Page 43 of The Twisted Throne

Entering, Ahnna watched the other princess cross the room to sit on a green velvet sofa. Hazel, who’d obviously been waiting, exited, shutting the doors behind her.

“I have but one question,” Virginia said as Ahnna perched on the chair across from her. “Why have you come to Harendell?”

After the women departed, hisfather motioned to servants and guards alike to leave the room, saying nothing until the door shut behind them. “Drink? You look as though you could use one.”

“Please.”

Unbuttoning his coat, James tossed it on a chair before slumping on a sofa, watching as his father made some sort of concoction out of various alcohols, knowing that whatever it was would kick like a horse hoof to the head.

“Ahnna is lovely,” his father said, stirring a drink and then adding in a liquid that was an alarming shade of green. “I suspected that I would like her from our brief meeting while we coordinated our forces against Silas, and I was correct.”

“You’ve spent five minutes in her presence.”

“That’s all I need.” His father approached, setting the strange-colored drink in front of James. “I’m an excellent judge of character. Plus, you seem to like her, which is telling. You don’t like anyone.”

For an instant, panic flooded James’s veins that his father had discovered his indiscretion with Ahnna, but the amused smile on Edward’s face chased the panic away. His father wouldn’t be laughing if he knew that James had kissed Ahnna in the middle of the night in Fernleigh’s maze, which was in full view of every window of the house.

“Inaccurate on both counts,” James countered because his father would questionwhyif he didn’t. “There are a good many people I like, just very few of them are at court. As for the princess, we do not see eye-to-eye on much.”

“Precisely.” His father sipped his drink. “You have a strong preference for individuals who argue with you at every turn. You’ve always liked difficult things, James, and that includes people.”

There was some validity to that statement, but he needed to stomp on any of the positive sentiment he felt toward Ahnna. His goals were counter to hers in every way, and he could not allow himself to be swayed from them in order to appease her. “Sentiment is irrelevant, particularly mine.”

His father made a tutting noise but then said, “Your report had notable holes in it, which is fair, given that secrecy is of the essence. What have you learned?”

“Ithicana is understandably weaker militarily than it has ever been, but I believe that also extends to their finances,” James said. “Ahnna made overtures about increasing exports on our part through her brother’s bridge, under the guise of supporting the Maridrinians, but she resisted suggestions of concessions on tariffs. I believe they seek to rebuild Ithicana using Harendell’s wealth. They aren’t the allies they once were. Indeed, despite the violent attack that sank our ship on their own pier, Aren showed no interest in blocking Amarid’s access to Southwatch, his only concern the practical challenge of removing the wreckage so that trade atthe market could continue without delay. I believe they are desperate for gold.”

His father took another sip of his drink, expression thoughtful rather than angered. “Ithicana has lost a great deal, but never has it had greater influence in the south. Lara’s sister Sarhina, whom she is rumored to be very close with, is on the throne of Maridrina, and her brother Keris is wed to the Empress of Valcotta. Those are no small things, especially given the amount of trade we’ve historically done with both nations.”

“Maridrina is nearly bankrupt.” Then, knowing his father took great offense to anyone who didn’t drink his concoctions, James took a sip of the green liquor, which burned with such ferocity that he coughed. “The Maridrinians can’t afford to buy more, and our goods would sit at Southwatch’s market while our merchants were charged daily for warehousing and cattle feed. We’d lose gold hand over fist while Ithicana pockets endless profit.”

He coughed again, his eyes watering because the drink continued to burn. “While it is commendable that Valcotta and Maridrina have ceased in their warring, it does mean the Maridrinians have alternatives for trade, and that is not to our favor. For better or worse, the Endless War was good for business and even better for profit.”

“War always is.” His father swirled his drink. “You have thoughts you are holding back.”

James stared at the contents of his glass, uncertain how many of those thoughts he wished to share. Finally, he said, “Cormac was in Sableton. He reiterated Ronan’s demand that you break this betrothal.”

“I signed a treaty with Ithicana,” his father said, expression unreadable. “Gave my word that this marriage would occur. I do not break my word lightly, nor do I have any desire to destroygoodwill with the Bridge Kingdom, so I need more justification than Ronan wanting it to be so.”

“Because allowing Will to wed her would be disingenuous.” James set his glass on the table. “They sent Ahnna believing this marriage would give them what they need to rebuild their nation, and we both know that isn’t the case. Unlike Maridrina and its endless princesses, Ithicana has only one card to play. They have played it believing Ahnna will have influence here. They believe she will secure more trade. They believe that we will support them with our navy. Yet you and I know that those beliefs are misguided.”

“So, you would protect Ithicana from their own misstep? You would spare Ahnna the pain of learning she’s married your brother for nothing?” his father asked, then smiled over his glass. “I thought sentiment was irrelevant?”

James’s cheeks warmed slightly. “It’s a matter of honor. If Ahnna understands that she cannot achieve what she wishes by marrying Will, then she may ask Aren to renegotiate. She can wed a Veliant prince or some Valcottan nobleman, or better yet, remain in Ithicana, for that is where she truly wishes to be.”

“Unfortunately, honor and wisdom rarely walk hand in hand,” his father said. “If Ithicana’s circumstances are as dire as you believe and we tell them that marriage will not secure them the trade they desire, that we will free them of their obligation to wed their princess to your brother, what is to stop them from attempting to play their card with Amarid? Katarina does, after all, have a son.”

James stiffened. “They would not marry Ahnna to the Beast.”

“Are you so certain about that?” Rising, James’s father began to slowly pace the room, sipping his drink. “Ithicana has nothing to gain in wedding Ahnna to any of the southern nations that they don’t already have, and keeping her gives them even less. WhereasAmarid is a contentious political relationship, so they’d have much to gain in the smoothing of it, and what better path to peace than a bride? In your quest to spare Ahnna irrelevancy, you would not only be delivering her to a marriage with a monster of a man, but you would also be handing our greatest adversary an alliance with the Bridge Kingdom. The kingdom that currently influences all the power of the south.”

James hadn’t considered that. Hadn’t considered that Aren would stoop so low as to wed his sister to Carlo, whose dark reputation was known north and south. Would Ithicana’s king sentence his sister to a life of abject misery for the sake of gaining a powerful ally? His gut told him no, but he’d also seen how Aren had walked down the Northwatch pier without even a goodbye for the sister he was sending away. Witnessed the obvious conflict between Ahnna and Lara. “There was tension between her and Aren that clearly centered on his wife. Ahnna has not forgiven Lara’s trespasses against Ithicana.”

“Even more reason for her to remain. In Harendell, Ahnna may be irrelevant, but at least she’ll be treated with the courtesy she deserves.” His father finished his drink and set the glass aside. “Ithicana might well grow bitter when they realize we’ve no intention of giving them what they want, but what can they say? We held to our word, which included no promises of increasing our trade through their bridge, so while they might be surly over their misplayed card, they will not have any grounds, nor the ability, to take action against us. Most especially once our own plans to the north come to fruition and they understand that we don’t need them at all.”

“And Ronan?”

“Your uncle won’t ruin a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to open the border over whom your brother marries. He’s just seeing how far he can push me.”

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