Born of Blood (The Valdir Chronicles Book 3) Read online

  Kalina found herself walking out of the castle to the parade ground. It seemed like the safest place in the entire castle. There was a wide-open space and a wide-open sky above. She had felt hemmed in, trapped since she’d arrived. And the parade ground felt like the only place where she had weapons at her disposal and space enough to use them.

  There she paced, unsure of what to do. Had she just ruined any chance she had at negotiating a true and lasting peace? Was she now in more danger than ever, in a foreign country so far from her home? She continued to pace, her deep red dress dragging in the dirt behind her. Delisa was going to be mad she was ruining it but just then she didn’t care.

  Talon approached her from the barracks, the sight of his boyish face and brown curls instantly helping to calm her. He reached out as if he was going to hug her but then thought better of it.

  “Is everything alright, Kalina?” he asked hesitantly, eyeing her stiffness. She shook out her hands and rolled her shoulders. She needed to calm down, find a way to repair what she might just have broken. She would have to call for another council tomorrow to try to smooth things over. The sun was setting over the western wall of the castle and now all she wanted was to eat dinner quietly in her rooms with her Queen’s Guard and Delisa and then go to bed with a good book. She stopped pacing and looked up at her friend.

  “No, everything's not alright. But it will be. I’ll make it be.” She gave him a tight smile, which he returned. “Goodnight, Talon. And thank you.” She meant for checking on her, for being her friend in such a lonely place. Somehow she had always known in her heart that Talon would never abandon her.

  “Goodnight, my Queen.” He bowed and returned to the barracks. Kalina let out a long sigh, before turning her own steps towards the palace.

  Just as she turned the last corner to her rooms, Hilde and Runa following slowly behind her as they had all day, she ran smack into Prince Endre. The dark-haired Prince steadied her before stepping back and giving her a small bow.

  “I’m sorry I startled you, your Majesty.” He was always so polite. It made Kalina sick. Didn’t he ever just want to yell and scream? She knew she did. But like a good queen she waited until she was high in the sky on Maska and alone to scream out her frustration and rage at the futility of it all. So she plastered a sweet smile on her face and gave him a small curtsey back.

  “It’s no bother, your Highness.”

  “I was actually hoping to run into you.”

  Ahh, that was why he was lurking in her hallway, a place he had no reason to be.

  “And why is that?”

  “To give you a warning. You are pushing the boundaries here. We want peace, but not at the disrespect of our country, our traditions, and how we rule our people. It might be best if you take some time to consider what is really important to you before we negotiate further.”

  Kalina glared at him, her smile dropping away.

  “Is that a threat, your Highness?” she asked, her voice deadly. Her hands were itching to grab the knife she had stashed against her lower back, tucked into her belt, and plunge it into his chest. Prince Endre’s eyes flicked over her shoulder at Hilde and Runa before landing back on her own ice blue ones.

  “Not at all. Merely a suggestion for how to proceed.”

  “I will find my own way, without your help,” Kalina said coldly. “And I would like to meet with your council tomorrow morning. Consider this my final offer.” She pushed passed him, her guards quickly following. “Goodnight, Prince Endre,” she said over her shoulder as she opened the door to her rooms and slipped inside, leaving him red-faced in the hallway. She didn’t care what threats he threw at her. She wasn’t going to smooth things over. She was going to stand up for herself and insist upon a few things tomorrow at the meeting.

  “Where’s Seri?” she asked as she entered. Delisa was reading quietly by the fire, her feet propped in Kari’s lap where Kari was massaging them gently. Delisa looked up and frowned.

  “Actually, I haven’t seen her all afternoon. I thought she would have shown up to bring more firewood or to ask if we wanted dinner.”

  Kalina waved a hand and crossed to her table were pieces of paper and writing utensils sat. She scribbled a quick note before handing it to Runa.

  “Please take this to Lord Illeron. I need to speak with him. And find out where Seri got to. I’d like to have dinner here with Lord Illeron.”

  Runa nodded and left quickly. Delisa put down her book and came over to help Kalina change out of the red dress. She complained lightly about the dust and dirt covering the hem but Kalina was too preoccupied to care. When Runa returned not long later she had troubling news.

  “Seri’s gone. I asked the cook where she’d gone but the woman just said that a pair of guards came for her an hour ago and escorted her out. She hasn’t returned. The cook promised to send another girl up with dinner and to run you a bath. I’m sorry, your Majesty.”

  “Gone?” The color drained from Kalina’s face as she realized her mistake. Seri was the only servant she’d had any close contact with since arriving in the castle. When she’d asked for an end to indentured servitude today in council they would have assumed it was Seri who had told her. Had they just reassigned her? Or had they done something worse?

  “Oh no.” She felt suddenly sick. Once again she was hurting those around her, those she had begun to care about.

  “What? What is it?” Delisa said, putting her arm around Kalina’s shoulders and steering her to a chair.

  “This is all my fault. I’m the reason Seri is gone.” She explained what had happened in the council.

  “There’s nothing you could have done, Kalina. At least you tried. At least you didn’t sit by while good people have everything taken away from them,” Delisa said.

