Fantasyland 01 Wildest Dreams (61 page)

This was not surprising. Drakkar knew Apollo
well, liked and respected him and he knew his cousin returned these
sentiments. But he also knew his cousin was most assuredly not a
man to cross and for Lunwyn, and his cousin, Apollo would demand
vengeance and would be immensely displeased and not afraid to show
it in ways no one wished to court should his demand go unheeded.
Considering the power, influence and wealth of the House of Ulfr
was only rivaled by the House of Wilde and Drakkar’s personal
wealth and influence, Atticus bowed to Apollo, and the pressures of
the further familial Houses of Lazarus, Ravenscroft and
Drakkar.

It was annoying but it was understandable
and Quincy, so far, had not uncovered any nefarious reasons behind
Grieg’s swift dispatch.

Balthazar had not remained behind but gone
forth to see if further information could be gathered to refute
Grieg’s claims that he was the mastermind. However, the three
messages he’d sent Drakkar since his and Finnie’s return to Lunwyn
had shared that Balthazar’s endeavors had not yet borne fruit.

And now, taking in Oleg’s expression as he
reined in his horse next to their grouping Drakkar did not think it
boded well. Oleg had few expressions and this one was not one of
the even fewer good ones.

Oleg did not hesitate to share his news and
announced on a grunt, “Valeria and Franka Drakkar are at the Keep
awaiting you to attend them.”

Instantly, Drakkar’s mouth got tight. He’d
been informed his mother had arrived at her mansion in Snowdon two
days earlier. He did not visit her and she did not send official
word she was in the city. He was hoping she was there to shop. Now
he knew she was awaiting Franka as this was the first word he’d
received that his cousin was close and it was highly likely she’d
just arrived.

He nodded, jerked his chin to Thad and Max,
walked to Tyr and mounted. He raised his hand to Finnie who was
watching his movements and she waved in return, her smile for him
sunny even though he knew she was distracted and he knew this
because she almost immediately tilted her head back to Skylar after
she waved. Then he and Oleg galloped into Snowdon, through the city
and to the Keep. He dismounted at the fountain, tossed Tyr’s reins
to a waiting boy and walked swiftly up the ice marble steps and
into the castle.

A servant girl was hovering and approached
him the moment he entered.

“Queen Aurora is entertaining the Ladies
Drakkar in the state drawing room,” she informed him and Frey
nodded.

Aurora had intervened and Drakkar found, as
he had been discovering more and more every day the last two weeks
as he watched her with his wife, that he quite liked his
mother-in-law.

He moved away from the girl and walked to
the state drawing room, an official room that was elegant but
large, cold and never used when it was simply family.

A statement. Aurora didn’t like the surprise
visit and was not afraid to let that be known. She was also happy
for Finnie to show allegiance to the Drakkars by encouraging her to
wear their House red but she was not happy with how Finnie was
treated by his father and mother at the Gales and her stamping this
visit as official and not familial was her way of showing that.

Yes, he was definitely coming to like his
mother-in-law.

He opened the door and walked through it to
see both his mother and cousin outfitted resplendently, Franka’s
layering of jewels bordering on ostentatious, his mother’s well
passed that. Aurora, her clothing stylish and refined, her manner
graceful, next to the displays of the two other women still looked
a pauper.

All of the women’s heads turned to him the
moment he arrived, Valeria’s face lighting with faux delight,
Franka’s lips curling for reasons unknown and Aurora’s expression
benign but unreadable.

“Son!” Valeria exclaimed while standing and
Drakkar closed the door and walked fully into the room.

“Let’s dispense with the artificial
sincerity,” he stated without delay, “and instead let us get to why
you both are here.”

Darkness instantly swept his mother’s
features and Drakkar found that much easier to bear for it was
nearly all he’d known of her when he was a child.

“Really, Frey,” Valeria snapped, “minstrels
are singing and mothers are setting their daughters to bed with
stories of The Handsome Drakkar and his deep adoration for his
Beautiful Winter Bride. It’s been months since I’ve seen you and
your lovely wife and you do not allow your mother a moment to bask
in the glow of her son’s extreme happiness?”

