his friend’s mouth dropped open. “ Why? ”
“It was an accident,” Ennon ground out harshly. “I never meant for it to happen, and she can’t know. She can’t . She’s already had idiots fighting over her because of her royal birthright, and I refuse to let her think I did this so she’d have to pick me.”
“Too bad, because now she’s bound to you, whether she likes it or not.”
“Temporarily.” The reminder brought pain, but not as much as he deserved. “For a short time. Then she can let go, and it will be as if it never happened.”
His friend watched him intently. “Not as simple for you, though. You’ll be mated to her until you die, even if she rejects you. Even if you mate another, you’ll feel her loss.”
He hoped he would. At least he would have that much of her to hold, no matter what happened. “I know.”
“Dinner,” Mal said abruptly.
Ennon blinked at the non sequitur. “Dinner?”
“Dinner. In honor of Kisri’s arrival, so it would hardly be fitting for you to skip it.”
He was certain that Mal’s intention had been to eject him from the camp, but he wasn’t sure how to broach the subject. “I still have my things packed. I was going to go—”
“Dinner,” Mal said again, his tone implacable. “That’s an order, Ennon. And try to follow this one.” With that, he turned and stalked off.
Chapter Six
Dinner was miserable, mostly because Ennon had no idea what Mal had up his sleeve.
Kisri seemed in good spirits, though she spent the first part of the meal darting frantic looks at Ennon’s jaw while Mal ate and drank and pretended not to watch them.
No matter. Whatever future hell his friend had planned for him, it couldn’t be worse than the torment of not even being able to offer Kisri a reassuring look or smile.
A particularly long silence fell as Kisri refilled her glass. Her third serving of wine, and her cheeks were flushed. She took a sip, then shifted her gaze from Ennon to Mal and back. “If dinners at the palace are going to be this awkward, I may eat in my rooms.”
Mal lifted both eyebrows and picked up his own goblet. “Ennon won’t be accompanying us to the palace. Will you, En?”
He dropped his fork and laid his napkin on the table. “No, I won’t.”
Kisri’s eyes narrowed. “Are you staying to oversee the disbandment of the army, then?”
“In part.” That much he would be doing, anyway. “Then I’ll be headed to my own home.”
She was still watching him with that shrewd, suspicious look. “I suppose your estates suffered for lack of your attention.”
“I’ve been away a long, long time.” Perhaps the less said, the better.
“Of course.” But she was stubborn, and turned her gaze on her cousin. “If the two of you have some great secret, you can excuse yourselves and see to whatever matters you deem too serious for me to handle.”
“On the contrary, I’ve no great secret.” Mal shrugged and rose. “Ennon, however, has something to discuss with you before he leaves, so I shall leave you to it.”
Damn him. “Mal—”
“Shut up and get to it, Ennon,” he said pleasantly, already walking away.
The tent flap had barely closed behind him when Kisri bit off an entirely unladylike curse. “He hit you, didn’t he?”
“Just once.” Ennon rubbed his jaw. “Really, I deserved more.”
“Because you seduced his foolish little cousin who doesn’t know better, I suppose.” She drank half of her wine in one gulp, then leaned forward. “Did you tell him that it was my idea? Or did you let him think I’m too witless to want a man without being coerced?”
He bristled. “No one lets Mal think anything. Not that it matters. I knew very well when he put you in my care that I was meant to keep my hands to myself.”
“And you did not.” Her fingers tightened around the edge of the table. “Are you being punished for it? Banished from court? Because I won’t allow it to happen.”
There was no way out of
“It was an accident,” Ennon ground out harshly. “I never meant for it to happen, and she can’t know. She can’t . She’s already had idiots fighting over her because of her royal birthright, and I refuse to let her think I did this so she’d have to pick me.”
“Too bad, because now she’s bound to you, whether she likes it or not.”
“Temporarily.” The reminder brought pain, but not as much as he deserved. “For a short time. Then she can let go, and it will be as if it never happened.”
His friend watched him intently. “Not as simple for you, though. You’ll be mated to her until you die, even if she rejects you. Even if you mate another, you’ll feel her loss.”
He hoped he would. At least he would have that much of her to hold, no matter what happened. “I know.”
“Dinner,” Mal said abruptly.
Ennon blinked at the non sequitur. “Dinner?”
“Dinner. In honor of Kisri’s arrival, so it would hardly be fitting for you to skip it.”
He was certain that Mal’s intention had been to eject him from the camp, but he wasn’t sure how to broach the subject. “I still have my things packed. I was going to go—”
“Dinner,” Mal said again, his tone implacable. “That’s an order, Ennon. And try to follow this one.” With that, he turned and stalked off.
Chapter Six
Dinner was miserable, mostly because Ennon had no idea what Mal had up his sleeve.
Kisri seemed in good spirits, though she spent the first part of the meal darting frantic looks at Ennon’s jaw while Mal ate and drank and pretended not to watch them.
No matter. Whatever future hell his friend had planned for him, it couldn’t be worse than the torment of not even being able to offer Kisri a reassuring look or smile.
A particularly long silence fell as Kisri refilled her glass. Her third serving of wine, and her cheeks were flushed. She took a sip, then shifted her gaze from Ennon to Mal and back. “If dinners at the palace are going to be this awkward, I may eat in my rooms.”
Mal lifted both eyebrows and picked up his own goblet. “Ennon won’t be accompanying us to the palace. Will you, En?”
He dropped his fork and laid his napkin on the table. “No, I won’t.”
Kisri’s eyes narrowed. “Are you staying to oversee the disbandment of the army, then?”
“In part.” That much he would be doing, anyway. “Then I’ll be headed to my own home.”
She was still watching him with that shrewd, suspicious look. “I suppose your estates suffered for lack of your attention.”
“I’ve been away a long, long time.” Perhaps the less said, the better.
“Of course.” But she was stubborn, and turned her gaze on her cousin. “If the two of you have some great secret, you can excuse yourselves and see to whatever matters you deem too serious for me to handle.”
“On the contrary, I’ve no great secret.” Mal shrugged and rose. “Ennon, however, has something to discuss with you before he leaves, so I shall leave you to it.”
Damn him. “Mal—”
“Shut up and get to it, Ennon,” he said pleasantly, already walking away.
The tent flap had barely closed behind him when Kisri bit off an entirely unladylike curse. “He hit you, didn’t he?”
“Just once.” Ennon rubbed his jaw. “Really, I deserved more.”
“Because you seduced his foolish little cousin who doesn’t know better, I suppose.” She drank half of her wine in one gulp, then leaned forward. “Did you tell him that it was my idea? Or did you let him think I’m too witless to want a man without being coerced?”
He bristled. “No one lets Mal think anything. Not that it matters. I knew very well when he put you in my care that I was meant to keep my hands to myself.”
“And you did not.” Her fingers tightened around the edge of the table. “Are you being punished for it? Banished from court? Because I won’t allow it to happen.”
There was no way out of
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