Chapter 44

The next few days were spent resting and being spoiled by everyone in our household and spending a truly astonishing amount of time sleeping and eating; the amount of energy Liam and I had expended on the run from Twisted Pines and in the short struggle with his father had left us exhausted and in dire need of food.

Kaira cooked nearly around the clock, making so much food that it could have fed an army. I begged her to stop but she wouldn’t even acknowledge that I’d spoken, instead, just turning around and scuttling back to the kitchen to whip up another magical dish. I would have been mildly aggravated by this except that I realized this was her way of showing us how much she cared. With that realization, I kept my mouth shut and ate until I rivaled Liam. Well, maybe not that much considering our size difference, but it felt like it whenever I thought too much about how much food I had eaten. But with every new dish she brought to our quarters, I found myself once again eating until I was fit to burst.

Gardeners brought fresh bouquets to our quarters every day and every contact with servants involved them bowing and expressing their joy at our return. Zusa brought Clementine and burst into tears when the kitten broke into a loud purr and clawed her way up to perch on Liam’s shoulder.

When Nanny arrived with an imperious banging on our door, she didn’t even chide Liam before pulling him into a hug so hard that I feared for his ribs, but he just gently patted her back and told her everything was all right. She snapped at him that he was a fool for thinking that and then she pulled me into an equally fierce hug. I was astonished at how strong she was for one as old as she and then quickly lost that train of thought as she crushed the air from my lungs.

When she let me go, in a gentler tone than she’d used with Liam, she told me, “And you’re a fool, too, lass, for loving this oaf and getting involved in troubles with Tae Beun.”

I smiled as I told her, “I am glad to be a fool if it means that I can love and live as I choose.”

She shook her head as if in exasperation, but there was a smile playing at the corners of her mouth as she patted my cheek affectionately. “There’s just no talking sense to you younglings, so I say. Stubborn as mules.”

Teasingly, I quipped back, “We learned from the best.” She cackled at that and then shuffled off, calling over her shoulder that we should have lunch in the garden with her the next day. She didn’t even wait for a reply as she slid the door shut on her way out.

Liam and I shared an amused look and then we both laughed, happy to have been the subject of Nanny’s chiding.

Later that day, as we were gorging on yet another of Kaira’s feasts, the Major knocked and entered the study, giving Liam a stiff bow. Her usually stoic expression was gone, replaced by one of simmering anger as she berated him in an exceedingly polite way, but berated him nevertheless.

Liam bore it, knowing that he deserved it for commanding her to stay behind at Twisted Pines while we had fought for our lives at the palace. I diffused the situation by insisting the Major sit and eat with us. I was now officially the crown prince’s wife so she couldn’t refuse me being the stickler for protocol that she was.

As we ate, Major Antelz updated us on the status of the three women who’d been missing from the slave inspection. Apparently, all three, as well as a dozen or so other slaves had been sent to the seneschal’s private residence out in the countryside to temporarily assist with a banquet he’d been holding for some visiting dignitaries.

According to the Major, this wasn’t uncommon for palace nobles to do, but I considered the timing to be suspicious and she and Liam both agreed with me. Worse yet was that by the time they returned, there would be no scent to trace.

The matter still needed consideration, but I put it aside for the moment so that I could give it deeper thought later when I had the quiet to do so.

The Major also informed us that word had spread that the cut on Tae Beun’s face had healed, but despite the efforts of the best mages and his personal physician, the cut had left a deep scar on the king’s cheek.

I shared an uneasy glance with Liam at this news. The goddess had left her mark on the king, but it would likely be me that paid the price for that reminder of his hubris.

When I told the Major what I’d already told Liam about the blue tinge on the king’s lips and the smell of drugs on his breath, the Major’s eyes widened slightly in alarm. “That may explain much. A drug that amplifies his power may also explain the tales that he’s been in bed ill ever since you battled him. He may have pushed himself too far if he was blinded by the drug’s influence.”

Liam added, “That would also explain why he has kept his distance from me for years. Even when at court functions and meetings, he has kept me down in the courtyard or across a large room with incense burning. He was using the incense to disguise the smell of the drug.”

I fretted at my lip for a second as I considered his words. “Who do you think is giving him the drug?”

Liam snarled, his wolf peeking out of his eyes. “My darling stepmother would be my guess.”

I gasped in surprise even as I understood that Liam spoke the truth. Major Antelz seemed to agree as well, saying, “Perhaps that is how she has kept him under her sway.”

