Page 127 of A War of Three Kings

Aldrin leans in and whispers in my ear, “You understand the irony here, right? I’m not the only one who sees it?”

I turn toward him. “What?”

He raises his eyebrows at me. “Your father literally chased me out of his lands and later imprisoned me for the crime of suggesting we solidify an alliance with a marriage.”

“Mmhmm. Makes him a hypocrite, doesn’t it? I’m sure you’ll give him a hard time about it for years.”

“Oh, I have vast plans.” Aldrin leans back in his seat, resting both hands behind his head. I don’t know how he can joke about this sort of thing. From the brutal look on Cyprien’s face, he has made the same connection and is livid.

My father stares at Niall, unblinking. “My final conditions are that the North and its leadership will remain unchanged under your new rule, and that a trade agreement is made with the fae of the Spring Court.” He glances at Aldrin and motions for him to speak.

“I want human and fae diplomats in both realms as soon as you take the throne.” Aldrin crosses his arms over his chest. “They will immediately draft trade agreements. I want merchants to cross between realms freely in the first human year, and a policy drawn up to allow migration of all in the first five human years. I am not saying people will come and go as they please, but that a person can apply for a license to travel and receive a background check before it is given. The crossings can be closely monitored and controlled against mass influxes of people, if that is an issue. Some may prosper in the business of tourism with such an agreement in place.” His eyes flick over to my grandmother. “Perhaps it could become another role of the Mothers of Magic: guiding humans on their pilgrimage to the fae lands.”

My shoulders tighten. If Aldrin achieves this feat, and Titania takes the credit for the influx of wealth it will bring to his lands, it will be even harder to remove her from the throne. Deep respect for him blooms in my heart. He has always put the needs of his people above his own.

The room explodes with a fury of voices, some demanding exclusive rights to the fae trade and Lord Tomas calling for caution.

Prince Niall looks Aldrin in the eye.“I agree.”

We spend hours poring over the details. Niall will maintain his position in the royal court until the timing is right, but he is already our pledged king.

My head spins with the developments of the night as I walk through the dark, dank corridors of the fortress with Caitlin, back to our shared room so I can change my clothes and strap on my weapons. We will steal those texts and scrolls tonight.

I find myself jumping at shadows. There is something eerie about the usually busy stone passages being completely empty. Every little sound is echoed back to us, mostly the scurrying of rats and dripping of water after the rain.

Caitlin suddenly grabs my arm and places a finger to her lips. I hear them, then. The voices.

My grandmother’s floats to us first. “So, you have decided to marry off your youngest daughter at just seventeen.”

There is a long silence. “Eighteen. She will be eighteen by that time.” My father sighs.“I don’t like it, but this was an opportunity that could not be missed, for both Brianna and this family. Niall is not his brother.”

“No. He is not. And King Willard is no longer alive to torment his son’s bride.”

I move to step into the junction between corridors, to let them know we can hear them, because it isn’t right to eavesdrop. Caitlin wraps an arm around my middle and presses me against the wall next to her. She even has the audacity to shush me.

The footsteps stop, and it sounds like they are just around the corner from us.

“Somehow, of all my daughters, I feel Brianna will be the only one who won’t hate me for the choices I have made of late.Caitlin bites my head off every time I suggest caution about her riding into battle, claiming I am trying to steal her agency. I only want to protect the babe. And Keira? I don’t know where to begin to heal the wounds between us. I was so afraid when Aldrin arrived a second time to steal her away, and I acted rashly.”

My father’s voice breaks, and he sounds more vulnerable than I have ever heard him.

“I thought it was hard when we had twin toddlers running around the castle setting things on fire, and a baby constantly crying,” he says. “But trying to guide and protect adult children is so much more difficult. Every decision has greater weight and huge ramifications for the rest of their lives. Sometimes, I want to go back to simpler times, when their daddy was invincible in their eyes and knew everything.”

My grandmother lets out a half-choked laugh. “I know the feeling, Edmund. The gods know we have had our differences. Your daughters may be angry with you now for being the overbearing, overprotective father, but trust me, they do not hate you. It is the hardest thing to take a step back and allow them to make their own choices. Every adult needs to make their mistakes and learn how to pick themselves up.”

My heart feels like it is going to shatter. I want to rush out and hug our father, but this moment isn’t about me. Caitlin’s eyes meet mine as tears form at their corners. Her lips are downturned. She has become as emotional as me in her pregnancy.

“But those mistakes could bring down a kingdom.” Our father’s voice is muffled, and I wonder if he rests his head against his mother’s shoulder, like I have seen him do when he thinks they are alone. No matter how old we get, our mother is always our soft place to land. “And must they be so willful?” he practically growls.

I have to choke down a laugh when Caitlin’s head whips toward the voices, an outraged scowl pinching her features.

“Oh, willful, is it?” my grandmother mocks. “Well, Edmund, that is rich coming from you. You almost put me in an early grave so many times.”

“Mother, I’m convinced you’re going to outlive us all. The Explosion Brothers could place a bomb beneath your feet, and you’d walk away from it unscathed.”

She lets out a huff of breath. “Women need to be strong-minded in this world. Remember that the next time they challenge you. It doesn’t make our lives easier as parents, though.” Her voice is growing distant. They must have continued walking again.

“Why did I always think Diarmuid was going to be the one who would give me the most trouble?” My father laughs. It is hardly audible. “Suddenly, drinking too much and gambling doesn’t seem like such a big problem.”

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