Altered Destiny (31 page)

Selia stared at Jaden as though she didn’t know him. The Svistra stepped closer.

Josiam smiled and jerked Selia off her feet, taking another step back. “Haven’t you seen how the commander fawns over her? If he wouldn’t obey an order to attack his enemy, he certainly wouldn’t risk the chance that my blade may be a little faster than his.”

“That maybe be true,” Jaden said.

It appeared to Nathan that the Svistra twitched.

“But I know mine is.”

Nathan turned from Jaden toward Josiam, afraid the king might mistake the motion as an attack. The southern king stood frozen in place, his eyes wide and staring toward Jaden. The sound of a knife clanging to the floor seemed unnaturally loud, and suddenly Selia wasn’t by Josiam’s side. The southern king stood, suspended for a heartbeat, before he crumpled on the floor, a knife sticking out of his throat. A dark pool of blood spread over the white stone of the hall.

Selia. But she was in Jaden’s arms. The Svistra held her, his eyes daring anyone to draw near.

Selia’s mind couldn’t keep up with the events. One moment Josiam gripped her waist and cold hard metal pressed into her neck, and she knew she was going to die. The next she was in Jaden’s arms and he was murmuring, “It’s over, it’s over,” into her hair, but she had no idea what happened between those two events.

She leaned into his embrace and closed her eyes.

“You’re safe,” he whispered.

“Well that was unpleasant.” Guirre’s voice broke the spell.

Jaden held her at arm’s length to stare deeply into her eyes. Then, seemingly satisfied, he touched her neck to wipe away a small trickle of blood. For a terrifying moment, she thought he was going to put his finger in his mouth, but he didn’t. His eyes darkened, and she looked up to see Nathan approach.

“Are you okay?” The commander was pale.

Selia nodded, and Nathan pulled her close into an awkward hug.

“That was quite some marksmanship.” Guirre’s eyes were for Jaden. “You had me fooled right until the last moment.”

“He was desperate enough to kill her and try to escape in the commotion.”

“You could have let him leave with her,” Guirre said.

“No. I could not.”

The western king nodded then turned to Leisle. “Savages, you said?” He shook his head.

“Justice has been done,” Leisle pronounced. “It matters not at whose hand.”

“It matters a great deal, Leisle. That’s something you’ve never learned, and I begin to wonder if you ever will,” Guirre said then brightened. “But one thing you can do, and very well, is throw a feast. And I for one am feeling a need to dine and drink, but not necessarily in that order.”

Candles on the tables of the main hall cast their haloes over such an elaborate feast, Nathan couldn’t believe the castle’s cooks had only one day to prepare. Double doors opened to the patio beyond the hall. The night air, thick with scents from the nearby gardens, sent the light of torches dancing against the stone walls. Nathan surveyed the room, taking in the brightly colored women’s dresses and the only slightly more subdued attire of the men. In the midst of the revelry it was difficult to believe that scant hours before, they’d narrowly avoided a war that would have left most of the attendants dead. Yet here they were, dancing, drinking and generally making merry as though they didn’t have a care in the world.

Nathan took a glass of wine offered by a servant and emptied it in one swallow.

Musicians stood to one side of the room, playing music only slightly louder than the murmur of voices. At the other end, King Leisle sat on a raised dais, Guirre by his side in matching ornate chairs. Their heads together, they laughed, and Guirre held his cup out for more wine. Nobles. He’d never understand them.

He caught the chamberlain’s eye from across room. Lon inclined his head in an obvious bow of respect. Nathan returned the gesture then reached for another glass. Tonight was not a night to be sober. He made his way toward the kings to pay his respects. Earlier that day he’d sat through a meeting between the monarchs. Leisle’s sister was now the rightful ruler of Darmis and through her, Leisle. The monarch couldn’t be happier. Though he lost what he considered worthless northern land he’d gained rich southland and much wealth. Leisle had accepted Nathan’s resignation with equanimity and even a touch of regret.

Nathan bowed low.

“Ah, Nathan. You look well.”

It was a lie but he let it pass. “Majesty. The party is exquisite and on such short notice, remarkable.”

Leisle inclined his head.

“Leisle’s kitchens are used to throwing parties at the king’s whim. He has them well trained.” Guirre laughed.

Turning toward the western king, Nathan again bowed his head. “Majesty. I didn’t get a chance to thank you for answering my request for aid. We would have been—”

“
Tsk
. I’ve already thanked Guirre, Nathan,” Leisle interrupted. “He only did what I would have done in his place.”

Nathan doubted it but didn’t voice his objection.

“Go, make merry. Where is that woman of yours?” Leisle said then turned to Guirre. “Do you know she’s a soldier? Beat a man in fair combat, she did.”

“Really?” Guirre stroked his beard. “I should talk to her.”

Leisle waved a hand. “There she is.”