Liam flexed his hands into fists. “I’ve avoided sending spies against Tae Beun but I can no longer afford to play the filial son. Have a spy placed in Tae Ma’s residence at once, or turn someone in her entourage.”

The Major bowed her head. “It shall be as you say, Tae Han.”

Before Major Antelz left us to go about her duties, she stood at the door and turned to me with a strange expression on her face. “While I rested at Twisted Pines, I spent much time with my wolf. It was…” She frowned as she sought the correct words. “It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced. Thank you for opening my eyes, Tae Ko.”

Her use of my new title startled me for an instant; it would take some getting used to to hear people referring to me as “Exalted Princess”.

She gave me a deep bow of her head and made to leave, but hesitated and spoke to me once more. “Her name is Tumi.”

Before I could tell her that was a lovely name, she was sliding the door shut. I smiled, glad that the Major had shared such a precious thing with me.

Over the days following the battle with Tae Beun, various nobles and ministers and such arrived at our home on the pretext of congratulating Liam and me on our bonding, only to be turned away by Zusa on Liam’s orders. Each was told that we were recuperating and not accepting visitors at this time. Most left with grace and understanding, but Zusa reported that a handful seemed angry that they’d been rebuffed.

Liam shrugged his massive shoulders in a dismissive fashion. “I’ll deal with those fools later. Right now, I just want some peace and quiet.”

As the afternoon turned to evening, we received a missive from the palace stating that an official banquet would be held in our honor three days hence. Liam had the palace messenger wait while he penned a quick response, telling the king that we would not be available at that time.

After he’d sent the messenger back to the palace with his reply, I turned to Liam with concern. “Is that wise, my love? I have already angered him enough. Should we not try to at least appear as if we are appeasing him?”

Liam’s growl of anger caught me off guard. “I angered Tae Beun as well and I don’t give a damn about appeasing him. He was going to shackle you as a slave even though there was proof that we were bound by the goddess. I’ll not play games with him.”

I nodded in understanding, but a trickle of fear went through me. The troubled waters just kept getting deeper and deeper.

Liam rose and went to the little hidden alcove where he kept his most prized possessions, as well as money and important papers. He withdrew a thick book and then resealed the alcove with magic.

Seating himself next to me once more, he handed me the book, which was bound in a beautiful cobalt blue silk. I read the cover aloud, “A Guide To Marine Life, written by Rebeka Black Thorn.”

I looked up at Liam with a smile. “What a lovely gift, husband. Thank you. I’ll enjoy it immensely.”

Liam cleared his throat before responding and an awkward look came over his face. “The book isn’t the real gift. I couldn’t figure out how to surprise you since you’ll smell it long before we arrive, but I want to take you to the seaside for a couple of weeks, just the two of us. I thought we could travel incognito and-”

His words were cut off as I launched myself at him, knocking him onto his back and covering his body with mine. He laughed as I rained kisses all over his face and told him over and over again that I loved him.

When I’d gotten a tiny bit of control over myself, I propped myself up and asked, “When do we leave?”

He grinned up at me, pleased that I was excited. “Arrangements are being made for a bungalow not too far from a coastal village called Otter Cove. I think we can leave at the end of the week, if you can hold yourself together for that long.”

I squealed with delight and flung my arms around his throat. Liam made a croaking sound and I realized that I’d once again shoved my shoulder into his throat. “Oh, oh no, I’m sor-”

Liam’s lips pressed against mine, cutting off my apology and when he pulled back, there was good humor in his eyes. “Well, are you going to read that book or not, Xia Wind Song?”

That night, I stayed up into the wee hours as I voraciously read the book that Liam had given to me. There were drawings of various animals and ocean plants nestled between paragraphs and I stared at them in wonder.

I read about the intelligence and playfulness of dolphins and of how some jellyfish could glow in the dark . There were fish I’d never heard of, some of which were fearsome predators called sharks, and krill which were tinier than my pinky but that gathered in such great numbers that they turned the blue waters of the ocean into a pink hue.

I was shocked to discover that whales were mammals like humans and wolves and that they were the largest animal in the world but that many of the various species fed on the tiny krill, which seemed absurd to me given their vast size.

I paid special attention to the section on otters since we were going to Otter Cove and was utterly charmed at the description of their tool use and how they kept their favorite rock in a skin pouch. I was excited at the prospect of seeing these delightful little creatures.

