Page 26 of Oath of War
‘Boring breakfast, please, and we need to talk to your brother. Besides, Ari doesn’t look particularly edible, all scrunched up and frow—’ I yelped as a pillow suddenly flew towards my head.
Orm leapt forward, grabbing me and capturing my lips in a kiss. ‘No berating your man’s looks after he worked so hard to ensure your good night’s rest,’ he teased.
I huffed, punching his chest. ‘Stop it! If you’re trying to punish me, shouldn’t we head to the training grounds? I’m more than happy to beat you up and kiss it all better later,’ I replied with a wink.
Golden flames lit in his eyes, and I knew I’d said exactly the right thing to spark his interest. Still, despite the flare of his nostrils and the way he lowered his head to nip at my neck, he shook his head.
‘I wish we had time,’ he murmured against my skin. ‘You make me so bloody happy. I love your laugh, your teasing, even the little crease between your brows when you tell me off.’ He kissed my shoulder and pulled back reluctantly. ‘Come, let’s dress and face the world’s woes. We need to find out more about this trial. The way the dark fae reacted ... There isn’t much time to prepare, but how about we invite Valaram over and see what we can learn?’
‘If you think it’s a good idea,’ I answered.
Orm clearly hadn’t heard the last of Valaram’s statement in the throne room, where he suggested courtship. Still, he must have sensed my reluctance because he tilted my chin up.
‘Yes, I think it is, but I’ll promise you something. Tonight, we’ll lock ourselves away from the world and see just how edible Alaric truly is. They say the dark fae are at their most appetising in the moonlight,’ he teased, his hand sliding suggestively over my hip.
Ari watched us from the bed with a confused expression. ‘What in Veles’s pit are you two talking about?’
The morning passed quickly. After devouring a breakfast so rich and plentiful that both men watched me in astonishment, I dressed in some of Ari’s spare clothes before heading to the chambers prepared for me. Inside, Agnes was already excitedly bossing around two servants, her petite frame radiating authority as she orchestrated preparations.
‘And what are you doing here?’ I asked, amused at how my fresh-faced maid had taken charge of someone else’s servants.
Agnes whirled around, her face lighting up. ‘Lord Ormond sent a dragon to fetch me. He said you’d need a friendly face to help you recover. Your friends are too busy running the fortress to come—Miss Katja is leading the new council, and Miss Bryna has the blacksmiths crafting armour and weapons for the townsfolk, women included. I packed your sword, your verbena soap, and your clothes, but I thought you’d need something finer for city living. The servants here brought this dress ...’
I crossed the room, pulling her into a tight hug as she continued to babble. ‘Thank you, Agnes. You’re the best lady’s maid a battle mage could ask for.’
She patted me awkwardly on the shoulders. ‘No, my lady. You shouldn’t . . .’ Then she whispered in a secretive tone, ‘At least, not in front of them.’
‘Right, so what is this?’ I asked, releasing her and picking up the delicate green fabric skilfully draped over the hanger. The servants assigned to me blushed heavily under my scrutiny.
‘A dress, my lady? You’re Lord Ormond’s mage, and your maid said it had to be good enough for a highborn noble ... We can’thave you wearing anything but the best ... my lady,’ one said, and I sighed deeply.
‘Alright, butthis? Where do I hide my daggers? Does it even have a slit so I can reach my thigh holsters?’ I asked, inspecting the opalescent dress shining in the sunlight.
‘You heard my lady—bring her something more practical,’ Agnes snapped and attempted to snatch the dress out of my hand while the door behind her opened and my men walked in.
Alaric snorted, but Orm, ever the diplomat, came to the poor maid’s rescue. He leaned in, brushing his fingers lightly against my cheek as he whispered, ‘Humour me and wear it for today. On the way back, we’ll buy you something more suitable with slits and extra space for weapons.’
‘Off you go, I will help my lady. You don’t want to be here when the masters are in the room,’ Agnes urged the surprised maids out while Orm helped me out of Alaric’s clothes. ‘Trust me, you really don’t.’
I couldn’t refuse Orm’s request. Even if the dress was ridiculous and left me feeling half-naked, the way both men looked at me when Agnes finally finished lacing the bodice made it worth it.
‘You look divine, Domina. The entire court will envy us. What do you think, Agnes?’ Ari teased my maid, who stood with arms crossed, watching him like a hawk as he pinned a flower into the updo she’d created from my messy hair.
‘I think you’d better not ruin her hair, my lord,’ she snapped.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror and sighed. ‘We need to talk about the trial.’
Alaric’s hands stilled on my shoulders. ‘I don’t know much, only that those asking for the Dark Mother’s mercy must fight their way to the portal leading to her original temple. Ani, few reach the portal, and those who do almost never return. No one knows what horrors await beyond it.’
‘So, I’ll need to kill virtuous warriors and face some eldritch horror in a temple. Bloody wonderful,’ I muttered, glaring at my reflection. ‘And what will you be doing?’
Ari’s smile was bitter. ‘I’ll go with you. Only the Dark Mother’s touch can purge icta poison. If you fail to reach the portal, I die with you. That’s all I know. Everything else is just an old legend.’
Orm pulled up a chair, his posture radiating the sharp focus he reserved for planning his military campaigns. ‘What legend?’
Alaric leaned back, his gaze distant. ‘About the origin of the trial. In the infancy of our race, a selfish male committed an unforgivable sin against his kin. It was so appalling that the gods sentenced him to an eternity of pain and nightmares, forcing him to drink poison. Once ingested, the poison weakened his body while his soul experienced the pain of those he killed—but stretched in time and amplified a thousandfold. His soul was torn apart in perpetuity, never letting him pass beyond the Veil.’
I frowned. ‘So he suffered. But what does that have to do with the blood bond?’
