Cian let his face split into a slightly shady grin. “Well, I didn’t intend to inform him of my plans to beat him. I assure you, I can have him unconscious and tied up in no time at all. He always underestimates me.”
Flanna gave him “the stare.” It was the one that let Cian know he was in trouble. “Now is not the time to be feuding with your brother.”
Cian frowned. “You don’t know how he treated her. He’s been selfish and rude. He formed a bond with her, but from what I can tell, he didn’t actually offer himself. He surely didn’t open to her. She was shocked by the full bond. She hadn’t felt it before.”
Cian got to his feet, a new purpose humming through his brain. He’d hidden something, and now he hoped it had survived the years.
Flanna followed him into the kitchen. “Don’t be so hard on your brother. He’s only done what he had to do to survive. Your father was very hard on him.”
“And he has a lot of responsibility, blah, blah, blah,” Cian said with a frown. He studied the drawers in the hutch. He had built it with his own hands, and he had put a hidey-hole in it. “You think I haven’t heard this all my life, little mother? ‘Allowances must be made for the warrior king.’ All I had to do was think and learn, but Beck had to fight. Father was particularly hard on Beck, so we should let him be a cold bastard? I won’t let him ruin my relationship with our wife. She’s everything I could want in a woman. If he’s too stupid to see that, then he’s welcome to keep to the Liadans of this plane.”
There was something about Liadan. There was something about the blonde woman his brother had taken as his mistress that nagged at the back of his brain. He couldn’t quite grasp it. It didn’t matter. He needed to worry about Meg now. Cian pulled the left drawer out and carefully pushed his hand inside. He felt for the trap door at the back. It sprang free, and Cian felt his treasure.
“You can’t kick your brother out of your marital bed,” Flanna was insisting. “You know that the three of you will never form a triad if you don’t open yourselves to each other.”
Cian pulled his hand free and opened the small bag he had retrieved. “The triad is a myth. I’m not going to develop mystical powers from sleeping with my wife. I feel wonderful, I do, and I’m definitely looking forward to consummating my marriage. I promise I’ll work my hardest to ensure you have some babies to take care of next year, but I won’t become a Green Man, and Beck won’t be a Storm Lord.”
“Just because you don’t have faith doesn’t mean others don’t,” Flanna said with a superior look in her eyes. “Tell me something, Your Highness, what does this mean for the rest of us?”
Cian pulled out a small gold ring. There was a sun on the signet. It was the symbol of the Queen. Bronwyn had pressed it into his hand as she lay dying. His sister had died trying to retrieve the ring from their mother’s rooms. It was all he had left of their mother, and now it belonged to the rightful Queen, his wife. “It means we have some decisions to make. I’m sure even now our aunt is trying to convince her daughter to start funneling money our way. We’ll need it if we’re going to bribe the Unseelie to back us.”
Cian didn’t want to talk politics. He had more important things to do. He turned the bag over. The rest of the contents tumbled to the table, making a delightful clinking sound. He did a quick count and was well-pleased. Flanna reached out and slapped his hands.
“You’ve been keeping money from your brother,” she accused.
Cian shrugged. There was no point in denying it. “He would have spent it on something boring, like food. This was my drinking stash. Now, it’s my get-my-wife-dressed-properly stash. Do you think you can come up with something nice for this?”
Flanna seemed placated that he was using the cash on Meg instead of at the tavern. “I happen to know that the dressmaker in the village is almost done with a beautiful gown for Liadan. I believe she was planning on wearing it to Beltain. It would have to be shortened from what I understand, but I’m sure she would alter it for her queen.”
Cian smiled. If it pissed off Liadan, then so much the better. “Excellent. I’ll take it. Tell the seamstress to let out the bodice as well. My Meg’s got a lovely set of breasts on her. And Flanna, we should prepare the village for the influx of Fae coming to pay their respects to my Queen.”
“But, Ci, Beck told me to keep her presence here quiet.”
Cian’s eyes narrowed as he formed a plan. “Beck wouldn’t be able to contain the rumors. He either bought her or he fought for her.”
“It was an open tourney,” Flanna confirmed.
“Then the vampires know about it, too. They’ll think there’s something wrong with her. They’ll think that the king is ashamed he had to take a human wife if he doesn’t demand proper respect be paid.”
“That isn’t why he’s keeping it quiet,” Flanna corrected him. “Beck is worried about your uncle’s agents. The pretender closed Tir na nÒg because he’s worried Beck will steal onto the plane and assassinate him. He has been waiting for the two of you to fade. After you’re gone, he’ll be able to open the homelands and reestablish trade and contact. You can’t think Torin wants the borders closed. He’ll be furious when he discovers you’ve married. The queen is now a target.”
Cian shook his head. “She’ll be a target no matter what. I’m sure Torin knows about her even now. I have no illusions on that. He has his spies as we have ours. It doesn’t change the fact that she will have a hard time being taken seriously if we don’t treat her that way. The people will accept my queen, or I’ll cease being their king. Well, I’ll cease being half their king, anyway.”
Flanna patted his hand, seemingly giving up the fight. “I will go and get things started. The village will feast tonight, my son.”
“Yes.” Cian looked at his mother’s ring with satisfaction. “We will feast and dance and drink.” And then he would set about seducing his lovely, brave bride.
Chapter Twelve
Beck stood looking out the window on the hundred and second floor of the Dellacorp building. This was the penthouse his aunt lived in, and it always made him nervous to be so high in a non-natural structure. Below, the neon lights of the city gave the night an ethereal quality. It was an odd sight, and one he wished he could share with his wife. Meg would be fascinated by this world. She would likely enjoy the ridiculous lights and soaring heights the vampires lived in. It gave Beck a stomachache, but it might be worth it if Meg liked it.
He couldn’t risk it. He couldn’t risk that she could run here and probably find someone to hide her. Probably? He shook his head ruefully. She would have no end of handsome vampires willing to save her from her marriage. She was a beautiful bondmate, and they would consider her a perfect consort. She would have vampires fighting over the privilege of who got to save her from her husband.
“You are brooding, Beck.” His aunt’s voice cut through his thoughts and pulled him into the present. He turned and looked at his mother’s sister. She was graceful and lovely, just as his mother had been. Her perfectly black hair was in a neat knot at the nape of her neck. “I think sometimes you forget which half you are. You are a man of action. Leave the brooding to Cian.” Alana Dellacorp’s face fell as she remembered. “I am so sorry. I should not have said that.”
Beck smiled tightly at his aunt. “It’s all right. I wasn’t brooding. Well, maybe I was. I was thinking about my wife.”
He held himself still, watching for her reaction. He had asked Dante to keep his mouth shut. He wanted to tell his aunt himself.