The Gray Wolf Throne (56 page)

Montaigne’s gaze shifted to raisa. He inclined his head slightly, as appropriate from one monarch to another.

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“your Majesty,” he said with a thin smile. “please accept my apologies for not arriving in time for your witness ceremony.”

“i had expected your brother Geoff, who responded to my invitation,” raisa said, managing to maintain an even tone. “i did not realize that you were coming.”

“i am here in my brother’s place,” Gerard said. “He cannot be here, unfortunately.”

A loaded silence thickened the air.

“i see.” raisa folded her arms, her mouth going dry, and a leaden weight collecting in her stomach. There was no way Geoff would send Gerard as representative. “Do go on,” she said.

out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lord Hakkam shifting from foot to foot by the door, as if thinking he might need a quick escape.

“i bring bad news. My brother was attacked by brigands on his way here, and he and his entire family perished,” Gerard said, making no attempt to look sorry.

“Brigands?” raisa cleared her throat. “i am most sorry to hear that.” which was absolutely true.

Gerard smiled. “Given what happened, you can imagine why i am wary of traveling anywhere without my guard. Still, i felt it was my duty to come since i am the last surviving Montaigne brother. And now the undisputed king of Arden.” 490

C H A p T e r T H i rT y- S e V e n

A Dangerous

Dance

Somehow, raisa managed to get through dinner without throwing up on the new king of Arden or anyone else. She accomplished that by eating very little.

Montaigne had been placed next to raisa, as befitted another head of state. He had no gift of social conversation (not that raisa was in the mood) but talked mostly of armies and politics and the challenges of governing Tamron, crushing resistance, and bringing the nobility to heel.

raisa suspected that his choice of topics wasn’t because he saw her as a peer or confidante, but because those were the only things that interested him. or because he saw this as an opportunity to intimidate her.

He also asked numerous questions about the military and political situation and structure in the Fells, which raisa deflected by giving vague answers and then changing the subject. She did not trust Gerard Montaigne, and although he likely had plenty of 491

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spies in place already, she was not going to be one of his sources of information.

All through dinner, raisa struggled to rein in her acid tongue.

you are a grown-up, she said to herself. And a queen. you cannot indulge your temper. you have to be strategic, and weigh every word. He is here to gather information. it’s best if he underestimates you.

There’s no need to let him know you despise him. not yet.

The head table hosted foreign dignitaries mostly, including various dukes and princes from the down-realms, the kings and queens of we’enhaven and Bruinswallow, and a prince from the Southern islands loaded down with a fortune in jewelry.

i don’t even
like
most of these people, raisa thought. And i trust them even less. She couldn’t help but think back to plainer meals in the barracks at wien Hall, the easy camaraderie over shared misery.

Finally they moved on to the ballroom and formed a receiving line to greet guests as they arrived. The Gray wolves were off duty now. raisa had ordered that they attend as guests instead of bodyguards.

“Talia!” raisa embraced the grinning guard, who had arrived with pearlie. At last, somebody she wanted to see. “it’s so good to see you up and around.”

“Captain Byrne, he says i won’t be able to laze about much longer,” Talia said, her voice low and rough but understandable.

“i’m back on duty tomorrow. Thanks to you, your Highness.” Talia squeezed raisa tight and then backed away as pearlie looked on, tears standing in her eyes.

Cat came through the line with Dancer. He wore a clan coat 492

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of the finest deerskin, beaded and embroidered with flash symbols and small talismans—a kind of magical armor.

Cat kept a possessive hold on Dancer’s arm, eyeing the brilliantly plumaged guests uneasily. She was on duty in the ballroom.

And still edgy among bluebloods.

Han passed through the line alone. He bowed low to kiss raisa’s hand. She felt the quick pressure of his hot hand as he murmured, “your Highness.”

