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

  “Mistress Aynne, can you give us a rundown of the state of our coffers? Can we afford to pay our army a bit more?”

  “The kingdom’s coffers are sadly lacking, your Majesty. It seems that Prince Terric and his council,” she said this pointedly to Lord Averil, looking over her glasses at the man before continuing. “- spent the majority of the crown’s money on the war effort, with little to no investment or return. We do not have the proper funds to fight another war with Askor, and as it stands, it will take years to replenish what was misspent.”

  Kalina chewed her lip and glanced sideways at Leif. She had known it was bad, but not this bad. Pretty soon her entire army might desert her if she couldn’t afford to pay them.

  “What about trade with the southern realms? That avenue has been closed for so long due to the wars but what about now?” She finally turned to look at Lord Averil. She hated that he was in charge of their trade agreements. He was partially the reason they were not in a good place politically with the rest of the world. Prince Terric had been a terrible diplomat, but so had Lord Averil. He had only cultivated the relationship with Askor, and for years, they had been cut off from Wostrad and Ablen and the other down realms. But that was going to change.

  “It seems that Wostrad is reluctant to trade with us, given that we seem to be perpetually at war. They feel we don’t have anything worth trading, and therefore are not interested in entering into agreements with us. Ablen may be more open to trade across the Cressport Straits but we need to be careful of Askorian ships attacking from the Ice Gulf to the north.”

  Askor had never admitted to having a fleet of pirates, but they either came from Askor, or from islands so far afield that no one in the southern realms had heard of them. They flew no colors and routinely attacked ships between Ethea, Wostrad, and Ablen across the straits. It was a gamble, but one Kalina needed to take.

  “Please, send a trade delegation to Ablen. Include at least two Valdir, as my people have more to offer than you may realize. We need to figure out what we can trade that is cheap and easy to make in wartime that can be traded for food and goods in case Askor decides to attack.” Her mind began racing, trying to come up with a suitable trading item. Dragon scales had been traded in the past, but now her people were hard at work collecting them to turn into armor. Dragons were almost invincible from all but the strongest catapults and projectiles, but their riders were vulnerable. They needed something else.

  “Your Majesty, if I may.” Lord Averil stood suddenly and bowed low to Kalina. “I think that we should continue to pursue a relationship with Askor.”

  Kalina began to object, Leif and especially Kari speaking up when Lord Averil pulled a stamped and waxed sealed envelope from his breast pocket.

  “Before you deny me, I believe you’ll want to read this.”

  Chapter 12

  The letter was on heavy parchment, the wax seal bearing the snowflake and star emblem of Askor. Kalina’s heart began to race as she took it from Lord Averil, glancing up at Lord Illeron, who frowned. Clearly, even her Spymaster knew nothing of this letter. That alone set alarm bells ringing in her head. She cracked the seal and opened the letter.

  Dear Queen Kalina Stanchon of Ethea and the Valdir,

  We are writing to you today with a proposition. Despite recent events and the loss of our son Prince Terric Blackbourne, we are prepared to extend an olive branch.

  For many years, our two kingdoms have been united not only by a peace treaty but by marriage. The marriage of your mother to our Prince Terric, while not well matched, did ensure the safety of Ethea and prosperity for both our kingdoms.

  Our proposal is this: come north to Winterreach, for peace talks with us, and we will try to come to an understanding that benefits both our countries. We also propose an alliance by marriage between yourself and our youngest son. Of course, you can wait to agree to the marriage until you’ve met him, but I think you will be satisfied with the match.

  We await your prompt reply.

  Sincerely,

  King Remon Blackbourne

  Kalina sat back in her chair, letting the letter rest on the table before her. Her eyes shot to Lord Averil’s face, searching, but he seemed to be as ignorant of what the letter held as the rest of those around the council table.

  The threat loomed that if she refused the invitation then he would launch his troops directly at her, as evidenced by his troops amassing on the northern coast. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Finally, she handed the letter to Lord Illeron.

