Drakkar held her eyes, heard her words, knew they were not false but sensed she was not quite finished.
He was not wrong.
Aurora continued. “I cannot say at this moment that I would drink that poison for her or give my crown for her return as I would my own daughter. I can say that I would do nothing to harm her and, to those who already have tried, I do not recoil that they find justice.”
She inclined her head to where Viola had lain to make her point but didn’t take her eyes from Drakkar.
She also didn’t stop talking.
But she said her next quietly with astonishing emotion trembling in her voice and her eyes were not blank, they were alight with passion.
“You soon talk to the heads of the two Houses whose blood flows in my veins. I am a Ravenscroft, I am a Lazarus and those two Houses, if they are anything, they are Lunwynians. They would no sooner betray their king, their country, their niece,” she leaned forward, “or me than they would fly to a dragon’s cave and invite his fire.” She straightened again and kept speaking quietly. “You are The Drakkar, The Frey and Finnie is your destiny. Legend tells that all the Houses were touched by the elves that have frosted our country to such beauty yet have provided abundance and they did so that the Houses would lead Lunwyn to prosperity. The Frey and The Drakkar have been born in one man, which means the gods have called upon you and our cherished elves leave their realm at long last to serve you. Although the heads of those Houses do not hold the knowledge of Finnie being your destiny, they, like me, would do nothing to stand in the way of the decisions you make, the commands you give or the actions you take for Lunwyn because you have been chosen by the gods and Finnie has been chosen by them for you. And with respect, I ask you to remember that, Drakkar, in your fire to avenge what’s happened tonight under your nose, a glass delivered to your new bride by the hand of a woman who warmed your bed, when you speak to them.”
“Aurora, my beloved,” Atticus whispered, reaching out and clutching his wife’s hand in concern at her show of insolence.
But Aurora held his gaze, not looking at her husband and Drakkar noted her chest rising and falling with her emotion.
He’d seen that before more than once.
“I’ve noted,” he said softly, “many occasions that Finnie remind me of you. She has your grace in her bearing and, I didn’t know it until now, but she also has your passion of emotion.” Atticus sucked in a hopeful breath as his wife visibly worked to calm herself. “The elves told me the twins of the two worlds are different people and this is true of your daughter and Finnie. It is strange and fantastical you share these attributes with Finnie as if you passed them down through your womb, but it is nevertheless true.”
The king and queen remained silent.
Drakkar finished. “It pleases me to know as this plot unfolds and uncovers Lunwynians behind it, that Finnie can trust her parents.”
Atticus’s shoulders slumped with visible relief.
Aurora lifted her chin and asked instantly, “Does this mean we can see her prior to you both being away into the cold, dark night?”
Drakkar nearly smiled at her motherly dramatics.
She was going to miss his Finnie and she was worried about her.
However, he did not smile.
Instead he looked to Lund who had been standing quiet, shoulders to the wall and ordered, “Take them to Finnie.”
Lund nodded and moved but when they were at the door, Drakkar called out, “One thing.” They stopped and looked back at him. “I’ll remind you we’re uncovering Lunwynians at every turn.”
“I’ll see to it my best men –” Atticus started but Drakkar interrupted him.
“That’s precisely what you won’t do. I’ve chosen the men I trust and right now Finnie has them, me, the both of you and, if my instincts are correct, her maidservants. You, as I, will treat anyone else as suspect,” his eyes moved to Aurora, “even the heads of Houses who were heretofore above suspicion. You will do this until I am assured of their loyalty and you have my leave to trust them. Is that understood?”
“Understood, Drakkar,” Atticus muttered.
Aurora paused only a moment before she lifted her chin.
“Bid farewell to your daughter,” Drakkar murmured and they moved without hesitation behind Lund.
Drakkar stared at the door as it closed behind them, leaving him alone in the room.
An image of the woman spewing blood projected on the wood and this transformed into an image of Finnie doing the same. It was an image so heinous he closed his eyes to shut it out.
He could not blame himself for a woman’s ludicrous infatuation or the actions this caused.