Page 89 of Frost Bound

Lia didn’t like him on sight. There was somethingoilyabout him, about the smirk as he scanned her from head to toe. He reminded her of the Giver.

The king squeezed her hip and murmured, “It seems I have.”

Dahlia almost broke when Olwen winked at her and wiggled his brows. He was a cretin, to be sure. It would be very unqueenly for her to break out into a fit of giggles at her very first meeting.

“What did you make of theastrylle?” an older giant asked, his long gray beard quivering. He leaned his elbows onto the table, his excitement almost palpable.

She warmed to him immediately. “I’ve never been more awed and terrified at once.”

He smiled, all his teeth on display. “An apt description of anastrylleif I’ve ever heard one.”

“What do you know of the troops gathering near the border cities of Loriia?” a particularly angular giant asked, his eyes narrowed.

Dahlia lifted her chin. “I know nothing of that.”

The giant scoffed. “We’ve had reports?—”

“Enough,” the king commanded. His hard tone made Lia sit even straighter.

A volley of Loriian burst from Lumi, her anger palpable. Neve replied, the lilting words sounding firm and a touch threatening. Lia observed as the king’s sister stiffened and then shut her mouth. She shot a glare at Dahlia.

Definitely wasn’t making a friend there.

The discussions continued completely in Loriian.

She did her best to look like she was following, when nothing made sense. After about thirty minutes of Neve ignoring her and the council pretending she wasn’t in fact perching in their king’s lap, she wiggled. Her toes had long since gone numb, since they’d been hanging on his thigh.

Neve inhaled sharply and she peeked up at him from underneath her lashes. The king didn’t look down at her, but his jaw had tightened. His fingers squeezed her hip in warning. Lia inwardly smirked. She liked irritating him. He bothered her just as much.

The longer she watched the council, the more she noticed. Whatever they spoke of—Warrin the old warrior, Eira the wise woman, Beram the bearded, and Olwen the naughty as she named them in her head—agreed with king. Lumi the storm cloud, Glassiv the blade, Bacti the oily, and a burly giantess named Illa, all disagreed. The rest of the council was silent, observing the proceedings like Dahlia.

She caught Eyri’s eye when he lifted his head from his writings on the table. He smiled softly before going back to his scratching. He must be the scribe. Just what sort of things did hewrite down? Was it the highlights of the meeting? Or plans for the future? Either way … his notes could prove useful.

Next, she studied Flyka.

The Haunt never cracked a smile or showed any emotion. She could have been a statue, except for when someone turned a little heated. Then her penetrating gaze landed on them, and suddenly those giants changed their tune.

She was the muscle—the blade of the king.

She’d treated Dahlia with kindness on their journey, and Lia had lost some of her fear of the Haunt. But now watching the other giants’ reaction to Flyka was a gentle reminder that the Haunt wasn’t her friend. She was there to only serve the king.

“Are we boring you,reilleve?” the king whispered in her ear in common tongue.

Goosebumps broke out along her arms, and she barely managed to keep from gasping. The whole room had gone silent.

“Not at all.”

He pressed his other hand to her navel. “Such a patient wife.”

Her stomach had the gall to growl.

Olwen snickered, and she blushed again. When was the last time she ate? Last night? After the mess of this morning, she’d totally forgone breakfast, and was now paying for it.

Neve gently slid her from his lap onto her feet. “Why don’t you meet your ladies-in-waiting for some luncheon.”

A clear command and dismissal. And a statement about her station. While she may have the title of queen, Lia was considered anything but.

“As you wish,lae reillov.” She curtsied and went to step away, when he reached out and caressed the black diamond choker at her throat.

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