Page 65 of Crimson Kingdom
I rolled my eyes, but one of the thieves spoke up before I could respond.
“And I’ll be competing in the caber toss this year against the king, to win my soulmate’s hand back,” Sai said with a dramatically wistful glance at my mother.
She laughed, while my father shook his head.
“Not this again, Sai,” Da’ said, echoing Cray’s words from earlier.
“Come on,” I tugged on Evander’s arm, finally rescuing him from them. “Let’s go watch Avani.”
My sister won the archery competition, to the general surprise of no one. The younger twins managed to come in second in the three-legged race, narrowly defeated by a pair of siblings from the village.
Mamá and Isla also competed in that one. They weren’t real contenders with their height difference, but they seemed to amuse themselves a great deal, so there was that.
Gwyn was dominating the sparring log until Uncle Finn came along to defeat her, which she took with very little grace.
When they started to set up the obstacle course, I finally turned to Evander.
“It’s our turn,” I said, leading him to where the other couples were headed.
He raised a curious eyebrow, and my face split into a smile.
“It’s technically called the wife-carrying competition,” I told him. “But you don’t actually have to be married to compete. Avani and Mac…” I swallowed, trying to force back the memory.
Was it worse to remember how happy they had been, laughing and spattered in mud, even as they lost to Uncle Finn and Aunt Isla?
“In fairness, mo chridhe, he had a lot less to carry,” Mac said, laughing.
My sister swatted at him but couldn’t hold back her own giggle. “All I heard you say was, your muscles weren’t big enough.”
“No, I definitely said your arse was too big.”
She grabbed a handful of mud and ground it into his face. “Well, if you’re complaining...”
“Never,” he said. “It’s my favorite arse in all the world.”
“Well, you’re my favorite arse in all the world,” she told him, kissing him in spite of the mud.
Evander’s hand tightened around my waist, grounding me in the moment, and I went on.
“They competed two years ago,” I finished. “Before they were married, and some of the betrothed in the village do as well.”
“So, what does this game entail?”
“All you have to do is carry me through that obstacle course.” I gestured to where the men were setting up beams and splashing buckets of water on the ground to make it muddier. “And we have to be the first across the finish line.”
He sized me up with a considering expression.
“You chose this because you thought we would win?” Something in his tone implied that there had been another reason.
“And because I thought it would go the furthest with the people.” I shrugged. “If you aren’t going to do anything about your restingaalioface, then you leave me no choice but to find other ways to make you more approachable.”
“If you say so,” he muttered.
I didn’t get the chance to respond before Aunt Jocelyn’s voice sounded from behind us.
“Oli, you didn’t,” she protested.
“You said to sign us up for an event, and I obliged.” His tone was pure mischief.