  “Lord Averil, are you aware of what is in that letter?”

  “No, your Majesty. Only the rumor that it may contain a marriage proposal between you and a Prince of Askor.”

  “Threats. That is what that letter holds. It threatens war if I don’t travel north to their capital and engage in peace talks, as well as consider a marriage proposal to his youngest son.” Her mother had warned her that one day a political marriage might become necessary, but she’d hoped it wouldn’t be so soon.

  Lord Averil had been pushing marriage since the moment she’d been crowned, and she’d pushed his concerns off, sure that Osian would be her heir until and if she decided to get married. Besides, Leif had been the only man she’d even considered marrying, and politically, he wasn’t the best match.

  “It doesn’t mention your brother, Prince Osian at all, your Majesty,” Lord Illeron said, handing her back the letter.

  Kalina let out a long sigh, slouching back into her seat. Leif gently took the letter from her hand and read it, with Kari reading over his shoulder.

  “I know.” Kalina chewed on her lip as she thought. “I’ll need to think on it, at least for tonight before I make any decisions or send a reply.” She stood, pushing her hands into the tabletop. “Council is dismissed.”

  As everyone filed out of the room, Kalina continued to lean on the table, letting the rough wood beneath her palms ground her. Lord Illeron paused beside her and laid a hand on her shoulder.

  “I think there may be some merit to what Lord Averil has been saying all along. Marriage would take you off the market, and countries like Askor wouldn’t be able to use that against you.” He gave her a knowing look.

  Kalina smiled at him gratefully but she knew he meant she needed a political match. Perhaps she should send to Wostrad or Ablen for a suitable match, perhaps with the might of Ethea and one of the southern realms combined would help to stop Askor from considering another war.

  Kari and the Queen’s Guards walked her back to her rooms where she collapsed onto the bed. She stared at the ceiling, all the possibilities running through her head.

  She barely slept and the next day found herself wandering the halls in a semi-daze, worry knotting her gut. The last thing she wanted was to feel backed into a corner with no other options. But she supposed she had been wishing for something, anything, to happen and it had. Now she had to adapt and make a decision or drown.

  She was so lost in her thoughts that afternoon that she didn’t notice Leif coming up behind her as she paced the practice yard. Her bow hung forgotten in her hand, the target on the other side of the yard woefully empty of arrows. She thought shooting would help clear her mind, but instead, she kept getting distracted.

  Leif’s warm arms went around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder, forcing her to stop moving. Her heart leapt into her throat for the briefest of moments before she recognized his scent. If he had been an assassin, she would have been dead. She promised herself she’d begin paying better attention, no matter how troubled her mind was.

  “Copper for your thoughts?” he whispered in her ear, kissing her temple lightly before stepping away. Kalina frowned at him. He was always so calm. It was one of the things she loved best about him, but she often wondered how he remained so steady when events were swirling around them.

  “This whole marriage thing. I don’t know what to do.”

  She watched as his face fell slightly before he mastered whate
ver emotions were going on behind the steady mask he showed her. Disappointment settled in her gut. She wouldn’t get an answer from him. At least not a straight one. Not one from the heart, not if he was already masking his emotions.

  “You need to do what is best for the country, Kalina. Whatever that is.” He stepped away from her, and she felt his absence like a blow to her gut.

  What had she expected? For him to profess his love, go down on one knee, and ask her to marry him? No, that only happened in fairytales. That wasn’t what happened to queens.

  “Yes, of course. You’re right.” She raised her bow and placed an arrow on the string. In one swift movement, she brought her right hand back to her chin, setting the tension along her bones and then gently loosened her fingers. The string snapped forward, sending the arrow flying. It landed dead center of the target across the practice field with a dull thwack.

  Leif grabbed his own bow from a rack by the barracks and smiled stiffly at her before joining her. Together, they shot arrow after arrow until Kalina’s shoulders and arms were pleasantly sore. She let herself get lost in the quiet focus that was archery, her mind finally settling for the first time all day. Leif’s presence often had that effect on her.