Nathan followed the king’s gesture. Selia wove through the crowd toward them, her hair piled on her head and secured with gem-encrusted combs save for a few tendrils brushing her bare shoulders. He swallowed. The red gown fit her form like a glove and sparkled with garnets at the neckline, drawing the eye to the gentle rise of her breasts.

She smiled at Nathan then curtseyed. “Majesties.”

“Are you well, my dear? A horrible experience,” Leisle said.

Selia’s hand fluttered near her throat to an inch-long wound. “Quite well. Thank you.” She turned to Nathan and smiled.

“A soldier?” Guirre asked, his eyes appreciative.

“No, Majesty. A barkeep willing to serve her king in time of need,” Selia replied.

Guirre turned to Leisle. “How do you inspire such loyalty?”

Leisle laughed. “Off with you two. Dance. Be merry.”

Nathan and Selia inclined their heads and turned back to the crowd.

“You do look beautiful tonight,” Nathan said in her ear.

“Thank you. You don’t look so bad yourself.” She accepted a glass of wine from a passing servant. “What will happen to the southern realm? Does Josiam have an heir?”

“No. Leisle’s sister will rule the land as queen.”

“Is that why Leisle’s so happy?”

Nodding, Nathan reached for Selia’s hand.

“Commander. A word please.”

Nathan turned to see one of the landowners approach. His heart sank. “Excuse me, please.”

Selia smiled and drifted across the room.

Nathan listened to the man’s blather before a hush rippled through the room. Nathan turned to see Jaden standing at the door flanked by two Svistra. One a man, the other the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

Jaden made his way to the dais and Nathan had to admit, he could have sat among the kings. Only Jaden’s majesty didn’t come from his clothing but his bearing. He moved with dignity through the crowd, ignoring the stares and whispered comments.

After a seemingly pleasant exchange Jaden turned and headed toward Nathan. The landowner excused himself.

“Nathan.”

“Jaden, I’m glad you could make it.”

Jaden raised an eyebrow and glanced around the room. “This king of yours is an interesting man.”

“You could say that.” Nathan sipped his wine then signaled a passing waiter to bring another, which he handed to Jaden. He raised the cup. “To a long peace.”

Jaden lifted his cup. “To a long peace.” He sipped. “Nice.”

“I’m curious. What did you do with the siege weapons?”

“How do you know I had them?”

Nathan smiled. “I would have, in your place.”

Jaden shrugged. “They’ve been disassembled.”

“What will you do now?”

“Go back to the council. Help move my people into their lands. There will be disputes.”

“There always are.”

“And you?”

Nathan looked across the room, where Selia stood speaking to a woman. “I think farming.”

“Farming?”

“Yes. My family owns land a little south of here.”

“I see. You resigned? Had enough of bloodshed?”

“Let’s just say I had a difference of opinion with the king that could not be resolved.”

Jaden took another sip of the wine. “When I saw the southern king approach the castle, I was afraid there would be a difference of opinion.”

“You were right.” Nathan finished his glass. “There’s only one thing that puzzles me. The other forts never responded to my order to retreat south. The king explained one but the other—”

“The other never received your message.” Jaden smiled. “And a good thing. They would have been in our way. Do you think they would have just let us pass?”

“They would have slowed you down.”

“Perhaps, and more blood would have fertilized the land. We would have still come.”

Nathan nodded and glanced at the Svistra female. “She’s very beautiful and changing many soldiers’ opinion of Svistra women. Is she…”

Jaden smiled. “She’s my brother’s widow, Noe.”

Nathan raised an eyebrow. “I see.”

Jaden watched Noe smile at a human male. “You really can’t tell she’d rather slit that man’s throat than look at him, can you?”

“She’ll fit right in at court.” Nathan saw that Selia had just slipped out to the patio “Excuse me. I’ve a lady to speak to.”

The music from the hall drifted into the warm night. Selia closed her eyes and breathed in the heady fragrance of the gardens below. The sky seemed like velvet strung with sparkling crystal so sharp and clear she was tempted to reach out and touch one. She turned and stared out over the fields toward the forest, where Svistra fires blinked like dejected stars fallen to earth. She recognized the woman on Jaden’s arm. Images of Keldar’s cruel eyes flashed before her vision. She needed air.

Selia stared out over the gardens, gripped by a wave of something like homesickness, not for the tavern but for something intangible she knew she’d never had. A cool breeze tickled a lock of hair across her shoulders, sending a shiver down her spine.

“It is a little cold out here.”

Nathan. How long had he been there? He held out his cloak and gently placed it around her shoulders.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

He leaned on the balcony rail, not looking out but facing her. “You’re not enjoying the party?”

Selia shook her head. “How do they live with themselves?”

He shrugged. “It must be bred into you.”

“And they call the Svistra savage. I’d be more worried about anyone with royal blood.”

They shared a smile.

“What will you do now?” she asked.

Nathan glanced at his feet then met her eyes. “I’ve resigned my post. As soon as I get my men settled and on their way, I’m going back to my father’s farm. I have a little piece of land that is all mine. It’s a beautiful place. There are apple trees, and the land is rich and good for growing things. The water is sweet.” He took her hands in his. “Selia, it’s a good place to raise a family.”

