Death Wind (Elven Alliance #3) - Tara Grayce Page 0,116

in front of the troll prince, facing him with all the dignity she could muster. “Did you wish to speak with me?”

Prince Rharreth’s dark blue eyes searched her face. “You agreed to marry me.”

It was said as a statement, but the underlying question hung in the air between them.

“Of course I did. I know it is hard to believe, but I still love my kingdom.” Melantha forced herself not to back down from the intense scrutiny of his gaze. Perhaps only this could earn her redemption in the eyes of the rest of her family. “I hope your word and honor proves to be more true than your brother’s.”

Prince Rharreth’s mouth tilted down, though he did not refute her insinuation that his brother had possessed no honor. “I have promised peace with Tarenhiel, and I keep my word.”

“I will hold you to that. If you break your word, I am not above breaking my healer’s oath to kill you, even if it kills me in the process. I would consider it a worthy sacrifice for my kingdom.” Melantha clenched her fists. Farrendel had called her a warrior, back there in the hospital tent. If only that was what she was.

“That will not be necessary.” Prince Rharreth reached, as if to touch her, but he drew his hand back before he so much as brushed a lock of her hair. “I know what my brother did to you. But I promise you that you have nothing to fear from me.”

Melantha raised her eyebrows. Did Prince Rharreth mean that? Yet, he had taken a whipping for her, his back probably still sore since he would not have been able to heal himself as Melantha had. Even though he had not succeeded in sparing her all of his brother’s punishment, he had done his best.

It gave Melantha reason to hope, even though she had thought herself beyond such self-delusions.

But, for a moment, she let herself believe that her marriage to this troll tomorrow would not be utter misery. Perhaps she would never find the happiness that Farrendel had with his human princess, but maybe Melantha could find the freedom she craved.

If she found a way to cool the simmering, consuming anger gnawing through her chest, she might even be content.

When Essie stepped through the canvas door, she found Farrendel still sitting on the surgical table, staring at his hands. He glanced up, his silver-blue eyes dull and listless. He held up his arms, showing her the insides of his wrists. “More scars.”

Fresh, red scars marked where his wrists had been impaled. First by the manacles, then by whatever bindings the trolls had used when hauling him across Tarenhiel and Kostaria, and finally from the stone pinning him to the floor of that dungeon cell.

Essie set down her canvas bag beside the table and gently grasped Farrendel’s hands, running her thumbs over the scars on his wrists. “You know the scars don’t bother me. Nor does the length of your hair. I love you, Farrendel.”

He gave a tiny nod, though the spark didn’t return to his eyes.

Being fully dressed would help. Essie knelt, dug in the sack, and pulled out the folded shirt and tunic she had hauled with her from Tarenhiel.

She placed the shirt and tunic in his hands. “I thought you might want these.”

He ran his fingers over the light green tunic, the same one she had borrowed and worn the day they married. At last, a hint of a smile cracked his mouth, a flicker of light returning to his eyes. “This always reminds me of you.”

“And here I was wearing it all over Ellonahshinel because it reminded me of you.” Essie forced herself to grin, her tone light, as she dug in the sack and pulled out his stockings and boots.

The comment earned her only a twitch of a smile from Farrendel, a smile that was replaced with a grimace as he eased his shirt over his head.

Even with Melantha’s magic, it would take a few days for the healing to be complete and the soreness to fade. Nor would the magic replace the weight and strength he’d lost during the two weeks of immobility and little food.

It hurt, seeing him like this, and Essie wasn’t sure what he wanted from her. Did he want her to be cheery? To pretend everything was normal? To be quiet and subdued? It was hard to know, and Farrendel wasn’t the type to tell her what he wanted, especially right now. He probably