“The fact is, she’s the right age and her health will not get any better. When I saw her name on the list of potential female candidates, I decided to push things into motion.” Lyle rummaged in his desk until he pulled out a quill and ink well. He scribbled on some papers.
“I heard talk that you fancied the girl. Quite a spirited ballet dancer she is. I saw her perform last year. She has the most succulent---”
“Watch your mouth,” Ryon cut in.
Tension crept in between them like a static charge. Then Lyle cracked a grin which deflated the tension.
“See, this possessiveness, it’s unlike you. I can hardly recognize my friend, the general, honestly.”
The women were moaning and gasping, the sounds beckoning Ryon’s thoughts and mind. He’d been too long without sex and Penelope had him past the limits. He needed to get home and find some release. Soon.
“Penelope and I have history. That’s it. I’m going to claim her. Even before you sent out the proclamation. We both knew it. It’s just a matter of making her see things my way.”
“Ah, how intriguing, I see, I see.” The king spoke rapidly as he often did when he had multiple things on his mind.
“I don’t want to keep you. I have things to see to—” Like my aching balls. “Was there anything else you needed from me?”
Lyle lit another cigarette, then clamped it between his lips as he rolled up a map of the kingdom. Ryon recognized it; this particular map marked the strategic attack points from the Avagarians and showed each location they’d ever hit.
“The locals say they hear howling in the forest late at night.”
“They say the trees are talking,” said the brunette woman on the bed.
“Lysse, my dear, do shut up,” Lyle said.
The woman, Lysse was her name, winked then rolled over to continue petting the other girl.
“Let’s find out what they’re talking about to be certain,” Lyle said.
“It’s probably nothing. Simply fears being compounded after the recent attack. Everyone will be feeling less safe,” Ryon said, his mind already at work breaking apart the mechanics of the situation and planning. Always planning. The attack was isolated, but Ryon anticipated more, much more. The king may have his own resources to gather information, but so did Ryon. The folks living on the eastern border weren’t just whispering about trees talking—they were whispering about seeing strange faces moving in and out of the forest at night.
That had made Ryon’s skin prickle. The Avagarians could be planning an all-out assault in the future. He’d kept the people of Tarlè safe for six years; he just hoped he could keep it that way for six more.
“Naturally, of course. Still, see to it and report back to me if you find anything interesting.”
Ryon nodded and turned to go, but the king stopped him.
“One more thing…” Lyle said. Ryon turned back around, crossed his arms, impatient to get home. “Would you like to take Lysse with you? She’s quite decadent.”
Lysse rolled on the bed to face Ryon, the soft expression of a hopeful woman showing on her face. Ryon, however, felt no lust toward this woman.
“I’d rather not.”
Before Lysse could screech a storm at him, Ryon spun on his heel and exited. He had an ache to ease.
Chapter 4
“You should have seen the look on his face.” Penelope sighed, a dreamy smile on her face.
“I wish I could have seen it,” her sister, Phoebe, said.
At only five and twenty, Phoebe was the youngest child out of the Farris sisters. While Penelope had turned out to be a dancer like their grandmother, Phoebe had taken the military route like their father. She taught archery for the ranged forces. She was the best bow shooter in the kingdom. No one had yet to beat her in archery competitions. Many had tried and failed.
Phoebe had stopped by Penelope’s dressing room for a brief chat before Pen took the stage tonight.
“He’s going to fight for me at the Claiming, to be my husband.”
Phoebe’s eyes widened. “I know you and he have a history, but is this Claiming Ceremony what you want?”
Penelope nibbled on her lip as she finished shimming into her white tutu for tonight’s performance. “I’m not sure. He’s quite…large and intimidating. I’m afraid a life with him won’t leave me much freedom.”
“True enough,” Phoebe agreed. “He seems to, oh, I don’t know, care about you though. Does that make things different?”
Penelope didn’t let her sister see how much her words affected her. She’d hoped that Phoebe would come here and discourage her from accepting Ryon’s claim. Instead, she seemed to want to hook them up. Not exactly what she’d been expecting from her macho-archery sister.