Fantasyland 01 Wildest Dreams (49 page)

Holy moly.

One could say I was not averse to luxury and
indulged in it frequently but this was way over the top.

There were more guards inside (eight to be
exact) and the feathers in their helmets were even bigger and they
had elaborate jaw and chin guards wrapped around the lower half of
their faces.

And sitting on the thrones (one much grander
than the other) were two men.

On the bigger one was a graying, jowly man
with a large belly and a larger gold crown on his head. This was
decorated with black fur and inset with rubies and diamonds. He
wore his own poofy shorts, these striped in black and red and also
a breastplate painted with a dragon but it looked funny considering
it had to be made with a bulge to cover his big belly. Hilariously
(I thought), at his booted foot there was a helmet with a huge
spray of red and black feathers shooting straight out of the top,
this I read as his indication that he was battle ready at all times
when he was, clearly,
not.

But as amusing as this was, I didn’t find
him humorous because his eyes were directed right at me and I saw
at once they were mean.

At his side sat a very handsome, much
younger man not wearing a breastplate, poofy shorts or even a crown
but black breeches, shined black boots, a red poofy-sleeved shirt
with laces at the collar and a black, brocade vest. His ensemble,
even with the red poofy shirt, was understated but elegant.

My uncle and cousin.

And, by the way, my uncle, clearly,
was
not
an identical
twin with Father.

There was a man standing to the right and
behind Prince Broderick’s chair and he, too, was dressed like
Broderick but his shirt was pristine white and he had a thin scarf
with a silk fringe wrapped jauntily around his neck.

A not-so-wild guess (considering the scarf),
the lover, Phobin.

I let Kell and Gunner go and dropped to a
low, formal curtsy which was my guess at what he would expect
regardless that he thought we shared blood and royal status.

“Rise, my niece,” I heard him command in a
voice as pompous as his surroundings and I did what I was told.

Then I hoped to all that was holy that I
read even the slightest hint of Sjofn’s feelings for these two in
her letters and I smiled dutifully at her uncle but far more warmly
at her cousin.

Baldur inclined his head.

Broderick smiled warmly back.

Okay.

Phew.

That seemed to go well.

“Come, my dear, embrace your brethren,”
Baldur ordered, I looked back at him, saw he had his hands to the
arms of his throne, appearing like he was preparing to shift his
bulk from the chair and I lifted a fluttering hand to my
throat.

“If it pleases you, your grace,” I rasped
harshly and saw Baldur blink before his brows drew together and he
sat back, “for your welfare, I will not.” I pushed out, moved my
hand from my throat to my mouth, coughed roughly yet delicately
(yep, I pulled that off and was pretty freaking proud of myself
doing it), dropped my hand and finished, “I’ve caught a chill in my
throat and I do not wish you to catch it.”

“Yer grace,” Kell cut in and I turned to him
to see he was still bent low, eyes to the furs at our feet, “if we
could have your leave to get our princess a chair. She’s unwell and
don’t have a lot ‘a energy.”

“See to a chair for Princess Sjofn, Phobin,”
Baldur ordered, the face of the man behind Broderick grew slightly
hard at being ordered about then he moved off toward some furniture
sitting at the side of the tent.

The good news was, Phobin and Broderick were
here so they weren’t wherever Frey was.

The other good news was, so far, I was
pulling this off and Kell had fallen in with the plan.

And luckily, there was no bad news.

Yet.

“Guard of Sjofn, you may also rise,” Baldur
muttered distractedly and I looked to my left to see Gunner had, as
well, been bowed to this king all this time.

What a dick, leaving them like that. It
wasn’t like it was hours but still.

I shook off this irritation as Phobin
brought me a chair. I smiled at him then collapsed in it pretending
to pretend I was not actually collapsing in it but regally taking a
very needed load off my princess feet.

When I was settled, Gunner and Kell took
their places, Gunner at my left back and Kell at the right.

“If you are so unwell, niece, why did you
make the journey? My men could easily have attended you on your
husband’s vessel,” Baldur made a good point and I looked at
him.

Shit. This was true.

I thought fast.

