Page 15 of Warrior Princess Assassin (Braided Fate #1)

He scoffs and shoots a dark look at the door. “My request only became urgent when your brother turned it into a pissing match.”

A little heat flares on my cheeks. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a man at court say the words pissing match right to my face. I rarely hear profanity at all, except from Asher. I’m not offended, but it feels scandalous.

It scares me that I like this, too.

I keep the pin between my fingers, because setting it down would feel too much like yielding something. “What did you say that made Dane so angry?”

“Which time?”

That’s frank and startling and almost makes me smile, especially since he’s not kidding. “Just now. When he was leaving.”

“I said that if this alliance is to proceed through marriage, he will not lay a hand on you again. If he does, I will consider it an act of war.”

“You think I can’t defend myself?”

“You’re prepared to stab me in the eyes. I absolutely think you can.” The king’s gaze holds mine. “I wanted to make it clear to Prince Dane that I will not just protect Astranza. As you are their princess, I will defend you as well.”

I stare at him. I’m not sure what to say. No one ever is ever willing to defend me against Dane. No one but Asher.

But this man is a stranger. I’m no one to him. Maybe his vow should make me happy, but instead, my throat is tightening, and I can’t quite define why.

I think of Asher curling up in my bed last night, the warm weight of him at my back. Every moment between us has always been...easy. So sweet and simple—the exact opposite of all this.

I’m not the boy you remember. And you’re about to marry another man.

Maybe he was right. Maybe it would’ve been easier if he’d stayed gone.

A line appears across the king’s brow. “Does that upset you?”

“No,” I say, and my voice is a bit rough. I glance at the doorway. I’m sure everyone is hovering, wondering what he’s doing to me. “What did you want to talk about?”

The king unfolds his arms, but then he hesitates. “May I come closer? Or are my eyes still in danger?”

The hairpin stops spinning between my fingers, and I give a humorless laugh, then drop it on the table. “You’re wearing a thousand weapons. I doubt it would be a fair fight.”

“I’ve seen men taken down by less than a hairpin.” He reaches for a buckle on his forearm. “But I’ll disarm for you, Princess.”

I inhale to tell him that he doesn’t have to, but his fingers slip the leather through the buckle in a way that’s so quick and deft that I can’t help but stare.

Before I realize it, his left bracer is gone, revealing six hidden knives on his forearm.

He unsheathes each one to set it on the dresser along the wall.

Then he bends to pull a longer knife from his boot, adding that to my dresser as well.

His movements are smooth and deliberate in a way that reminds me of Asher.

But Asher is lean and quick, like a panther.

I can’t see this man slinking through the shadows and flipping down from the rafters like a jungle cat.

No, the king prowled right into my quarters like a lion.

By the time he reaches for the buckle of his dagger belt, I’m transfixed, watching the movement of his fingers, the slow slide of leather across steel. That goes on the pile as well, and he finally reaches for the buckle of his sword belt, which is wider, and hangs a bit lower.

When I realize that I’m just staring, my cheeks flush again. But I don’t want to look away.

He doesn’t either, because his eyes hold mine the whole time.

When the sword is on the dresser as well, he stops. “Armor, too?” he says, and his accent curls around the words in a way that should be criminal.

“Ah, no.” I have to clear my throat again. “Thank you, Your Majesty. That will...suffice.”

He must take that as some kind of invitation, because he closes the distance between us, and without warning, he sits right down beside me. Out of all the plush furniture in my chambers, the king of Incendar is sitting on one of the tiny velvet stools of my dressing table.

“I do have other chairs,” I say.

He glances at the hairpin. “I thought you might want your weapon within reach.”

I can’t tell if he’s being funny or serious.

A little of both, I think. It’s cold enough that I can’t catch much of his scent, just a hint of leather oil from his armor, and maybe something a little deeper, a little masculine.

The slight beard growth on his chin is gold in the morning sunlight, and his eyes are shadowed.

I think of how early he appeared in the atrium with his captain. They must have ridden all night. My brother would have slept in a carriage, but I doubt this man did.

“Before we begin,” he says, and his voice is a bit quieter, “I should ask for your forgiveness. I did not intend to give the impression of force. If you do not wish to speak with me, I will leave.”

That’s unexpected—and generous. But I think of what he said when he was speaking through the door, to say nothing of Dane’s threats that I need to fix this . “You’ll leave Astranza?”

