you that you’ll quickly become an expert in this area. ”

I’d pushed it too far, because now Ashana was staring at me suspiciously.

“What exactly are you talking about?” she asked, trying to get to the bottom of it.

I dedicated a smile to her, resplendent with a fearsome hypocrisy.

“My dagger, of course!”

“Really?” she insisted.

I raised a hand to interrupt her before she realized the deception of this double-entendre speech.

“I may have a belt in my belongings that could be useful to you.”

I opened my large wooden chest, then rummaged around inside to pull out a brown leather strap. I walked over to her and fastened it around her waist. I heard her take a deep breath and hold, which made me smile.

“Breathe, Ashana.”

She gave me a surprised look.

“I beg your pardon?”

I shook my head.

“Every time I approach you, you hold your breath. You’ll end up fainting if you keep holding it in.”

I paused to study her astonished expression. She didn’t even realize she was doing it.

“I promise I don’t bite.” My smile deepened before I added, “Unless requested. Your request. And gently.”

She blushed briefly. Oh? Did she just imagine me nibbling her? If so, I was curious to know where on her body.

“I would never ask such a thing of you!”

I gave a disappointed pout.

“Oh, really?”

Ashana blushed even more. A reaction she tried to hide by looking away. A long silence fell between us, during which I adjusted the belt to her waist. Of course, I left my hands there longer than necessary.

“Where’s the dagger?” I asked, stepping back slightly.

“Hold on, I’ll go get it.”

With that, I watched her walk away to a sideboard not far from the bed.

“Everything going well with your new chambermaids?”

“Luanda and Marione?”

“Luanda and Marione,” I repeated, realizing I didn’t know their first names.

Ashana smiles mischievously at me.

“You didn’t even know what they were called before you assigned them to my service? Tss.”

I didn’t flinch under her gaze. How could I tell her that I didn’t care what their names were?

That it was only for two reasons that they were now in her service?

The first was that I felt vaguely guilty for putting their lives in danger, and the second was that I didn’t want Ashana to feel lonely when I wasn’t with her.

In truth, the rest was the least of my worries.

“Luanda is the bigger one,” my wife specified, still smiling.

“I will remember,” I replied simply.

Ashana handed me the dagger and I gently placed it in the sheath.

“If your life is at stake, do not hesitate to use it.”

I could imagine the grim expression that crossed my face as I said those words. I could almost see it reflected in my wife’s eyes. Ashana didn’t answer right away, but when she did, it was also with great seriousness:

“I know,” she said only.

I nodded in agreement. It was good to be aware of it, but it was better to be prepared for it.

Muvaria was a peaceful kingdom that had no darkness even in its darkest corners.

Here, there were thieves, assassins, the monsters of the Abyss, but also the worst scourge of all: poverty.

She could very well be kidnapped by desperate people in the hope of exchanging her for ransom. No possibility could be ruled out.