Then I rasped, “You are my father’s
brother but you are also king.” He winced at my voice with the
addition of a curled lip to show his distaste, the latter of which
I didn’t like all that much. I mean, I wasn’t actually sick
but
he
didn’t know
that and no one could help being sick. “It is my duty to attend
you,” I concluded.

“That is my sweet Sjofn,” Broderick said
softly in a lovely, deep, gentle voice and my eyes went to him to
see his were soft and warm on me. “Always putting duty above
self.”

Well, not always.

I obviously didn’t mention this but tipped
my head to the side and smiled at him.

“And your new husband?” Baldur asked, I
looked back at him and opened my mouth to speak.

“Inland,” Kell grunted before I could say
anything, Baldur’s eyes narrowed in annoyance and they shot to
Kell.

“Did I give you leave to speak for my
niece?” he demanded to know.

“You didn’t, father, but you should,”
Broderick stated firmly but softly. “It’s clear Sjofn experiences
pain every time she does.”

Baldur sniffed to communicate he acceded
this point then addressed Kell. “And what does your master do
inland?”

Ho boy. I wasn’t certain Kell would like
Frey being referred to as his master.

Kell, however, didn’t miss a beat but he
also didn’t share masses of information.

“His wife is unwell.”

“
I can
hear
that. And?” Baldur demanded.

“She caught a chill not long after we set
sail. Not bad at first but it got worse. Laid up in bed, soundin’
funny and sick as a dog. None of the medicine we got onboard was
doin’ her any good, The Drakkar set anchor and came ashore to go
inland, find a doctor, get her somethin’ to help her so we can be
on our way and she’ll quit sufferin’.”

“And you’re on your way to where?” Baldur
asked.

“Chateau in Hawkvale. They got a baby to
make,” Kell answered. “The Drakkar likes seein’ to that particular
duty and didn’t want any distractions.”

I sighed heavily mainly because I would
normally sigh heavily at Kell’s highly personal answer but also
because I figured Sjofn would sigh heavily at Kell’s highly
personal answer.

Baldur stared at Kell with distaste. My eyes
slid to Broderick to see his on me and they were twinkling. He
thought that was funny and I could tell by the way he was looking
at me Sjofn would share in his humor so I gave him a little shrug
and a small smile and his twinkle got brighter.

“Seems to me The Drakkar could send a man
inland to find medicine for his wife so he could stay aboard and
tend her,” Baldur noted and my eyes went back to him.

“And seems to me you don’t know my master
much, I’m guessin’. Errand’s important, he don’t send no one to do
it. The man does it himself,” Kell replied, Baldur straightened in
his chair, obviously not liking Kell’s tone.

“Indeed,” Baldur murmured, scowling at
Kell.

“He’s being very kind,” I put in, still
rasping, I lifted my hand delicately to my throat as Baldur’s
attention went from his angry contemplation of Kell to me. “I told
him I would be all right, given time. But he’s concerned.”

“Taken with her, he is,” Kell added. “Don’t
like to see her sufferin’ and also don’t like not gettin’ his
husbandly privileges ‘cause she’s sufferin’, if you take my
meanin’, yer grace.”

“
I do indeed,” Baldur sniffed through a lip
curl which, as much as I didn’t like this guy, I had to admit was
pretty good, “
take your meaning,
my dear sir.”

“I’m pleased to hear this, Sjofn,” Broderick
said quietly and I looked to him. “That The Drakkar has taken to
you. This is lovely news.”

I smiled at him, he smiled back and it
wasn’t understanding, like he knew Sjofn’s secret and felt for her;
it was genuine, like he was truly pleased her arranged marriage was
working out.

“We suit,” I whispered, taking the rasp down
a notch because I was whispering but also saying it with feeling
because it was true.

“I’m pleased to hear this too, cousin,”
Broderick replied on another sincere smile and I smiled back.

“
Well, I cannot say this comes as a
surprise,” Baldur declared and I looked to him. “He practically
dragged you from the Dwelling of the Gods. Vulgar, most assuredly,
but telling.” He smiled at me, it was definitely
not
genuine, and finished, “But who
would not be taken with Lunwyn’s Winter Princess, far and away the
fairest beauty in that frigid land?”

