The Kingdom's Crown (Inheritance of Hunger #3) - Kathryn Moon Page 0,79

not just Bryony and Thao again, but the whole mess of us. Every one of Bryony's men was, in some odd way now, also my family.

"It better not be, princess, because there's not a chance I'd let you go through with it," Aric snarled. "What do you need to be a tiger for anyway?"

"It is a great honor to receive the gift of my family's bite," Thao said, a slight edge of offense in his tone.

Aric whirled on him and then seemed to settle briefly. "That may be. Is it one that's ever been granted to anyone with their own kind of magic? Has the ceremony ever taken place off the island of Mennary? Magic isn't baking a cake, there's more than putting the right ingredients together; environment is a factor. And in this case," Aric continued, jaw tight as he forced the words out while glaring at Bryony, "there is certainly more at stake."

"It's only something I'm considering," Bryony said mildly, holding Aric's gaze. "I'm not coming to you with my mind made up, I'm bringing this to all of you as a discussion. And to you in particular as a…puzzle, I suppose. Hello, Wendell."

The room turned to me as a whole, and I waved, crossing to sit on the arm of Thao's chair. "Hello, carry on. I'll take your attention in a moment."

Bryony's lips pursed at that, but Aric was faster. "What if you get the bite and it doesn't work, and you try to heal yourself and the bite's magic resists yours, so you can't?"

"I'm not going to take her arm off, Aric," Thao muttered, but he sighed as I slipped fingers through his hair. He was taking Aric's criticism of his offer to Bryony fairly well, I thought.

Aric took in another great breath, and Bryony stepped forward, settling one hand on his chest and reaching up to cup his cheek. I hid my smile as the breath all puffed out of him, entirely caught in Bryony's gentle, disarming gaze.

"Let's table it for now. I won't act, I promise."

His eyes narrowed slightly, but his arm circled her waist as she rose to her toes and kissed him briefly.

"It would be a good defense for her," Cresswell said, standing at the bar in the corner and pouring himself a drink.

Bryony twisted in Aric's arms and hushed him with a gesture before leaning into her mage again, smiling at me with her chin propped on Aric's shoulder.

"How was the meeting?" She sounded so easy and optimistic. I hadn't brought her bad news since we'd learned about her mother handing over more control to Thomlinson, and her faith in me was obvious. And a little daunting, if I was being honest with myself. I never wanted to bring Bryony the news that I'd failed her.

"The tax measures were voted down," I said.

"Oh good! Wendell, you've made such progress already," Bryony said, and Aric released her, joining Cresswell for a drink as Bryony moved to sit with Cosmo in the chair facing me.

My smile faltered at her praise, and Bryony's head tipped to the side in an unspoken question. "There was a new proposal. Regarding the succession of the crown."

Daniel and Owen had been engaging in a friendly conversation of their own by the windows, Aric and Cress chatting, but all of that fell silent at my announcement.

"The crown?" Bryony whispered, stiffening on Cosmo's lap. He was quick to soothe her, his hands moving over her shoulders and straight spine almost unconsciously, trying to soften her again.

I stood and paced a small track, just to the edge of the rug at the heart of the room. "Thomlinson proposed a law where no princess could be named successor without first providing an heir."

Aric cursed, and so did Thao in Mennarian, but Bryony remained perched on Cosmo's lap, staring blankly at me.

"An heir," she repeated.

"It doesn't guarantee that Camellia would be declared, but it… If she…"

"If she gets pregnant first, it would give Thomlinson leverage to push at my—my mother!"

"She doesn't know," I said quickly. Bryony leapt up, and I hurried forward, catching her hands in mine. "She hasn't heard of this; it was half the reason I was able to delay the vote, but Bryony…"

I didn't want to be the one to say it. This wasn't an ultimatum I would ever have wanted her to feel weighing on her shoulders, and for possibly the first time, I resented my position on the council forcing me to always give the woman I loved