Page 46 of A Tale of Ice and Ash
Cole seized the piece from her, holding it up to the light. “A decent proposal. What’s the vial for?”
“The ring compels the truth from you, but you remember speaking it. If I ask your mother straight up if she ordered my death, she’s going to have questions in the morning. If you add the contents of this vial to her drink… she won’t remember anything afterwards.”
Cole glanced from the vial to Eirwen’s pleading face.
“So, let me get this straight… you’ve come here tonight to convince me to drug and interrogate my mother?”
“That is correct, yes.”
“That’s… fair,” he said, deflating. “But I have a condition.”
“All… all right.”
“I do the questioning.”
“What?”
“I don’t want you going against her. You probably don’t either, right? And I have questions of my own.”
“I can’t have you interrogate her without me–”
He shook his head. “We’ll take her to the chamber behind the throne. All the tribute is taken there. I’ll convince her that the ring is a gift.”
“There’s a servant’s passage there,” Eirwen remembered.
“Precisely. Perfect for you to eavesdrop. Do you remember where the entrance is?”
“Of course.” Eirwen turned to head for it.
“Not yet,” Cole said. “It’s too early. We need to wait a while.”
“Well, what do you propose we do in the meantime?”
Cole grinned, slipping the ring and the vial into his pocket. He turned back to the music. “A dance.”
“What?”
“For reasons, we must dance. Come on. Haven’t you missed this?”
Eirwen did not want to admit it, but she had. As much peace as she found in the cottage, as much joy, she missed the finery, the feasts, the dancing.
“Fine,” she said, “but only one.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I’m not forcing you. I only want a dance ifyouwant a dance.”
“I do,” she said. “Stop… whatever it is you’re doing.”
He held out his hand, grinning wickedly. There was a sinful quality to the pull of his lips that had escaped her as a girl, but rippled into her now.“As my lady commands.”
“Technically, it’s Your Highness. And I think I may outrank you as this ismy castle.”
“Ssh,” he said, pulling her towards the dance floor. “Your crown is yours whenever you wish to take it, but maybe don’t shout it too loudly, given the present company?”
Eirwen bit her lip as Cole’s hand slid around her waist, her chest tightening. “You mean that?” she said, lowering her voice. “You’d give up the crown to me?”
“It’s yours by right. I have no need or want for it. Mother might take alittlepersuading though…”
He swung her out of his arms and back into them in a swift second. Eirwen half tripped, grabbing onto him to stabilise herself.
