Paelsians widely believed him to be a devious and manipulative man who ignored their squalor while those in Auranos lived lavishly and opulently, with no heed to how much they spent or how much they wasted. Jonas had hated King Corvin before he ever laid eyes on him.
The king was a formidable-looking man. He was tall, with heavy muscle like a knight slightly past his prime. His light brown hair, peppered with gray, hung to his shoulders; his beard was short and well groomed. His blue-green eyes were keen and sharp—and, Jonas couldn’t help but note, the exact same color as the princess’s. At first glance, and despite his glittering palace inlaid with actual gold, King Corvin didn’t look like a man who encouraged hedonism and self-indulgence in his people.
Appearances could be deceiving, Jonas reminded himself.
At Chief Basilius’s compound, they’d met King Gaius and his men and traveled together to Auranos to show that they were now allies.
King Gaius was also a strong-looking man. Short black hair, dark eyes, tight skin on his sharp cheekbones. A thin mouth. He looked stern and severe. But there was something in his eyes, a wickedness that betrayed the rest of his orderly appearance. Jonas wasn’t sure if he appreciated that edge or if it made him even more distrustful of the man.
He’d heard many tales of how King Gaius ensured his subjects behaved themselves—by heavily policing them with a trained army ready to uphold the strict laws the king set forth. His was a reign painted in blood. Jonas would never underestimate someone like that, even if he wasn’t sure how many rumors were true.
King Corvin did not turn them away. He invited them into his palace and into his great hall to meet with him. This was where Jonas and Brion now sat, on either side of the chief. King Gaius and his men sat at the other side of the large square table. Behind King Corvin positioned on the dais were two guards.
They all had even numbers present. But there would be no violence today. Today was for discussion only. And Jonas had been advised to let King Gaius do the talking on Paelsia’s behalf. He was shocked and dismayed that the chief had agreed to this.
“Who are these boys?” King Corvin asked, referring to Jonas and Brion. He didn’t ask the same of Gaius’s men. Since they wore the dark red uniforms of Limerian palace guards, it was obvious to all that they were the king’s bodyguards.
The chief nodded at each of them. “This is Jonas Agallon and Brion Radenos.”
“They’re your guards?”
“More than that. Jonas is soon to become my son-in-law.”
Jonas felt Brion’s surprised gaze land on him.
Son-in-law? A sick feeling churned in his gut. Perhaps it would be wise to end things with Laelia sooner than he’d planned. She obviously had the wrong impression about their future together. Jonas heard a sound. He thought it was a muffled snort of laughter coming from Brion’s direction even though there was nothing remotely funny about this. He kept his eyes forward, not leaving King Corvin for a moment.
“Must we feign civil conversation?” the king of Auranos said tightly. “Say what you came here to say and be done with it.”
“I consider you a very good friend, Corvin.” King Gaius offered him a warm smile. “I know I should have made more of an effort to keep our ties strong.”
“Were they ever strong?”
“We have so much in common. Two prosperous lands flanking that of Paelsia. Three lands that could be very strong together. Close friendships will make it even stronger.”
“So you’re offering me friendship today,” the king said thinly and with distrust etched into his expression. “Is that it?”
King Gaius nodded gravely. “Friendship above all. Family above all. I know what it’s like to have a young family. To hope for a brighter future for them. Paelsia, however, has fallen on much harder times than we have.”
“And you wish to help them.”
“With all my heart.”
King Corvin glanced at Chief Basilius. “I know that Paelsia prides itself on being a sovereign state. You’ve not asked for any assistance, nor have we offered any. But I truly didn’t realize how difficult times have been for you.”
Jonas found this impossible to believe, but he swallowed back any poisonous comments that rose in his throat.
“We are a proud people,” the chief said. “We tried to resolve our problems by ourselves.”
King Gaius nodded. “I’m overwhelmed by how courageous the Paelsians have been through these lean years. My heart bleeds for their suffering. But the time has come to change all of that.”
“What do you propose?” King Corvin asked, with a noticeable thread of distaste when speaking to the Limerian king. “Should we begin a charity for them? Collect money? Clothing? A food drive, perhaps? Allow more open travel between our lands? There’s been a great deal of poaching here from Paelsians over the years. Is this something you think I should simply turn a blind eye to?”
“If our borders were fully open to each other, poaching would not occur. It would not be stealing then.”
King Corvin templed his fingers and looked across the table at him steadily. “I’m certainly open to discussion on all matters.”
“Yes, well, discussion would be lovely,” King Gaius said, “if this was twenty years ago and my father still ruled. But times have changed.”