She rescued one of her hands and raised it to his face. “Nathan.”

“Don’t say it,” he begged. “I know you feel something, and that something could grow into love. We could be good together.”

Tears blurred her eyes. “I care about you deeply.”

Nathan’s mouth moved into a crooked smile. “Why does that sounds like a polite refusal?”

“I’m a barkeep. It’s not just what I do. It’s who I am. You deserve to have everything you desire. A woman to pick apples and press cider and fill your house with children.” She stared into his green eyes. “That woman is not me.”

“But these days in the castle—”

“Dressed up like a doll? Yes, I suppose I liked it at first. It was a different kind of respect, one I never imagined would be mine.” She waved her hands over her dress. “Borrowed. It’s not me. I’m more comfortable in leggings with a knife at my belt and another in my boot.”

Nathan swallowed. “Then you will go back to the crossroads?”

Selia nodded. “It’s where I belong.”

“If you ever change your mind…”

“I hope you have five kids and one on the way by then.”

Nathan smiled. “I’ll never forget you.”

“Good. It’s mutual. Now go in there and find a woman to dance with you. They’re lining up.”

Nathan stepped away then turned. “Is it Jaden?”

She froze. “Jaden is…well, he has his path and I have mine.”

“You’re very good at not answering questions you don’t want to answer.”

“And you’re very observant, Commander.”

“It’s just Nathan now.”

“Then Nathan, I suggest you start with the lady in the pink dress with the white ruffle. She hasn’t taken her eyes off you all evening.”

He bowed and then returned to the hall.

Selia stared out into the night. Tomorrow she’d leave for home.

Jaden watched Ashani and Noe mingle among the humans. Noe was in her element; magnetism radiated from her like light from the sun. It had been a good choice to allow her to come to the castle.

Ashani took a woman’s arm and led her to the dance floor. Jaden hid a smile. Either she was a brave woman or his friend was pouring on the charm—probably both. He kept his eye carefully away from the door to the balcony in an attempt to keep his mind from what he assumed progressed out there. Then Nathan walked back in, alone. From his expression, things had not gone as he expected. Jaden felt a surge of satisfaction. Selia was his woman. He stared down into his empty goblet. Was she? Suddenly everything else seemed like gossamer. Only one way to find out. He set the glass down and walked out onto the patio.

Selia stood against the white stone railing, leaning against Nathan’s discarded cloak. She wasn’t cold, and the air felt good on her bare skin. She thought about walking down the broad stone steps into the gardens, but her silly little slippers weren’t meant for such things.

She froze when the scent of sandalwood drifted on the breeze. Jaden walked slowly as though he were unsure. For a moment she thought she’d tell him he looked magnificent as a commander, but the words died before they left her lips. As he neared, her knees trembled. He was beautiful.

So much had happened.
He saved me
. She hadn’t thanked him. She should. “Commander, huh?” she said instead.

He glanced down at his clothes, almost in surprise, and then his golden gaze found her face. She couldn’t look away. “You look beautiful tonight.”

Her stomach flipped at the sound of his voice, and her cheeks warmed.

“Would it offend you if I said I prefer you in leggings?”

She shook her head. “No. I prefer me in leggings too. I feel like a doll.”

Jaden smiled.

“Nice aim.”

“It got the job done.” He shrugged but his gaze never left her face.

“I guess you don’t need lessons after all.”

“I don’t know about that.” He stepped nearer.

Selia’s mouth went dry. “So I guess my tavern is on the northern frontier now.”

“Does it bother you?”

“No, I like it. Now it’s the tavern farthest east and north.”

“Notoriety?”

“Helps business, you know.”

“Wait, you’re going back to the crossroads?” A look of confusion dulled the intensity in his eyes for a moment.

“Yes. Tomorrow.”

He smiled, and she looked down, studying the stone floor. “When are you going back north?” she asked.

“Soon.” He took another step closer.

Her skin tingled. “Life will be different for you now.”

“I hope so.” He paused. “I have something for you.”

“What?”

Jaden reached into a pocket of his tunic and extracted a piece of parchment. “It’s a little worse for wear but…” He offered it to Selia.

She reached for the parchment and gasped. “Where did you find this?”

“It was in your pack. I went back for it.”

Tears blurred her mother’s image. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“But…what will you do?”

“I have obligations to the council first, but then…” Jaden paused and took another step toward her. He cleared his throat. “I was hoping you’d help me decide.”

Selia looked up into his eyes. She could reach out and touch him now. The heat from his body warmed her skin. Her heart stalled before beating in a lopsided rhythm. She swallowed. “Me?”

“Yes. Only you.” Golden irises softened.

Did he mean…? She was almost afraid to believe it. She searched his eyes. Raw vulnerability and need stared back at her. Profound joy filled her heart. “Does that mean you’re looking for a job?”

His eyes outshone the moon. “Depends on the offer.”