Page 112 of Prize for the King
She lets her plate clatter onto the table and leans back, folding her palms on the blankets covering her stomach.
“Why did you stay to speak with me? And don’t say to be polite, or I’ll throw you out.”
I allow myself a small laugh, imagining this old, frail woman trying to make me leave her room. Oh, she wants me to think she’s scaryand mean, but in fact, she’s just a weak elderly lady who’s bitter and lonely.
“Because I’m human. You despise me, and I imagine all of Roharra does, too. Even if marrying me gave Magnar a seat at the Table of Kings, I am still a liability in his own country. If I want to become an asset, I must learn, and who better to teach me than another queen?”
The old woman hums, studying me closely. I reach for another cake. My hands don’t shake, but they will soon. This conversation has utterly drained me.
“How do you intend to win me over so I help you?” she finally asks, taking a sip of her tea.
“I already did. When you first spoke to me in the language of the Eleven, I knew I had you. So? Will you teach me?”
She cackles, and I wince, doing my best not to cover my ears as she screeches from mirth, rocking back and forth. For the first time, I see inside her mouth. She’s still got most of her teeth. They are old and yellow, still sharp. Utterly terrifying.
I help myself to another cake, and she finally stops, wiping her eyes with the back of a wrinkled hand.
“How old were you when you had Magnar?” I ask, emboldened. If she laughed, that means she’s entertained. She’ll want to see me again.
“I was fifty-six. If Hrognar married me earlier, we would have had more children. Do you know why he waited?”
I shake my head. She grins menacingly, her silver eyes flashing. I realize Magnar must take after her, and wonder what the old king looked like.
“Because he was in love with another woman, but she was barren,” Idrina says with a shockingly pleased smile. “He was with her right until the day his father died, leaving him the throne, and not a day more. Hrognar knew his duty, he knew he must have heirs, and I’dbeen betrothed to him for twenty years at that point.”
I suck in a shocked breath. “You waited for him for twenty years?”
She shakes her head with a scoff. “No, silly girl. I waited forthe crown.And I got it until the old fool went and died, and Magnar became king. Foolish boy. I told him again and again not to bother with human princesses. Give him another ten years, and he’ll hold all of the Eleven. He doesn’t need you. But of course, he thinks he knows better.”
I think back to my bedroom, how cozy and serene it is, how cheerful. Despite Khay’s prediction that Magnar can’t hold back from the war, I think he might not want to fight anymore. At least, I hope.
Idrina purses her lips and looks away, finally heaving a sigh. She points at the fireplace.
“Hadratek,” she says with a harsh accent. “Repeat.”
I do, and she makes me say it again a few times before she’s satisfied.
“That’s fireplace. ‘Hadra’means fire. Repeat.”
She teaches me Agnidari words for the next half an hour, then chases me off with a bid to return the next morning.
“May I use your study?” I remember to ask, my hand on the door knob.
“All that’s mine is in this room, the rest belongs to the queen,” she grumbles, which I take for a yes.
I gladly make my escape, bumping into Arvi, who’s anxiously pacing by the door outside.
“Are you all right?” he asks, taking my face in his palms. “Was she vicious?”
I wrap my arms around his middle, pressing my face into his chest. Tension pours out of me as he holds me close, stroking my head and back until I feel strong enough to face the rest of my day.
“She was exhausting. I’ll see her again tomorrow,” I say with a tiredsmile. “Come. I want to tackle that letter.”
He picks me up without warning, cradling me in his arms, and I shake my head. “My legs aren’t tired, Arvi. I just spent the hour sitting.”
“Mhm. I’m helping you preserve your strength, because Magnar can only last so long before he rips this dress off you. It’s fucking delicious,laruna.I’d do it myself, but… Oh well. Another time.”
I put my arms around his neck and lean in as close to his face as I can, trying to level him with a stern look.