  As the afternoon sun rose to its zenith overhead, she sighed and put away her bow.

  “I’m going to send letters to Wostrad and Ablen. I think before I commit to anything with Askor I need to hear any proposals they may have,” she said, turning back to Leif. He stood in the center of the yard, his bow held loosely in his fingers, the sun shining on his silver braids, the angles of his cheekbones standing out. He was achingly handsome, and Kalina’s heart clenched to look at him. His calm grey eyes watched her as she spoke. She cleared her throat before continuing. “I think we’ll need to accept his offer of peace negotiations regardless of the marriage proposal. I need to see what I can find out about Osian. We know he’s there with them. I can’t let him stay there to be raised by that monster.”

  “I agree. You should contact the southern realms. Perhaps they can help.”

  Kalina wondered if he really did agree. She wondered if he felt the same thing she felt for him. She’d never put it into words, but in her heart, she knew she loved him. Was he really okay with her possibly marrying a royal from a southern kingdom? Her heart clenched and her throat burned so she could barely speak as she nodded and walked away, leaving Leif standing alone in the dusty practice yard.

  She found Mistress Aynne and had the woman help her pen two letters, one to each southern realm. She knew there were more kingdoms across the seas, but none that she knew enough about to send letters. Afterward she brought the letters to Lord Illeron to send. And then she waited.

  Chapter 13

  The first delegation to arrive was from Wostrad. Three members of their court along with an entourage of both soldiers and servants, all finely dressed in light clothing, stood in Kalina’s throne room. There were two men and a woman standing before her, all in their forties and all-black of hair.

  The taller of the two men stepped forward and bowed low, his long braided beard that was almost touching the floor. His skin was tanned, his eyes equally dark. He gestured to his companions before speaking.

  “Queen Kalina Stanchon of Ethea and the Valdir. We come as delegates and emissaries from Wostrad, your neighbor to the south. We come bearing gifts from our King, as well as his greetings.” He bowed again, his arm outstretched.

  A servant wearing robes of orange and red, much like his masters, stepped forward, a small chest in his hands. Kalina leaned forward slightly to get a better look. Despite her own trepidation at this delegation being here, she was curious what the southern realms would offer. Perhaps there would be a proposal she just couldn’t refuse.

  The chest was opened and she peered inside. It held all manner of bottles and vials full of different colored liquids. Some swirled, it seemed, while others held liquids so dark they sucked up the light. Kalina raised her eyebrows and looked at the dark-haired man.

  “They are beautiful, but what are they?”

  “Your Majesty,” he said, with a yet another obsequious bow. “These are a selection of perfumes from our most famous perfumiers. Wostrad is well known for its scents and smells, and our King thought you might enjoy these as a token of his affection.”

  Kalina wrinkled her nose slightly. She’d never worn a perfume in her life, and she wasn’t about to now. But she smiled gratefully, thanking him, and nodded to the servant who stepped back. A second servant stepped forward holding a small crate. She opened the top to reveal various types of what Kalina could only assume were exotic foods.

  “Fruits from our jungle far to the south. They are the sweetest and most delightful thing you’ve ever tasted, your Majesty. We have delivered crates to your kitchens and hope that you might serve them with our dinner tonight.”

  “That sounds delightful.”

  Her plan was to receive both sets of delegates, one today and one tomorrow, and each night have a small dinner party for them so they might get to know one another. At least new and interesting foods might make the boring evenings playing nice with nobles more entertaining. She nodded to the servant who stepped back.

  “What does your King propose?” She realized belatedly that she didn’t know the man’s name.

  “Your Majesty, our King proposes that you come to the capital of Wostrad to meet him. He would like to forge an alliance between our two realms, making them one strong and formidable force.”

  Kalina frowned slightly. She had known the King of Wostrad was unmarried but she also knew that he was in his forties, much older than she was.

  “Doesn’t the King have a son almost my age?”

  “Yes, your Majesty, he does.” The man bowed again. She had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes. His bowing and scraping was beginning to wear on her.

