House of Shadows (Royal Houses 2)

After a moment, Kivrin said, “The village sent a missive this morning.”

“About what?”

“It’s apparently common knowledge that you’re here, and they would like to throw a Geivhrea celebration in your honor.”

“What?” she gasped. “But… why?”

His gaze swept to hers. He looked sardonic. “You’re their lost princess too.”

She glared at him and looked away. “When would they like this?”

“The day before you leave.”

She was silent a moment, staring off toward Lillington. Her father had dropped her off on the steps of the House of Dragons, in the shadow of the mountain. She’d become a story—the lost princess of Bryonica. But she hadn’t been lost; he’d known exactly where to find her. And now that she was back, everyone wanted to go back to how things had been. The king acknowledged her. March still wanted to marry her. Waisley was as if she had never left. And now, this…

It was a lot.

But it wasn’t anyone’s fault but the man standing in front of her. She wouldn’t take this from them, just because everything had been taken from her.

“I’ll do it.”

He nodded. “They’ll like that.”

“Why did you do it?” she asked, trying for calm and failing. “Why did you leave me in the mountain? I had a life here. It wasn’t perfect, but it belonged to me. And while I wouldn’t trade what I have now for anything, I still wish to understand.”

Kivrin breathed out slowly. He withdrew a cigar from inside his sharp black suit. He used a flicker of fire magic to light the end and took a deep inhale. He let the smoke out in rings before answering, “Many years ago, I was to have my own Season. As with your Season, it was the same year as what I assumed would be my dragon training. I was an eligible bachelor, and my mother wanted two things from me: to join the Society and marry to a station befitting my heritage.” He wrinkled his nose. “Mistress Enara ran a tough household.”

Kerrigan had never met her grandmother, but besides her genius, not much was said about her. She imagined the cold, hard green eyes from the painting downstairs and believed wholeheartedly that she had been a tough mistress.

“Unfortunately for her, I fell in love with a commoner.”

“Scandalous,” Kerrigan said.

“It wouldn’t have been if I’d had taken as my mistress. No one cared about status when it was just sex.”

Kerrigan held up her hand. “I don’t want to know who you’re sleeping with.”

He laughed softly and nodded. “Fair. But it was more than that. I was in love with her, and I wanted to marry her. I thought I could get away with it if I won the tournament and forsook my Season.”

“But you didn’t win,” Kerrigan whispered.

“No,” he said, taking another puff on his cigar. “I didn’t. Nor did I marry.”

“Well, what happened to the girl?”

“I brought her to the tournament. I got her accommodations in the Square so that she could be near the mountain. We ignored the warnings of her family and the distaste from mine. We were young and stupid.” He shrugged. “You have that propensity too, I hear.”

Kerrigan shrugged. He wasn’t wrong.

Kivrin breathed in the smoke again. “Behind my back, she began to see another man.”

“No,” she gasped.

Kivrin nodded. “By the end of the tournament, she broke my heart, married another, and left me with nothing. I lost the Society and the girl I’d believed to be the love of my life in one fell swoop.”

“That’s terrible,” Kerrigan murmured.

He laughed mockingly. “That man was Lorian Van Horn.”

Kerrigan blinked. “Wait, Alura’s mother is a Bryonican commoner?”

“Yes. Anya Van Horn used to be Anya de Leland. She’s from Lillington in fact.”

“Gods, no wonder you hate Lorian.”

Kivrin tipped his head at her. “He’s earned every ounce of my hatred.”

“Mine too.”

“Ah, yes, we would have that in common.”

“But… how does this explain why you abandoned me?”

“I’m getting there,” Kivrin said. “I was a wreck, as you can imagine, after what happened with Anya. It was how I gained my reputation as the playboy prince. When your grandmother passed, the House of Cruse went out of favor with the throne. Your great-grandfather had been king in his own right, and with my desolation and lack of marriage or heir, I had nothing to offer. For a time, it was all I could do to hold my head above water and keep others from invading our borders.” Kivrin shrugged and took another drag from the cigar. “Things eventually settled, and there was talk of me marrying again to secure the line. I had no interest. To escape, I told the court that I was going on a five-year journey of the continent.” He glanced to her and then away. “That’s how I met your mother.”

“Oh,” she whispered. “She was living in another tribe?”

“Of sorts.” He paused to consider and then continued, “She was married.”