Amon arrived with his fiancée, Annamaya, who looked resplendent, practically glowing in canary-colored silk. And all of the Bayars, a study in black and white.

reid nightwalker came by himself also, though raisa guessed he was unlikely to leave unaccompanied. Though some women in the Vale wouldn’t consider walking out with a copperhead, others found his deadly reputation and exotic good looks intriguing.

nightwalker was among the first on raisa’s dance card, and he requested one of the vigorous clan dances, which left raisa flushed and breathless and weak in the knees. it wasn’t easy to carry off in a ball gown.

After, he fetched her a glass of wine. “you dance like a clan princess,” he said, nodding in approval. “i had hoped you might wear clan dress tonight.”

“we’ll celebrate in the camps as well, after the coronation ceremony tomorrow,” raisa promised. “My father and grandmother are planning it. And i’ll dress for the occasion then. This is more of a flatland party, after all.”

“i’ll look forward to having you to myself, Briar rose,” nightwalker said. He leaned closer. “it is good to see one of clan blood on the throne of the Fells.” He bowed, then turned and 493

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crossed the dance floor toward his waiting admirers.

After that it was one dance after another, each time with a new partner. it seemed that raisa was expected to dance with every important male guest at least once. Many of them tromped on her toes, being unfamiliar with northern dances.

Too bad i can’t dance with two at a time, raisa thought, and get through this more quickly.

Micah surfaced midway through her list. She had to admit, it was a pleasure dancing with him after so much wrong-footedness.

“well,” he said, looking into her eyes, “there were times that i did not think you would live long enough to be queen.”

“no thanks to your father,” raisa said, nodding to where Lord and Lady Bayar stood watching the dancers.

“no thanks to my father,” Micah agreed.

“But thanks, in part, to you, i suppose,” raisa said generously.

Micah was looking almost honorable in comparison to Gerard Montaigne.

Micah smiled faintly and drew her in closer, brushing his lips over her neck.

raisa stiffened and drew back. “Careful, Bayar,” she said.

She couldn’t help looking around for Han. He’d made her self-conscious, which was maybe the idea. She didn’t see Han, but she did see nightwalker watching them, his face a thundercloud.

“Accept my apologies, your Highness,” Micah said, not looking sorry at all. “it’s just that you are irresistible tonight.”

“Try harder,” raisa said bluntly.

“How does it feel?” Micah asked. “Being queen, i mean?”

“it’s not official until tomorrow, remember,” raisa said. “But it’s already a little daunting, i’m afraid. i don’t like it that Gerard 494

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Montaigne rushed up here within days of murdering his brother.

now he’s got two big armies and nothing to do with them.”

“i don’t like it either,” Micah said. “it would help us if his brother had lived a little longer. Do you think the thanes will go with Gerard? or will those who supported Geoff rally around someone else?”

“i don’t know,” raisa said honestly. “we need better intelli-gence from Arden.”

“we need better weapons,” Micah said. “Then the intelli-gence wouldn’t matter so much. if the wizard Council perceives that Montaigne presents an imminent threat, i cannot say what they will do.”

“oh, don’t start,” raisa said. “Let’s see if we can get through the rest of this dance without talking about politics.”

“Mmm. what should we talk about instead?” He stroked her hair. “remember how we used to slip away from boring parties?”

“Don’t think that’s going to happen tonight,” raisa said.

Lifting her head, her gaze fell on Mellony, who watched, tight-lipped, from the edge of the dance floor. Though her sister had been the object of continuous male attention all night long, she still seemed fixed on Micah.

i hope this isn’t going to go on forever, raisa thought.

They danced in silence after that, until the song ended. raisa drew away from Micah, but he kept his hands on her shoulders.

“what are you doing after the dance?” he said. “i know somewhere we can go to be alone.”

“That’s
enough
, Micah,” raisa said sharply. “i’m going to be alone in my bed.”

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“well, now. That’s a shame, your Highness,” somebody said, practically in her ear.

They both swung around. Han Alister bowed. “i believe i’m next on the list,” he said.

