Page 93 of The Eye of the Fifth
‘I prefer to keep my mind free from fog, if it pleases you.’
The king took a long sip, swallowed, then said, ‘You have always been better than the rest of us.’ Naal did not smile at the bitter, backhanded compliment. He watched her again, his silver eye contracting in and out. ‘Where are those lovely wings of yours? I hope you do not feel you have to hide them in Loros.’
‘I hide them because sometimes it is a relief to be unseen,’ Naal said truthfully.
‘But why,’ the king said, swilling his wine around his chalice and watching the liquid’s circular movement, ‘would you want to be unseen? You havealwaysbeen welcome here. Unless, of course, you yourself are hiding something?’
Naal did not break under his sharp stare. ‘I hide nothing, Your Grace. I am merely here to console Maressa and Selwyn on the loss of their sons.’
The king paused. ‘You are a little late, are you not? Three years have passed.’ He waved a dismissive hand. ‘Regardless, the Water Warden is not dead. Another would have been chosen if he were.’
‘No, he is not dead. But heislost, and that does not nullify his parents’ grief.’
‘Lost,’ the king repeated. ‘Or abandoning his duty to the crown?’
‘If the crown cannot operate without extorting the powers of the Water Warden, perhaps the system is more vulnerable than you believe.’
All remnants of a smirk wiped from the king’s face. Naal felt a rush of pride that she had gotten under his skin. He put his goblet down. ‘Yes… perhaps you are right. After all, you would know all about vulnerable cities.’
That pride was punctured, and the smugness drained almost instantly. No more would she evade the inevitable. ‘What do you want?’
‘I want to know where he is,’ the king hissed, all forced niceties forgotten.
‘I do not know Kano’s whereabouts,’ Naal said coldly. ‘And even if I did, I would not tell you. My loyalty lies with him, not you.’
‘You are meddling in Lorish affairs again, Naal,’ the king warned.
‘Andyouhave meddled in Warden affairs for far too long,’ Naal said in a low voice. ‘You know my stance on this matter. Hundreds of years later and my opinion on how you treat Corla’s protegee remains unchanged. Dare I say it, but young Kano had more bravery than most to escape his servitude to you.’ To her surprise, the king laughed, though it was humourless. ‘Is something amusing?’
‘Your entitlement over Droria has always astounded me,’ he sneered. ‘Had you accepted my offer all those years ago, I might be inclined to hear your grievances with a little more empathy. Two leaders of two great empires, united. We could have been unstoppable, you and I.’
‘Nythanor is the realm of the free, this you know. I do not lead the north, only oversee its wellbeing,’ Naal reminded him.
‘Yet you swan about this world as though you own everything.’ The king leaned forward. ‘I know the real reason you are here, Naal. Thispretence for your visit is perfectly timed, and frankly, not at all convincing.’
‘Then let us speak plainly,’ Naal said coolly.
‘Leave us,’ the king commanded his servants with two clicks of his fingers, his narrowed eyes glued to Naal’s face. They obeyed instantly, curtseying and bowing, then they were gone, leaving just the two of them alone. ‘You want an alliance.’
Naal hated how astute he could be. ‘I know you and I have never truly seen eye to eye, Therion. But our world is changing. Empress Azar’s attack on Phaenon was just the beginning. I am here to ensure that when the time comes, Nythanor will not be fighting the might of Zarynth’s armies alone. Let us put aside our conflict and unite against her.’
The king was quiet, his hands linked over his stomach as he surveyed her. ‘Interesting how you should use my name when begging for help. Are we friends only when you seek my aid?’
‘The use of your name in this instance was intended, Therion.’
He smiled. ‘Ah, but if only it were used in a more intimate setting.’
Naal warned, ‘I grew tired of your advances a long time ago. One might have thought that a refused proposal would have been enough to dissuade you.’
King Therion barked a laugh. ‘You are the only female to reject me in six hundred years. Forgive me for enjoying the challenge.’
Anger flared in Naal’s heart. ‘For it to be a challenge, there would need to be a chance in the first place. Regardless, females are not playthings meant for your pleasure.’
‘You wound me, Naal. I have the utmost respect for my lovers. You would know that, had you accepted-’
‘I doubt it, Therion,’ Naal swiftly cut him off. ‘But we digress. Can Nythanor count on Loros’ military, both land and fleet, when the time comes?’
Therion picked up his wine and took a deliberately long, thoughtful sip. He mocked her by taking his time, but Naal kept her mouth firmly shut and waited with ever-waning patience. The chalice settled backon the table. ‘I assume that finding the Astaveron boy is also on your agenda whilst in Loros?’
