Page 5 of Frost Bound

He spun around and grabbed his sister by the arm, pulling her into an empty armory room. Neve slammed the wooden door shut.

He rounded on Lumi. “You cannot speak that way to me.”

She scoffed, tossing her braids over her left shoulder. “Just because you’rereillovnow doesn’t mean I won’t stop acting like your older sister.”

“I’m not asking you to. But godsteeth, Lumi, I can’t afford to have you oppose me so publicly. Too much is at stake. We need to be seen as a united force, or one of the great houses could see us as weak and decide they want the throne for themselves. Civil war would break Loriia and leave us ripe for the Asterans. Beltisse is content for now, but Vergllos is playing along the edges of treason.”

“I’m just so angry!” she shouted, waving her hands, the sleeves of her black dress flapping wildly like a demented raven. “I don’t want to have one of those scorpions lurking about the palace. They took everything from us.” Tears filled her eyes. “You’re welcoming the enemy into our home.”

“Do you think it doesn’t bother me?” he growled, his own rage at the situation licking up the back of his neck. “That it doesn’t sicken me to think about taking a human as my life partner? Even the idea of touching her cool body or looking into her pale gaze disgusts me.” Neve ran a hand over his face. “I feel vile thinking and praying that their damaged princess doesn’t survive long after the contracts are signed.”

Lumi covered her trembling mouth as one tear dripped down her cheek. “You just seem so calm and collected all the time. Like you don’t care about what they’ve taken from us.”

His shoulders throbbed again, and he hissed, closing his eyes for a moment. “I was the one who was attacked, Lumi.Tortured.” He opened his eyes. “I watched ourmommardie inmyarms as a child, choking on my own blood and pain. How could you ever think such a thing?” His voice was raw—old memories and agony clawing up his throat. “I hate them.”

His sister pulled him into a hug, her head resting against the mangled remains of hiscaern’yeon his right shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay to be angry with me, but it must be in private. I will always be your little brother, but I am now yourreillov. Whether we want it to or not, it changes things. I need you to support me on this. It is the only way I’ll survive what I must do.”

Lumi pulled back and met his gaze. “Our die is cast then?”

Neve nodded. “Let’s pray luck is in our favor.”

Chapter Three

Basil

Three months later

The king and queen of Astera were going to kill him.

Basil nodded to the guards outside the throne room and smoothed his hands down the pink silk of his doublet, wiping the sweat off his palms. The letter in his pocket practically burned a hole in his chest as the guards opened the ornately carved doors. His heart thundered as he briskly walked toward the two towering amber thrones at the end of the massive room. Each of his steps echoed off the vaulted green marble ceiling.

Death. Death. Death.

That’s what his monarchs would order as soon as he offered them the treaty the Loriians had sent.

He stopped at the bottom of the steps and knelt, bowing deeply to his sovereigns. The courtier kept his eyes trained on the bottom step, grimacing as a bead of sweat fell from his brow onto the pristine floor.

“Rise,” King Randa commanded, his tone equal parts bored and irritated.

Basil rose and swallowed hard, pasting a practiced smile on his face. One that had kept him alive for many years. One had to learn how to trick, lie, and persuade in the court of Astera.

“I have news from Loriia, your majesties.” He pulled the letter from his breast pocket and cursed how his hand trembled from nerves.

Queen Allium rolled her hazel eyes and held her hand out for the correspondence, the numerous gems decorating her fingers twinkling in the light. “We don’t have all day, Basil. Give it to me.”

He scrambled up the steps and placed the sealed parchment in her hand before quickly backing down the stairs, well out of reach when the king’s inevitable rage consumed him.

The queen read the missive silently, her brow becoming ever more furrowed, her pale fingers crinkling the paper. “This must be a joke,” she hissed, glaring at Basil over the top of the letter like it was his fault.

“Don’t keep me in suspense, my love. Just what do those frost giants propose?” The king waved a hand toward his wife. “Read it to me.” He leaned onto his throne and slung a leg over the armrest, the portrait of negligent power.

“I’m not your secretary,” Queen Allium sniped, glaring at her husband.

“You are my queen, and you will do as I ask,” King Randa retorted with a smirk, brushing a lock of auburn hair from his cheek.

She glared at him, her fingers tightening on the letter. Basil began to sweat even more. The last thing he needed was for them to get into a fight and then turn it on him.

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