“You?”
Micah looked him up and down, then turned to raisa. “
Alister
’s on your dance card?” raisa looked. “it seems he is,” she said, surprised to see his name there. He’d never danced with her before, not at any of the pre-coronation parties.

“why you?” Micah said, his brow furrowed.

“why not?” Han said. He stood, chin cocked up, his stance and expression a promise of violence. A streetlord challenge.

“what
is
that on your stoles?” Micah said, giving back disdain.

“A crow? i would have thought a rat would be more appropriate.”

“it’s a raven,” Han said. “known for being smarter than you think.” Taking raisa’s hand, he led her into the dance while Micah stared after them. After the events of the night before, raisa didn’t know what to expect. But he kept her at a proper arm’s length, as if this dance were something he just had to get through—maybe to make a point with Micah.

“Try and look like you don’t want to be with me,” Han said, his eyes flicking over the other dancers.

“How do you know i
do
want to be with you?” raisa said tartly. Han looked startled at first, and then his mouth twitched, fighting off a smile.

raisa didn’t care. She was tired of being yanked this way and that by Han Alister: hot kisses and intoxicating embraces followed by a stiff arm.

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in the upstairs room at the Turtle and Fish in oden’s Ford. She was acutely aware of the distance between them, the placement of his hands on her shoulders and hips.

“you’re really not bad, Alister,” raisa said. Memories of oden’s Ford sluiced over her—of uncomplicated kisses and a friendship with fewer barriers between them.

Han was bent on business, not memories and small talk.

“Besides his guard, Montaigne has a couple dozen servants with him who look a lot like soldiers or rushers,” he murmured. “Cat put a tail on them. if he has other people here, we want to know about it.”

“where did Cat find a crew on such short notice?” raisa said.

“She’s been recruiting in ragmarket and Southbridge.” He leaned in. “She says to tell you she’ll kill Montaigne for you if you want. no one will ever tie it to you.”

“what?” raisa grabbed Han’s lapels and pulled him closer, glaring at him. “Tell her to forget it. i don’t send assassins after people, especially my guests, no matter how despicable.”

“i told her you’d say that,” Han said, smiling and nodding to Missy Hakkam, who looked on, scowling, as they circled by. He turned back to raisa, his smile fading. “i think you should consider it, at least.”

not that it wasn’t tempting. Looking ahead, raisa could see nothing but trouble from the new king of Arden. “How do you know Montaigne?” she asked, to keep from saying yes.

“Cat, Dancer, and i had a dustup with him in Ardenscourt.

He’s a great one for abducting people.”

“i know,” raisa said, recalling their encounter in Tamron.

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“Don’t drink with him, and don’t go anywhere alone with him,” Han said. “not even inside the palace. in fact, don’t go anywhere without me or Cat or Captain Byrne until Montaigne leaves town.” He looked down at her with narrowed eyes, looking for evidence of foolhardiness.

“i’ll be careful,” raisa said. She scanned the ballroom.

Montaigne was deep in conversation with Lassiter Hakkam and Bron klemath. Annamaya Dubai was huddled up with Talia and the rest of the Gray wolves, but she didn’t see Amon. “where is Captain Byrne, anyway?” she asked.

“He’s setting up a perimeter around the castle close,” Han said. “Just in case the king of Arden has planned more than a friendly visit.”

raisa felt a twinge of sympathy for Annamaya. when she married Amon Byrne, this was what she had to look forward to: a lifetime of deferring to duty.

As the song ended, Han looked over raisa’s shoulder, and his face cleared of all expression. She turned to find the new king of Arden bowing before her. “your Majesty, i believe the next dance is mine.”

Han put his hand on her bare shoulder, the heat of it stinging her skin. “remember what i said, your Highness.” And then he was gone.

in contrast to the hot wizard hands and sweaty suitor palms raisa had encountered all evening, Montaigne’s hands were dry and cold as a lizard’s skin. Had it been less than a year ago that he’d repulsed her at her name day party with talk of eliminating the elder brothers who stood between him and the throne?

And now he’d achieved that. raisa made a mental note: 498