Page 63 of Vows of Sacrifice

“Yes, Your Majesty. The Isamane told me you wanted to show me the great eagles.”

He held out a hand to me. I could see his gesture, but his facial features and expression were still a mystery to me. It gave him a curious, disturbing aura. Nevertheless, I accepted his hand and placed my palm on it.

“You’re trembling,” he observed.

“Yes, all that screaming . . . I’m not used to it.”

It wasn’t entirely untrue, but the atmosphere of this place also had an unpleasant effect on me. Like a weight pressing down on my chest.

“I see.”

I sensed more than saw his smile through the inflection of his voice. King Elendur had a certain charm. Different from Dovah, of course. The two were by no means comparable, but I suspected that the king, even if he’d been a simple knight, would have been very successful with the opposite sex. On the other hand, I had the feeling that behind that formidably handsome face lurked a dangerous darkness. Did my imagination run too wild as a result of the numerous epic readings that had occupied most of my leisure time when I was younger? Perhaps, but he was the originator of the bloody war against Muvaria, and that was enough to make me distrust him.

“Come towards the light so I can admire you more closely, wife of my hand of justice. By the way, did Dovah tell you that your union would be celebrated tomorrow at the temple?”

“Yes, he told me.”

As with his sister, there was no question of me admitting to the king that he hadn’t been able to do it yet, and that I’d only deduced it. I had the idea that the twins had hoped to spoil Dovah’s announcement about our marriage.

Once under the blinding light of the Osacan sun, King Elendur scrutinized me further. I felt naked as he let his gaze run over me. The Osacanian dress didn’t help me feel at ease, and one thing was certain, he had guessed it!

He smiled at me, but it was a predatory smile devoid of friendliness.

“You have the perfect body for our style, Lady Ashana. I like it very much.”

I dug my fingernails into my palms to help myself maintain the appearance of a perfectly relaxed attitude, pretending to ignore the possible implication lurking behind that last sentence.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. Your compliment flatters me.”

When I said the last word, his smile deepened, as if I’d said something amusing.

“I’ll introduce you to my friends.”

He must have been talking about eagles.

“I’m told you wish to send gifts to your family,” he inquired as I walked beside him, disturbed by the incessant sound of flapping wings as birds landed here and there.

“That’s right, yes,” I agreed.

I discreetly examined the gigantic eagles. They were enormous! About the height of a tall, full-grown man. Most of them had white heads, golden-yellow eyes, and an almost orange-coloured beak, which appeared so sharp that I didn’t doubt for a moment that they could shred any flesh in the blink of an eye. My gaze dropped to their talons, and I swallowed hard.

“Aren’t they magnificent?” asked Elendur with a curious gentleness in the inflection of his voice.

It wasn’t the first adjective that came to mind. Oh, they were beautiful, yes. Majestic, certainly, but "terrifying” was the only word they inspired in me.

“Come closer. This way,” said the King of Osacan.

We approached a row of solid gold perches, where two large white-headed eagles and a smaller brown-headed one were resting freely.

“This is the dominant clan. The biggest is the male, the leader. His name is Crisios. The second smallest is his son, Chiron. And here’s the wife, the delicate Epione. It’s this lovely lady who’s going to Muvaria for you. How do you like her?”

Fierce, I thought. There was nothing delicate about this raptor of extraordinary size.

“She is beautiful.”

Elendur smiled at me almost sincerely.

“Isn’t she? Do you have the items with you?” he continued, grabbing a leather pouch equipped with a buckled harness.

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