  Kalina didn’t believe her, not really. There was so much more she could have done. A knock on the door distracted them and Lord Illeron entered, followed closely by a large tray of dinner food. Kalina pushed aside her guilt and sadness and instead focused on him. They had work to do.

  “Lord Illeron, we need to make a plan.”

  Chapter 27

  “Thank you for meeting again with me, your Majesty.” Kalina stood before the King and his council, addressing them. Today she had worn her Valdiran leathers both to intimidate and to help her feel strong, connected to her people. It helped her hold her resolve when Prince Endre and the King glared at her with such intensity. “I know that all we are trying to do here is what’s best for our countries, our people.” Hesitant nods happened around the council table. “And I know that together, we can both be stronger nations.”

  “Then we should put this matter to rest once and for all,” the King said. “You will agree to our terms and marry my son, or go back to your country with your tail between your legs and prepare for war.”

  Kalina’s jaw clenched. He wasn’t going to mince words. So neither would she.

  “Then you will agree to my terms as well. This is, after all, a negotiation.” She locked eyes with the King, her own gaze as intense as his. “You will change your laws on indentured servitude, putting a cap of five years on each persons’ service. Those who have already served more will be immediately released. You will be content with your son having only partial power over the Etheans, but the Valdir are mine alone to rule. And we will split the Great Grey Mountains in half down the middle. You will control the northern part of the range, and we the southern. That will give you valuable mines and resources. That is what the original war was about, and now I’m giving you half my mines. Your son and I will get married in my country, witnessed by my people, but you and your family are welcome to attend. And you will return my brother to me safe, and unharmed. He will then spend half the year with me in Ethea, and the other half with you, here in Askor. And when he comes of age, he will be allowed to freely choose where he goes and what he does with his life.” She paused, taking a deep breath and letting her words sink in. “Are my demands clear?”

>   The King’s face had grown steadily redder as she’d spoken. Prince Endre was looking at her with a small amount of respect. Prince Julian was looking utterly shocked and disgusted, his lips twisting in a sneer. Kari hadn’t figured a way out of the marriage yet, so she had to make the best of a terrible situation. Her own council was just as grim-faced as she was, but Jormungand was eyeing her and she could see a muscle twitching in Leif’s strong jaw. She wondered what he was making of all this. He couldn’t possibly believe that she wanted to marry Simen, or that she had any say in this. All she could do was fight for some modicum of control and hope for the best.

  Finally, the King spoke.

  “I will concede to your demands, but you will marry my son here, in Askor, in a week’s time. And you will give him equal control in your entire kingdom, including the Valdir.” He gave her a partial smile. “Those are my new terms.”

  Kalina’s gut clenched. She might free people like Seri, but she would be putting herself at extreme risk by marrying Simen here. Once they were married and he had control, then if anything happened to her… she couldn’t bear the thought of what the King of Askor would do to the Valdir.

  “I will have to think-” she began, adopting an uninterested tone.

  “No,” the King interrupted, his voice rising. “You will decide now or else this means war. There will be no further negotiation.” The entire council chamber rang with silence following his words.

  Give a counter offer. Give a counter offer.

  The words kept running through her mind. She pressed her knuckles into the tabletop and looked sideways for a moment at Lord Illeron. His own eyes were full of worry while his face remained blank and passive. He was the master of spies, after all, and he knew how to hide his emotions. She finally looked at Leif, their eyes locking and remaining so for a few moments for the first time in what felt like months. She wished they had had a few moments to talk, so she could tell him she was doing this to protect him. To protect the Valdir.

  “Fine. I’ll marry your son here, in one week. But I retain full control over the Valdir.”

  “It is done then. We will begin planning for the wedding.” The King stood to go. “Pleasure doing business with you, Queen Kalina.” Then he stood and left the chamber, his sons and nobles filing out behind him. She didn’t even get to ask about her brother. Was he alive? Did they have him? When would they return him to her?

  Kalina’s stomach twisted and she had to swallow hard at the bile rising in her throat. She felt like she’d just sold herself. Suddenly peace didn’t seem like a good enough reason to give up half her power, and possibly her safety, to Askor. She slumped back down into her chair and put her head into her hands. She heard her own council file out. She only looked up briefly when Lord Illeron placed a hand softly on her shoulder.

  “You did the best you could.” He murmured.

  “It wasn’t enough.” She felt like crying, screaming, sobbing. Once she was alone but for her guards she stood and walked from the room. A hand snagged her arm as soon as she left. She spun, pulling a dagger from some hidden place and had it to the throat of her attacker in an instant. But the grey eyes she stared into were no threat, although they did hold anger.

  “How could you do that? You’ve sold our country to a mad man.” Leif’s voice was urgent and low, pitched so no one but her could hear it, not even her guards. His hand was tight on her upper arm but not enough to hurt her. Even in his anger and fear, he was gentle with her. She shook him off. He didn’t understand. And suddenly her own anger and fear was boiling up through the thin sheet of ice she’d tried to build over it.

  “And what would you have done? Put our people through another war? How many more people are going to die for me? How many more of our own people are we going to lose to Askor?” It came out fierce and fiery and she saw Leif’s eyes change as he stepped back. “Would your father have wanted another war? Would mine?”

