Page 4 of Faeling
Bobbing her head just enough to be respectful, she greeted him with a brilliant smile. “Welcome home,breddah,” she said.
Little brother,she called him. No matter that he hadn’t been littler than her in some thirty years. To Eydis, he would always bebreddah. Which was good; it kept him humble—according to Eydis.
“It’s good to be home,” he sighed, leaning down for Eydis tokiss his cheeks.
Discreetly wiping her mouth with a kerchief, she muttered, “You’ve brought half the road in with you.”
When she held out her fist, Vallek offered his open palm. In it she placed the ceremonial key to the citadel, bestowing him with mastery of his domain once more. Hooking the damn clunky thing onto his belt, Vallek offered his sister his arm. She took it—once she’d given his vambrace a quick pass of her kerchief.
Vallek chuckled, in no doubt that he was filthy. “I’m bound for a bath,” he assured her.
“That’s what you think,” Eydis laughed.
He groaned. “They’ve—?”
“Oh yes, Lady Silvia has seen to that.”
Vallek sighed again—and steeled himself to be greeted by his court. He walked arm-in-arm with his sister out of the vestibule into the basilica to the resounding echo of applause.
It thankfully wasn’t the whole court; not even Lady Silvia, the niece of the previous chieftain, could organize so many people in the time it took to run from the east gate to the citadel. Still, at least three dozen finely dressed paladins awaited him, their fine leathers and furs and silver filigree catching in the warm amber light of the basilica.
They formed a gauntlet for him to run, standing on either side of the aisle between massive red limestone columns. When Eydis slowed to stay a half-step behind him, he trapped her hand in the crook of his elbow.
“Oh, no,” he warned, “we face them together.”
Eydis snorted.
The first to greet them was Lady Silvia herself, of course, her eyes artfully lined in kohl and the neckline of her silk tunicplunging. She bowed to him in a way that neither broke eye contact nor let him ignore the swells of her breasts, generous for an orcess. Lovely as always in the deep burgundy and gold of the Broad-Back clan, she fluttered her lashes as she straightened.
“The gods bless us to have you home so soon, my king.”
Vallek inclined his head at her welcome. The epithet ofkingwas a new thing, one he’d introduced himself. Orcs had rarely had kings in their long history, the few who’d claimed the title rising to unite the territories into one kingdom of orcs. There were over a dozen chieftains throughout the territories, some of whom still hadn’t pledged him their fealty, but Vallek meant to unite them all under one banner and one cause.
Whether they wanted it or not. They would thank him one day, when the Pyrrossi incursion ceased and the dragons went back to their islands.
Lady Silvia had been one of the first to use the new title as he began amassing oaths of fealty from the other chieftains. It was a clever move for her, since she wanted to be a queen.
“It is a blessing to see your loveliness,” Vallek replied, speaking a little louder over the sound of Eydis gagging.
Lady Silvia blushed prettily, stepping closer to lay gentle fingers on his free arm. A dozen rings glinted on her fingers, and a matching set of dangling headdress, earrings, and necklace glittered with silver and diamonds, encasing her in sparkle. A sign to all that though her family had been ousted from the throne, she still possessed wealth and influence.
“You must be tired from your journey,” she said, voice dropping to an intimate tone. “Perhaps I can—”
“Breddah!”
To his immense relief, Lady Silvia had to sidestep out ofthe way before catching an armored elbow to the tit. Asta, his younger sister, bounced on the balls of her feet, smiling impishly up at him.
“Sorry, milady, didn’t see you there,” she said without looking at Silvia. Spreading her arms wide, she threw them around Vallek’s neck. “Welcome home.”
Eydis coughed delicately. “Is that really becoming of a captain of the royal guard?”
Slipping back to her feet, Asta turned a wolfish smile onto their sister. “Hello, sister. You’re looking haggard today.”
Eydis merely sighed. “Keep moving,” she whispered to Vallek, “or you’ll never get your bath.”
Rumbling in agreement, he caught Asta’s arm, keeping her nearby as they continued down the line of nobles and notable orcs. With a sister on either arm, there was nothing for anyone to catch and hold him in the basilica, so once they got their momentum, the crowd passed quickly. He saw his minister of coin, his master of beasts, his chatelain and seneschal, and all manner of heads of houses and state. He nodded and greeted them all, sure not to give one too much of his attention. They would get all of him—tomorrow.
After a bath. And a long sleep in his magnificent bed.
