I let loose a well-aimed kick raking the heel of my shoe down the length of his shin channeling all my fear into that one movement Just as I hoped he forgot the kitchen completely and dropped the tart he’d stolen from me in the process While he bent to rub his shin I darted away to join the rest of my brothers Aiden the eldest waited for me arms folded Ryn Why did you kick him He deserved it I answered Aiden raised an eyebrow but he still put an arm around me I smiled Mael wouldn’t dare retaliate now that I was under Aiden’s protection Mael limped up cursing under his breath All my brothers stood around me then a wall of dark-haired princes in the afternoon sun Aiden Mael the triples Cadan Declan and Gavyn and my twin Owain They’d stood around me all my life often poking or teasing while they did it But they were a wall nonetheless solid and reliable I’d just stolen forbidden cloves from the kitchen so I could free Father from a spell his new wife had cast over him I desperately wanted to tell them everything but Who taught you to kick like that Ryn Mael demanded I crossed my arms Who did he think Mael turned to Cadan the oldest of the triples and punched his shoulder 6
Cadan grabbed his hurt arm What was that for You taught her said Mael Cadan laughed Are you mad she knows how to kick or that she kicked you Did you leave a bruise Ryn I glared at Mael I certainly hope so Cadan nodded approval He was the most cynical of the triples with a cutting wit that he rarely sharpened on me Then there was Declan the kindest brother in all the kingdom of Lacharra who knew the songs and stories that told the history of our people And Gavyn Gavyn the scholar observed the world around him animals and plants sky and stars He was happy to tell anyone who listened listened and even those who didn’t Enough kicking said Aiden He never had to raise his voice He’d been commanding commanding the troop of us since since there had been the seven of us He had the strength and heart for the task and he had proven it while Father was missing He’d been the crown prince bearing the weight of Lacharra all those weeks We need to give the Queen the gift now before tonight’s feast with the Danavirian ambassador The ambassador had arrived only days after Father and the woman he married returned from the forest The weak-chinned ambassador had never been a favorite of ours It was even worse to host him while we tried to figure figure out what happened to Father during the weeks he’d been lost I looked up at my brothers Perhaps they weren’t trying to find out anymore 7
Why would you give her a gift after what she did to Rees last night I asked Tanwen wouldn’t agree Aiden raised an eyebrow You only say that when you hope she’d agree with you I can’t help it that you married a woman more sensible sensible than you are If she were here she’d tell you that woman doesn’t deserve a gift Aiden like all the crown princes of recent times had been living at Fortress Roden the original stronghold of the House of Cynwrig Tanwen had remained at Roden when Aiden came to the castle in Father’s absence Tanwen is sick at Fortress Roden and will come greet the Queen as soon as she’s well I am sure she would do everything in her power to make Father’s new wife feel welcome I snorted Don’t be a child Ryn said Owain He was my twin but lately he acted like he’d outgrown me Rees disobeyed her Only a child would take her side I shot back Rees could barely walk to the stable afterward and they had to carry the boy She had soldiers use a whip on them and Rees doesn’t even use one on the horses I waited for Mael to shake his head for Cadan to swear a string of oaths so sharp that even Aiden would wince Nothing My brothers had the same empty look I’d seen in Father’s eyes ever since he returned with the Queen from the forest a week ago 8
No Not them too It was on his head Ryn said normally gentle hearted Declan stepping away from me He should have known better Would you say the same if I had been discovered with cloves I asked Mael looked worried You don’t have any do you Is that why you were in the kitchen No I lied I wanted a tart And I’m sure Bron burned them anyway Good But that’s not the question I pressed Surely you wouldn’t think I deserved a beating if I had some Aiden held out his hands in a helpless gesture The law applies to all of us It wasn’t a law It was something she said after she appeared with Father a week ago She’s queen of Lacharra said Gavyn as if that settled the issue We don’t know where she came from I forced myself to speak slowly Deliberately We don’t even know her name Aiden folded his arms and narrowed his eyes She came from the forest She found Father there and she saved him I folded my arms even though it didn’t look nearly as impressive as Aiden She found him there and she enchanted him And she’s enchanted you too Cadan didn’t ridicule me he just shook his head as if I’d learn wisdom soon enough That scared me more than 9
