Page 63 of Prize for the King
We are among the houses now, getting closer to the main square. I sit up in Raduna’s arms to note that the feast is definitely over, a handful of Agnidari women clearing the tables as Magnar’s soldiers stand guard, some moving from door to door, pounding to be let in. I guess the search for the blue-haired woman is underway.
The mayor stands in the middle of the square, wringing his hands. Two soldiers flank his sides, not holding him exactly, but I get the impression he’s not free to leave.
“I am so sorry, my queen!” he exclaims, seeing us. His gold chainsclink as he shakes with distress. “I had no idea this was going on in my town hall, you have to believe me! We haven’t used those rooms in ages. If I knew some human vermin infested them, I would have…”
He stops with a squeak as a knife, lazily thrown by Arvi, flies right by his side, leaving a tiny nick in the wide sleeve of his luxurious robe.
“If I were you, I would be very careful when addressing your queen in the future,” Raduna says. “She is the Agnidari queen, but her origins are not to be scorned.”
The mayor’s face is bloodless, his skin pale like ash. He nods, his lips trembling, and Arvi laughs. We keep walking, the fearful gaze of the mayor following our progress.
“There’s an inn not far from here,” Raduna says, glancing at me while Arvi turns slowly around, tense and alert. I realize his laugh and frequent snickers don’t mean he’s frivolous. Both my knights are on edge tonight.
“Is it safe?” I ask, impacted by their wariness.
Arvi snorts. “Nowhere is safe right now, but we’ll slaughter anyone who wants to take you. You have my word.”
XIX Slimy
“We were supposed to travel to a well-fortified castle that’s an hour away from here,” Raduna explains, turning into a narrow street lined by handsome two-story houses. “But Magnar is determined to get to the bottom of the intrigue, so we’re staying. Once the town hall is cleared, the soldiers will camp there.”
We stop in front of a wide building with the door and window shutters painted in cheerful colors, pink and red flowers spilling from baskets hanging above the windows. It looks charming. Arvi throws the doors open and strides in, pounding with both fists on the counter in the entrance hall.
“Royal order! Empty all rooms immediately! King Magnar requests the inn for his personal use.”
He repeats the message in the Agnidari language. I gasp in dismay as a few Agnidari come rushing from a side room, their eyes widening with fear when they see Arvi, who’s twirling a dagger between his fingers in a nonchalant, yet utterly threatening manner.
“It’s necessary,” Raduna says, cradling me more tightly to his chest. “There are spies in this town, my queen. It’s better to empty the building and guard it against entrance than risk a neighbor slipping into your room at night.”
“But where will they stay?” I ask as guests start coming down thestairs, grumbling and asking what’s wrong.
“There’s another inn on the other side of town.”
The guests surround Arvi, complaining and demanding an explanation. He grins, the dagger in his hand flashing. In less time than it takes to blink, he grabs the loudest complainer, a chubby Agnidari man, and presses the knife to his throat.
The crowd falls silent, someone hiccupping from fear. Arvi repeats his message in both languages, adding that the guests have five minutes to take their belongings and go. He smiles, pats the cheek of the trembling, whimpering man, and pushes him away.
“Now!” he shouts.
The guests launch into a stampede up the stairs, pushing and shoving in an effort to get as far away from him as possible. Arvi grins and saunters back to us, twirling that knife between long, flexible fingers. Suddenly, he throws it high up, then snatches it out of the air as it falls, his eyes on my face the entire time.
I shake my head to clear it after that display. It’s scary.Impressive.“But was that really necessary?”
He snorts. “You wouldn’t ask that if you had any experience dealing with Agnidari townspeople. They are hard to reason with and would quarrel with me until dawn if I gave them a chance. We need the inn cleared for the most important person in the country. It’s not a huge sacrifice.”
“The most important person in the country?” I ask, wrinkling my nose in disbelief until I realize my mistake. “Oh. You mean Magnar.”
Arvi snorts and twirls the knife right in front of my face until my eyes cross from watching the spinning blade. He stops the knife an inch from my nose and bops me gently with the handle.
“I meant you. The war is over thanks to you. Magnar will secure beneficial trade treaties, again, thanks to you. That wealthy man who was quarreling because he’s too lazy to move will grow evenricher—because of you,laruna.Try to keep up.”
Raduna growls, pulling me to his wide chest. “Watch it, Arvi.”
Arvi’s face is suddenly right in front of mine, his eyes dancing as he bares all of his white fangs in the widest grin I’ve ever seen. I stop breathing, transfixed, scared, and inexplicably hot.
“You can handle me, can’t you, sweet?”
He laughs and pulls away without waiting for my reply, which is perfect, because I don’t think I can speak. My heart is in my throat, and cold and hot tingles race down my spine. Raduna sighs, shaking his head.
