The Rising (The Rising #4) - Kristen Ashley Page 0,15

at Aramus’s side, waiting for him to say something.

But once he had regained consciousness after the Mer had dragged him down to their underwater city, he was not best pleased that he’d been pulled under without his consent.

Or that they’d magicked him unconscious.

Not to mention, also mer-napped me.

It took considerable time to calm him down, even though I agreed wholeheartedly this was not the best way for the Mer to begin relations between our two realms.

But we’d been in Amphite, the capital city of the Mer, now for hours. Aramus’s men were probably beside themselves with worry that we’d disappeared.

And Dora and Aelia were likely terrified.

We needed to move forward establishing relations and then get home.

And this would be any kind of relations (though, preferably good ones, however, I wasn’t sure how that would happen with such an inauspicious start).

“My king,” I whispered, reaching out to touch Aramus’s wrist where it lay on the table, the better to give him the ability to irritably drum his fingers, something which he was doing.

“We will commence when I hear an apology,” Aramus decreed.

Oh no.

“Then you might as well leave now,” Jorie retorted.

“I have no issue with this,” Aramus stated, beginning to rise.

I grasped his wrist and tugged to keep him seated, hissing, “Aramus.”

“We have done without them for centuries, my queen,” he stated, his eyes not leaving Jorie, but fortunately his behind not leaving his seat. “We can carry on without them now.”

“My darling, he is the king of my people,” I pushed. “And we need all peoples allied, Aramus. Especially those with power. With magic.”

My husband said nothing.

“And he is Silence’s brother,” I stressed

Aramus grinned a wicked grin at Jorie. “Good luck getting through Mars to meet her, my friend.”

Jorie bared his teeth.

Oh, but he wanted to meet his sister.

And that made me happy.

I just needed to get my stubborn king happy about it as well.

“She has no siblings,” I reminded Aramus. “Her mother is as weak as the king who is her brother. Her father is—”

Aramus’s head ticked, having sensed as we all did the kind of man (and more importantly, father) that Johan Mattson was.

But I knew.

In her missives to me, it was clear she had not been raised in a nurturing manner.

I did not share all with my husband.

But he was no fool.

I took instant advantage. “Can you imagine, growing up as she did, discovering your brother, your blood, is King of the Mer? Indeed, growing up alone in that house, for Silence was very much alone in that house, Aramus, and then coming to learn you have a brother at all?”

Neither man spoke for long moments, though Jorie now appeared even more unhappy upon hearing how Silence had been raised.

Aramus broke the silence.

“Your father, he also was king?”

“Yes,” Jorie bit off.

Aramus’s tone had warmed a shade when he went on to inquire, “And he is no longer amongst us?”

“No,” Jorie answered shortly.

“I am sorry,” I said to Jorie.

“I am as well. He was a good man, a good king, and a good father,” Jorie replied.

“Silence, Queen of Firenze, is dear to my wife,” Aramus declared. “I call her husband friend. At any time, but especially in times like these, I would not want to introduce anything into her life that would upset her.”

“You assume I would upset her?” Jorie demanded indignantly.

“No, but you say your father was a good man, and yet he begot Silence, and this is unknown to Silence. I do not know for certain, but we suspect Silence not only is unaware she is Mer, now, I more than suspect she does not know the father who raised her is not her own,” Aramus returned carefully.

Jorie lifted his chin.

And then fortunately, he gave in a little.

“My mother died. She was young. I was but seven years old. My father was most grieved. Amongst the Mer, when one’s mate perishes, it is custom to go swim-about. A mate can be gone years in their search for solace after they lose the one they love. My father was gone for two. I know he went to the land, took his legs, traveled widely with the Zee people who are like many of us. They wander in schools, wherever they wish to roam. I did not, and he did not, know, in his meanderings, his seed brought forth a child.”

Jorie took a breath and continued.

“That is, I did not know until word reached us that the new Queen of Firenze has silver eyes. No one but the