Page 39 of Crimson Kingdom
My father made a sound of displeasure in the back of his throat, and she shot him a pointed look.
“It’s a legitimate question with this proposed plan,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone.
Evander looked directly at her, almost as if he were avoiding my side of the table intentionally. “Lord Taras is next in line for my position, and any heirs he produces with Lady Mila will be sufficient to continue the succession.”
“So, in the scenario you’ve proposed...Rowan would never have children?” my mother asked, no small amount of horror in her tone.
“If...the princess wants heirs, that can be arranged,” Evander answered, still not meeting my gaze.
I narrowed my eyes, wondering if it was possible for him to makehaving heirswith me sound any less appealing.
“Arranged?” I echoed in disbelief. “Tell me, will you be sending someone to provide a stud service, or will you come all this way yourself?”
Evander squeezed his eyes shut in exasperation, and he wasn’t the only one.
“Dammit, Rowan.” My father massaged the bridge of his nose.
Uncle Oli choked on a laugh, and Laird Buchanan let out a hiss of disapproval, but Jocelyn only nodded.
“In fairness, Rowan’s question is legitimate, also.”
Evander finally met my eyes, the expression in his own unreadable. “I would, obviously, be providing that service myself.”
He sounded as uncomfortable as I had ever heard him, and a cold, victorious smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.Good.He could be as miserable in these proceedings as I was.
“Well, no need to put yourself out,” I assured him coolly. “In the unlikely event that we wed, I also have no need of heirs. The twins are next in line, then Davin, then Gal and Gwyn. We really have no shortage of heirs here.”
No one commented on whether Avani would ever have children, but MacKinnon’s eyes went distant.
“You still need to decide whether a potential child between the two of you would belong to the Socairan lineage or Lochlann’s,” Laird MacBay said gently.
Suddenly, I was very ready to be finished talking about this. Making Evander uncomfortable was one thing, but being forced to actually think about a future child with him was more than I had been prepared for today.
“Can’t we discuss this later, or more likely, never?” I suggested.
“Itispart of narrowing down terms, which you agreed to consider,” Oli reminded me, not unkindly.
With a sigh, I glanced at Evander. He raised his eyebrows, as if to say it was my decision. I weighed my options carefully, even as I told myself my answer didn’t matter.
Realistically, regardless of who I married, my potential children would need extra protection. I could only imagine what a child who had fae blood and was in line for the throne of Lochlann would be subject to in the hands of someone with Iiro’s ruthless ambition.
“I don’t want any children I have with...either of them, in line for the Lochlannian throne,” I answered, holding Evander’s gaze as I said the last part. “There’s no need for anyone else to become a pawn in the games of Socairan men.”
That familiar muscle twitched in his jaw, but he didn’t respond.
Finally, we moved onto topics that had nothing to do with Evander reluctantly performing his husbandlyduties.
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
Iwent straight from the council room to the sparring rings without bothering to change. Da’ always said if you’re going to be fighting in a dress, you need to be training in one.
Gwyn was already there, predictably, facing off against Avani, while Davin and Theo sparred in the other ring. Gallagher was stretching off to the side, likely waiting for his turn against one of them.
They weren’t alone, either. Several Bear and Elk soldiers alike filled the training yard, including one who looked strikingly similar to Evander. He wasn’t quite as broad, and the smile that graced his features didn’t hold the same aloof arrogance as his cousin’s.
“Yuriy,” I called, and he looked up from cleaning his weapon.
“Princess,” he nodded respectfully, but the word was warm. “It’s good to see you again.”