Page 41 of Cursed Crowns
Tor tightened his grip on the princess until her kicking feet dangled three inches above the floor. At Alarik’s insistence, he hauled her away, until only the echo of her wails remained.
Wren fought the urge to run out of the throne room after them. She would take Tor and the tantrum-throwing Gevran princess any day over the singular presence of King Alarik.
Alarik waited until the doors were closed before he spoke again. “Grief has made my dear sister rabid,” he said with something remarkably close to concern. “She’s not usually so...”
“Murderous?”
Alarik paused. “I suppose so.”
The king’s black suit took on a new significance, as did the dark shadows under his eyes. Grinstad Palace was in mourning. And there was part of Wren—just the barest sliver—that felt bad for him.
He tucked his hands behind his back as he stepped down off the dais. “Won’t your country miss you if you stay here?” he said, as thoughthey were discussing the weather and not the total surrender of Wren’s freedom. “You are, after all, a new queen.”
“I suppose that’s the benefit of having two of us,” she said with a shrug. “One to rule. And one to—”
“Break into foreign palaces.” Alarik walked on, and Wren got the sense she was to follow. “How reckless you are, Wren.”
Wren hated the sound of her name in his mouth. “I prefer the termproactive.”
The king snorted. “You could have died in my courtyard today.”
“But crucially, I didn’t.”
“Lucky Captain Iversen was close enough to hear your screams. He does have a certain knack for keeping you alive. Which is fortuitous, since you seem to lack that ability yourself.”
“You speak like I’m some kind of dimwit,” muttered Wren.
“The facts are speaking. I am merely listening.”
Wren had to fight the urge to shove him into a pillar. “Is this the part where you welcome me to Gevra with open arms?”
“This is the part where I decide whether or not I want to tolerate you in Gevra,” Alarik corrected. “I am still considering your offer.”
Wren’s fingers twitched. The sooner Banba was safely out of Gevra and back with Rose at Anadawn, the sooner she could find a way to trick the king and follow her home. “How long does it take you to make a decision?”
“As long as I please.”
“Great. Who doesn’t love an indecisive king?”
“Or indeed a flighty queen,” he shot back.
Wren glared at him.
“Tell me, Queen Wren,” said Alarik. “Why did you so readilyabandon your own kingdom to sneak into my palace on the back of a sled, dressed like an unkempt peasant?” He gestured to her tunic, then the messy strands around her face. “Why not arrive in your crown and full regalia to discuss the terms of your bargain? Or did you think I’d be more receptive to a common kitchen thief than a queen from the country that killed my brother?”
Wren weighed her answer. “Honestly, I was hoping not to cross paths with you at all.”
“Well, now I’m offended.” Alarik swept a stray strand from his eyes, drawing her attention to the black streak in his hair. “I’m an excellent host.”
“Oh, so you don’t always maul your guests to death in your own personal killing arena, then?”
“Only the thieves.” Alarik stopped walking. He turned toward Wren until she stood alone in the spotlight of his glare. “In truth, it’s your recklessness that appeals to me. The way in which you barrel through the world, without thought for consequence or regret.” He dropped his voice, so even the soldiers couldn’t listen in. “You see, I need a witch to do something reckless for me.”
Unease churned in Wren’s gut. She felt suddenly that she had made a terrible mistake by coming here.
Alarik stepped back. “If you stay here, you will help me with what I need. If this is another one of your schemes, you won’t fool me. And if you try, you will meet the full wrath of Gevra.” He pointed to the ceiling, and Wren looked up at the art that covered it, at a hundred different wars depicted in rivers of crimson—bloodshed and victory and death, bodies broken on frozen ground, beasts roaring in their chains. “Believe me, witch. You will not like it.”
Wren swallowed thickly. “I’m not afraid of you.”