He winces. “No. But I will leave you in peace until we are to meet officially—if that is what you prefer.”

He sounds so sincere. I’m a little breathless now that he’s right in front of me. “I’ll talk to you.” I set my shoulders. “I would have talked to you without the threat of unraveling the alliance.”

“Good. Because I would like to begin anew. With truth between us, Princess. I have made no secret of how badly Incendar needs King Theodore’s weather magic.

Your people are well-fed, and mine are.

..struggling. I long to help them. Draegonis is making advances against Astranza’s armies, and I believe I can lead my forces to stop them. This alliance will help us both.”

I nod, but my heart catches, thinking of what I know of my father and his illness.

I would like to begin anew. With truth between us .

Is he only talking about what happened this morning? Or does he suspect the truth about my father? Did his men hear something? Have the servants been gossiping?

Maddox Kyronan picks up the hairpin I was hiding between my fingers.

“I’d like to ask you a question,” he says, and his voice is grave.

“If your answer is a lie, it’s possible you’ll fool me—for a time.

But it will set a course of distrust that can’t be undone.

” He pauses. “I don’t want to begin that way. ”

He says this so earnestly, and I can see in his eyes that he means every word.

“I don’t want to begin that way, either,” I say quietly, and the words hurt to say. Because I’m bracing myself. If he knows about Father, I’ll have to lie. I have no choice.

“Very well. Why did you dress as a maid this morning?”

I jerk back a little, because it’s not at all what I expected—it’s worse . It’s humiliating. I’m a grown woman. A princess who’s supposed to be his future queen. In the moment, sneaking into the atrium felt brave and maybe a little reckless, but just now, it feels silly and childish.

I have to look away. I want to snatch the hairpin out of his fingers and stab myself with it.

When I say nothing for a full minute, the king says, “So this is how we’re to begin?”

“I’m not lying ,” I say, my eyes on the edge of my dressing table. “I don’t like the answer.”

He considers this. “When you did not participate in any of our negotiations, I thought perhaps it was an indication of disdain for Incendar. Of unwillingness to proceed.”

“What?” I snap my head up. “ No .”

He smiles, but again, there’s no real humor to it. He spins the pin across his knuckles. “It’s clear you don’t trust me.”

“That’s not why I didn’t attend the negotiations,” I say hotly.

“Then why?”

“I wasn’t allowed .”

He frowns, then sets down the pin. “You see, this did not occur to me. Your brother was so contemptuous that I assumed you were alike in thought. Your father was so distant that I assumed you shared his pride. Your future is to be bound to mine. Had I known you were deliberately excluded, I would have insisted on your presence.”

I think about Dane saying that he’d offered to marry Maddox Kyronan’s younger sister, but the offer was rejected. “If the situation were reversed, would you allow your sister to participate in the negotiations?”

Now it’s his turn to jerk back, which is surprising. “Victoria? I wouldn’t refuse. But she is...she is not interested in political matters.”

Interesting .

“Not at all? She doesn’t care who she marries?”

“My sister prefers her solitude.” At his side, his fingers twitch, and there’s the tiniest glow in the shadows, gone so quickly that I might have imagined it.

“That’s a summoning sigil!” I say. “Are you calling magic ?”

He gives a little jump, like I’ve truly surprised him. But then he draws back, regarding me a little more warily. “You know the sigils?”

“Yes. Both Dane and I were tutored when we were young.”

He pauses, and intrigue lights in his eyes. “Do you share your father’s power?”

For an instant, I want to lie. I want to say yes . Because it would give us a cover in case Father’s illness is discovered.

But as quickly as I have the thought, I shove it away. My lack of power would be obvious the instant anyone needed a demonstration.

“No,” I admit. “Though...there was hope.”

“Ah.” He pauses, studying me. His eyes are so intent, and I can tell that this is a man who sees everything .

“You’ll have to forgive me, Princess.” He holds up his hand, flexing his fingers like they’ve betrayed him.

“An unfortunate force of habit. But the magic is powerless. There’s no flame to draw. ”

An unfortunate force of habit. I wonder if that means he’s nervous. About me? About the alliance? About his sister?

I wet my lips. “Do it again.” When he hesitates, I look from his face to his hand. “As you said, there’s no flame to draw.”