Page 65 of Sorcery, Swords & Scones
Val tapped a finger on her chin as she eyed Thrain. “That’s why you wanted the tour of the castle and lingered so long looking at the ravens.”
“Thought you just liked birds,” Korl said, more to himself than anyone else.
Thrain gave the guards an apologetic grin. “It was a backupplan of sorts and a bit of insurance in case Florin tried to spread untruths.”
“A backup plan I didn’t need,” Sass said to Thrain in a low voice.
Thrain appraised Sass. “No. Turns out you didn’t. How was I to know you’d have the entire village behind you? Also, I didn’t know your parents would come here themselves or commandeer a dragon to do so.”
Sass’s father cleared his throat, cutting a brief look at his wife. “Lady Thornshield insisted.”
Sass’s mum had inherited the crown through her mother, which meant they had the only unbroken line of female leaders who had ruled under the mountains. Sass swallowed hard, knowing what her rejection of the match meant.
“How could we not come after not knowing where you were for so long?” Her mum brushed a loose strand of hair from Sass’s face then shot a look at her husband. “We’ve both been worried sick.”
Sass’s skin crawled, hot shame making her drop her gaze. “I’m sorry I left without telling you, but I couldn’t marry Florin. She wasn’t right for me, and neither was ruling under the mountains. It was never the life I wanted.”
Her father made a rough sound in the back of his throat. “If I’d known that the Trollbanes would resort to treachery to seize power, we never would have agreed to the match.”
Sass’s mum sketched a shrewd gaze over Sass and her friends. “Where is Florin?”
Sass drew herself up to her full height, which almost matched her mum’s. “She left. She decided not to take retribution, after all.”
“Because Sass was brilliant,” Val said from behind her. “She convinced Florin to leave.”
Sass’s mum slid a smile to Val then back to her daughter. “Maybe you were meant to be a diplomat.”
Sass grimaced. “That was enough politics for me for a lifetime.” She drew in a breath. “I was never meant to be a ruler or stay in the Ice Lands. It wasn’t my destiny. Not like it was yours.”
Her mum took her face in both of her soft brown hands. “I always knew you were destined for something more. You never took to my mining wisdom.”
“You’d be surprised,” Lira muttered from where she was tucked next to Korl.
“That doesn’t mean it isn’t hard to let you go,” her mum continued with an amiable glance over Sass’s shoulder. “Although it looks like you found a brave crew.”
Sass turned to her friends and smiled. “They may not be dwarves, but they’ve become like family.”
Her father narrowed his eyes at the group but nodded. “It takes courage to meet a band of dwarf warriors armed with only…” He tilted his head at Pip.
“A rolling pin,” Pip offered with a flickering smile.
“And are those tiny daggers?” Sass’s father asked Fenni.
“Cheese knives, your dwarfliness,” Fenni said with a courtly bow.
Sass stepped forward before the cheesemonger could explain the unique cheese-slicing benefits of each one. She made cursory introductions of every last villager, saving Lira and Val for last.
“This is Lira, who saw something in me even I didn’t, and made me her partner in the tavern.” Sass then reached for Val’s hand and pulled her close. “And this is Val.”
She wasn’t sure what to add since she and Val hadn’t decided what they were. Even Sass knew that a couple of kisses didn’t mean everything had changed. “My very close friend.”
“Very, very close,” Val added, with a tentative glance to Sass.
Bubbly happiness made it impossible for Sass not to grin and nod, squeezing Val’s hand and enjoying the tingles racing up her arm when Val squeezed back.
Sass’s mum watched the pair with a content smile, while herfather clasped his hands behind his back. “You all would make fine dwarves.”
Sass smiled, knowing that this was the highest compliment her father—or any dwarf—could bestow.
