Page 109 of Rise of the Vicious Princess

Charis laughed. “How tiresome. I see this ending with you minding your tongue and treating me with respect. You walked into my home, into my kingdom, with every intention to be cruel and callous. To manipulate and degrade. If that’s how you choose to act, then you can be prepared for the kind of war you will never win. But if you choose to be respectful of my people, my kingdom, and me, you will find me a pleasant, intelligent, compassionate companion who will support your interests as long as they do not cross mine.”

He stared at her, and then laughed without cruelty or malice. “You really are something. I’d hoped you’d be a challenge. Stars know, I don’t want to be bored. And you are anything but boring.”

“I imagine you must have things you want to accomplish as king,” Charis said. Lord Everly leaned forward as if anxious to absorb every word.

Vahn met her gaze. “Of course.”

“Perhaps you’d like to share that with me so that we can be sure our mutual interests are fully aligned.” Charis gave him the smile that always had the nobility scrambling to explain themselves so they could stay in her good graces.

He took his time answering, and when he finally spoke, he sounded thoughtful and sincere. “I admit that I came to this kingdom with a great deal of anger and scorn for you and your people.”

Lady Ollen hissed and snatched her glass of plumberry juice as if she needed something to distract her mouth before she told the prince what she really thought.

Charis, however, softened her smile into something more sympathetic. “I’ve also had a great deal of anger and scorn for your father and your armies.”

“With good reason,” Lady Ollen managed to mutter around the lip of her glass.

Vahn ignored her. “My people are starving. There are shortages of everything imaginable. I’d happily bring an entire mountain’s worth of jewels to Calera if it meant we could immediately access a trade route from a major port.”

Charis nodded and decided it would be foolish to assume he didn’t already know about the ships sinking. The Montevallian spy network would have informed Alaric of it weeks ago.

Strange that he hadn’t brought it up before signing the treaty.

Her brow puckered into a frown, and Vahn said, “Have I said something wrong?”

“You consider yourself well informed about Calera, Arborlay, and me in particular, don’t you?” she asked.

“I do.” He set his fork down and considered her. “Though I have to admit that our spies’ reports about the Willowthorns were not quite as comprehensive as we’d believed.”

Lady Channing stirred, her sleeve brushing against Charis’s, though she said nothing.

“But surely you received reports about trade ships sinking.” She watched him carefully.

Now it was his turn to frown. “Of course.”

“And that doesn’t worry you?” Her voice sharpened. “Your singular goal as king of Calera is to open a sea route for Montevallo’s trade, and you aren’t at all concerned that those ships will sink when they leave the harbor just like everything else in the past two months?”

He smiled. “My dear Charis, I’ve just said I’d be willing to pay a mountain’s worth of jewels if it means saving my people. Our reports say Rullenvor and the Rakuuna are behind the sinkings and simply want payment in jewels to become allies instead of enemies. Father and I determined before we even set foot in Calera that it was a price we are willing to pay.”

Charis blinked. He said it so casually. As if allowing both Rullenvor and the Rakuuna to have power over his people was an easy decision to make.

Maybe it was. If the alternative was starvation and the collapse of their civilization, giving some of their mountains’ bounty to save their people wouldn’t seem all that difficult.

And if he and Alaric were willing to pay off the Rakuuna, that meant Calera was also free. Trade would resume. Shortages would ease. And her decision to marry the enemy prince truly would save her people.

“In fact”—Vahn patted his lips with his napkin—“I’m happy to send a message to the attacking fleet today and begin negotiations on their price.”

“Be sure to tell them not to sink another ship from this moment on,” Lord Everly warned. “It’s best to force them to put up a show of good faith right from the outset.”

Vahn tilted his head toward Lord Everly. “What was your name again?”

“Lord Blaise Everly, third cousin to the queen, esteemed member of the royal council for fifteen years.” He puffed up, a light of challenge in his eyes.

“Lord Everly, if you ever again presume to give me advice before I’ve asked for it, it will go badly for you.” Vahn said it simply, as though it was just a statement of fact.

Charis believed his words completely.

She hardly appreciated being caught between instinctive protectiveness toward a member of the council and grudging appreciation for the way Vahn had put dour, presumptuous Lord Everly so neatly in his place.

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