Drakkar stopped, crossed his arms on his
chest and leveled his gaze on his mother. “Prior to the Gales, and,
of course, your attendance at my wedding at which we did not
converse, I had not seen you for over a year and when I did, it was
in passing. You made no overtures to me for years prior to that and
the only one I made to you since I was thirteen was inviting you to
my marriage ceremony and it wasn’t me who did that but Queen
Aurora’s secretary. You’re not here to bask in the glow of
anything. So, let’s dispense with this farce and tell me why you
actually
are
here.”

Valeria glared at her son and then she sat
back down.

“Well, for me, though you didn’t ask, dear
cousin, I’m looking after my throat,” Franka put in at this point
and Drakkar’s eyes went to her as he steeled himself against
showing a reaction to her announcement.

“You have news,” he stated blandly.

“Indeed,” she inclined her head and leaned
forward to the table that held a coffee service, china and a bowl
of candies. Controlled and calculated, as was her way, Franka took
her time selecting a white candy-coated almond and popped it in her
mouth, chewed and swallowed under Drakkar’s impatient stare before
she spoke again. “Baldur is away to the Southlands with thirty
thousand men.”

Drakkar noted that Aurora didn’t move a
muscle at this extraordinary news though she could not know it for
he knew Atticus told her everything and the king also told
him
everything. Drakkar didn’t move
a muscle either except to raise his brows.

“This interests me because…?” he
prompted.

“
You may…” she paused, studying him
closely, “or may not know that Baldur had a plaything. A delightful
specimen called Circe.” At these words, Drakkar continued to regard
her impassively but fought against clenching his teeth. “A powerful
sorceress but unfortunately for the lovely Circe, Baldur had found
a nearly equally powerful witch to bind her powers so she could not
use them to harm him or to escape him. Unfortunately for the
revolting Baldur, he wasn’t shrewd enough to bind her to him so she
could not find
others
to assist
her to escape him. And this she did some months ago.”

“I was called here for you to tell me tales
of King Baldur?” Drakkar asked skeptically.

“No,” Franka answered, “you were called here
because Circe has been sighted and Baldur is off to collect
her.”

Again, Drakkar raised his brows instead of
clenching his teeth.

He had not spent a great deal of time with
the sorceress Circe but the time he had, he liked her. Baldur had
callously mistreated her for years, imprisoned her, used her in a
variety of repugnant ways and through all that, by what had to be a
miracle, she’d somehow retained her dignity even as four earlier
escape attempts were thwarted and Baldur punished her for each in
ways it didn’t bear thinking of.

It was not good news she had been sighted
and worse news that her sighting had reached Baldur’s ears.

Drakkar had a feeling he would not be
taking his bride to his lodge in Kellshorn or loading
The Finnie’s
cargo holds with Lunwynian
water and onward to Fleuridia but instead sailing directly to the
Southlands.

But at this point, he had to learn more
without letting on he cared.

Therefore, he said with feigned resignation,
“Again, Franka, I’m uncertain why you’re imparting this information
on me.”

“The lovely but unlucky Circe has clearly
had a misadventure since her escape and it has led to her being
included in the Korwahk Wife Hunt,” Franka replied.

Drakkar stared indifferently at his
cousin.

But he thought,
Bloody hell.

The Korwahk Wife Hunt was well-known and,
although it had been happening for centuries in Korwahk, it was
considered a savage ritual outside the Southlands. Local women
hunted by the Korwahk warriors felt honored to be chosen for this
hunt. But those women not of the Southlands who were scouted,
kidnapped and included in the hunt most definitely did not feel the
same. As they wouldn’t, considering participation in the hunt meant
they were paraded in front of the warriors, let loose then hunted
and “claimed” as wives, in other words, the moment they were
captured, they were raped.

After what Circe had already endured,
Drakkar was dismayed to hear she’d now endured this.

