Page 31 of Prize for the King
“How come the war didn’t disturb them?” I ask, wondering about the progress the farmers have made on the fields. I know Magnar marched through Farneer for weeks before he reached the capital, engaging in battles and skirmishes with my father’s soldiers along the way.
And yet, the lives of farmers in this area seem to have not changed at all.
“Magnar never destroys the fields and villages if he can help it,” Raduna explains. “He wants every kingdom he conquers to thrive. Here, he sent ahead heralds that preceded the troops, and they stopped in every village that was in our way. The farmers were told that if they didn’t attack us, we would pass peacefully. They chose peace, and we kept our word.”
“Didn’t you rape their women?” I ask bitterly.
“No. There were no Agnidari women enslaved in those villages. Only in the capital.”
We ride in silence for a while, the heat growing unbearable. Raduna makes a thoughtful sound in the back of his throat.
“And if you were asking if I personally took human women, the answer is no. Knights are sworn to celibacy to avoid distractions. Our loyalty to the king and queen is absolute.”
That takes me aback. I wish I could see his expression, because I half-suspect he’s joking, even though his voice sounds serious.
“Celibacy?” I repeat. “So you… You don’t have wives? Or… anything?”
I blush at my lame wording. Theoretically, I know people have congress without being married sometimes. Practically, it was never an option for me. A princess must be a virgin in every sense of the word until she takes a husband.
Raduna isn’t put off by my bumbling question. “Knights do not marry. The king and queen are our only family. And—each other. This way, our loyalties are never conflicted. All our lives are devoted to the king and queen.”
“But it must be so lonely!” I explode, outraged by this barbaric Agnidari custom.
He laughs, his chest vibrating at the back of my head.
“It really isn’t. Or, at least—it’s not now that we have a queen. I’ll admit, we lost hope a few times in the past. Conquest after conquest, we won but never truly enjoyed it, since all the princesses were… Ah, that’s probably an upsetting matter.”
“Slain by their relatives?” I ask, not too upset since I already heard all about it from Khay.Hewasn’t worried about distressing me.
I like Raduna more and more.
“Yes,” he says with a small chuckle. “I see you’re well informed. Well, Magnar’s goal, which we supported all the way, was to sit at the Table of Kings, and it was only possible by marrying a princess from one of the Eleven. Truth be told, and I apologize for saying that, but we expected you to be dead like the other princesses. So it was a miracle and a gift to find you alive. A prize, indeed, so beautiful and radiant. You gave me hope.”
I almost melt from the kind words, even though I know they can’t be sincere. By gods, Raduna is really the nicest of them all. Why couldn’t he be my husband? Magnar never once told me a kind word. All he does is say really disturbing things that make my belly tighten with an unpleasant sort of heat, my skin tingling like it’s a size too small. I never feel safe with him.
We chat about lighter topics, like the weather and crops. I learn Raduna has a greenhouse at the keep. He possesses a vast knowledge of plants and a passion for making them grow, and he gets excited talking about plant-related things.
“Magnar’s father, king Hrognar, did a lot for Roharra,” he says as we ride through a forest, the shade a pleasant change after the burning heat of the plains. “He had scores of engineers and farmers come up with an irrigation system that allowed us to plant crops on large areas of the desert. Thanks to his peaceful labors, my generation grew up with an abundance of fresh food, making us strong and resilient. Perfect material for Magnar to build his army.”
The path is narrow here, trees thick and tall. Magnar rides ahead, his back straight, white hair billowing behind him in a not unattractive manner. He looks regal, I admit grudgingly.
It’s the hair. Truly, it’s his one good feature.
Arvi and Khay ride behind us. They joke from time to time, though I don’t catch their words. All I hear are snickers and sometimes loud barks of laughter.
Khay is laughing right now, the sound eerie in the gloomy silence of the forest. Something hisses in the air.
Magnar presses his face to the neck of his horse. He moves so fast, I barely catch it. One moment, he’s riding tall, and the next, he’s flat against his mount.
There’s a thunk. I look right to see what caused it, baffled yet serene. It must be a woodpecker.
Khay’s laughter cuts off, and there is a moment of sharp, tense silence.
I see what made the sound, and my stomach drops, liquid and weightless. An arrow sticks out of the tree trunk, still quivering. Someone just shot at Magnar.
X Raduna
“Archers!” Raduna bellows, so loud, my ears ring.