  “Strange, that he would want me to marry him rather than his son.”

  The man’s face blanched a bit at her comment but he recovered quickly.

  “The King feels that you deserve to marry a king, not a prince. He has the necessary experience, knowledge, and strength to protect and guide your Majesty. He would be your safe harbor, your knight in shining armor. He wishes to pass his knowledge on to you so that one day you may rule your kingdom and his with wisdom and strength.”

  She frowned. He made it seem as though their King planned to take over ruling Ethea if she married him. She looked sideways at Leif and Kari, who stood nearby. Leif was studiously not making eye contact. He had, in fact, barely spoken to her since she’d mentioned she was going to see what other offers she could get. That had been over a week ago and Kalina was beginning to get worried. Kari was grimacing slightly. Kalina wondered if it was from the speech the man had just given, or because Kari hated standing around in court.

  “Lord…” Kalina trailed off, finally stymied by the fact that she didn’t know the man’s name.

  “Lord Galtero, your Majesty. And my companions are Lord Trevesani and Lady Eleadora. We are at your disposal.” He accompanied this with yet another bow, his fellow courtiers doing the same. Lord Trevesani was just as dark as Lord Galtero but not as tall and lean. He was of average build and, frankly, unremarkable in Kalina’s eyes. Lady Eleadora was stunning, her dark hair and eyes paired with her tanned skin making her exotic.

  “Thank you, Lord Galtero. I look forward to speaking further with you about your King’s proposal tonight at dinner.” She gestured and her own servants and guards stepped forward to escort the Wostrad delegation to their rooms in the guest wing of the palace. Kalina sat back into her chair and let out a long sigh, rubbing the space between her eyes. This was going to be a long few days. Each delegation was set to stay a week and she already couldn’t wait for them to leave. Especially Lord Galtero and his infuriating bowing and scraping.

  That evening she met with the Lords and Lady from Wostrad in a small dining chamber, along with her council members and their wives (if th
ey had any). Lady Renfort was a widow and did not bring a guest. Lord Illeron also came solo, but Lord Averil brought his rather docile and quiet younger wife. Lord Tameron had a wife just as short and plump as he was, but where he was a follower and did Lord Averil’s bidding, his wife was clearly shrewder. Her eyes darted around the room, her red hair done up in an elaborate coif atop her head. She was constantly whispering in her husband’s ear and he was politely smiling along.

  Kalina was sat between Lord Illeron and Lord Galtero. Lord Illeron had the ear of Lady Eleadora and ignored Kalina all night but she didn’t blame him. He was her Spymaster after all and Lady Eleadora was talking his ear off. She gritted her teeth and hoped he was at least getting some good information as she focused on speaking with Lord Galtero. She changed the subject to the King of Wostrad’s offer.

  “Lord Galtero, I wonder, does your King expect me to let him run my country? Is so, then he is sadly mistaken. I may be young, but you can ask any member of my court, I am hardly untested.” She paused for a bite of her salad which featured a tart kind of fruit she’d never had before that she assumed was from Wostrad. “If I was to accept his proposal, I would need some assurances that my people and my country were mine alone to govern. He would have a say, of course, as my husband, but I would retain full autonomy.”

  That was something her mother had never had. Once she married Prince Terric, she had been overshadowed and forced to kneel to him. Kalina would never do that. She wanted a partner, someone to bounce ideas off, someone to talk to when she was frustrated and overwhelmed, but not someone to take the reins from her. This was her country to lead, no one else’s.

  “It sounds, your Majesty, like what you want is a consort and not a king. Our King has certain expectations of a wife, especially if she comes with a country in tow.”

  Kalina sat back in her chair. She hadn’t even considered this possibility. Was having a consort even an option? They’d still be married in the eyes of the gods, but her consort would only be one of her lords, not her king. Was that what she wanted? She didn’t hear what Lord Galtero asked next, so absorbed in her own thoughts that eventually he got bored and turned to his neighbor to chat.