I read of kelp and swordfish and mollusks and shrimp. I read until my eyes burned with fatigue and Liam had to chivvy me to set the book aside and go to bed. The next morning, I skipped breakfast and took the book out to the verandah so that I could enjoy the garden while I read. Zusa brought me tea and I absentmindedly took a drink without checking the temperature and scalded the blue blazes out of my mouth.

Come lunch time, Liam insisted that I eat with him so I reluctantly set aside the book since I'ikki was admonishing me for not eating breakfast. I rushed through the meal, barely tasting it, and returned to the garden to sit beneath a willow tree’s shade as I read about seahorses and how they clung to plants with their curly little tails.

After finishing the book, I closed the cover with a sigh of satisfaction. I couldn’t wait to see the many-limbed octopuses and squids that had been detailed in the final chapter. I stretched and stood and made my way back through the garden and into our quarters via the verandah.

Liam looked up from where he sat working on some papers that the Major had delivered and gave me a warm smile. “Finished?”

I smiled back and nodded, seating myself in my usual spot. Rubbing my tired eyes, I told him, “That was absolutely fascinating. Thank you so much.”

He reached for my hand and held it, running his thumb across my knuckles. “I’m glad that you enjoyed it. I was thinking we could leave the day after tomorrow, if that suits you.”

My smile broadened. “Oh, yes, that would be wonderful.”

We spent the rest of the afternoon packing and preparing for our departure. Liam didn’t want to take a cortege, much to the Major’s chagrin, so we planned on sneaking out of the citadel in the wee hours, much like we’d done when going to Twisted Pines.

As I was debating on what to bring, while also battling Clementine who suddenly decided that rucksacks were caves and therefore her domain, it suddenly occurred to me that I hadn’t yet gone to the temple to seek out the priestess that had been at the royal court events. Hastily, I wrote a note to the temple and had to hope that she would receive the message as I’d never discovered her name. I explained that I would be gone for a short while and that I would seek her out upon my return.

When I called for Zusa to have the message sent to the temple, she informed me that Doctor Finestri and Nurse Kelina had just arrived and were wondering if they could see us for just a moment. Unlike the nobles who had come calling before, these were people I actually wanted to see and I asked Zusa to escort them in.

Before I could even utter a word of welcome, Kelina flung herself at me, clutching at my hands and wailing and crying. “Oh oh oh, I’m so glad to see you! I’ve been sick with worry!”

Doctor Finestri had a look of mild horror on her face as she tugged at Kelina’s arm. “Kelina, stop that immediately and bow to Tae Ko.”

I gave the doctor a small smile and a wave of my hand to say that it was all right. I hugged Kelina and patted her back and assured her that everything was fine.

I pulled away from the kind nurse and invited her and Doctor Finestri to sit. We chatted for a bit and the doctor informed me that she had arranged to have Emmi’s remains smuggled out of the citadel and she’d been buried in a commoner’s graveyard not too far away. She pulled a small piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to me. It had the name of the graveyard and directions on how to get there written in small, untidy letters.

Tears welled up in my eyes and I thanked the doctor in a choked voice. “I owe you a great debt, Doctor Finestri. Thank you for showing her one last kindness.”

The doctor waved off my gratitude. “She was your friend and she deserved better than to be cremated in a mass grave.”

I nodded. “Yes, she did. But you risk punishment if it’s found out.”

She shrugged. “I won’t be found out. I’m in charge of all corpses within the citadel so there’s no chance that anyone will discover what I’ve done.”

I reached for her hand and squeezed it. “Thank you. You’ll never know what this means to me.”

She patted my hand awkwardly, looking a bit self-conscious and then rose to her feet, beckoning Kelina to do the same.

I asked them to return for another visit in a few weeks and they gladly agreed, bowing their heads to us before departing.

I’d meant what I’d said to the doctor and was comforted by the fact that I would get to visit Emmi’s grave, but a sadness came over me as I thought about my lost friend.

Liam reached for me, gently pulling me into his lap and I sat there for a long time just thinking about Emmi and all the times she’d made me smile. I thought about the stolen plum and the juice running down her chin as she gobbled it and the bright smile she’d flashed at me the last time I’d seen her alive. My friend was gone but I would never forget her and the only thing I could take comfort in was that at least now she was free of the shackles that she had worn her entire life.