I wasn’t all that hot on him calling Lunwyn
frigid. It was, of course, frigid, strictly speaking, but there
were nicer words to use.

It was then there seemed to be some
commotion outside. The guards inside went on alert, four closing in
on their king and two immediately going out the tent opening.

I turned in my chair, peering around Kell to
see what was happening and didn’t have to wait long when one of the
guards rushed back in, bowed and said to the furs, “The Drakkar is
here.”

Uh-oh.

My eyes shot upwards, caught Kell’s and I
saw his mouth surrounded by his bushy, white beard was tight.

Shit.

Then I leaned around again to look beyond
Kell to see Frey, followed by Thad, Orion, Max, Annar, Lund and
Oleg striding purposefully into the tent and Frey was looking
pretty freaking displeased.

Uh-oh again.

“What’s the meaning of this?” he demanded to
know before he got five feet into the huge tent and I rose quickly,
intent to move to him and find some way to give him a head’s up
regarding what was afoot.

“You don’t bow to the king of the land whose
soil your boots tread upon?” Baldur asked and he sounded pissed
too, pissed and full of outraged affront.

Frey halted beside Kell, bowed shallow and
swift, not bothering to wait for his command to rise. I got close
to him, putting my hands on his chest, I pressed in as hard as I
could and tipped my head back.

Then I rasped, deeper and far more harshly,
“Husband, it is my duty to attend a king when called upon to do
so.”

Frey’s brows shot together and his head
jerked down to look at me the instant the first word came out of my
throat.

“
You get that medicine you were
after,
master?
” Kell
asked casually and Frey tore his eyes from me to look at
Kell.

Then, cottoning on quickly, as was his way,
he clipped, “No. I heard word the king’s men were at shore and,
hearing that, I was certain he would call on my bride so I
abandoned the search and returned instantly.” His eyes moved to
Baldur as his arm moved to circle my waist and he pulled my front
close to his. “And I was not wrong, the king called upon my
bride.”

“Of course,” Baldur stated. “She is my niece
which means you are now my nephew and the moment I heard your ship
was anchored offshore, we rode to extend familial greetings.”

Frey’s jaw went hard.

Then he returned, “That is kind, your
grace, but if we were in Middleland for an official visit, rather
than to run a swift errand, we would have sent word and come to you
to extend
our
familial
greetings. Now my wife, who should be abed, is out in the cold.” He
looked at Kell. “Did you not inform his grace that Finnie was
ill?”

“Finnie?” Broderick whispered but Kell spoke
over him.

“
Sure did,
master,
” Kell answered and I pressed my lips together to stop
myself from laughing. “He said he’d send men aboard to attend her
but she wasn’t hearin’ none of it. Said it was her duty and so on.”
He flipped out a hand which eloquently (or as eloquent as Kell
could be) said what he felt about royal duty. “So she dragged her
carcass outta bed, got all tarted up and here we are.”

At that, I had to press my lips together
harder. I caught a look at Thad as he was standing at Frey’s back
right and I saw his jaw clench. It made him look annoyed but my
guess was Thad thought Kell was pretty amusing too.

“My wife informed you she was ill and you
sent word you intended to disturb her in her rest by sending men to
my ship if she didn’t attend you?” Frey asked, his voice low and
rumbling and unmistakably infuriated.

“It didn’t happen exactly like that,
Drakkar,” Baldur stated.

“
Then maybe you’ll explain
exactly
how it happened,” Frey
mock-suggested. That was to say, it wasn’t a suggestion at
all.

“It hardly takes two days to seek medicine,
which is at least the amount of time you’ve been anchored off
Middlelandian shore,” Baldur shot back and I tensed as he shared
this information.

“Perhaps you don’t know your niece very
well, your grace, she dislikes being ill, refused to admit she was
and has an aversion to being tended. It took me that long to
convince her I should go,” Frey totally lied.

“This is true, Father, Sjofn has always been
a poor patient, as you know when she caught flu during that visit
when she was sixteen,” Broderick put in smoothly then smiled at me.
“Remember, cousin, I had to resort to sneaking medicine in your
tea.”