Page 31 of The Mountain King
Kailigh grimaced, wondering if all this was her fault. Maybe she’d overdone it through the years.
“What’s going on?” a deep, rich voice said behind her.
She stiffened, the hairs on the back of her neck responding. Kailigh turned around. “Your Lordship.”
He glanced at her, then at his son. “I didn’t expect a fight to break out so soon in the evening. Did my son start it?”
“No,” Sere said.
Maddugh waited as if expecting an explanation—but then he didn’t know Serephone.
“There was a misunderstanding,” Kailigh said, stiffly. “Prince Hrutha is addressing the lack of communication on our behalf.”
“I… see. And whose blade did the miscommunicating?”
“Mine.” Sere said. “I put it away.”
“Thank you,” he replied gravely.
Hrutha jogged back to them, expression arch. He glanced at Serephone. “You owe me, crazy sweet. I just paid your bloodgilt with a favor. You can begin repaying me with the dubious pleasure of your company for the remainder or the evening—to ensure you cost me nomorefavors, My Lady.”
Maddugh sighed. “I hope she’s worth it.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Kailigh demanded.
Maddugh took her elbow, and then Persia’s for good measure, and escorted them from the tent. “Have you eaten? Perhaps this isn’t the best place for three lovely, eligible ladies. In an enclosed area brimming with intoxicated, eager men.”
Kailigh tugged her arm away with a sniff and opened her mouth.
“Donot,” he said, his eyes glinting when she glanced at him, “say I told you so.”
She kept the words between her teeth, but barely.
* * *
Dinner was street vendor food, of which Maddugh also enjoyed, seemingly without reservation. She watched him, curious. He dressed much the same as the other men, in dark trousers, a white shirt and a brocade vest as a nod to the occasion. His clothing was obviously of high quality fabric and stitching, but the style wasn’t any different from any of the other males. There were no ugly Dwyrkin, and many of the males wore their hair long like Maddugh, so if she hadn’t already known him, she would never have guessed he was anything more than a prosperous trader, or maybe a Domer slumming it. There were a few shifters in the cities.
Kailigh excused herself after they’d stuffed themselves with various bites. “I will check on Serephone. Persia?”
“I’ll stay with His Majesty,” her daughter said. “He seems to know where all the best food is.”
Kailigh rolled her eyes. She couldn’t fault the girl’s priorities, and if the Lord couldn’t guard Persia, no one could.
“We’ll be along soon,” Maddugh said, his lips curving in a secret smile. “The evening is not over until your daughters are formally introduced.”
Kailigh paused, held his gaze, then shrugged. So be it. That was the point of the party after all, for the girls to point out a male or two they might not mind getting to know better.
“As you say, Lord Maddugh.”
He caught her hand as she turned away, lifted it to his lips. “I am hoping to avoid a formal introduction for yourself.”
Now, what did he want her to say to that? Eyes narrowed, she pulled her hands away, glad her voice was steady, and steely. “Save your pretty words for the tavern girls, Maddugh. I’m not convinced yet.”
He laughed as she turned her back, though she really hadn’t intended for him to find the comment funny. Kailigh made her way back to the tent where Serephone had stayed with Hrutha. He’d said nothing when she’d called him Maddugh, again, rather than Lord—but Lord was a title among the Dwyrkin. She hadn’t sworn fealty to him, and she wouldn’t make obeisance to him like he was.
Because there was a fair amount of good-natured jostling amongst the crowd from the sheer number of people, and the number of intoxicated people at that, it took Kailigh at least three seconds to respond when a hand wrapped around her upper arm, jerking her to a stop.
