The Wild Swans (2 page)

“
Perfect,” Elise said as her employees stopped at the dining hall entrance. “With that our—Yeek!” Elise squealed when someone grabbed her from behind and swept her into the air.

“W
orking too much as usual, Elise?” Elise’s captor chuckled, still holding her aloft.

“Rune
,” Elise said, throwing her arms around the handsome man’s shoulders. “You’re back!”

“Yes.
Steffen finally stopped handing out assignments and let me come home,” Rune said, tucking an arm behind Elise’s knees, so the black skirts of her work uniform cascaded from his hands.

“Good afternoon
, Prince Rune,” Elise’s underlings chorused.

Rune gave the staff his most charm
ing smile. “Good afternoon, Treasury Department. Do you mind if I steal your chief for this meal?”

“Of course not
,” they said, bobbing in curtseys and bows before they took their leave. “Enjoy your lunch, Fürstin, Prinz.”

“You are still the number one idol and
Treasury Department darling?” Rune asked, watching the scholars enter the dining hall.

“They value my
mental calculation abilities. Could you put me down?”  Elise asked.

“As you wish
,” Rune said, setting Elise on her feet.

Elise fussed with her uniform—a simple
but elegant black dress with white sleeves and gold trim—before she fixed the red sash that crossed her chest and cinched around her waist, signifying her position as the Treasury Department head.

“It’s good to see you
. I didn’t know Steffen called you home,” Elise said, checking her low ponytail before smiling at her foster brother.

“It
was rather sudden. He had something important he wanted to discuss with me,” Rune said.

Elise frowned. “Real
ly?”

“It’s noth
ing for you to worry about,” Rune said with another one of his dazzling smiles.

“Ah
, hero work.”

“Yes.”

As the middle child of seven brothers, and all of them deeply involved in Arcainia’s government, Rune was hailed as the heroic brother. He fit the image with his gold hair and dreamy hazel eyes. As Steffen liked to say, “You were made to be fawned over, so put your pretty face to good use and raise the public’s opinion of us!”

“How did your adventur
ing go?” Elise asked.

“Well enough. I trounced the ogre
that set up camp in GlassGlow Forest, killed a sea serpent that was hindering restoration efforts at Carabas, took care of a chimera, and drove a few mountain hags back into Loire,” Rune said, offering his arm.

“I heard about the sea serpent. You did tidy work
, from what I was told,” Elise said, tucking her hand in Rune’s elbow before they entered the busy dining hall.

Breakfast and
lunch at Castle Brandis, the Arcainian palace, was a public affair. Soldiers, governmental staff members, servants, and nobility ate together in a massive dining hall that buzzed with conversation and gossip.

The tradition
was scorned by some of the high-brow countries Arcainia shared borders with, like pompous Loire, but for a country as small as Arcainia, it provided an easy way of exchanging information and forming inter-department friendships.

“I’m not sure
‘tidy’ is the correct way to describe how I handled the situation. I killed a male sea serpent, but I am almost positive it had a mate. We can only hope they didn’t have hatchinglings,” Rune frowned.

“Will you go out adventur
ing again, or are you here for the remainder of winter?” Elise asked as they strolled through the noisy hall.

“I
t depends on Steffen. I hope he will let me stay, but he may not have a choice if more monsters arrive,” Rune said.

“I
t seems like you have quelled more creatures and magical disturbances in the past few years than usual. You used to be able to spend all of winter with us in Castle Brandis,” Elise said.

“It is partial
ly because Father and Steffen trust me enough to know I won’t break my neck, so they are able to send me out on more difficult missions that used to require the army. But there is some truth to your observations. There has been an increase in violent-minded creatures invading our borders,” Rune said. “I do not believe we are the only country encountering this phenomenon.”

“
Have we sent word to the Veneno Conclave? As the rulers and regulators of all magic users and magic itself, I imagine they would have something to say about this subject,” Elise said.

“I requested
that Steffen would do so. He gave the task to Erick—he has contacts with several enchanters and enchantresses,” Rune said, referring to one of his brothers.

“I see
,” Elise said when they stopped at an empty table. She saw Mertein, who waved to her with a dimpled smile, sitting several tables away. Elise returned the smile and wave. She would have done more, but Rune interrupted her thoughts.

“We need to discuss
Baron Ludwig von Drebkau,” Rune said, pulling out a chair for Elise before he seated himself.

“So you stopped by his
manor then? What did he have to say for himself?” Elise asked, shifting all of her attention to Rune. She had spent months watching Baron Drebkau’s tax reports and comparing them with his public claims. They hadn’t matched up, which was usually a sign of illegal activities.

“He
was illegally importing luxury goods and selling them in the black market, as well as evading taxes by lying about his income. He has been corrected,” Rune said. When he shifted, the sword strapped to his belt clanked ominously. “Is there anyone else you need me to speak to?”

In addition to serv
ing as the public relations poster child, Rune was also something of a one-man secret police. He investigated and reprimanded persons of interest, occasionally with the aid of one of his older brothers depending on the suspected crime. Mostly he worked for Elise, helping her keep Arcainia’s nobles in line and investigating their claims when Elise could not.