Franka continued, “And, word is, she caught
the eye of their king. He’s claimed her and made her his queen. The
word is, after doing so, he declared great pride at her courageous
nature and immense satisfaction with her astonishing beauty.”

At that, Drakkar relaxed.

He had been to the Southlands – to trade not
to raid. He knew a number of Korwahk merchants and had met several
Korwahk Horde warriors. He did not know Lahn, the king of Korwahk,
but he knew much of him. Although Circe would likely find adjusting
to her new life an ordeal, it was not unheard of, in fact, it was
frequent for women even outside the Southlands to adjust to their
lives with their warriors, so far as enjoying them and considering
themselves Korwahk. King Lahn was greatly admired by his people,
known to have honor and any bride he chose would undoubtedly be
equally admired. Not to mention, he had great wealth which it was
known warriors showered on their brides and if his people felt him
honorable, and he had declared satisfaction with her, Drakkar hoped
he would behave as such with his new bride.

And, lastly, there was absolutely no chance
Baldur would succeed in retrieving his sorceress. The Korwahk Horde
of warriors was renowned for their protection of their people,
their nation, its vast wealth but most especially of their wives.
King Lahn being, if word was true, by far the mightiest of a
celebrated horde of exceptionally skilled and strong warriors, he
would make short work of Baldur if he even tried.

“Franka, I’m losing patience,” Drakkar
warned.

She examined him a moment, he knew she read
nothing and finally continued, “This makes Middleland
vulnerable.”

“Yes,” Drakkar agreed. “Any ruler foolish
enough to leave his land and take thirty thousand of his soldiers
with him on a personal errand that has no hope of succeeding would
leave that land vulnerable. What I’d like to understand is why you
think I’d care?”

“
Because,” she replied instantly, “leaving
his land doesn’t only make it vulnerable to others, such as Ludlum
and Noctorno who may still be smarting after Baldur’s invasions of
years ago regardless that Noctorno has resecured the lands Baldur
wrested from them. But because his leaving his land makes it
vulnerable to those
inside
Middleland who may be weary of Baldur’s rule and preparing
to do something about it.”

Aurora entered the conversation at this
point with, “Staunch Lunwynians in Middleland moving to reunite our
two countries?”

Valeria looked to her queen and answered
for Franka. “No, my queen, staunch
Middlelandians
moving to reunite our two countries.”

It was at that that Drakkar’s body grew
tight and he demanded, “Explain.”

His mother looked to him. “Who would, my
son, outside Baldur, gain the most from your new bride being
dead?”

Drakkar held her eyes.

Broderick.

Bloody,
bloody
hell.

Broderick.

Drakkar moved his gaze to Aurora and when he
did he saw her eyes on him and her mouth was tight.

“It is rather unfortunate,” Franka noted
while sitting back against the couch, “that Prince Broderick and
his lover have recently discovered they’ve been robbed of something
they held quite dear. It has come to my attention that the young
Phobin is most annoyed he’s lost this cherished article and
everyone knows when Phobin is displeased, Broderick is.”

Bloody, bloody
hell.

“Broderick holds great affection for his
cousin, he would never –” Aurora started but Valeria interrupted
her.

“Affection gets lost when land, power and
coin are in the balance.” His mother spoke the truth as she
definitely understood it then looked to her son. “Everyone knows
Baldur got the short end of the stick when King Halldor split
Lunwyn. Regardless of our ice, the bounty lies within Lunwyn’s
borders and Middleland is but a bunch of rock and sparse
vegetation, none of which is useful except that which butts
Hawkvale. It is so desolate, even when the land was Lunwyn, the
elves refused to tread there.”

“Yes,” Drakkar agreed. “But that which butts
Hawkvale is exceptionally fertile and the rock you disdain, if
forged, makes arrowheads coveted even in the Southlands. And under
that rock is an abundance of coal which, if mined for the country
and not to line Baldur’s coffers, would make the nation rich.
Broderick isn’t greedy and reckless as his father is and could
easily capitalize on these to bring prosperity to his people rather
than increase his personal treasury. If he were to do this, he
wouldn’t need Lunwyn.”