  “No. I suppose not.” He took a second step away.

  Kalina watched as he left her standing in the hallway, breathing hard, tears gathering in her eyes. She wiped angrily at them with her sleeve and stormed back to her rooms to grab her wolf trimmed cloak and thermal padded riding gear. She needed to get away, as far away as she could. She needed time to think.

  “Where are you going?” Delisa asked, wringing her hands in distress as she watched Kalina change with abandon.

  “Flying,” was all she said as she left her rooms and practically ran down to the dragon eyrie, her guards barely able to keep up. As she barreled into the eyrie, a second arm snagged her and she tore her arm free, pulling one of her axes from its sheath and brandishing it. Prince Simen stood in the light from the doorway, his hands held up in defense. His handsome face had gone ashen. Her own body pulsed with fury.

  “I’m sorry, your Majesty.” He took a tentative step forward and Kalina lowered her ax, slowly putting it back into its spot along her back. “I heard about the council and wanted to come see you were alright.”

  “I’m fine,” she lied, turning back to a now agitated and concerned Maska.

  “I need to talk to you,” Simen persisted.

  “Can it wait?” She threw Maska’s saddle over the giant spikes along his spine and then climbed up. “I need to go flying.”

  “It’s important. Very important.”

  Kalina turned and saw fear and worry in Prince Simen’s eyes. He really did have something to say. She let out a long sigh.

  “Fine. You can come with me.”

  “Are you sure, Littling?” Maska’s deep voice rumbled through the stall.

  “Yes, I’m sure. We should probably keep getting to know one another. If we’re going to get married,” she didn’t mean for it to come out so bitterly but it did. Simen noticed and she saw his face blanche. She did her best to push her anger aside as she fastened the large leather buckles on the saddle underneath Maska’s belly. She climbed up and then offered a hand down to the prince. “Well, come on then.”

  A small grin spread across his face and he took her hand.

  Chapter 28

  Wind roared in her ears as Maska flew. Behind her, Prince Simen clung to her waist, his face pressed into the leather of her back, his eyes squeezed shut. She should feel sorry for him and ask Maska to slow down, to fly lower and slower. But she needed this speed as he winged south towards the Great Grey Mountains. Below them, the snow-covered plains gave way to verdant green and brown Riverlands, small farms dotted between the bright blue flowing rivers that snaked and wound their way south towards the mountains. Finally, Maska began to descend and she could see a snow-covered peak rising before them, it’s top disappearing in the clouds.

  “Maska, take us down,” she called over the roar of the wind in her ears.

  He tucked his wings and dropped like a stone. Behind her Simen let out a choked gasp that was snatched away by the wind, but Kalina let out a long yell, a mixture of joy and frustration. Just a few minutes flying on Maska and she’d felt her anger and fear melt away. She was free, and no one could touch her up here in the sky. Her own guards hadn’t been able to follow. Runa and Asa had been on duty, and while Asa had tried to get her own dragon out of the eyrie in time to follow, Runa had run back towards the castle, no doubt to get Kari. But by the time they got their act together, she and Simen were long gone on Maska. Later, Kari would berate her for leaving alone with Simen, but she wasn’t alone. She was a better fighter than he was, and she had Maska. If anything, he should be the one concerned for his life.

  Maska came to a sudden and jolting stop in mid-air, his enormous wings flapping hard as he slowly lowered them to the top of a green hill at the base of the mountains. In less than an hour, they’d covered leagues of distance, and finally, Kalina felt like she could breathe. When he’d alighted on the grass, Kalina pried Simen’s fingers from her waist and slid down off her dragon. A few moments later, Simen’s tall, lanky form crashed to the ground unceremoniously beside her.

  “Oh, ble
ssed land,” he moaned and lay down on the dew-covered grass. Kalina let out a chuckle and sat beside him as Maska’s large bulk struck the earth and he rolled onto his side to sun-bathe. Kalina smiled indulgently at him as she waited for the prince to regain control of himself. When he finally sat up beside her, his thin face was decidedly grey.

  “Are you going to puke? Because if you are, please do it far away from me.”

  A wan smile spread across his lips and he tucked his knees into his chest and rested his chin on them.

  “Do you always fly like that?” he asked, eyeing her. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes, soaking in the midday sun like a dragon.

  “No. And we’ll fly lower and more slowly on the way back. I just needed to get out of there as soon as I could.”

  He nodded sagely as though he understood. They were quiet for a few moments, and he picked at the grass before speaking.

  “There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you. And with my father rushing things, I think I need to tell you now, or never.”

  She cracked her eyes open and watched emotions play across his face.

  “Go on,” she encouraged, giving him a small smile. He drew in a deep breath.

  “I don’t want to marry you. I can’t marry you.”

  Kalina let out a bark of laughter.

  “I don’t want to marry you either, Simen, but we’re a bit too far gone for that now, aren’t we?”

  He began shaking his head, frustration, and sadness clear on his face.

  “No, you don’t understand. I’m already promised to another, and I refuse to break that engagement, regardless of my father’s will. I will leave Askor before I’ll marry you. I love her,” he finished lamely.