“None. I’ve spent the past month going over the Defense Department’s budget and expenses, but I haven’t gotten very far,” Elise said.

“Are Mikk and Nick avoid
ing you?”

“No
—worse. Falk is being obstinate over several items in the Agriculture Department’s estimated budget,” Elise sighed. She smiled at the serving maid who started loading food onto the table.

“Falk is all bark.
Tell him to accept your suggestions, or you’ll cut department funding,” Rune suggested. “Thank you,” he said, giving the maid a dazzling smile.

The serv
ing maid set the last of the food and drinks on the table and bobbed a curtsey before she left, unaffected by Rune’s good looks.

“I can tell he is gett
ing irritated with our meetings as well,” Elise said, spearing a sausage.

“Falk? How?”

“His tone is increasingly sarcastic, and he’s dropping nicknames like flower petals.
Sugar Plum
,
Filly
,
Moonbeam
,
Ray of Sun
. I have a theory. The more ridiculous they are, the more irritated he is,” Elise said.

“I am sorry you feel that he is annoyed by you,” Rune said, helping himself to a portion of salted fish.

“There isn’t much either of us can do about the situation.
But let us talk of more pleasant things,” Elise suggested.

“Where is Father? Doesn’t he usual
ly eat with everyone?” Rune asked, nodding at the royal table where King Henrik usually ate with his councilors. Instead, a smiling Prince Steffen was seated in his place.

Elise sipped a mug of hot cider.
“He’s been going out a lot the past few weeks.”

“Go
ing out? Going out where? It’s the middle of winter. We had snow last week,” Rune said.

“I am not entire
ly certain. I talked to him about it once—it’s not good for him to miss so many lunches—but he said he likes going to the forest to think,” Elise said.

“Does he take a guard with him at least?”

“I don’t believe so.”

“Is
that so,” Rune said.

“He may simp
ly miss Mother,” Elise said.

“Mother
has been dead for several years, and he has never done this before.”

“Yes
, but she died in winter. He may be trying to escape his memories of her death,” Elise said.

Queen Ingrid
had passed away suddenly due to a fast onset sickness about three years ago. The entire country was devastated; Queen Ingrid was beloved by all. But King Henrik took it particularly hard. For a while, the royal family wasn’t sure he would outlive Ingrid because he pined for her like a swan after it loses its mate. But with time and much love from his children, King Henrik returned to his joyful self.

“If
that is the case, I cannot fault him. I can hardly point fingers for staunch loyalty in love,” Rune said.

“What do you mean?”
Elise said as a maid set a tray of apple fritters down.

“Gads
, how I have missed eating in Brandis,” Rune said, twitching a hot fritter off the tray.

“
And we are ever so glad you have returned. Welcome home, Rune.”

Rune licked sugar off his fingers. “Thank you. I’m
happy to be back,” he said, his words adorned by a dangerously charming smile.

“I’m sure the ladies of the court are
especially glad,” Elise said with the princess smile she reserved for state affairs. “There is a ball tonight, you know.”

Rune winced. “
Oh. What ill timing. I think I may have to make spontaneous inspections of the army barracks with Mikk and Nick.”

“
That is unfortunate. I was looking forward to dancing with you,” Elise said.

“F
or you, My Lady, I would slay a dozen sea serpents or, even worse, attend a party.”

“How very heroic of you.”

“Indeed. If you wish it, I shall brave the ballroom tonight, but only if you allow me to be your escort.”

“It is very sad
, but I must respectfully decline. Father still insists on being my escort. You could always ask him.”

“I could
, but he is fiercely protective of the honor. I doubt I would succeed,” Rune said.

“
I think he uses me to keep the eligible ladies and widows away,” Elise said, helping herself to a fritter.

“It would be the smart th
ing to do.”

“
But will you come tonight anyway?”

“Will any of my brothers be there?”

“Gerhart will for certain, and Steffen of course. Falk usually comes to this sort of thing, but I don’t think Erick will. He is still at the university, and he would have arrived by now if he meant to attend. As for Mikk and Nick, no one can pretend to predict what they will do,” Elise said.

“And you will attend
,” Rune said.

“Natural
ly. It is one of my duties,” Elise said before she bit into her fritter. She closed her eyes in ecstasy when she bit through the crunchy, sugared exterior.

“Natural
ly,” Rune echoed before he brushed sugar off Elise’s cheek with a finger.

“So you will come?”

“I will come.”

“Thank you
, Rune.”

“My pleasure
, Elise.”

“Your country is so quaint
, Princess. I dearly enjoy your state events; they are so charming in their modesty.”

“You are too kind
, Ambassador Orazio,” Elise said, her smile pasted in place. She had to be kind to Orazio. He was from Sole, one of the few countries Arcainia did not loan money to or ship many supplies and exports to. They were allied only through political maneuvering, which meant a misspoken word could bring the relationship crashing down.