Page 11 of Boundless
He knocked, and Jespirr opened the door and announced their presence. His father's sharp, pale blue eyes landed instantly on their clasped hands, his smile cold and stiff on his face.
"Lenlethael. Princess Daega. How good of you to join me."
"Oh, thank you for the invitation," Daega beamed as she took her seat beside Len.
"You're quite welcome, of course. So good to see you two are...getting along." Len's hand snapped out, snatching Daega's beneath the table and holding it in a death grip. He knew what that tone meant, and despite everything, it was affecting him as strongly as it ever had.
His father was displeased. He'd done wrong.
Daega's hand squeezed his back, her thumb tracing a soothing path across his knuckles. "Oh, aye. I think we're just as surprised as you to find ourselves such fast friends. But perhaps it's but another sign that this peace between our peoples is right."
Len nodded weakly. Did Daega know what his father was doing? She wasn't foolish, but her people's way of doing things was so different. Would she see the thorns hidden among the rosy words?
"Quite. I'm glad my son has married such a clever girl."
Internally, Len winced; the use of "girl" instead of "woman" was intentional, a delicate sleight, but if Daega noticed she didn't react.
Servants carefully plated their food—eggs with toast and fruit—and the sounds of eating filled the awkward silence. Their hands were no longer linked, but Len felt his wife’s presence acutely at his side like a warm glow. He managed to choke down a few bites of food despite his curdled appetite, then set his fork down and pushed his plate away.
"S-s-so, um, F-father." Len swallowed, trying to get his voice under control. "What w-was it y-you wanted t-to see m-me about?"
King Haedelon looked up at his son from under low and heavy brows. "I can't simply wish to see my son on the morning after his wedding?" he asked, his tone deceptively light. "I suppose Ididwant to ask, though: do you have any…questions for me? Father to son?"
Len flushed, his food souring further in his roiling gut. He swallowed thickly, shaking his head. Did his father really want to talk about that right now? Was thatreallywhat he'd been trying to discuss with Len when he'd invited him to this godsforsaken meal?
He chanced a peek at Daega and was dismayed to see her watching him curiously. He wanted to sink into the floor and disappear.
"Oh, no, Len won't be needing any instruction, Your Grace," his wife said loudly from beside him. He whipped his head around to look at her, at her cocky grin and the way her arms were crossed almost defiantly. "He knows well how to pleasure his woman and leave her begging for more—aye, dove?" She winked at him quickly, turning so his father couldn't see it. "I'm surprised it's not the talk of the castle this morning, the way he had mescreaming—"
His father choked and coughed, his face going red and an expression trapped somewhere between shock and fury twisting his cold features. "Young lady, that isnotappropriate table conversation—"
"Oh. My apologies, but since you brought it up all casual-like I assumed that it was something you were wanting to hear," Daega interrupted—actuallyinterrupted—smoothly. "Perhaps next time ‘twould be best to clarify your expectations, my liege."
The king's lips thinned into a hard white line, but he managed a curt nod.
Lenlethael had never been more attracted to someone in his life than he was to Daega at that moment.
"Yes, I can see that the differences between our cultures will make finding those fine lines more difficult," his father said at last, and unexpected rage flared in Len's chest. His father never justmeantwhat he said, and it seemed that the elf king was going to take every jab he could at Daega and the Istariin culture.
The rest of the meal was inane, even boring, but it was over blessedly soon. "I-if you had n-nothing else t-to discuss, th-the pr-princess and I w-will take our l-leave,” Len stammered as he got to his feet. Daega did the same, pushing in her chair and shifting to stand a bit behind him, like a huge and incandescent shadow.
"Actually, if it is agreeable with your lady-wife, I'd like to speak with you for just a moment.Alone." Before she could respond, Len turned to look up into her face, giving her a smile and a barely perceptible nod.
"I-if you wouldn't mind?"
She smiled softly, clapping a hand on his shoulder before pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek. "Certainly. I'll wait out in the hall."
Then it was just Len and his father, even the servants dismissed now. "Come here, boy," Haedelon drawled, pointing at the chair to his left. Len nodded, shuffling over and taking his seat carefully.
"Do not trust her," the king murmured, spearing him with a look. "Her kind are immoral, barely more than animals, and you need to guard yourself well. I suppose there's no real harm in...enjoying yourself," he sneered, "since our peoples are too different to reproduce, but have caution. They are generally...unclean."
Perhaps a day ago Len might have believed that, might have taken what Haedelon told him at face value and done whatever it was his father was going to ask him to do without question. But he'd spent the better part of a day with Daega, now, and it was one of the best days of his life. But he wasn’tmuchchanged, and still wanted to please his father well enough to avoid his wrath. "V-v-very well. F-father."
Haedelon sighed, his eyes rolling in annoyance. "Youstillhaven't grown out of that stutter? What did I pay all those speech tutors for, hmm? I swear, Lenlethael, if your mother could see how you turned out, it would break her heart."
It was one of his father's favorite refrains, and it shattered him every time. Len's eyes pricked with tears, his chin wobbling shamefully. King Haedelon sighed, patting Len's arm roughly. "Must you do that? I know you want me to feel bad, but if you would just apply yourself more I amcertainyou'd be able toreallymake something of yourself." The king's hand retreated, and he waved a hand at the door. "That's all I wanted to tell you."
Len got to his feet, nodding and swiping the tears away angrily. He was almost to the door when his father called out to him once more. "Oh, and Lenlethael?" He turned to meet the king’s cold blue eyes once more. "The next time I invite you to something alone, do not bringheralong. I did not appreciate that."
