Page 52 of Of Blood & Bone: The Young Queen

“Agreed,” I reply, as I tip my glass against hers.

“And the other matter?” she asks.

“As you know, the Grand Master has had some suspicions about the presence of the prince since we returned from Ellerban, and today he sent riders after us when we were having some personal time together. I wish for a close eye to be kept upon him to see who he is consorting with. I suspect he still harbours a plan to make his nephew king. If he is plotting with others to this end, then I want to know about it.”

“Consider it done,” Kes declares in a low voice.

“In addition, I wish for Ailish to return to Ellerban to see what is happening there in the prince’s absence and to see if she can discover anything more about Prince Mikil.”

Kes finishes her wine. “Done. I’ll send her on the morrow.”

“Finally, we need a spy in Greythorne’s castle. I fear he has more allies than we know of.”

She smiles. “It’s already done, my Queen. I’ve been working on this ever since the Harvesting and seeing the alliances he had already forged.”

I smile broadly as I rise from my seat and place a grateful hand on her shoulder. “I thank the gods for the day I found you in that ditch, my friend. Now, come, let us see what this Ellerban soldier has to say.”

***

A single candle on a small wooden table beside his bed illuminates the room, and at first I’m not sure if he is awake and if I should proceed inside. However, mere moments after I have this thought, a deep voice sounds, “Please, Queen Elinor, come in.”

I walk over to the bed and as I do so his head slowly turns and I stop in my tracks at the sight of him. His cuts and bruises are almost healed, which in itself is enough of a shock, but that isn’t what stops me. No. It’s the sheer beauty of his face that causes me to pause and catch my breath.

His hair is the colour of the sunrise on a summer’s morning, a luminous white-gold, and his cheekbones are high and strong as if hewn from invisible granite. His jaw is well defined with a small dimple at its centre and is accentuated by a pair of generous lips. Above them sits a straight nose which leads to the most mesmerising feature of all – his eyes. They’re ice blue in colour, but it’s as if they’re made up of tiny crystals where the colour refracts upon itself, giving the impression of two ice blue diamonds. I can see now why Kes was so disturbed by him. I too have the impression he is seeing into me rather than looking at me.

He attempts to raise himself up in the bed and I put out my hand to stay him. “Please, don’t move yourself on my account, I know how severe your injuries are.”

He stops moving but has raised himself up enough that his torso is visible above the sheets. The lower part, where he sustained the worst wounds, is still bandaged but the upper part is bare. His skin is a light honey colour and is stretched taut over the hard muscles of his chest and broad shoulders. Angry looking welts score his flesh and, despite the salve Myreena hasobviously put on them, I wince at the pain they must be causing him.

“Apologies for my state of undress, your Majesty,” he says in a quiet voice. “I would not normally present myself in such a manner…”

I shake my head and cut him off. “Please, do not concern yourself with such things. I would not wish you to dress on my account and cause yourself more pain.”

He gives a small smile. “It seems the kindness and compassion you are known for is real.”

I incline my head a little, slightly confused by his words.How does he know anything about me?

“Kes tells me you are aware of where you are and how you got here. Is that correct?”

“Yes, and I will forever be in your debt for what you have done for me and Barra, and your care of the prince also.”

I can’t help the slight rise of my eyebrows at his mention of the prince. Barra wasn’t even sure if the prince was here, and the man before me is not only aware the prince is here but thanking me for the care I have taken of him. This would not be so strange only for the fact he has been in a much greater state of unconsciousness than Barra.

“Forgive me, Queen Elinor, I speak ahead of myself. I requested to see you as soon as I was able because I need to tell you something.”

I’m incapable of hiding my surprise and confusion at his words and wonder if he has sustained damage to his mind. “You need to tell me something? I’m sorry, but what is it you need to tell me?”

“I know it seems strange,” he explains, “but when I was unconscious something happened to me. It was as if I travelled to another world, and at times I was visited in this world by a healer. She says you will know who she is. She gave me amessage to relay to you.” He pauses and scrutinises my face with those ice blue eyes, and something passes between us when he sees the moment of recognition in mine. The moment I realise he is speaking of the healer who visited me in my chambers the night before the Harvesting.

“Go on,” I urge him, an unspoken understanding existing between us, “tell me the message.”

He releases a small sigh of relief, as if he’d been nervous to mention the healer. “She said to warn you regarding forces who are working against you. She said to press ahead with your plan in relation to the prince, but to be aware this will awaken an even more powerful enemy than those who currently plot against you.”

A feeling of ice running through my veins slithers through me at his words and I find myself holding my breath, unable to form a response. I look at the shadows dancing on the far wall and wonder what this message means. Who could be a greater enemy than Greythorne? I feel a chill at my back, as if a dark presence is standing there and I shudder. Then I feel a warmth on my hand and look down to find Aaran’s large hand on mine. My head jolts up in surprise and I find him looking at me with warmth and understanding in those diamond blue eyes.

“She also said to believe in yourself and embrace your power and you will find new allies.”

These last words confuse and intrigue me. On the one hand, I can't imagine who or where these new allies might be, but on the other, I'm intrigued as to the possibilities. I look down at his hand as I feel the warmth from it moving into my mine and along my arm, helping to dispel the feeling of ice in my veins. His knuckles still bear the marks of where he tried to defend himself that night in the forest, but his hands are strong and his long fingers curl themselves around mine and, not for the first time since I came into this room, I feel a strange connection to him.

---