Page 54 of Straw and Gold
I stepped forward casually, my hands sliding into my pockets. “You speak to the Queen of the Citrine Cliffs. You will apply respectful language when you discuss your matters with her.”
“Oh, fuck off.” His wings flung wide. “Who do you think taught her these words, hmm? She’s my sister and this is how we speak to each other so?—”
“And she is my—” I cleared my throat, adjusting my shoulders. “She is the queen of this kingdom and deserves your respect, regardless of what you’ve taught her.”
He glanced back to Morella before turning his full attention on me. “Alright, King of the Citrine Cliffs,” he said mockingly.He shoved his hands in his pockets, mimicking my stance. I was much larger than the Cursebringer, though his height only slightly fell beneath mine. “Let’s discuss this civilly.”
“Let’s,” I agreed.
“My most beloved sister here claims that you are not mistreating her. She also informs me that you do not know of the pact we made before I brought her here to join you in marriage. Which is at leastonething she’s done right because she wasn’t supposed to tell you.”
“If Queen Morella was not to speak to me of this pact, then of course she would not. She is most loyal to the people she loves, which appears to be you, your wife, and daughter.”
“You don’t know her like I do,” he grumbled.
“No, I should think that would be inappropriate.”
“Oh, fucking hell,” Morella muttered, followed by Fedir’s snicker and Korven’s tightly locked jaw.
“If you’ve forced your advances on my sister?—”
“I have not,” I interrupted.
He gave a curt nod. “Be thankful she has confirmed this.”
I peered over his shoulder and ridiculously sized wings. “Thank you, Morella, for informing your most charming brother that all of my advances have indeed been met with vigor.”
“This isnothappening,” she groaned and I returned my attention to Korven, doing little to hide the smugness in my chest.
He ignored it and continued. “Morella is to consume thistle nuts each day to keep her strength. She has done this since she was ten years old. I have ensured she has had access to them every day of her life since then, including enough supply to last her the entire three months of your marriage before she could leave and return home. Every one of her letters was to contain the words ‘thistle nuts’ in some capacity to ensure to myself andmy wife that she was being treated well here in this,”—he waved a hand around the grand foyer—“overly bedazzled castle.”
I huffed a laugh, nodding my understanding.
“However,” he continued, “her last letter was short. Clipped, and very unlike my sister, and what do you think it was missing?”
I glanced at her as she chewed her lip, her arms folded across her chest. I raised a brow and her face scrunched in her admittance to me that she indeed had forgotten to add this little secret to her last letter.
“Forgive me,” I sighed. “I’m afraid I know what distracted her so when she was last writing to her family.”
Korven frowned, giving me a quizzical brow.
I smiled—all teeth—and said, “It was my bare chest, you see.”
“Oh my fucking Goddess, Killian!” she yelled, storming to us.
Korven inched closer, his voice pure venom. “You think I give a shit if my sister finds you sexually appealing?”
Morella groaned again, stopping short.
He continued. “She can use you however she’d like—I really don’t care. But her health, her mental well-being, and her strength—those are mine to care for. She is my family, I love her, and I’ll be fucking Goddessdamned if she’s mistreated in any way here in this kingdom or otherwise.”
“We share this sentiment then,” I replied. “She has not been mistreated even remotely as queen of this kingdom, nor in our marriage. Your concern is understandable, yet unnecessary. Your sister no longer needs thistle nuts. Her blood lacks the capacity to retain iron, and so, she now eatsfuilheand other iron-rich foods to keep her strength.”
His dark eyes widened and he turned to his sister.
She sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I’ve been trying to tell you. I’ve been more than taken care of here. I’m stronger, Korven. The fuilhe is a blood meat they make fromsheep. I practice flying each day and look—” She spread her wings across her back, the golden tips glinting as they rose high above her head.
Korven’s face paled and his mouth parted. He walked slowly to her side, stepping around her span of feathers, pinching parts of her bone, inspecting them in silence.
